Dal Events

Mental Health 101 - Recognizing and Responding to Students in Distress (in-person)

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Monday, February 10
1-3 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400*
Link to register for the event

Facilitators

Joanne Mills, Psychologist, Student Health & Wellness, and two Stay Connected Peer Support workers (who are students themselves).

The MH101 session is limited to faculty, instructors, and staff at 9 1��Ѱ�� and King's.

In any given year 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness, and according to Statistics Canada youth aged 15-24 are the most likely group to suffer the effects of a mental illness, substance dependency and suicide. Considering most university students are within this age group it is essential that those working with University students are provided the necessary knowledge and resources to recognize and respond to students in distress.

MH101 is a short yet informative presentation developed for university faculty and staff to increase awareness and understanding of mental illness and mental health problems, thus increase your confidence in supporting students.

*Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

“Grading for TAs” Series: A grading guide for TAs in Science

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Tuesday, February 11
2–3 p.m.
Online via Microsoft Teams
Link to register for the event

In this session, you’ll gain valuable insights and practical tips from your fellow TA peers on grading assignments and lab reports in Science programs. The session will cover strategies for providing constructive feedback, ensuring fair grading practices—especially in large classes—and applying these approaches to different types of assignments and lab reports in Science disciplines.

Presenters

Sophie Tattrie, PhD Candidate, Department of Biology
James Kho, PhD Candidate, Department of Biology

Teaching for Inclusive Learning Experience: A Developing Story of Two Pedagogical Frameworks

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:30:00 GMT

Thursday, February 13
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400*
Link to register for the event

This session is limited to the 9 1��Ѱ�� and King's community.

Pedagogical frameworks such as Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP), Intercultural Teaching Competence (ITC), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) support students’ learning by guiding instructors in designing courses and creating safe, interactive, inclusive and flexible classroom environments.

On its own, UDL does not specifically address cultural differences among instructors and students, although its core principles need to be situated, for every learner, within their cultural framework(s). As such, many practitioners are integrating ITC and CRP into their practices to design and teach courses that apply decolonizing, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive theories and practices, and promote accessibility, equity, and inclusion through an intersectional lens.

In this interactive and collaborative workshop, we will engage in an activity together to find intersections and overlaps between two inclusive teaching frameworks, namely ITC (Intercultural Teaching Competency) and UDL (including the new UDL Guidelines 3.0!). This will be followed by discussion to reflect on and strategize ways to incorporate into our course designs and teaching these pedagogical frameworks.

Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

Articulate the ITC and UDL principles and philosophies and discover how they intersect with each other.

We endeavor, too, that as participants, you will:

Feel inspired, and invested in implementing ITC, and/or UDL
Have built knowledge and skills capacity as a means for collegial co-learning, ongoing learning, and mutual support

Facilitators

Shazia Nawaz Awan (she/her): Educational Developer (Internationalization & Intercultural Competency)
Les T. Johnson (he/him): Senior Educational Developer (Online Pedagogies)

*Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

Vocal Training and Care for Instructors

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Tuesday, February 18
1–3 p.m.
Killam Library, B400 (basement)*
Link to register for the event (opens in new window)

“A voice is a human gift; it should be cherished and used to utter fully human speech as possible.” – Margaret Atwood

Have you ever strained your voice from lecturing, had your mic fail and had to nearly shout for the rest of your lecture, or lost your voice from a cold yet had to continue teaching? As professional voice users, instructors have high vocal loads, which puts them at elevated risk for vocal fatigue, injury, and disorders such as dysphonia/hoarseness (Cavalcante, do Nascimento & Ribeiro, 2022). A recent international metaanalysis found that approximately 41% of university professors develop voice disorders from vocal overuse or misuse, compared to a mere 6% of the general population (Azari et al., 2022). Moreover, as many as 70% of instructors experience at least one symptom of a voice disorder (Brisson et al., 2022). In this in-person session, you will learn:

Why vocal training and care is important for instructors.
How to engage deep breathing to support your voice.
How to develop your vocal power, improve articulation, and find presence to better connect with your students.
How you can use vocal variety of pitch, pace, and tone to bring life and energy to your teaching.
Signs of vocal fatigue or injury, and tips to minimize risk and improve your vocal health.

Facilitator

Josephine Christensen, Assistant Professor, Fountain School of Performing Arts

Host

Daniella Sieukaran, Senior Educational Developer (Curriculum), Centre for Learning and Teaching

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

Gathering Together: The 9 1��Ѱ�� Anti-Colonial Course Design Forum

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Wednesday, February 19 & Thursday, February 20
10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Hyflex: Online & In-Person (Killam Library, Ko’jua Okuom)

Link to register for the event (opens in new window)*
*In-person registration is now closed.

