Working Together, Learning Together 

"Together, Canadians must do more than just talk about reconciliation; we must learn how to practise reconciliation in our everyday lives—within ourselves and our families, and in our communities, governments, places of worship, schools, and workplaces."

— Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2015), p. 21.

Learn more: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

Learning Opportunities 

📅 FLO Friday: Elevate Your Online Presentation: Discovering Presentation Zen

July 21, 2023 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Join us for this dynamic workshop, where you will discover captivating online presentations that leave a lasting impact on your audience. In this one-hour session, we will delve into the art of presentation design and explore the philosophy of Zen simplicity and naturalness.

Learn more: FLO Friday: Elevate Your Online Presentation: Discovering Presentation Zen

📅 FLO Friday: Open Pedagogy as Critical Pedagogy

August 18, 2023 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

In this session we will explore open pedagogy and its multiple meanings and concepts. Participants will be invited to engage throughout the session, sharing their own experiences, beliefs, and assumptions about open pedagogy. 

Learn more: FLO Friday: Open Pedagogy as Critical Pedagogy

📅 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 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: Assistive Technologies

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!

Our first drop-in session is designed to explore the assistive technologies and customization options available in the digital tools educators and staff often use. The goal is to explore these tools and identify what might make your work easier.

Learn more: Accessibility Bites: Assistive Technologies

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

Recommended Reading 

📘 BCcampus Award for Excellence in Open Education Recipient: Stephen Brown

After a small hiatus, we are happy to present the BCcampus Award for Excellence in Open Education to Stephen Brown, professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Okanagan College.  

Stephen spearheaded the technical and administrative implementation of an open homework system that was first adopted for use in mathematics and statistics classes at Okanagan College. Now the platform and the student savings have spread to other departments at the college — and hopefully beyond. 

Learn more: BCcampus Award for Excellence in Open Education Recipient: Stephen Brown

📘 Getting Started: OER Publishing at BCcampus - Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning

The focus of many open educational resource (OER) projects is to provide access to education at low or no cost. If the materials are not accessible for each and every student, then they do not fulfill the mandate to deliver fully open educational resources.

This blog post outlines a number of resources that will help ensure your resource will be accessible for all students, including students with disabilities.

Learn more: Getting Started: OER Publishing at BCcampus - Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning

Check out the latest news from BCcampus on our blog. 

Open Education Updates 

The final two course packs, from the Open Course Project, were posted in the B.C. Open Collection this month (Mechanics for Applied Science from Douglas College and Sociology of Family from UBC). UVic added a new open textbook to its collection: Toward a Moral Horizon: Nursing Ethics for Leadership and Practice.

The provincial BCOpen listserv turned one this spring. This community email has provided the province with an easy way to discuss open education. Anyone may subscribe.

For those looking for networking and professional development beyond B.C., can now register for the OE Global conference (Edmonton) and the Open Education conference.

Learn more: Open Education Updates for June 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: ACE-WIL Conference Presentation

ACE-WIL is accepting conference presentation proposals for the 2024 ACE-WIL BC Conference: “WILful Together” taking place on May 27-28, 2024, at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster, B.C. Submissions are due October 15, 2023. 

Learn more: Call for Proposals: ACE-WIL Conference Presentation

💻 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

💻 Expression of Interest: FLO EdTech Sandbox Leader

BCcampus is launching the FLO EdTech Sandbox this fall, an initiative that provides a safe online environment for educators to explore and experiment with new tools for innovative teaching and learning in B.C. post-secondary settings.

We are seeking expressions of interest from B.C. post-secondary educators, edtech developers, and learning designers who would like to lead a FLO EdTech Sandbox session as part of this series.

The compensation for participation is $750 plus GST.

Learn more: Expression of Interest: FLO EdTech Sandbox Leader

💻 Survey: Pan-Canadian Digital Learning Survey

The purpose of the 2023 Pan-Canadian Digital Learning Survey is to explore critical issues in digital learning and to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital learning at publicly funded post-secondary institutions in Canada. The primary objective of the research is to provide institutional leaders and key interest groups in Canadian higher education with valuable information as they develop institutional strategies.

Complete the survey: Pan-Canadian Digital Learning Survey

💻 Survey: ACE-WIL - Sustainability of the Community Social Services Sector Through Institutional WIL Partnerships

We invite your participation in a research study that aims to understand more about the linkages between the BC Community Social Services Sector and post-secondary work-integrated learning programs/ courses.

Complete the survey: Sustainability of the Community Social Services Sector Through Institutional WIL Partnerships

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.