About the FLO MicroCourse
In this Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) MicroCourse, participants will learn a design paradigm for creating engaging educational videos. During the week, each participant will create a short video using the principles learned in this MicroCourse.
Video has tremendous power, both to support learning in the classroom and for educational outreach on social media. Engaging, visually interesting, and compelling videos can be highly effective tools for learning. The video creation principles in this MicroCourse blend research and practical experience.
Learning objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants in this workshop will be able to:
- Understand the fundamental principles of effective video design;
- Generate ideas for compelling educational topics that work well in the video medium;
- Refine a video idea into a concrete script with accompanying graphics;
- Create technically proficient videos with high-quality audio and visual recordings edited into a polished final product; and
- Understand the different success metrics for educational videos intended for outreach on social media and instructional videos intended for courses.
While most of the learning will happen asynchronously, two synchronous sessions are planned. These sessions will be recorded for those who cannot attend. Monday, October 7, 1:00-2:00 p.m. and Friday, October 11, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Participants should expect to spend at least one additional hour per day on coursework. Please put aside the time in your calendar for an optimal learning experience.
Register now!
Please note: Synchronous sessions will be recorded, archived, and made available to course registrants. By participating in this session, you acknowledge you are aware that your participation may be recorded and the recording will be available to other course registrants.
About the facilitator
Your FLO facilitator for this session will be Dr. Trefor Bazett.
Trefor (he/his) is an assistant teaching professor in the Mathematics and Statistics Department at the University of Victoria. Trefor has also built a YouTube channel with over 500 math education videos that have been viewed almost 40 million times. As a professor, Trefor uses video extensively in his online and flipped classrooms.
About the Session: 
Join us for this free one-hour Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) session highlighting different aspects of being mindful in our selection, use, and purpose for bringing technology into the classroom.
Topics range from protecting personal information, to providing alternatives if students are uncomfortable sharing digital data within a platform, to offering multiples ways of engaging with technology including being anonymous or using pseudonyms, and always making it clear to students why we are asking them to engage with a specific tool.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Engage in small group discussions when prompted with a case-study scenario, focusing on how best to support students while proposing at least one solution or action point.
- Critically evaluate your own use of different technologies, including Zoom.
- Participate in dialogues with colleagues around key tenets of B.C.’s Digital Literacy Framework and how it relates to your use of technology in the classroom.
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This session will be recorded, archived, and made available publicly on BCcampus.ca. By participating in this session, you acknowledge you are aware your participation will be recorded and the recording will be openly available.
About the Facilitator:
Your FLO Facilitator for this session is Dr. Gerry Gourlay.
Gerry (she/her) gratefully acknowledges the traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples as the land and place where she currently lives and works. Holding a PhD in biology from University of Victoria (UVic), Gerry concurrently completed an accredited graduate certificate for learning and teaching in higher education. As an instructional skills workshop trainer and facilitator, she teaches in STEM and education, while working as an independent educational developer.
Gerry is the program and volunteer manager for the Science Fair Foundation B.C. Previously, she was the TA coordinator in the Division of Learning and Teaching Support and Innovation at UVic. Gerry’s portfolio encompasses a wide range of topics, including creating strong learning outcomes, ensuring course alignment, supporting all learners while providing choice for students, appropriately using artificial intelligence in the classroom, exploring alternative assessments in STEM, and implementing digital literacy skills to better aid and support students.
When not teaching, Gerry volunteers with and supports youth through the Canadian Association for Girls in Science as the coordinator for the Victoria chapter.
About the Panel
Faculty fatigue has been identified as one of the most pressing teaching and learning challenges in higher education. Join us for a panel conversation focused on faculty well-being. While we often discuss how to support the well-being of our students, it is important for us to consider what it means “to put your oxygen mask on first.”
Some of the topics we will explore during this 90-minute conversation include:
- Leaning and leading into wellness
- From resilience to human flourishing
- Balancing self-care and success
- The structural roots of faculty fatigue
This session will be ideal for administrators, educators and staff in post-secondary education. Be part of the conversation!
Register Now!
This session will be recorded, archived, and made available publicly on bccampus.ca. By participating in this session, you acknowledge you are aware your participation will be recorded, and the recording will be openly available.
Upon registration, you are invited to submit any questions you would like to ask the panel. We will also provide an opportunity during the discussion for the audience to share their thoughts. We have four amazing panelists from across Canada who will weigh in on this topic.
Presenters
Dr. Maryam Nabavi is the director of the Academic Leadership Development Program at the University of British Columbia (UBC). In her role, she supports building a culture of academic leadership, centrally supporting leaders toward value-aligned leadership in support the strategic and operational mandate of their roles. Maryam is also an academic leadership coach and has extensive training in group facilitation, conflict engagement, and tools and frameworks for advancing systems change. She holds a PhD in educational studies (UBC) and an MA in adult education and community development (OISE/UofT).
