South asain man in dark button up shirt with beard, sit smiling and at desk while notetaking and viewing a laptop screen

Image by kate_sept2004 from Getty

Upcoming events, workshops, and webinars

Content reviewed:

Teaching and learning focused on online, blended or distributed workshops, webinars, panel discussions, and other professional development events MB Hub has gathered for our membership. We have highlighted events from Partner institutions and organizations such as Educause and Quality Matters and sibling organizations from Canada (BC Campus and Contact North | Contact Nord).

Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub event

An Opportunity to Recalibrate: Aligning with Best Practices in Assessment to Support Learning in the Context of GenAI

The Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub (MB Hub) will host an inter-institutional expert panel on Friday, November 22, 2024. Covering the intertwined topics of academic integrity, student use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and best practices for assessment post-secondary institutions.  

The emergence of GenAI gives instructors an opportunity to reflect, adapt and support both student learning and academic integrity. The panel will provide post-secondary instructors from across the province the opportunity to engage in a dialogue about assessment, academic integrity and GenAI.  

The event will be presented via Zoom, with MB Hub partner panelists from Assiniboine College, Brandon University, Red River College Polytech, and an out-of-province guest from Medicine Hat College.

Panel details

Date: Nov 22, 2024 
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 
Panelist:

  • Josh Seeland (he/him), BA (Manitoba), DLIS (RRCP), Manager of Library Services and Academic Integrity Officer at the Assiniboine College (AC) Library in Brandon. He has authored and co-authored works on academic integrity and contract cheating. He co-edited the recently published book Academic Integrity and the Role of the Academic Library with Jason Openo. 
  • Curt Shoultz (he/him), B.Ed. (Brandon), M.Ed. (Brandon), Director of the Centre for Teaching, Learning, & Technology (CTLT) at Brandon University. He previously worked at Assiniboine College in designing educational experiences for adult learners.  
  • Hannah Gifford (she/her), BA (Winnipeg), Academic Integrity Specialist at Centre for Learning and Program Excellence in Red River College Polytechnic. Gifford is also experienced international credential assessment and Recognition for Previous Learning (RPL). 
  • Dr. Jason Openo (he/him), BA (Albion) MLIS (Washington iSchool), PhD (Athabasca) Dean of the School of Health and Community Services at Medicine Hat College. Co-author of the book “Assessment strategies for online learning: Engagement and Authenticity” and Co-editor of “Academic Integrity and the Role of the Academic Library” with Josh Seeland. Openo’s dissertation focused on professional development for online sessional instructors and faculty in Canada. 

November professional development events

Learning Lab | Designing Hybrid-Flexible (HyFlex) Courses to Support Multimodal Learning Environments by Educause

HyFlex (hybrid-flexible) courses provide an effective method to serve classroom-based students and online students in the same course with the same instructor. HyFlex courses usually provide students with the choice of attending scheduled classroom meetings or online meetings (asynchronous and/or synchronous) on a regular basis, allowing student choice in participation mode and preparing institutions for instructional continuity if classroom access is not possible. Well-designed HyFlex courses can provide a rich learning environment that improves and enhances the class experience for all students, whether online or in the classroom. 

Learning Outcomes: 

Note: Between the live sessions, you will be asked to complete assignments that support the learning outcomes stated below. The facilitators will give you feedback and constructive critique. 

  • Identify the opportunities and needs for HyFlex approaches in your setting. 
  • Use the recommended design framework and process for building and implementing a HyFlex course to create an initial high-level design plan. 
  • Plan for evaluating the impact of this approach on student learning and other metrics of interest in your context. 

Synchronous sessions time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  (CT)

Part 1: November 4,
Part 2: November 7,
Part 3: November 13
Part 4: November 18

Important: Employees of Educause member institutions and organizations can create membership profiles, most MB Hub partners are members. 

Teaching with AI by Educause 

“Teaching with AI” is a flexible online program tailored for higher education faculty, instructional designers, and support staff designed to deepen participants’ understanding of AI and empower them to seamlessly integrate it into their curricula. It features live discussion sessions that offer practical strategies for enhancing student engagement, personalizing learning experiences, and improving educational outcomes. Participants will explore real-world AI applications, engage in interactive activities, and collaborate with peers to develop actionable insights for their teaching practices. 

The 2-week online program includes 5 modules and takes a minimum of 5-6 hours to complete. Participants will have access to the program for 1 year. 

