That’s the advice Colleen Webb, Senior Team Lead – Development and Consultation, at The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning has for faculty who’d like to enhance their teaching with technology. 

“Enhance” is a word that Webb is clear to use while emphasizing the fact that technology is a tool that plays a supportive role in education. 

During the pandemic, technology became a necessity as educators had to find ways to incorporate it when in-person learning was not an option. Those circumstances sparked a curiosity that continues today. 

“Now that instructors have had the chance to use technologies and are comfortable with it, many want to take their teaching with technology to the next level,” explains Sol Chu, Team Lead – Learning Technologies and Solutions at The Centre, who consults on UM’s learning management system as part of his role. “We’re getting more requests from instructors for analytics from UM Learn so they can see how students are actually doing in their class. ‘Where are the students not meeting the minimum grade? Where am I not reaching the students?’ They’re trying to connect the dots and then create the relationships between the content they’re teaching and where students are feeling disconnected.” 

 The pervasiveness of generative AI has also made its way into the classroom, with some faculty using it to help students understand foundational mathematical concepts or practice their communication skills as future healthcare professionals. Exploring other tools, the College of Nursing has integrated virtual reality into its training to build confidence and competence. 

Synchronous tools have also become popular with the return to in-person learning, explains Jonathan Kennedy, Team Lead – Flexible Learning Support, The Centre. 

“Prior to the pandemic, our online platforms were primarily being used in an asynchronous manner, and that was really putting materials up and students would consume them later. Now, the big growth is around augmenting traditional methods with synchronous tools. Because we acquired some of these tools during the pandemic – Zoom, WebEx – there’s an expectation around a seamless end-to-end experience as opposed to separate tooling. To be able to arrive in one place and have it connected.”  

Kennedy sites engagement tools like Mentimeter and iClicker which can help guide instruction in real-time based on students’ feedback.  

Professor (Ranjan) R. Sri Ranjan has been using synchronous technology in his classes for years and now teaches workshops through The Centre for faculty. His primary tool is an iPad, which he calls the “Swiss army knife of teaching technology” that helps transform his courses into a “smart classroom.” 

By connecting it to a data projector, he can turn any classroom on campus into a multimedia experience for students using a variety of third-party apps. The effect is a seamless integration that replaces several classroom technologies such as a slide projector, whiteboard, multimedia player and document camera. 

“My subject material covers irrigation systems, canals, dams and other structures. I use the Google Earth app to “fly” my students to different parts of the world to zoom in and show these different systems,” he explains.   

“I use an Apple Pencil digital stylus with the Notes Plus app as my whiteboard to draw in multiple colours and elaborate on the bullet points in the slides. These handwritten notes can be converted to text instantly and can also be electronically searched. The notes for the day can be exported as an image or PDF file and uploaded to the course website for access by students. There is also the ability to audio-record these notes within the Notes Plus app while the class is in progress.” 

As technology evolves, and instructors seek to engage with the technology for teaching, UM continues to support its use in the classroom. Webb anticipates faculty will continue to focus on using tools that are valuable in the context of their own teaching and learning environments, rather than adopting tools because they are trendy.  

Kennedy adds that with more learning interaction data becoming available, he expects this will support personalized learning journeys so educators can meet students where they are even more.  

This article is part of the university’s ongoing efforts to develop our shared UM digital future, as part of the university’s digital strategy. Those interested in learning more about digital technology in the education environment can check out the following resources:   

Workshops at The Centre
Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub 

LOD Courses: practical, hands-on training for M365, accessibility tools and more.  
Digital Community of Practice: a forum to promote best practices and build common capabilities across UM in digital technology.  
Power Platform Community of Practice: a place for citizen developers using Microsoft’s Power Platform suite of tools to come together and share ideas, projects, and best practices.  

UM’s approach to responsible digital innovation aligns with priorities in MomentUM: Leading change together, UM’s 2024–2029 strategic plan. Through the Digital Governance Council, we strengthen the digital systems that support ethical innovation and knowledge sharing across communities.

