Newsletter Contents

• Access to D2L Brightspace
• Call for Expression of Interest: Teaching in the Active Learning Classroom
• Mentorship Program 2022/23: Call for Mentors
• Apply for an Open Educational Resources Grant 

• Series: Academic Writing Group
• Series: Unpacking Online Learning Discussion
• Assessment Redesign
• D2L Brightspace Instructor Essentials
• Higher Education Podcast Listening Experience: My Flipped Classroom
• Building Strong Relationships Through Shared Responsibility (Mino-bimaadiziwin: living in a good way)
• Fostering Higher Order Thinking Skills
• Integrating Technology Into Our Teaching
• Supporting Student Well-being Through Course Design
• Enhancing Learner Experience with OBS
• Support for Indigenization

• Upcoming opportunities in the Mokakiiks Centre for SoTL
• 2022 Symposium for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Call for Proposals
• Integrating SoTL into your Scholarship Program
• SoTL Grants Information Session

• tea with office of indigenization and decolonization (oid)

Announcements

Your Access to D2L Brightspace

All faculty now have access to the new Learning Management System (LMS), D2L Brightspace.

To log into D2L, go to learn.mru.ca and enter your MRU login credentials. 

What you'll find in your D2L site
While we work on integrating D2L with the University's systems, you can create courses using three course shells provided to you. For ease, these are simply called “Course 1,” “Course 2,” and “Course 3.” You can rename those course shells (and you can get more through the ADC Sandbox!).  

Your work and preparation with these course shells won’t be lost when the system gets connected, and we will be there to help you to copy and/or merge content to your live courses.  All other features of D2L are available now. All credit courses for fall 2022 will be populated (with courses and enrolled students) no later than August 15.  

Training and Support
A full suite of training resources and sessions will be available on August 15 (when the faculty vacation period concludes). For those keen to begin before the faculty vacation period, we have training opportunities through synchronous vendor-delivered sessions (click date to register):

• Thursday, May 19 from 8:30 to 10:30    
• Wednesday, May 25 from 12:00 to 2:00   
• Monday, May 30 from 10:00 to 12:00
• Wednesday, June 8 from 11:00 to 1:00     

You can also find additional training resources (on-demand YouTube videos, self-paced training, online tutorials and materials), at: mru.ca/D2L.

For updates on the LMS Renewal Project, visit mru.ca/LMS.  If you have any questions and/or you have feedback for us, please don’t hesitate to contact the ADC through the project-specific email at LMS@mtroyal.ca

Call for Expression of Interest: Teaching in the Active Learning Classroom Fall 2022

Do you employ student collaboration and group work in your classes? Would you like to teach in a classroom that is designed to accommodate such pedagogies?

Located in the Riddell Library and Learning Centre, the ADC has constructed an experimental Active Learning Classroom (ALC). The purpose of this classroom is to enhance collaboration and group work. The room consists of six pods and seats six students per pod. Large screen displays at each pod allow for content to be displayed in a variety of configurations around the room.

We are looking to partner with faculty who would like to teach in the Active Learning Classroom, during the Fall 2022 term. If you think this space would enhance your teaching, please fill out the expression of interest linked below. As we only have a single classroom, our intention is to maximize the impact of this space on teaching and learning practices. Priority will be given to those who would like to teach portions of their courses in this progressive learning space. Also, interested faculty will have the opportunity (if desired) to create their own SoTL project. More details can be found in the EOI package.

Please complete the EOI form and submit it to Christian Cook, Academic Director, Academic Development Centre, clcook@mtroyal.ca, by end of day Friday, June 3, 2022. Final decisions regarding project approvals will be communicated by Wednesday, June 15th.

Please contact Luciano Santos, ldarosa@mtroyal.ca, 403.440.5059, or John Cheeseman, 403.440.6956, jcheeseman@mtroyal.ca, with questions or to obtain additional information about the ALC.

Mentorship Program 2022/23: Call for Mentors

Are you interested in becoming a mentor for pre-tenure faculty? We are recruiting tenured faculty members who are interested in becoming mentors for pre-tenure faculty colleagues for the 2022-23 academic year. Mentoring resources and support will be provided.