Learning goals 

  • Explore AI and its implications for teaching and learning in higher education—especially those relating to academic integrity 
  • Critically reflect on student learning and the implications of generative AI on your beliefs about course design 
  • Evaluate examples (good and bad) of courses and course elements redesigned for AI 
  • Experiment with AI tools, redesign assignments, and get feedback 
  • Access a (growing and evolving) repository of research on teaching with AI 
  • Exchange ideas on topics related to AI in the college classroom and higher ed writ large with others in the course 
  • Engage your colleagues in the conversation to ensure students in your program have a consistent, comparable learning experience no matter who is leading the class 

Synchronous sessions time: 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.  

Dates:  

  • Tuesday, November 12 
  • Thursday, November 14 
  • Tuesday, November 19 
  • Thursday, November 21 

Important: Employees of Educause member institutions and organizations can create membership profiles, most MB Hub partners are members. 

Understanding our Students’ Lived Experiences: Trauma-informed Teaching from RRCP

As educators, it is important to create a safe learning environment that is inclusive and supportive for all students, regardless of their background or lived experiences. In this session, you will discuss best practices for creating safe and inclusive classrooms by exploring the concept of trauma-informed teaching. You will learn about the ways that trauma can affect student learning and how to create a supportive classroom culture. You will also discuss strategies for building resilience and promoting healing. 

Date: Thursday, November 14
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.  (CT)

Questions about registering or the session: Claudius Soodeen – Faculty Development Consultant at RRCP 

AI Student Coaching: First Results from the Classroom by OLC 

Come see the results of how AI Coaching of students performed in the online classroom and hear both instructor and student perspectives on using AI to provide real-time feedback assistance that promotes constructive learning. 

Harmonize’s rubric coach helps the instructor build a rubric based on their assignment or discussion prompt and then allows instructors to enable real-time feedback designed to make the student pause and self-assess using the instructor’s rubric. The goal is to trigger the students to go through productive revisions in real-time so that their work is more complete and helpful to their classmates, and so that the instructor is grading the student’s best efforts. 

Key takeaways

  • Understand how AI can use instructor inputs to guide coaching of students in real-time. 
  • Understand instructor and student perspectives of the use of AI for this purpose. 
  • Intended Audience: 
  • Institutional Effectiveness, Distance Education Leaders, Center for Teaching and Learning, and Directors of Assessment 

Important: This webinar is sponsored by Harmonize 

Date: Thursday, November 14  
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. (CT) 

Using the PAUSE Framework for RSI in Online Courses by ADEIL

Drawing from the PAUSE (positive, applicable, understandable, specific, and encouraging) Framework for providing written feedback in an online course context. The framework is outlined in Dr. Jennifer Robinson’s 2024 book. The seminar attendees will gain practical insights and strategies for following the US Department of Education’s requirements (Regular and Substantive Feedback (RSI)). 

Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Robinson 
Date: Tuesday, November 19 
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (CT) 

The New Frontier of Academic Integrity: Postplagiarism and Its Implications by MAIN

This session explores the concept of postplagiarism, a paradigm shift that acknowledges the hybridization of human and AI-generated content. Based on a quantitative study involving students from multiple countries, the session will share students’ perceptions of postplagiarism, focusing on their acceptance of hybrid writing, the evolving role of creativity, and the necessity of redefining academic integrity in this new context. Attendees will gain insights into the implications of these shifts for educational policy and practice and the need for institutions to rethink their academic integrity frameworks in the face of rapid technological advancements. 

Presenter: Dr. Rahul Kumar   
Date: November 20, 2024   
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 9:55 a.m. (CT)   
Moderator: Dr. Curt Shoultz, Brandon University 

Learning Lab | Developing and Teaching an Online Humanized Course by Educause 

This Learning Lab initiates participants into the practice of starting a course with a humanized approach, emphasizing the creation of an online learning environment that values connection, empathy, and active engagement. Through this lab, participants will explore how to lay a foundational tone of inclusivity and warmth from Week 0, utilize digital tools to foster instructor and social presence, and design activities that build a thriving community of learners. The aim is to transform the online educational space into one where students feel valued, connected, and motivated to engage with the course content and their peers. 

This Learning Lab is licensed and used with the permission and in collaboration with the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska. © 2024, The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska. All rights reserved. 

Learning outcomes

Note: You will be asked to complete assignments in between the Learning Lab live sessions that support the learning outcomes stated below. You will receive feedback and constructive critique from facilitators. 