The series, designed by Dr. Brenda M. Stoesz, Research Lead – Science of Teaching and Learning, at The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, begins Tuesday, October 29, 2024, with the Effective communication: How to have better conversations with your students workshop.

The Centre’s Evaluation Developer, James Plohman, led the development of the first installment in the program and will be co-facilitating the workshop session component with Evaluation Developer Dr. Ibiyemi Arowolo. Following the workshop, participants of the program will take part in in three immersive VR sessions in private sessions facilitated by undergraduate student research assistants.

The program was developed to support faculty members and sessional instructors looking to improve their communication skills in a variety of situations that may be difficult or high stakes.

“We’ve heard from faculty that they were looking for more information on how to improve their skills to better communicate with students—especially in situations that may be more challenging—and create better outcomes,” says Plohman.

Through a workshop and immersive VR sessions, participants will explore effective communication techniques relevant to various educational contexts and will be able to practice their skills in a judgement-free environment that incorporates role play within virtual reality simulations.

“The use of virtual reality as part of the training provides an environment that allows participants to practice in a semi-realistic way,” says Plohman. “They can do the modules multiple times, trying different approaches to see how it changes the interaction. The overall goal is to help people become more comfortable, confident and effective verbal communicators.”

Anika Budhiraja is a research assistant at The Centre and was involved in the pilot project as a student. She will also be facilitating some of the VR sessions. She says the focus on active listening and clear verbal communication, combined with being able to practice in virtual reality, made it a valuable and engaging experience.

“Going through it myself as a participant, I remember thinking that these are the things you may not think about explicitly—things that you sort of forget,” she says. “The VR practice gives you a safe space to check what you’re doing and practice and get better. It can be hard to pinpoint what might be going wrong. With VR you get that immersive feeling that you’re in that space, you’re communicating, but you’re not being judged.”

Following the training, a reflection workshop will enable participant to share their experiences with others in the program and discuss ways that they will transfer their training to their classroom and meetings with their students.

 “We’re very excited to roll this out and hear back from faculty and use that feedback to develop further modules in the future,” says Plohman. Feedback will be used to improve this series and other teaching skills programs from The Centre.

Along with supporting instructors in improving their skills, the program also gives educational and research opportunities to three UM undergraduate students.

The program runs October 29 to December 10, 2024, with an approximate eight-hour time commitment from participants.

Register for the Teaching Skills Program: ‘Effective Communication: How to Have Better Conversations with Your Students’

The futuristic kitchen – featuring height-adjustable counters and appliances that can be controlled with a mobile app – can be used to assess ergonomics.

The goal is to support aging in place and safe independent living.

For more innovations in health, read the full story in Teaching Life Magazine

For the month of July, we are exploring the theme of innovation and disruption. 
You can find more stories around these ideas in the “In Focus” section starting July 10, 2023.

You are encouraged to attend one of four 90-minute town halls to share your views. Your participation is important because your feedback and suggestions will inform the committee’s report and recommendations on the future of technology, teaching and learning at our university.

The town halls will be specifically seeking answers to the following questions:

• Question one: What is your experience with online (DE), hybrid, or blended forms of course delivery modes at UM and what have the impacts been for your teaching, research and service?
• Question two: What are your concerns about any future teaching or learning using online, blended, distance and hybrid modes of delivery?
• Question three: On what criteria and through what process should decisions about mode of delivery be made at UM?
• Question four: If you were to teach using one of these delivery modes, what supports would you want to see in place?

Town hall schedule

Fort Garry

Thursday, November 17, 2022
2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
EITC E3 262 (Senate Chambers)
Engineering and Information Technology Complex
75 Chancellors Cir, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5V6

Monday, November 21, 2022
1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
EITC E3 262 (Senate Chambers)
Engineering and Information Technology Complex
75 Chancellors Cir, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5V6

Bannatyne

Friday, November 25, 2022
12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Basic Medical Sciences Building, Theatre C
745 Bannatyne Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W2

Online

Tuesday, November 22, 2022
5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Zoom – please register here for this session

If you are unable to attend a town hall, responses to the questions can be submitted to digital.teach@umanitoba.ca by November 25, 2022.

