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MARCH 2025
Registration Open: 36th Teaching and Learning Innovations ConferencePlease join us for the 36th Teaching and Learning Innovations Conference on May 14 and 15, 2025. We will come together to explore the theme, Cultivating Spaces of Possibility, as it weaves through the learning experiences of students, faculty, and staff. On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, we will connect at Peter Clark Hall in the University Centre for in-person interactive workshops, presentations, and posters. On Thursday, May 15, 2025, join us virtually for our keynote address from Dr. Jessie Moore, Director of the Center for Engaged Learning & Professor of Professional Writing and Rhetoric at Elon University, along with interactive sessions and presentations delivered synchronously online via Zoom. Questions? Connect with us at otl@uoguelph.ca. Registration closes Monday, May 05, 2025.
Save the Date: Teaching with AI ConferenceAre you looking for a space to explore AI tools, develop course policies on AI use, integrate AI into your work, and redesign assessments in the context of AI? Do you want to learn from faculty, students, educational developers, librarians, and GenAI experts through engaging sessions, workshops, and panel discussions? Join us for the second annual virtual Teaching with AI Conference on June 09 - June 13, 2025! We are hosting this year’s conference in collaboration with: Contact North, the Digital Life Institute, Lakehead University, Laurentian University, McMaster University, Queen’s University, the University of Niagara Falls Canada, the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and York University. Save the date and fill out the form below to indicate your interest, and we’ll send you updates on registration and other important event details. All are welcome to participate!
One of our conference partners, Contact North, is hosting a free online AI Institute on April 19th. Learn more and register here. Call for Applications:
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Interested in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning?
We are offering two upcoming opportunities for those interested in learning more about SoTL or working on SoTL projects.
For those participating in the McLaughlin Library’s Faculty Writing Retreat in May, join OTL for a discussion on “What is SoTL?” on Wednesday, May 07, 2025, from 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM, to explore foundational concepts and practical steps to engage in SoTL. We'll discuss how SoTL differs from scholarly teaching, its impact on teaching and learning, and how to get started with your own SoTL project. Retreat registration and attendance required.
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One-on-One Consultations: For anyone currently working on SoTL projects, OTL is offering one-on-one consultations during the week of May 05 – 09, 2025, in-person or virtual. Consultations offer tailored support for your SoTL projects, including refining research questions, considering ethical aspects, identifying appropriate methodologies, strategizing dissemination and publication opportunities, finding and connecting with SoTL colleagues, collaborators and SoTL networks.
Stay tuned for sign-up details in our April newsletter!
Application Reminder:
Course Design Institute (CDI)
The Course Design Institute (CDI) is a transformative program designed to support instructors with designing or redesigning a course in a supportive, engaging, and collaborative environment. The CDI will be held in-person on May 26 - 29, 2025, from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. All University of Guelph, University of Guelph-Humber, and Ridgetown instructors seeking to design a new course or revise an existing course are eligible. Space is limited to approximately 25 participants.
Applications Due: Friday, March 21, 2025, by 5:00 PM.
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Call for Proposals Reminder:
Learning Enhancement Fund (LEF)
The Learning Enhancement Fund (LEF) aims to improve undergraduate & graduate learning experiences and teaching practices across disciplines by funding projects that are grounded in evidence and contribute to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. The LEF considers proposals designed to support student academic success through projects that enhance student engagement, improve access and inclusion, innovate the curriculum, and advance our understanding of student learning and teaching practices.
Proposals Due: Friday, March 28, 2025, by 5:00 PM.
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Meet an Instructional Technology Specialist
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Dr. Rachael Lewitzky
Instructional Technology Specialist
What pathway did you take to your career as an Instructional Technology Specialists?
Perhaps a more appropriate question would be “What pathway didn’t I take to my career as an Instructional Technology Specialist?” I was lucky to complete co-op placements during my undergraduate degree in applied mathematics and statistics, which illuminated a common thread among my varied job experiences. Sometime between developing K-12 STEM applications, performing statistical analyses on educational data, designing assignments for computer science courses, and writing calculus course manuals, I realized I was interested in the dynamic of teaching and learning. After competing my B.Sc. at the University of Guelph, I attended teachers’ college at UBC. While my focus was teaching high school mathematics, I went on to teach science, gym, programming, art, music, English, and careers in K-12. Returning to Ontario introduced the opportunity to work in post-secondary course and curriculum development, which synthesized my pedagogical skillset with learning about educational technology.
After being convinced that I was finished with my post-secondary education, I slowly began to think about furthering my understanding of digital pedagogy by pursuing an M.Ed. What started off as part-time studies at the University of Ottawa quickly transitioned into full-time studies, as I wanted to immerse myself in research and courses. As you might have expected, this continued into a doctoral program at the University of Toronto. The focus of my work was instructional practices in university introductory statistics courses – a course that feels ubiquitous among programs, disciplines, and studies. Data interpretation, knowledge dissemination, graphical representation, numerical significance, and data collection – how were such topics introduced, scaffolded, explored, and critiqued?
Without making a long story longer, I completed my Ph.D. while teaching mathematics, statistics, digital media, education, and communication courses at a number of colleges and universities before returning to where my career journey began: the University of Guelph. In my role as an instructional technology specialist, I now draw on my professional and academic background in technology and pedagogy to support educators with their teaching practice.
What interests you about teaching and learning?
I am fascinated by how teaching and learning is constantly evolving. How do people teach? How do people learn? How has a person’s teaching practice changed over time? What inspires someone to learn something new? These are a few of the questions that I enjoy discussing with educators and learners alike. Extending these conversations to the use of educational technology, I enjoy exploring various technologies to investigate how they can help make education more accessible, engaging, and empowering.
What advice would you give new instructors?
Share your experiences. Have conversations with colleagues, communities of practice, friends, teaching teams – anyone and everyone. Share your successes and lessons learned – you never know how your story will impact others!
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For more teaching resources or to chat with us,
visit our website at https://otl.uoguelph.ca/ or contact us at otl@uoguelph.ca.
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