Curated to advance our collective understanding and implementation of anti-colonial course design, this two-day hyflex (in-person and online accessible) event offers seven sessions with the aim of bringing together educators who are actively engaged or interested in exploring anti-colonial approaches within their teaching practices. With a diverse disciplinary range of presenters from 9 1��Ѱ�� and Mount Saint Vincent University, workshops and presentations will engage with themes such as centering Mi’kmaw perspectives, community-engaged course design, challenges associated with anti-colonial course design, and land and/or community-based teaching & learning. In addition to these seven sessions, a Curiosity & Connection Space is being held at the end of each day (2:45-3:30 p.m.), as a gathering space intended to foster dialogue, encourage collaboration, and support relationship building among participants.

Coffee, tea, and light refreshments will be provided.

Visit the event website for more information.

Gathering Together: The 9 1��Ѱ�� Anti-Colonial Course Design Forum

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Wednesday, February 19 & Thursday, February 20
10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Hyflex: Online & In-Person (Killam Library, Ko’jua Okuom)

Link to register for the event (opens in new window)*
*In-person registration is now closed.

Coffee, tea, and light refreshments will be provided.

Visit the event website for more information.

Application deadline: Open Educational Resources (OER) Grant

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 03:59:00 GMT

Focus of Grant

This grant will provide support for 9 1��Ѱ�� educators who are interested in adapting or creating an Open Educational Resource (OER).

Amount of Award

Grants up to $7,000 may be awarded. Projects must be completed, and funds expended in their entirety within one year of receiving the grant.

Learn more about the grant and how to apply.

Reclaiming Gifts: Designing Disability-Positive and Culturally Relevant Supports - Workshop

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Wednesday, February 26, 2025
10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
Hyflex: Online & In-Person (Ko’jua Okuom, Killam Library)

Link to register for the event

Building on Nicole Ineese-Nash’s keynote presentation at the University of King’s College on February 25, this interactive workshop invites participants to engage in hands-on learning to explore the intersections of Indigeneity, disability, and support systems through a culturally grounded and disability-positive lens. Participants will reflect on their personal "gifts" and "bundles"—the unique strengths they carry and the support they benefit from—to develop individualized support plans that embrace diversity and foster belonging.

Guided by universal design principles, disability justice, and Indigenous epistemologies, the session will focus on designing accommodations and supports that honor cultural identity, prioritize relationality, and celebrate difference. By centering culturally relevant approaches, participants will learn strategies to create inclusive, affirming, and strength-based environments for themselves and others. This workshop is ideal for educators, students, and service providers seeking practical tools to support diverse learners and communities.

Facilitator

Nicole Ineese-Nash

Nicole Ineese-Nash is an Indigenous researcher, educator, and community worker with over 15 years of experience working with Indigenous children, youth, and communities. Born and raised in Toronto, Nicole is a member of Constance Lake First Nation in Treaty 9 territory and holds relation to the lands, waters, and people along the English and Kabikagomi Rivers. With a PhD in Social Justice Education and a Master’s in Early Childhood studies, she is passionate about supporting Indigenous self-determination and cultural resurgence, particularly in the context of childhood and youth. Nicole’s various research and practice interests reflect her lived experience as an Indigenous person on a path of cultural reconnection and learning.

As an Assistant Professor cross-appointed between the schools of Early Childhood Studies and Child and Youth Care at Toronto Metropolitan University, Nicole leads innovative community-based research on the topics of Indigenous disability, early learning, land-based education and youth mental health. Her research with Indigenous young people spurred the foundation of her national charitable organisation called Finding Our Power Together, which offers mental health coaching, group psychoeducation, and cultural healing to Indigenous youth across Canada. Nicole’s skills in community-based research, social justice education, and Indigenous cultural practices have allowed her to work with Indigenous communities both in and out of the academy, informing her research, writing, teaching and practice.

Resilient Classroom Series: Fostering Academic Tenacity and Buoyancy in Students

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Wednesday, February 26
1–2 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400 (basement)*
Link to register for event (opens in new window)

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

As a part of the Resilient Classroom Series, this session will highlight the power of academic tenacity and buoyancy in fostering long-term learning and achievement for your students. Academic tenacity involves “[looking] beyond short-term concerns to longer-term or higher-order goals, and withstanding challenges and setbacks to persevere toward [those] goals” (Dweck, Walton, & Cohen, 2014). Related to this construct, academic buoyancy is the ability to overcome daily hassles and challenges typical of academic life, such as low motivation, competing deadlines, test anxiety, and challenging course content (Martin & Marsh, 2008). In this in-person session, you will learn:

What academic tenacity and buoyancy are, and key characteristics and behaviours of academically tenacious and buoyant students.
How academic tenacity and buoyancy can benefit students.
How you can foster academic tenacity through methods such as scaffolding, encouraging growth mindsets, helping students set goals, and cultivating a sense of belonging.
How you can promote academic buoyancy through the five Cs: confidence, coordination, control, composure, and commitment.

