Newsletter Contents:

• Celebrate! Save the Date
• MRU Copyright

• ADC eLearning and Curriculum (re)Design Project Support - 2022/23 Application Form
• Teaching in the Active Learning Classroom -- Winter 2022

• Drop-in Q & A Session: ADC eLearning and Curriculum (Re)Design Project Support
• Series: It's Never Too Late Fall Academic Writing Group
• Developing Your Project-Based Course
• The Higher Education Podcast Listening Experience: Indigenous Education
• Rethinking Research Assignments
• Exploring the Active Learning Classroom

• SoTL Grant Opportunities -- Fall Call Opening Nov 1 2021. Deadline: Nov 30 2021

• Faculty Workshop -- Ethical Conduct for Human Research
• Navigating Copyright for Assignments

• Strategies to Set Up Groups

Announcements

We're excited to announce Celebrate! Teaching and Learning at MRU will return
on May 4th & 5th, 2022. Join us for a blend of virtual or in person panels celebrating the
many contributions to teaching excellence by MRU's faculty, staff and students.
 
Further information about proposals will be provided in January 2022.

Visit mru.ca/celebrate for more details.

MRU Copyright

For all copyright inquiries, one-on-one appointments, and any additional copyright support, please contact Taylor Stevens at MRUcopyright@mtroyal.ca or visit her at the Library Service Desk every Tuesday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm for drop-in copyright support.

Calls for Expression of Interest

ADC eLearning and Curriculum (re)Design Project Support
2022/23 Application Form

Each year the Academic Development Centre (ADC) collaborates with MRU departments and programs by working with faculty members to support eLearning and major curriculum design/redesign projects. The ADC is currently accepting applications for projects for the 2022/23 academic year. 

Applications are due by Wednesday, December 15 at noon.

Click here to view and download the application form.

Call for Expression of Interest:
Teaching in the Active Learning Classroom -- Winter 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 new 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 Winter 2022 term.  If you think this space would enhance your teaching, please fill out the attached Expression of Interest by December 1.  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. 
 
This expression of interest is part of a larger ADC initiative focusing on Active Learning. Its primary goal is to promote active learning pedagogies.  In addition, we seek to investigate the effects of classroom design on teaching and learning practices that involve active learning pedagogies.  Faculty partners will share their ALC experience to inform future practices.

For more information contact Luciano Santos or John Cheeseman, 

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). 

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!

Drop-in Q & A Session:
ADC eLearning and Curriculum (Re)Design Project Support

Each year the ADC collaborates with MRU departments and programs by working with faculty members to support eLearning and major curriculum design/redesign projects. We are pleased to offer an open information session for those who are considering submitting a proposal to ADC’s annual call for eLearning and Curriculum project support. ADC faculty and staff will be on hand to describe in further detail the types of support available, what to expect through the process, and to answer any questions you might have.
 
Facilitators:  Amanda Veinotte and Jennifer Boman
When:  Wednesday, November 24, 12:00 - 1:00 pm -- Register
             Friday, December 10, 12:00 - 1:00 pm -- Register

Series: It's Never Too Late Fall Academic Writing Group

There’s still time this term to get your writing on track with this 6-week writing group. During each 3-hour writing session, the first 30 minutes will be dedicated to an online, synchronous peer discussion. In the remaining time, participants will write in a location of their choice, and will have the opportunity to book a consultation with a writing specialist. It’s never too late to prioritize your scholarship!

Facilitator: Andrea Phillipson 
When: Fridays, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm,
           November 5 - December 10, 2021
           (Join any time until Dec 9)                                                               Photo by Edar from Pixabay

Developing Your Project-Based Course

Project-based courses can be complex to design and require a different approach in the classroom. In this three-part workshop we will discuss how you can structure a student project that spans an entire semester, keeps students engaged, and meets the required course outcomes, all without overwhelming you. 

