The CIEL Blog

Like many of our colleagues across campus, the CIEL continues to adjust and evolve in the midst of structural changes and a shifting higher education landscape. But throughout its history at VIU, the CIEL has consistently demonstrated agility, commitment, and creativity in challenging times. We’d like to share with the community some new directions and changes that we are working on to support teaching and learning across VIU.   Leadership  In March, 2025, oversight…

This is a guest blog post, written by our colleagues at the Centre for Experiential Learning. You’re already familiar with the great work of CIEL in supporting VIU faculty with curriculum and learning technologies, but you may not know that the Centre for Experiential Learning (CEL), also provides services to faculty. Don’t be confused by…

Have you ever struggled to convert a paper quiz to online questions in VIULearn? You can now access a quiz conversion tool in VIULearn designed to make this process much simpler. 

The Podcast Club invites you to listen, reflect and talk with each other, while thinking & feeling our way into being good participants in the ongoing work of Truth and Reconciliation.  Listen to 1-2 podcasts and join lunch meetings with Elders, guests, and group discussions.

The Office of Indigenous Education and Engagement (OIEE), and the Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning (CIEL) are excited to welcome you to the 2025/26 Truth and Reconciliation Professional Development series. The series includes The Book* Club, and the Podcast Club. This is the best book* club you’ve ever joined! Let’s talk with each…

The Office of Indigenous Education and Engagement (OIEE), and the Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning (CIEL) are excited to welcome you to the 2025/26 Truth and Reconciliation Professional Development series. Featuring an in-person Book* Club and a virtual Podcast Club, we hope all faculty and staff will feel inspired to join us in…

As you prepare for the new semester, one thing you can do to welcome your students is refresh your syllabus in a trauma-informed way. Trauma-informed practice Trauma-informed practice has its origins in a number of disciplines and social movements including psychology, social work, counselling, child welfare, feminist theory and public health. As Maria Yellow Horse…

There are three exciting updates to assessment tools in VIULearn this fall. Read on to learn about changes to Assessments and Quizzes.

Our first interactions with students will set the tone for the rest of the semester. This initial engagement, whether in person, synchronously via tools like Teams, or asynchronously through VIULearn, provides the perfect opportunity to achieve several key objectives.