• Increase Student Engagement and Persistence with Team-Based Course Design

    Increase Student Engagement and Persistence with Team-Based Course Design

    Student engagement and persistence depend on many factors, but a bonding experience with other students in the classroom can make the difference between staying or leaving and between excelling or merely drifting. We therefore invite you to reserve your seat now in the August 2024 Course Re-Design Project, Increase Student Engagement and Persistence with Team-Based Course…

  • The Share Drive (Episode 25): Caring for children, Mother Earth, and each other.

    The Share Drive (Episode 25): Caring for children, Mother Earth, and each other.

    In celebration of Sustainable Development Week at VIU, the Share Drive podcast is grateful to share with you a wonderful conversation with Danielle Alphonse and Sheila Grieve, faculty members in the Early Childhood Education and Care program at Vancouver Island University. Sheila and Danielle share the ways that Indigenous teachings are reflected in the Sustainable…

  • Teacher Education and the Sustainable Development Goals

    Teacher Education and the Sustainable Development Goals

    This week, March 4th to 8th, is Sustainable Development Week at VIU and the Share Drive podcast is grateful to feature Dr. Wendy Simms, from the Faculty of Education. Dr. Simms joins us to share how she is incorporating Sustainable Development education into training for pre-service teachers, how awareness is a key foundational aspect of…

  • Zoom to Teams Training for Instructors

    Zoom to Teams Training for Instructors

    Starting in the fall semester of 2024, all video conferencing and online meetings at VIU will move to Microsoft Teams. CIEL will be offering a range of options to help instructors with this transition in the spring preparation time…

  • Navigating Digital Technology in Teaching and Learning

    Navigating Digital Technology in Teaching and Learning

    With the rise of digital technology, such as GenAI, there is a growing need for heightened ethical considerations and the protection of student privacy. This blog offers recommendations and resources to support instructors in making informed decisions when integrating digital technology into their teaching. Whether teaching online, in-person, hybrid, or blended environments, it’s important to…

  • Transitioning from Zoom to Microsoft Teams

    Transitioning from Zoom to Microsoft Teams

    As you may have heard, VIU non-instructional employees will begin using Microsoft Teams for virtual meetings on January 31, 2024. Here at CIEL, we will be providing support which will include information sessions, instructional material, and 1-on-1 meetings to make the transition as seamless as possible. This blog post is intended to be a starting…

  • Why use Due Dates in VIULearn?

    Why use Due Dates in VIULearn?

    Many tools in VIULearn including content modules and topics, assignments, quizzes, discussions, and more have a start date, due date, and an end date that can be associated with them. You may share important deadlines with your students in other ways but it’s also a good idea to use these fields in VIULearn. Here are…

  • VIU Learning Technologies Orientation for Students

    VIU Learning Technologies Orientation for Students

    We offer live webinars to introduce students to the learning technologies available at VIU, especially our online course platform VIULearn. Go to our Events Calendar to view the schedule and register for a live orientation webinar! Otherwise, Not to worry – we recorded the orientation for you! You can watch it whenever is convenient &…

  • Academic Integrity and Generative AI: Best Practices

    Academic Integrity and Generative AI: Best Practices

    Over the past year, there has been remarkable progress, resilience, and adaptability around the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and education. AI is a broad term that encompasses generative AI (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLM) like ChatGPT. The Oxford English Dictionary simply defines AI as “the capacity of computers or other machines to exhibit…

  • Spring Semester Start Tune-up

    Spring Semester Start Tune-up

    As the season for teaching, grading, and planning next semester’s courses is upon us, we recognize that preparing for the semester ahead can be a challenging task. To support you in this endeavour, we’ve compiled a schedule of effective tips. Dedicating about an hour daily to these activities will help set you up for success…

  • NEW: Import Final Grades from VIULearn

    NEW: Import Final Grades from VIULearn

    If you are an instructor who uses the VIULearn Grades tool to calculate student’s final grades, your end of term final grade entry just got a lot simpler. Enterprise Services, the Records department and CIEL have worked together over the last several months to add an option in the official Grade Entry tool to import…

  • Questions about ChatGPT and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

    Questions about ChatGPT and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

    ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are evolving rapidly, fueling ongoing conversations and challenges within our VIU community. Our previous blog posts delved into the capabilities and constraints of AI, proposed strategies for responsible usage, and offered insights into integrating generative AI into course design and assessment. In this blog post, we’ll explore compelling…