To help you take what you learn from this session to your classroom, we will identify ways you are already fostering academic tenacity and buoyancy in your students, and collectively brainstorm strategies to further incorporate academic tenacity and buoyancy in your teaching practices.

Presenter

Daniella Sieukaran, Senior Educational Developer (Curriculum)

Intended Audience

Faculty
Staff
Graduate Students
Teaching Assistants
External
Open to all

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

GenA.I. in Teaching and Learning Community of Practice

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

February 2025 Meeting

Wednesday, February 26, 2025
1–2 p.m.
Online via Microsoft Teams
Link to register for the February meeting

Join us for the February meeting of 9 1��Ѱ��’s GenA.I. in Teaching and Learning Community of Practice, where Abdullah Al Mukaddim give a short presentation followed by an opportunity to practice writing and revising prompts for use with generative AI. If you’re not already a member of the CoP, please register for the event. You can search Teams for “GenA.I. CoP” to join or visit the Teams site GenA.I. in Teaching and Learning Community of Practice Teams site.

9 1��Ѱ�� the GenA.I. in Teaching and Learning Community of Practice

In this CoP, we aim to create a space for cautious, critical, and open discussion and sharing around using (or not using) gen AI in teaching and learning. Anyone is welcome to join the GenA.I. CoP, including 9 1��Ѱ�� and King’s instructors, graduate students, staff, and faculty. No former experience or knowledge of generative A.I. is expected nor required. Reach out to eLearning@dal.ca with any questions.

Facilitator

Abdullah Al Mukaddim, Artificial Intelligence Analyst

Grading for TAs” Series: Equitable Grading Practices: Ensuring Fairness and Consistency

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Tuesday, March 4
2–3 p.m.
Online via Microsoft Teams
Link to register for the event

Grading is one of the most common responsibilities of a TA, and ensuring fairness and consistency is essential for maintaining student trust, motivation, and academic success. This interactive workshop equips TAs with the knowledge and tools needed to establish equitable grading practices. Participants will explore common grading biases, such as the halo effect and recency bias, and learn practical strategies to mitigate them. A key focus of the session will be the effective use of rubrics to enhance objectivity and clarity. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to reflect on and identify potential biases in their own grading processes and brainstorm actionable solutions.

Presenter

Nasim Tavassoli, Educational Developer

CLT Virtual Drop-in: Student Assessments

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Wednesday, March 5
1–3 p.m.
Online via Microsoft Teams

Come to our Student Assessments virtual drop-in session to create a personalized support experience. Your needs and interests guide the direction of the session! Ask questions about developing student assessments, bounce ideas off a sounding board, and hear what others are doing in the classroom. Ask a CLT Senior Educational Developer about topics such as: designing rubrics, assessing higher-order thinking with multiple choice questions, writing clear assessment instructions, providing effective feedback, alterative grading approaches, and making your assignments more creative and “Gen-Z friendly”! Join us online anytime during the two-hour window, and stay for as little or as much time as you would like! Registration is NOT required.

Dal Events

Mental Health 101 - Recognizing and Responding to Students in Distress (in-person)

Facilitators

﻿We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

“Grading for TAs” Series: A grading guide for TAs in Science

Presenters

Teaching for Inclusive Learning Experience: A Developing Story of Two Pedagogical Frameworks

Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

We endeavor, too, that as participants, you will:

Facilitators

Vocal Training and Care for Instructors

Facilitator

Host

Gathering Together: The 9 1��Ѱ��� Anti-Colonial Course Design Forum

Gathering Together: The 9 1��Ѱ��� Anti-Colonial Course Design Forum

Application deadline: Open Educational Resources (OER) Grant

Focus of Grant

Amount of Award

Reclaiming Gifts: Designing Disability-Positive and Culturally Relevant Supports - Workshop

Facilitator

Resilient Classroom Series: Fostering Academic Tenacity and Buoyancy in Students

Presenter

Intended Audience

GenA.I. in Teaching and Learning Community of Practice

February 2025 Meeting

9 1��Ѱ��� the GenA.I. in Teaching and Learning Community of Practice

Facilitator

Grading for TAs” Series: Equitable Grading Practices: Ensuring Fairness and Consistency

Presenter

CLT Virtual Drop-in: Student Assessments

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

Gathering Together: The 9 1��Ѱ�� Anti-Colonial Course Design Forum

Gathering Together: The 9 1��Ѱ�� Anti-Colonial Course Design Forum

9 1��Ѱ�� the GenA.I. in Teaching and Learning Community of Practice