Join us during the Birds of a Feather session in CSF 1302 to talk with our external keynote speaker Dr. Sarah Eaton about her work and her presentation.

Facilitator: Dr. Sarah Eaton (Professor and Research Chair at the University of Calgary's Werklund School of Education).

Modality: On-site
Length: 30 minutes

The Birds of a Feather session is a new offering for the Teaching and Learning Conference. This session provides time in the conference program for participants to gather and discuss a specific topic of shared interest with their colleagues. These conversations are designed to foster network creation among participants as they explore ideas together.

Memorial community partners will facilitate conversations at their respective tables. During the session, signs on each table will denote the topic, and the facilitator will have prepared questions or ideas to help foster conversation with others at the table. Participants are also welcome to come with questions of their own. Additional tables will also be available for conference participants to start spontaneous Birds of a Feather conversations.

Presenters and/or participants may participate on-site only.

Topics

Career Integrated Learning

Are you interested in helping students become more aware of the many skills and competencies they develop at university? While students develop numerous competencies over the course of their programs, many fail to recognize these. Additionally, they need guidance on how to communicate these skills to potential employers. Our research suggests that academic tools such as the course syllabus can be designed to help achieve these goals. Come chat with us if you want to learn more about how you can help students become more aware of the many employability skills they are developing!

Facilitators: Dr. Jennifer Browne (Director, Student Life), Dr. Rhonda Joy (Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research, Faculty of Education), Dr. Jeannette Byrne (Associate Professor, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation) and Dr. Anne-Marie Sullivan (Dean, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation).

Collaborative Online Intercultural Learning (COIL)

How can I build a unique intercultural experience for my students within the courses I teach? What should I consider when looking to collaborate with international colleagues in the delivery of my course? Join this conversation to explore these ideas and learn more about Collaborative Online Intercultural Learning (COIL). COIL Coordinators at the Internationalization Office (IO) support instructors in assisting with searching and coordinating with international partners.

Facilitators: Kathryn Lear (International Programs Coordinator at IO, Inbound Mobility) and Dayna Howlett (International Programs Coordinator at IO, Outbound Mobility).

Dossier: Documenting Your Teaching Journey

Whether you’re preparing a teaching dossier for the job market, promotion and tenure or an award application, this open discussion invites participants to ask questions and share challenges and strategies. Explore what makes a strong dossier, how to gather meaningful artifacts over time and ways to document your teaching effectively.

Facilitator: Melanie Doyle (Educational Developer, Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning).

Going Public: Exploring Community-Engaged Teaching

Providing publicly engaged opportunities within courses can help motivate students to become truly involved in their learning and their communities. However, this approach also has its own unique challenges! Join us as we chat about your experiences with community engaged teaching, discuss what has (and hasn’t) worked for you in the past and share how the Office of Public Engagement can help.

Facilitators: Rebecca Cohoe (Manager, Public Engagement, Office of Public Engagement) and Andreae Callanan (Framework Coordinator, Office of Public Engagement).

Helping Students Succeed: A Collaborative Approach

As instructors, you likely face students who are struggling with managing the demands of their courses and/or the post-secondary learning environment. These struggles may be due to the transition from high school, exceptional circumstances and/or the presence of a disability whether diagnosed or unknown. This conversation aims to clarify the accommodation process, including how the Blundon Centre's Accessibility Advisors can help you and your students, while considering existing trends in student profiles and the implementation of UDL approaches to support student learning. Feel free to bring along your own questions and/or offer your thoughts on helping our students succeed.

Facilitators: Kathy Skinner, Paula Hennesey, Robert Forward and Kim Hawco (Student Learning Accessibility Advisors, Accessibility Services, Glenn Roy Blundon Centre).

Interested In Being More Open?

Building on Memorial’s Open Education Week 2025 activities, this conversation aims to identify more Open activity happening across Memorial through the sharing of Open approaches used in teaching, research, publishing, engagement and other scholarly activities. Join us to learn about being Open, from sharing content to finding support to build open resources.

Facilitators: Dr. David Churchill (Associate Professor of Computer Science, Faculty of Science) and Erin Alcock (Librarian, Queen Elizabeth II Library).

Online Academic Integrity Education

Memorial has had a mandatory online integrity course for undergraduates since 2016, and a more recent optional one for graduate students. Join us to share your experience with integrity breaches and how they inform the way you discuss integrity with your students. What you’ve learned can help with our continuous course enhancement.

Facilitators: Erin Alcock and Wendy Rodgers (co-coordinators, Integrity 1000, Research Liaison Librarians, Queen Elizabeth II Library).