Dr. Jessica Riddell is the founder of Hope Circuits Institute, a think tank dedicated to systems re-wiring and renewal in the post-secondary sector. She is a full professor of early modern literature in the English department at Bishop’s University (Quebec). She holds the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence at Bishop’s University; in this capacity, she leads conversations about systems-change in higher education that shifts the focus from resilience to human flourishing. In her research, teaching, leadership, and administration, she participates in a wide range of interchanges at the national and international levels about how universities fulfil the social contract to a broader society.
Dr. Peter Arthur is a professor of teaching at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan school of education. Peter’s evolving teaching approach aims to create a dynamic, caring, and transformative learning space where students not only create and share knowledge, but also undergo significant personal and intellectual metamorphosis. Peter received the Killam Award Teaching Prize, recognized for his significant contributions to education and compassionate leadership. Peter’s scholarly work focuses on fostering positive mindsets and self-regulation for achieving success. He is also an advocate for the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching, ensuring students are equipped to use AI responsibly. His areas of expertise include teaching and learning in higher education, metacognition, mindsets and academic success, curriculum and program development, learning design, pedagogy of care, and enhancing learning with technology.
Annabree Fairweather has served as CUFA BC executive director since 2019. Annabree has worked in post-secondary academic labour relations union-side for over a decade in B.C. and Alberta. She has experience representing faculty rights in bargaining and labour disputes, as well as personal experience as a contract faculty member.
Prior to her career in university labour, Annabree was a published researcher and a contract instructor at both the university and college level. She holds a master of science in experimental psychology and a double major bachelor of arts and science in French and psychology, as well as a labour relations-management certificate. Whenever she isn’t working, Annabree enjoys spending time with her wife and two children and distracting herself with hobbies, which include stone sculpture and playing piano.
About the MicroCourse
Join this one-week Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) MicroCourse and explore the intersection of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in the context of higher education.
Participants, including students, faculty members, and staff will explore various aspects of EI and GenAI, focusing on emotional growth, empathy development, and creating a more supportive and inclusive university environment.
Learning Outcomes
Understand the role of EI and GenAI in higher ed for self-awareness and communication by:
- Developing empathy and communication through AI-driven activities.
- Learning conflict resolution and ethical leadership with GenAI support.
- Using GenAI tools for mental health and resilience, creating personal growth plans.
- Assessing ethical use of GenAI in enhancing EI for responsible communication and personal development.
The course will be delivered asynchronously online, with an estimated time commitment of 10-12 hours for the week. We have scheduled a kick-off synchronous session on Monday, October 28, 2024, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. PT.
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Facilitators
Your FLO Facilitators for this course are Dr. Afsaneh Sharif, Dr. Mostafa Nazari, and Lucas Wright.
Afsaneh Sharif (she/her) has more than two decades’ experience in higher education and works as a senior project manager and faculty liaison at the University of British Columbia. Her expertise lies in project management and learning design, particularly within the sphere of online learning. Afsaneh holds a PhD in Knowledge Management, concentrating on enhancing the quality of online education programs. By applying research findings to develop effective educational strategies, she upholds the highest standards in digital and online learning and other modalities.
Additionally, Afsaneh is co-chair of the B.C. Digital Learning Advisory Committee in the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. Her interests include promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion; improving quality; ensuring accessibility; advancing online learning; fostering community practice; advocating for open education; and implementing UDL principles. Lately, her focus has shifted towards investigating the potential and challenges of GenAI in the educational sector, with an emphasis on accessibility and inclusion.
Dr. Mostafa Nazari (he/his) is an assistant professor in the Arts, Communications, and Social Sciences Department and is head of the English Department at University Canada West. He has recently co-authored a paper on artificial intelligence and higher education, titled “Developing effective prompts to improve communication with ChatGPT: a formula for higher education stakeholders.” Dr. Nazari has designed and conducted several workshops on technology and artificial intelligence for faculty members in Vancouver.
Lucas Wright (he/his) is a senior education consultant at the University of British Columbia (UBC). With more than 14 years’ experience, he specializes in learning technology and design, particularly in the application of GenAI. His background includes a Master of Arts in Adult Education from UBC and certifications in digital storytelling, instructional skills, and online learning. His goal is to enhance teaching and learning by integrating GenAI to foster dynamic and innovative learning environments.
About the MicroCourse:
Teaching is often a solitary practice; we rarely invite colleagues into our classrooms or see how our colleagues teach. This is often due to academic structures and because it can feel intimidating. However, discussions and feedback from peers can help us strengthen our teaching skills, including online teaching.
During this Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) MicroCourse, you will learn about research on “paired teaching” and “Teaching Triangles,” two programs that promote professional development through mutual observation and discussion. Key features of productive mutual observations include:
- Each instructor articulating their own goals for learning from the process,
- Giving space for both the teacher and the observer to learn from observations, and
- Establishing what makes productive (and non-productive) feedback.