New Webex app launches – make sure to update before the first day of class

Beginning May 2, 2022, the Webex Meetings app will be replaced by the new Webex app. The new Webex app allows you to continue attending or hosting Webex meetings, plus enjoy other features like chat and customizable layouts. The Webex app delivers the best continuous collaboration experience across meetings, messaging, calling, polling, Q&A and webinars.

Please make sure that after May 2, you access Webex before the first day of class. Updating to the new Webex app can take 5 to 10 minutes or longer depending on the speed of your internet connection.

Check out our guide to learn more about the new Webex app and review how you can join or host meetings.

Need help?

For more personalized help, you can book a one-on-one ask an expert session or if you have any problems with your Webex update or iClicker improvement, reach out to the Service Desk at 204-474-8600, or email servicedesk@umanitoba.ca.

Supporting additional technologies is the result of a close relationship between The Centre’s development and consultation team and the learning technologies team. “We’re hoping that people come to us with a teaching problem and we can find the right approach or technology to help them achieve a desired pedagogical result,” says Colleen Webb, senior team lead, development and consultation.

Sol Chu, team lead, learning technologies and solutions, adds, “We want instructors to know that we can support them, even if the technology is not currently part of the official UM roster of licensed applications.”

The current list of additional technologies includes:

• Articulate 360, a suite of desktop and web-based applications for creating interactive online course content
• Camtasia, an application for lecture capture and video editing with quizzes and interactive video
• Adobe Captivate, a suite of tools for creating interactive online course content for self-directed learning including videos, quizzes, virtual reality walkthroughs and branching course content
• Crowdmark, an online collaborative grading and analytics platform that helps educators evaluate student work

The Centre has plans to expand the current list of additional technologies. If you have found an application helpful, email The Centre to suggest an addition.

Taking advantage of the additional technologies expertise is simple: send The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning an email outlining your goals and they’ll set you up with a consultation.

Learn more about the additional technologies The Centre supports.

Book a consultation with an educational developer.

The power of the iPad

(Ranjan) R. Sri Ranjan, professor
Department of biosystems engineering, University of Manitoba

I started using a computer connected to a data projector back in 1992. A few years later, I upgraded to a convertible laptop. It allowed me to present my slides and use the paint program as my whiteboard. However, the computer was too slow to switch between the different programs and took time to boot up at the beginning of each class. Connectivity to the data projector in different classrooms was a problem. When the iPad entered the market, I searched around and found apps for the iPad which transformed it into a powerful “smart classroom” technology.

Once I researched and found apps to mimic different classroom technologies, my iPad became a very powerful tool both for my teaching and research. I use the Keynote app as my presentation tool to present my slides in class. I use an Apple Pencil digital stylus with the Notes Plus app as my whiteboard to draw in multiple colours and elaborate on the bullet points in the slides. My subject material covers irrigation systems, canals, dams and other structures. I use the Google Earth app to “fly” my students to different parts of the world to zoom in and show these different systems. The handwritten notes on the Notes Plus app can be converted to text instantly and can also be electronically searched. The notes for the day can be exported as an image or PDF file and uploaded to the course website for access by students. There is the ability to audio-record these notes within the Notes Plus app while the class is in progress. I also use the Board Cam app to transform the camera of my iPad into a document camera to project images of objects or diagrams to the screen.

The iPad has become an indispensable tool in my teaching. For me, it is the Swiss Army Knife of teaching technology in the classroom which I cannot live without. I have shared my experience with fellow professors through teaching-with-technology workshops both at the university and at conferences.