Peer Review of Teaching

Peer Review of Teaching (PRT) is a process designed for academic staff members to provide each other with constructive feedback on teaching practices. PRT supports professional development by either having your teaching reviewed or performing as a reviewer. Join this conversation to learn more about the value of peer review for teaching development from the perspective of a reviewer and reviewee.

Facilitators: Dr. Karen Dobbin-Williams PhD MN BN RN (Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing and reviewee) and Dr. Beverly Fitzpatrick (Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy/Faculty of Education and reviewer).

Understanding Our Role in Indigenization and Decolonization

What are decolonization and indigenization from a teaching perspective? Where do I start in decolonizing my classroom? Sharing in conversations is key in creating relationships that build towards reconciliation, join Memorial’s Office of Indigenous Affairs Indigenous Education Specialist and enter into open dialogue around our specific roles decolonizing the academy.

Facilitators: Ivan J White (Indigenous Education Specialist).

Using Brightspace to Inspire Learning

Brightspace is more than a content management system. The breadth of tools available within the system provides faculty the opportunity to share content, assess learning and build community. In this conversation you will have the opportunity to connect with representatives from D2L to learn how you can use Brightspace effectively, regardless of delivery method, to enhance and inspire learning.

Facilitators: Brett Masse (Senior Client Sales Executive), Dimo Krastev (Customer Success Manager) and Adriana Balici (Technical Account Director)

Modality: Hybrid
Length: 60 Minutes

Teaching Dialogues is the closing session of Memorial’s Teaching and Learning Conference 2025. During this plenary session, Dr. Amy Warren will host a discussion between the conference faculty chair Dr. Jeannette Byrne and keynotes Dr. Sarah Eaton and Dr. Isabelle Cote. Picking up from their discussion in this year’s Innovation Talks series, the panel will share their key takeaways from the conference and further explore how their teaching practices incorporate this year’s theme: Innovating Teaching, Inspiring Learning. This plenary will examine the motivations that inspire faculty to try new things with the hope of igniting curiosity and deep learning in our students. We will discuss how instructors are creatively addressing today’s challenges to chart a future where teaching is not just instruction, but a vibrant and inspiring journey for every learner.  

Participants: Dr. Amy Warren (facilitator), Dr. Jeannette Byrne, Dr. Isabelle Côté and Dr. Sarah Eaton.

Modality: On-site

Length: 60 minutes

Interactive Workshops bring participants together to learn a new skill, collaborate on a problem-solving exercise, brainstorm ideas or generate a resource, artifact or other outcome.

Some workshops may be available in a hybrid format. This will be noted on the conference program as appropriate.

Modality: Hybrid

Length: 30 minutes

Presentations may include original research, theoretical insights, or innovative projects focused on the development of teaching and learning in general or within a specific discipline.

Presentations should address one of these categories, though others may be considered as warranted:

• Issues and Innovations: Present and facilitate dialogue and discussion on a topic related to your teaching (e.g., active learning, student engagement, academic integrity, etc.).
• Inquiry on Teaching and Learning: Overview and discussion of a particular research topic, methodology or project related to teaching and learning.

Two presentations will be scheduled within a single Concurrent session slot. Each presenter has 30 minutes total for their presentation, including a brief question-and-answer discussion.

Presenters and/or participants may participate on-site or remotely.

Modality: Hybrid

Length: 20 minutes

The topics for these practical sessions should focus on practices used by instructors in their own teaching that can be adapted or used in other settings or disciplines.

Spark-an-Idea Talks should address one of these categories, though others may be considered as warranted:

• Teaching Strategies: Share effective teaching strategies, including the purpose, intended outcomes, possible demonstration of the strategy and examples. Discussion should address how others can apply the strategies in their own teaching contexts.
• Effective Assessments: Share an assessment approach by providing details of the development and administration of the assessment, intended student outcomes and strengths and challenges of the assessment, along with discussion of how the assessment might be used in other disciplinary contexts or delivery modes.

Three Sparks will be scheduled within a single Concurrent Session slot. Each presenter has 20 minutes to summarize their strategy/assessment by highlighting its impact (15 minutes) and facilitating a brief question-and-answer discussion (5 minutes).

Presenters and/or participants may participate on-site or remotely.

Modality: On-site

Length: 60 minutes

Session participants take on the role of learners within the learning environments of the presenters, who will deliver a portion of a course they teach. Presenters will share what they do in their classrooms by delivering a lesson or activity from their teaching practice, then engaging in a discussion with participants about how others might adapt their techniques or approach to their own teaching contexts.

Visit CITL’s YouTube channel to see examples of past Welcome to My Classroom sessions.

Some sessions may be available in a hybrid format. This will be noted on the conference program as appropriate.