BCcampus News: August 23, 2023

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This week, we're excited to share the Studio23 schedule, including keynote speakers Kathi Hemphill Camilleri and Carrie Nolan. We're also launching out FLO EdTech Sanbox Series - come check out new tools from the classroom! On our blog, we explore new course packs on the B.C. Open Collection and we're back with our monthly open education news.

Spotlight

Studio23 Keynote Presentations: Kathi Hemphill Camilleri and Carrie Nolan

📅 Studio23: Reignite Your Teaching and Facilitation Practice

November 1-2, 2023 | Vancouver

The Studio23 schedule is now available. Join us in-person at SFU - Harbour Centre for two days of creative learning, intriguing keynotes, curated workshops, and meaningful conversations with colleagues.

Learn more: Studio23: Reignite Your Teaching and Facilitation Practice

Learning Opportunities

📅 FLO Friday: It’s All About Relationships: Embracing Teaching in Digital Age

September 8, 2023 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

In today’s rapidly evolving digital world, educators face both exciting opportunities and new challenges at the start of a new semester — more so now in the era of ChatGPT and other tools. Through this session we will explore practical and fun ways of cultivating meaningful relationships while promoting student engagement, motivation, and active participation.

Learn more: FLO Friday: It’s All About Relationships: Embracing Teaching in Digital Age

📅 FLO EdTech Sandbox Series

Monthly starting September 13, 2023 | 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

In these two-hour livestream webinars, expert leaders will introduce and demonstrate cutting-edge, open, and free or low-cost educational technology tools, allowing you to experiment and gather exciting ideas for teaching activities. Our mission is to foster digital teaching innovation, encouraging faculty and staff to embrace emerging technologies with curiosity and openness, ultimately enhancing the learning experience for all.

Learn more: FLO EdTech Sandbox Series

📅 Introducing B.C.’s Micro-credential Toolkit

September 19, 2023 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Learn more about what’s inside this exciting new resource, based on eCampusOntario’s Micro-credential Toolkit and written for the B.C. context. You’ll leave this event with useful tools to design, develop, and implement micro-credentials at your institution.

Learn more: Introducing B.C.’s Micro-credential Toolkit

📅 Research Speaker Series

Monthly starting September 19, 2023 | 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Our fall 2023 Research Speaker Series offers participants and presenters an opportunity to learn and share knowledge and advocacy on research methods, approaches, and pedagogies when it comes to accessibility, access, Indigenous engagement, and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in teaching and learning.

Learn more: Research Speaker Series

📅 FLO MicroCourse: Musing Around with Artificial Intelligence and Pedagogy

September 19-25, 2023 | Asynchronous

In this FLO MicroCourse, you will explore how using AI can enhance your teaching and your students’ learning. It’s a practical, action-focused invitation into the maze of AI options, with a guided exploration of AI tools.

While most of the learning will happen asynchronously, we have two synchronous sessions planned for this course.

Learn more: FLO MicroCourse: Musing Around with Artificial Intelligence and Pedagogy

📅 FLO Lab: Drawn Into AI Angst: Can I really prove I am not a robot?

September 28, 2023 | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Are you feeling anxious about the rise of artificial intelligence tools in the classroom? Do you worry you might become obsolete in the face of this technological advancement? How often have you had to “prove you are not a robot”?

Through creating and sharing simple comics, we’ll delve into our honest wonderings and worries about AI. This workshop will be a playful way to address concerns and questions about the impact of AI tools on our work and the future of our careers.

Learn more: FLO Lab: Drawn Into AI Angst: Can I Really Prove I am Not a Robot?

📅 Accessibility Bites Series

Monthly starting September 28, 2023 | 12 - 12:30 p.m.

This fall we are introducing a new series called Accessibility Bites. You often hear others talk about accessibility, but you’re not quite sure how to put it into practice (or maybe you just haven’t had a chance). These sessions are for you! We will go over topics like assistive technologies, image descriptions, PowerPoint, social media, and Word documents.

Learn more: Accessibility Bites Series

A complete list of our upcoming events, archives, and resources are available on our website.

Open Education Updates

Many involved in open education are taking well deserved vacations this month, which gives us an opportunity to focus on the many open resources already available. For example, by using a simple search method, you'll find that the B.C. Open Collection holds almost 20 open course packs and over 30 instructor guides, amongst others.

Two valuable organizations to explore are the B.C. Open Education Librarians (BCOEL) group (read about their Mentorship Program) and the B.C. Federation of Students (take a look at their Open Textbooks Now campaign).

Learn more about Open Education Updates for August 2023

See OpenEd updates for a complete list of what's happening at BCcampus.

Seeking Submissions

💻 Call for Open Content: Digital Literacy Project Phase 2

In partnership with the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills and the Digital Learning Advisory Committee, BCcampus is pleased to be leading the development of a collection of open materials to support digital literacy in B.C. post-secondary institutions. This collection will be made available to learners through an online repository.

We seek content submissions for inclusion in the collection that fulfill the requirements of the eight areas of digital literacy competencies identified in B.C.’s Post-Secondary Digital Learning Strategy.

Learn more: Call for Open Content: Digital Literacy Project Phase 2

💻 Call for Proposals: BCcampus Research Fellows for 2024–2025

We invite research proposals from B.C. public post-secondary educators who are committed to exploring and improving student learning and eager to conduct and share research with others.

Our current area of research focus includes:

Learning and teaching design, strategies, and practices
Open educational practices
Student access, accessibility, and engagement
Indigenous research and practices

BCcampus Research Fellowships have an 18-month term, and grants are up to $6,000 each.

Learn more: Call for Proposals: BCcampus Research Fellows for 2024–2025

💻 Call for Proposals: Professional Learning in the Early Childhood Sector in B.C.

BCcampus is seeking experts in early childhood education and curriculum development to submit proposals and help develop professional learning for ECEs across the province.

Successful applicants will be offered contracts valued at up to $100,000 for their work. Payment will be tied to deliverables based on the service contract.

Learn more: Call for Proposals: Professional Learning in the Early Childhood Sector in B.C.

💻 Equity Sequence: Building Equality Better

In partnership with the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, BCcampus is offering free access to Equity Sequence training to anyone in the public B.C. post-secondary sector. Space is limited and provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Equity Sequence training takes place in an online, gamified learning platform and community. The learner encounters informative video content, engages in self-reflection and sharing with the community, and puts their new skill to use on case studies before applying the Equity Sequence to their own work.

Learn more: Equity Sequence: Building Equality Better

BCcampus acknowledges the səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh), Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich) Peoples and the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations of the lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) Peoples on whose traditional territories we are privileged to live, work, and learn. Through our work we are learning to incorporate Indigenous epistemologies into our actions and understandings, supporting decolonization, reconciliation, and Indigenization to advocate systemic changes in the post-secondary environment of B.C.