• The ability to change the question type from within question creator, instead of having to start all over again¹
• Easier to indicate correct answer with a checkmark versus percentage weight²
• Consolidated options Menu, with Hints and Feedback more readily accessible
• A more user-friendly and intuitive interface

Fig 1. Quiz tool with improvements

The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning will be providing opportunities for program coordinators, graduate students, and instructors to learn more about the upcoming system refresh – to register, visit The Centre’s UM Learn workshops webpage.

The active learning space transforms the student learning experience by allowing peer-to-peer learning on BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) as well as opportunities for the instructor/librarian to offer real-time feedback to students on class-based assignments or exercises. Unlike a traditional lecture style classroom, the digital platform affords dynamic group discussion and instructor feedback in a flexible seating environment.

Collaboration takes place through pod-sharing, a feature of Vision Exchange that allows groups of students to mirror their personal work from their device to one of three display monitors and work through problems in a visual manner. Students have the ability to highlight and comment on their collaborative work or take snapshots of the work for later review.

The instructor/librarian can control which group content is being viewed across all monitors and can make annotations and comments. This top-level feedback may be shared across all group pods or narrowed down to a specific pod requiring more guidance from the instructor.  

Afra Bolefski, acting head of the Albert D. Cohen Management Library, Mary-Jo Romaniuk, university librarian and Robert Legal, supervisor, learning technology solutions, infrastructure development, technology services – IST, were responsible for bringing the system to the U of M.

Bolefski notes that the active learning setting is the perfect spot to adopt pedagogical methods such as the flipped classroom or problem-based learning and could provide opportunities to enhance experiential learning.

Demos of the new space will be offered during the fall term break in 206 Drake Centre: Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. and Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. Register here.

Please contact Afra Bolefski at Afra.Bolefski@umanitoba.ca for more information.

Students can highlight and comment on their collaborative work or take snapshots of the work for later review.

This year the focus is on teaching and technology, with an emphasis on blended learning. Participants may register for up to five workshops. Please see the schedule below for workshop topics.

To register, go to: https://www.eply.com/2017technologysummerseries

The Why and How of Blended Learning

Are you considering moving components of your face-to-face course to online format (or introducing face-to-face components in an online course)? If so, join us to identify the course design, and pedagogical, technical, and policy considerations involved in making your blended course a success. Drawing on best practice, we will also present ways to integrate online and face-to-face components. We encourage you to bring your own device and your detailed course outline to the workshop.

Monday, June 12, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Designing Multiple Choice Tests

Intended for all disciplines in which student assessments include multiple-choice questions (MCQs), this session will cover some practical ways for educators to create MCQs to assess student learning more validly.  In particular, we will examine some common flaws in MCQs, including how to develop higher-order MCQs, and how to evaluate the quality of each MCQ.

Tuesday, June 13, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Flipped Classroom

A flipped classroom flips the traditional way of teaching on its head. Students view lectures or content in advance while homework and activities are tackled in the classroom, with the support of peers and the professor. In this workshop, participants will explore how the flipped classroom can increase student engagement, as well as engage in a brief ‘how-to’ of flipping. Modeling a flipped approach, participants will receive resources ahead of time to prepare for the workshop. During our session, participants will work collaboratively to develop a lesson plan for flipping at least one session in a course.

Wednesday, June 14, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Moving Direct Instruction Online: A Principled Approach

Moving direct instruction online is a common move in blended learning courses, but doing so effectively is more than just a technological challenge of digitizing content, it is a pedagogical challenge.  In this workshop, we present a conceptual framework to guide the processes of rethinking our direct instruction and reshaping it for blended learning.  We will look at concrete examples of current models and options and provide practical guidelines on how to move forward with a principled blend. 

Thursday, June 15, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Online Discussions in Support of Critical Discourse

Online discussion forums provide a place where students may share ideas and consider the ideas of their peers. These exchanges can potentially engage students in a meaningful way. In fact, online discussions are one of the most powerful options we have for creating and sustaining critical discourse in our courses. In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to rethink the role of discussions in your course and reshape them in a principled way for more effective learning. We will also consider tools and techniques to help you run your discussions more efficiently. 

Friday, June 16, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.