WHAT'S INSIDE

• Updated Quiz & Discussions Tool in D2L
• Teaching & Learning Enhancement Grants: Call for Proposals
• Script to Screen
• Record Teaching Materials Using a Lightboard

• Academic Writing Intensive
• Student Success Series
• Self-Assessment Reading and Discussion Series
• Teaching with AI-Generated Writing
• Using GIFS and Memes in Teaching and Learning
• Grading for Growth: A Higher Education Podcast Lunch & Learn

• Building the Yacht: Advanced Features in D2L
• Call for Expression of Interest: Teaching in the Active Learning Classroom
• Design and Implementing Multimodal Assignments
• Lunch and Learn: Misinformation and Fact-Checking Content from AI (ChatGPT)
• Creating an Action Maze with D2L Release Conditions
• Assessment Redesign

• SoTL Network YYC
• SoTL Grants Open

• Turnitin Releases AI Writing Detector

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Updated Quiz & Discussions Tools in D2L

D2L has refreshed the Quiz and Discussions tool to have the same look and feel as the Assignments tool. This update makes settings easier to locate with the new right-hand sidebar. We're excited about the consistency this new update brings, and we hope you do too!

Image showing the changes between the old Quiz interface and the new one. Click to enlarge.

Learn more about the new updates by:

• watching this video or reading this article on the updated Quiz tool
• reading this article on the updated Discussions tool

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

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?

We are looking to partner with faculty who would like to teach in the Active Learning Classroom, during the Fall 2023 term. If you think this space would enhance your teaching, please download and fill out the Expression of Interest by June 2.  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.

For more information contact Luciano Santos, ldarosa@mtroyal.ca or John Cheeseman, jcheeseman@mtroyal.ca.

Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grants (TLEG): Call for Proposals

Are you a faculty member looking to enhance your students' learning experience? With grants up to $5,000, the TLEG supports pedagogical innovation and exploration, including the adoption of educational technologies, and experimentation with pedagogical methods.

Don't miss out on this chance to take your teaching to the next level. With a TLEG, you can be at the forefront of pedagogical innovation, and provide your students with an exceptional learning experience that will prepare them for success in their academic and professional lives.

Submission deadline: Friday, May 12, 2023 by 4:00 pm

Have questions? Email Christian Cook, Academic Director, ADC, clcook1@mtroyal.ca

Script to Screen: DIY Video for the Classroom

Workshop Intensive

In this five-day, hands-on workshop series, you will be guided through the creation of a two- to three-minute video that can be used in your teaching. During the week you will:

• Discuss ways in which self-made educational videos can be used in undergraduate courses.
• Explore the resources and supports available in the ADC, including the media production spaces and learning technologies.
• Plan and script your vision for the video.
• Record media using easy-to-learn tools such as the Lightboard Studio
• Put it all together using robust, easy-to-use editing software.

Facilitators: Bree Smith, Christina Devetzis, John Cheeseman, Luciano Dos Santos, Pattie Mascaro
Dates: Monday, May 15 to Friday, May 19*
Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm (includes a break for lunch)

*Attendance during all 5 days is encouraged, especially during morning sessions. View the schedule for the week here.

Record Teaching Materials Using a Lightboard

We are excited about the launch of our new lightboard space. Record videos that engage your students by writing notes or diagrams while still facing your audience. This space is great for creating asynchronous learning materials for both in-person and remote teaching.

The lightboard room is located in the ADC Sandbox (EL2274). To learn more, or book a tour of the space contact Bree Smith at bssmith@mtroyal.ca.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

We are excited to offer a diverse range of professional development workshops designed to enhance your teaching, research and technology skills. Led by our experienced faculty and professional staff, take advantage of these opportunities to expand your knowledge and apply them to your work.

View the full schedule of professional development opportunities by going to our upcoming workshops page. (See also: calendar view).

Student Success Series: Fostering Student Ownership of Their Learning

The student success discussion series promotes a space for instructors to share experiences, scholarly works, and strategies that can support students to achieve their best through the development of key academic skills. Sessions are designed to promote dialogue and engagement while also exposing participants to relevant literature and resources.

In this session, participants will be invited to:

• Explore how Zimmerman’s self-regulated learning theory can frame approaches to assist students in developing their sense of ownership of their learning
• Discuss specific strategies that instructors can implement to facilitate learning about self-regulation

Facilitator: Luciano Santos
Dates:  May 10
Time: 10:30 am–12:00 pm

MOKAKIIKS CENTRE FOR SOTL

SoTL Network YYC

Join us for the inaugural SoTL spring networking event - an opportunity for SoTL researchers (at any stage of development) from both Mount Royal University and University of Calgary to meet each other, learn about one another's projects, and explore possible knowledge sharing and collaborations. This event will occur in-person on the MRU campus.

Facilitators: Michelle Yeo, Cherie Woolmer, Heather Jamniczky
Date: May 11
Time: 4:00 pm–6:00 pm

SoTL Grants Open

Our SoTL Grants are now open for submission through the ROMEO research portal. For more information about the grants available, please visit our website on the SoTL Grants page. Please note: these submissions are for funding only - this is separate from our Mokakiiks SoTL Development Program.

Due: May 31, 2023

Please feel free to email Michelle Yeo, myeo@mtroyal.ca with any questions.

Teaching Tip

Turnitin Releases AI Writing Detector

On April 4, 2023, Turnitin launched its new AI writing detection feature to its platform. This new feature is available in MRU’s instance of Turnitin which is integrated in D2L Brightspace, our LMS. The new feature does not change the ADC’s guidance around text-matching software. Any report generated by text-matching software requires human analysis of the results. Text-matching software is a learning technology that helps students improve their academic writing and promotes academic integrity.

If you use text-matching software, please be aware of the policy defining its use at Mount Royal. The policy can be found here: Matching Software Policy. To learn more about this new feature, visit the following Turnitin pages:

• The launch of Turnitin’s AI writing detector and the road ahead
• Academic integrity in the age of AI writing

To learn more about AI, the MRU Library, Academic Development Centre and Student Learning Services have collaborated to provide the following resource to help inform our community:

• Artificial Intelligence