What is the time commitment? All mentors will be asked to participate in an information meeting about mentorship in August 2022. Once matched, mentors and mentees are encouraged to make time to meet once a month for the balance of the 2022-23 year. (Matches will be communicated by August 2022)

Questions? Please drop into our online Q&A session on May 25th from 10-11am, or contact Jennifer Boman (jboman@mtroyal.ca)

To apply: Please complete and submit this Google Form application by June 6, 2021

Apply for an Open Educational Resources Grant 

Are you interested in adopting or adapting an open textbook, lab manual, or other types of open educational resources in a course during the 2022-23 academic year? The Academic Development Centre and the University Library invite applications for the Open Educational Resources Grant program available to all full-time and contract faculty.

Using open educational resources can benefit both students and faculty. For students, the ability to access freely available course materials reduces financial barriers, broadens course access, and improves retention (e.g. Jhangiani & Jhangiani, 2017), while faculty appreciate the opportunity to customize resources to the needs of their course. Free and flexible online access to open resources is even more important now, as the Library and its users face increasing publisher restrictions and prohibitive pricing that prevent electronic access to some course materials.

Grant recipients can receive $1,000-2,000 in funding that can be used toward hiring a student partner to assist with finding, updating, and testing open materials, as well as in kind support from both the Library and ADC for effectively incorporating open pedagogy and materials into their course. 

More information about the Open Educational Resources Grant program can be found at https://library.mtroyal.ca/oergrants. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Applications will be reviewed against the eligibility criteria and applicants notified within 2 weeks of submission. Applications submitted after May 29, 2022 will be held for review until August 15.

Questions? Contact Cari Merkley or Luciano Santos at oergrants@mtroyal.ca.

Photo source: Catherine Cronin, Open, CC-BY 2.0

Upcoming ADC Workshops

ADC workshops this semester are offered in person and/or virtually. You will be provided with a Google Meet link (if applicable) and any other instructions needed for your session with your registration confirmation, or by email prior to the session start time.  

You can view available workshops and register for workshops here:
current list of upcoming workshops. (See also: calendar view). 

NEW!!!  Access our ADC Events and Workshops calendar to add upcoming workshops or events to your own calendar.

Follow us on Twitter and stay up-to-date on upcoming workshops and other ADC news!

Fostering Higher Order Thinking Skills

Facilitator: Luciano Santos
When: May 25, 2022, 1pm – 2:30pm or
            June 3, 2022, 10:30am – 12pm

Integrating Technology Into Our Teaching

Facilitator: Luciano Santos
When: May 27, 2022, 10:30am - 12pm or
            June 2, 2022, 1pm - 2:30pm

Supporting Student Well-being Through Course Design

Facilitator: Jennifer Boman
Date: Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Time: 10:00am – 11:30am

Enhancing Learner Experience with OBS

Facilitator: Bree Smith & Nicolette Young
Date: Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm

Support for Indigenization

Upcoming opportunities in the Mokakiiks Centre for SoTL: 

1. Apply for 2022 SoTL Development Cohort: In this three year program, learn about SoTL, develop and implement your own project, receiving funding to support your work.
   • Find the application here.
   • Deadline: May 31st
2. Apply for the SoTL grants program: We offer four different grants through the Centre: Essential SoTL Grant (max $5000), Mokakiiks SoTL Collaborate Grant (max $10,000), Marshall Family Foundation SoTL Literacy Grant (max $9000), and Mokakiiks Undergraduate SoTL Dissemination Grant (max $1500).
   • Information about the grants are posted here, and the application form through ROMEO will be available shortly.
   • We are holding a grant info session on May 18th. See below for more details.
   • Deadline: May 31st

2022 Symposium for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
A Decade of Imagining SoTL: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

November 10 to 12, 2022 in Banff, Alberta

Call for Proposals Now Open!
Deadline updated: June 1st

• Oral presentations
• Poster sessions
• SoTL Quick Hits (formerly Cracker Barrel)
• Deep Dive Discussions - NEW

Integrating SoTL into your Scholarship Program

SoTL Grants Information Session

tea with office of indigenization and decolonization (oid)

mru community is invited to join the office of indigenization and decolonization (oid) for tea on the dates listed below.

this is a good way to get to know each other, share stories and listen. in addition to tea, please enjoy some catered bannock.

The Unforgotten: A Film Screening and Talking Circle

The Unforgotten is a 35-minute film about the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples across five stages of life, created by BUILD Films and Networked Health, with funding and support from the Canadian Medical Association. Supported by Indigenous Elders, join us in-person to watch the film and then engage in a talking circle which will support learning, reflection and
connections with the film. Lunch to follow.