  • Understand and apply the principles of humanized learning to create a welcoming and inclusive online course environment from the outset. 
  • Develop and demonstrate effective strategies for enhancing instructor presence in online courses to foster better student engagement and connection. 
  • Cultivate social presence within the online course to promote a sense of community and peer-to-peer learning. 
  • Design and implement opportunities that reinforce the human connection among students. 

Synchronous sessions time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.  (CT)

Dates:

  • Part 1: Thursday, November 21
  • Part 2: Monday, December 2
  • Part 3: Thursday, December 5
  • Part 4: Wednesday, December 11

Important: Employees of Educause member institutions and organizations can create membership profiles, most MB Hub partners are members. 

How can we rethink learning? Perhaps this key is envisioning people as educable. This addition of the Future Trends Forum will be hosted Harvard University T. Jefferson Coolidge Professor of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Leslie Valiant, author of The Importance of Being Educable: A New Theory of Human Uniqueness on JSTOR 

Date: Wednesday, November 21 
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (CT) 

FLO Lab: Digital Scholarship in Social Sciences – Exploring the Digital Humanities by BCcampus 

This three-hour Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) Lab is designed to engage post-secondary social science educators and aims to explore the concept of digital scholarship through the lens of digital humanities. 

The workshop’s objective is to enhance participants’ understanding of digital literacy as outlined in British Columbia’s Digital Literacy Framework, with a focus on the critical use of digital resources in scholarship, teaching, and learning. 

A key component of the lab is the exploration of digital humanities tools, including text analysis, mapping, and data visualization. Through hands-on engagement with these tools, participants will discuss their application in social science research and teaching. This aligns with the Digital Literacy Framework’s emphasis on the practical application of digital tools and resources. 

Participants will also conceptualize a digital scholarship project relevant to their research or teaching interests. This activity encourages participants to apply their learning from the lab to their own work, fostering innovation and creativity in digital scholarship. While parts of this session might be recorded, participants are encouraged to attend all three hours to get the most out of the lab.  

Learning Outcomes 

  • Understand the concept of digital scholarship: participants will gain a clear understanding of what constitutes digital scholarship and its significance in the social sciences. 
  • Explore digital humanities tools: participants will learn about various digital humanities tools and resources that can be integrated into social science research and teaching.  
  • Develop digital scholarship projects: participants will conceptualize a digital scholarship project relevant to their research or teaching interests.  

Facilitator: Dr. Siobhán Rachel Wittig McPhee 
Date: Wednesday, November 27 
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (CT) 
Duration: 3 hours 

December professional development events

FLO Friday: SoundWaves in Education – The Art of Teaching Online with Sound by BCcampus 

Join us for this workshop on how sound can be effectively used in an online learning environment.

This presentation explores the principles of sonic pedagogy and demonstrates practical applications for online teaching. Participants will learn about the integration of user-friendly audio tools, discover creative approaches to curriculum design, and learn techniques for optimizing student engagement through intentional soundscapes. This presentation closely examines the relationship between sound and education, offering practical skills and strategies to enhance the online teaching experience.  

Learning outcomes 

  • Gain a foundational understanding of sonic pedagogy and its significance in the online educational context. 
  • Acquire practical skills in applying user-friendly audio recording and editing tools to online teaching. 
  • Explore effective strategies for integrating sound into lesson plans and curriculum design in an online teaching environment. 
  • Develop the ability to design creative and engaging lesson plans leveraging sound elements to enhance the online learning experience. 
  • Understand strategies for optimizing student engagement through the strategic use of sound in online teaching.   

This presentation is tailored for online educators, instructional designers, and anyone passionate about the art of sound to enhance online teaching experience.  

Facilitator: John Born 
Date: Friday, December 6 
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (CT) 

Sorting Out Usability and Accessibility in General Standard 8 by Quality Matters 

Presented by Lisa Kidder, Quality Program Manager at the Instructional Technology Resource Center, Idaho State University 

Do you get confused with General Standard 8? You are not alone! Come learn how to distinguish between the usability and the accessibility aspects. You will be able to apply each Specific Review Standard better and write clear, constructive suggestions clearly supported by the Rubric. 

Date: Wednesday, December 18
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (CT)

Get these events in your inbox

Stay current on resources, upcoming workshops or events for instructional staff by signing up for the monthly MB Hub newsletter.

Sign up for the MB Hub newsletter