Fall Perspectives on Teaching Conference

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Fall Perspectives on Teaching 2024:
Monday, August 26 from 9:00AM to 3:30PM

(See Conference Information section below for registration instructions)

9:00 am to 9:15 am Opening Remarks (SEB 1200/Zoom)

Aisha Haque (Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning)

9:15 am to 10:30 am Keynote Session (SEB 1200/Zoom)

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AI and the Future of Higher Education

Dr. Mark Daley, Chief AI Officer, Western University

 

Dr. Mark Daley's Biography

Mark is the Chief AI Officer at Western University and a full professor in the Department of Computer Science with cross-appointments in five other departments, The Brain and Mind Institute, The Rotman Institute of Philosophy, and The Western Institute for Neuroscience. He is also a faculty affiliate of Toronto's Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence. Mark has previously served as the Vice-President (Research) at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), and Chief Digital Information Officer, Special Advisor to the President, and Associate Vice-President (Research) at Western. Mark is the past chair of Compute Ontario and serves on a number of other boards.

10:30 am to 10:50 am Refreshment Break (outside SEB 1200)

10:50 am to 12:00 pm Panel (seb 1200/Zoom)

Perspectives on Generative AI from the Western Learning Community

Andrews Tawiah (Health Science, Physical Therapy)
Ana Garcia-Allen (Arts & Humanities, Languages and Cultures)
Nandhitha Krishnan (4th Year Computer Science Student)

Moderator: Michael Atkinson (Social Science, Psychology)

This panel brings together faculty and student voices to reflect on the changing landscape of higher education in light of Generative AI. Panelists will share their perspectives on how Generative AI is and will continue to impact teaching and learning. The discussion will focus on both the positive potential and the concerns and perceived challenges of GenAI.

12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Break

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Concurrent Sessions

Session A (SEB 1200/Zoom)
From Access to Belonging: Accessibility Models and Mindsets

Kim Clark (Faculty of Social Science, Anthropology)
Dani Dilkes (Centre for Teaching and Learning)

Description

In this session, we will discuss what “accessibility” means and examine different approaches to creating more accessible classes. We will compare a one-size-fits-one, one-size-fits-all, and a wardrobe approach to accessibility, examining the benefits and challenges of each. Participants will share low-cost, high-impact accessibility practices and start to think about what practices could enhance their own teaching. For instructors just starting to think about accessibility, this session will offer a place to begin. For instructors already working towards accessibility, this session will offer space to reflect, refine, and share. Participants are encouraged to bring a device to participate in the interactive activities, but multiple ways of participating will be possible.

Session B (SEB 2200)
Integrating Student Reflection across Disciplinary Boundaries and Traditions

Christina Booker (Science, Chemistry)
Charys Martin (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Anatomy and Cell Biology)
Katrina Moser (Geography and Environment)

Description

A panel of faculty will share their experiences embedding reflection into courses, contexts, and disciplines that tend not to explicitly ask students to reflect on their own learning. The panelists will discuss why they embedded reflection within these novel contexts, what forms these reflections took, the challenges that they faced and how they worked to address them, and the benefits that they saw. Please join us for a discussion of how reflective practices can enhance students’ educational experience and foster deeper learning across disciplinary boundaries and traditions

 

2:00 pm to 2:15 pm Refreshment Break (outside HSB 40)

2:15 pm to 3:30 pm Showcase (SEB 1200/Zoom)

Open Educational Resource Showcase

Alexis Smith, (Nursing, Health Science)
Courtney Casserly, (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry)
Vera Sarina, (Education)

Facilitator: Emily Carlisle-Johnston

Join us to learn more about Open Educational Resources (OERs) and hear about innovative OER projects completed by our peers at Western. OERs are openly licensed teaching and learning materials that support a more equitable learning experience by reducing student costs, improving accessibility, and democratizing the creation of course materials. This session will be structured as an introduction to open education and OER, followed by a series of lightning talks focused on different adoption and creation projects completed through the OER Grant and Support Program.

Conference Information

Registration

Registration Instructions

  1. Login to Western Connect using your Western username and password.
  2. Select Event Calenders, then Centre for Teaching and Learning.
  3. Select the event you wish to register in. Details and a description of the program will appear.
  4. Select the Register for this Event button.
  5. You will receive an automated confirmation email to your Western email account.

If you have any questions or problems registering for this event, please consult our help guide or contact ctl@uwo.ca.

Audience

This event is open to all; however, it is designed with instructors in mind.

Offered

  • Spring Perspectives - annually in May
  • Fall Perspectives - annually in August/ September

What to Expect

Offered twice a year, Perspectives on Teaching is a conference designed to showcase teaching innovations at Western, and introduce instructors to best practices in student-centered instruction which can enhance the student experience.

Faculty members are invited to present innovative teaching approaches or research on their teaching during Spring Perspectives each year.  

Previous Conference Programs

Visit our Youtube Channel for keynotes from past conferences.