Facilitator: Sarah Hewitt
When:  Part 1: Project-based learning - Building the structural foundation
                        Monday, November 22, 2021 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
 
             Part 2: Project-based learning - Framing content and assessment
                         Monday, November 29, 2021, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
 
             Part 3: Project-based learning - Troubleshooting and Getting buy-in from students
                         Monday, December 6, 2021, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

The Higher Education Podcast Listening Experience:
Indigenous Education

Take an opportunity to step away from your screen and listen to a podcast about a timely issue in teaching and learning, then meet online with your colleagues for a lively discussion. This session’s episode features Indigenous and settler educators talking about what Indigenizing and decolonizing mean, and how we, as educators, can move forward. 
 
Before attending the synchronous session, please listen to the first 30 minutes of Leaning In and Speaking Out’s December 9, 2020 episode: Indigenous Education, featuring Dr. Niigaan Sinclair.  

Facilitators: Eileen Clearsky and Andrea Phillipson
When: Tuesday, November 23, 2021, 1:00 - 2:00 pm

Photo by Michael Oeser on Unsplash

Rethinking Research Assignments

Forbidding the use of Google in academic research assignments has been compared to abstinence-only sex education. How can we strengthen students’ digital literacy and critical thinking skills by acknowledging and guiding their experiences with online information? This 2-part workshop will explore some ups and downs of research in the digital age and discuss ways that assignments can support students’ critical engagement with all kinds of information sources.                                                                                                                    
Facilitator: Sara Sharun
When:  Part 1: Wednesday, November 24, 2021, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
            Part 2: Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm

                                                                                                    Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

Exploring the Active Learning Classroom

Come play with us in the ALC! Join us for a fun introduction to active learning and active learning environments. In this session you and your peers will engage in a light-hearted problem-based learning activity that aligns space with pedagogy and demonstrates some of the features of the ALC. We will also describe the ongoing ADC’s Active Learning Initiative, its components, and how instructors can engage with the initiative.
 
Facilitators: Luciano Santos and John Cheeseman
                                                                 When: Friday, November 26, 1:00 - 2:30 pm

SoTL Grant Opportunities -- Fall Call 
Deadline: November 30, 2021

We are pleased to announce our fall call for SoTL grant applications.
The ROMEO system is now accepting applications, with the deadline for submission
November 30, 2021.

For full descriptions and criteria of the grants available, visit our research grants page here. Please contact Collette Lemieux with any questions.

Additional MRU Offerings

Faculty Workshop -- Ethical Conduct for Human Research

These sessions consider principles of “Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans” as required by the Canadian Tri-Council Policy Statement and assist researchers when applying for Ethics Clearance from Mount Royal’s Human Research Ethics Board (HREB).
 
Facilitator:  HREB
When: Tuesday, November 23, 2021 11:00 am - 12:00 pm 

Navigating Copyright for Assignments

Join Copyright Advisor Taylor Stevens in an online workshop that will help alleviate confusion and frustration around copyright. This workshop will cover: 

• Copyright basics
• Your user rights under the Copyright Act
• A closer look at the use of images in assignments, projects, etc. 
• How to source copyright-friendly works 

Facilitator: Taylor Stevens, Copyright Advisor 
When: Wednesday, December 1, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm 

Strategies to Set Up Groups

Blackboard is flexible both in the creation and editing of groups:

1. You can create randomly enrolled groups.
    
2. You can manually put specific students into groups, but show only
   those who are not yet in a group.
    
3. You can let students choose their own groups.
    
4. You can add or remove group members from groups.
    
5. You can create a group assignment, and even add an accidentally missing group member from a group after it has been submitted so they can be graded with the rest of the group.
    
6. You can create permanent Google Meeting links for groups to be able to meet online outside of class time.
    
7. You can even turn off groups including the ability for students to make their own groups.

Also, you can visit our complete suite of Sandbox resources.
If you find you need more assistance than our online resources provide, please email us at sandbox@mtroyal.ca, or if you have an urgent time sensitive issue, call us at 403.440.7002.