Author: Liesel Knaack
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Open Education Resources and New Textbooks: Update from BCcampus
The latest from The BCcampus Open Education team, Lauri Aesoph, BSc, Manager, Open Education New textbooks Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science – Book 2 This new work (Book 2) joins Book 1, published in 2016. Knowing Home attempts to capture the creative vision of Indigenous scientific knowledge and technology that is derived from an…
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VIU Students Saved $483,000 in Textbook Costs Since 2015
Open Textbooks Remove Some Barriers for Students to Learn Over half of B.C. students do not buy the required textbooks for a course, and over a quarter of potential learners choose not to register for a class due to excessive textbook costs.* Since Fall 2015, 21 Vancouver Island University faculty members have been using open…
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University Faculty Members Visit Grade 8-12 Classes: Building Connections
In an effort to promote a stronger connection between local high schools and Vancouver Island University, a Grade 8-12 Classroom Visit Initiative was created and piloted in October and November 2018. The idea arose out of conversations with university faculty keen to observe the learning environments from which their students came. The idea was supported…
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Creating a More Seamless Transition for High School Students Entering Higher Education
Breaking Ground: Connecting Learning Experiences from K-12 to Post-Secondary On October 19, 2018 nearly 90 educators from eight K-12 school districts, North Island College and Vancouver Island University (VIU) came together to engage in collaborative dialogue about the student learning journey. Hosted at VIU, the professional development day included discussions, learning and planning next steps…
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Tao of Marking: Caring For Students through Unmarking Your Courses
Photo by David Emrich on Unsplash The Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning at Vancouver Island University is putting on a series of activities this year about marking and grading. We are asking faculty to examine their marking and grading practices, and consider how best to align these processes with perspectives and techniques that make caring for…
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Introducing VIU’s Open Education Working Group
Photo by James Sutton on Unsplash The VIU Open Education Working Group (VIU-OEWG) brings together key stakeholders from across the institution to provide advice and support for VIU’s open education initiatives, which include the creation, adaptation, and adoption of open educational resources while embracing innovative open pedagogies. Email maxwell.stevenson@viu.ca if you wish to join this meeting. Meetings happen…
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Student Digital Learning Experience: Requirements for Learner Success at Vancouver Island University
Digital technologies are an essential part of student learning. The student digital learning experience encompasses the required technology services, supports, infrastructure, access and learning tools for ensuring graduates of post-secondary institutions have the necessary digital skills, knowledge and abilities to thrive in the world. Students need a robust, reliable, flexible, and accessible digital learning experience for…
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Extending Your Teaching Practice: Working in the Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning (CIEL)
Photo by Joshua Sorenson on Unsplash Learning Opportunity for Teaching Faculty Members at Vancouver Island University VIU Job Posting Link (Open August 30 – September 26) Overview The Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning at Vancouver Island University (VIU) welcomes one current VIU teaching faculty member to join them in supporting faculty and students in teaching and learning…
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Grade 8-12 and VIU Classroom Visit Initiative
The Grade 8-12 and VIU Classroom Visit Initiative was a new offering of professional learning for Vancouver Island University campus community members (faculty, support staff, administration) to visit local high school classrooms (grades 8-12) in School Districts 68 and 69 and The High School at VIU. The initiative is now over for signing up. Initiative…
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What makes VIU Excellent in Teaching and Learning?
In May 2018, Vancouver Island University was named a finalist in the Global Teaching Excellence Awards from the Higher Education Academy headquartered in the United Kingdom. One of 17 finalists, VIU was the only other Canadian institution that was named a finalist besides McMaster University, which won the award. The 2018 award received 400 submissions…
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VIU Course Retention Process: Why Are We Deleting VIULearn Courses?
Photo Courtesy of: Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash VIU has implemented a Course Retention Process to protect and streamline course and student data in VIULearn, our virtual learning environment (Brightspace by D2L). Since implementing VIULearn in Spring of 2012, there were over 40,000 courses in our system as of June 2018. Because we create a blank ‘shell’…
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Cleaning Up VIULearn: New Process for VIU as of July 2018
New Process for VIULearn Course Cleanup Status: Currently we have over 40,000 courses dating back to Intersession 2012 when we began using D2L’s Brightspace software (branded VIULearn). Many of these courses were never used or are not used anymore. The accumulation of old courses can make managing VIULearn challenging and creates a messy view for faculty. Rationale: It…