This FLO MicroCourse will prepare participants to engage in reciprocal peer observations for professional development, if they choose to do so (optionally after the course). Participants will have the chance to identify where they might like peer feedback on their teaching and examine any potential fears around being observed. They will gain practical experience in observing teaching, giving productive feedback, and learning from these observations. We will discuss equity considerations in observations and giving and receiving feedback. At the end of the course, participants interested in continuing reciprocal observations will be paired with a fellow participant.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, participants will have the opportunity to:
- Feel excited about learning from reciprocal observations
- Recognize the value of teaching observations for both the observed teacher and the observer
- Reflect on areas of their own teaching where they would like feedback and/or inspiration
- Know features of positive productive feedback, including equity considerations in giving and receiving feedback
- Experience reflecting and giving feedback in a practice observing scenario online
- Reflect on potential fears or challenges of being observed
Participants should anticipate at least one hour per day of asynchronous learning. Two optional synchronous sessions are planned for the week:
- Tuesday, November 19, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
- Friday, November 22, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
While attendance is encouraged, the sessions will be recorded for those who cannot attend.
Register now!
About the Facilitator:
Your FLO facilitator for this FLO MicroCourse is Linda Strubbe.
Linda (she/her), Ph.D., is a Vancouver-based independent educational consultant for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) higher education at Strubbe Educational Consulting. Linda is passionate about supporting educators’ collaboration, agency, and joy in teaching. Through workshops, communities of practice, and curriculum development, she supports university faculty in North America and beyond in developing skills for effective and equitable teaching. She also supports STEM education projects as an external evaluator.
Linda’s doctorate is in astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and she has postdoctoral experience in physics and astronomy education research and faculty development in both Canada and the U.S. She was a Science Teaching & Learning Fellow with the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative (CWSEI) at the University of British Columbia (2015-18). Linda is also co-director for the Pan-African School for Emerging Astronomers (PASEA), and has worked with the University of Central Asia, American Physical Society, and American Association of Physics Teachers. She is excited to work with BC Campus to offer this new FLO MicroCourse!
About the Lab:
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.
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This session may be recorded, archived, and made available publicly on BCcampus.ca. By participating in this session, you acknowledge you are aware your participation may be recorded and the recording will be openly available.
About the Facilitator:
Your FLO Facilitator for this session is Dr. Siobhán Rachel Wittig McPhee.
Siobhán (she/her) is an associate professor of teaching at the University of British Columbia. In her role, Siobhán sees herself as an academic and an educator, dedicated to encouraging students and equipping them with the tools they need to succeed academically and in life. With an interdisciplinary background, Siobhán has the capability to explore and deliver alternative and engaging approaches to learning.
Siobhán’s focus on teaching and learning centres around the development of online tools, activities, and experiential learning techniques. Her educational research includes location-aware technologies, augmented reality, and alternative methods of knowledge mobilization, especially with application of digital literacy and digital scholarship. Her research explores interactive, place-based digital storytelling to generate empathy and engagement in social justice issues. It is this research that Siobhán is drawing on in facilitating the FLO Lab.
About the Session:
Join us for this free, one-hour Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) Friday 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.
Register now!
This notice is to inform you that this session will be recorded, archived, and made available publicly on BCcampus.ca. By participating in this session, you acknowledge that your participation in this session will be recorded and the recording will be made available openly.
About the Facilitator:
Your FLO Facilitator for this session is John Born.
John (he/his) is the manager of the educational media team at the Centre for Educational Excellence at Simon Fraser University (SFU). In this role, he provides technical and pedagogical expertise in multimedia for face-to-face, blended, and online teaching environments. Before joining SFU, he worked at the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s Learning & Teaching Centre as an educational technology specialist and at the Centre for Enhanced Teaching and Learning at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) in educational technology and as a multimedia specialist. He holds a diploma in sound design from Vancouver Film School and a Master of Education in instructional design. His teaching experience includes eight years as a sound instructor in the multimedia studies program at UNB, as well as three years at the Centre for Arts and Technology. Outside of work, he is passionate about jazz music, sound design, and field recording.
About the MicroCourse
Explore how to design accessible eLearning experiences by applying the four principles of the POUR framework:
- Perceivability,
- Operability,
- Understandability, and
- Robustness.
These principles are the foundation of the international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
During this week, participants will learn and apply POUR principles through activities and will give and receive feedback. Participants will also identify how they would revise one of their eLearning materials using the POUR principles.
Learning Objectives
- Develop a basic understanding of accessibility and the POUR framework
- Apply POUR principles to eLearning materials
Participants should anticipate at least 6.75 hours of asynchronous learning during this week.
Three optional one-hour synchronous sessions are planned:
- January 20, 2025, 12:00-1:00 p.m. PT
- January 22, 2025, 12:00-1:00 p.m. PT
- January 24, 2025, 12:00-1:00 p.m. PT
These sessions will not be recorded.
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About the Facilitators
Your facilitators for this FLO MicroCourse are Fizza Haider and Gena Hamilton.
Fizza Haider (she/her) is a post-secondary educational professional with over seven years’ experience instructing students and supporting their access to learning. Her professional philosophy centers on providing accessible, flexible, and responsive learning to students.
She believes students learn, acquire and process information differently and values designing learning experiences to meet diverse student needs and preferences. She has demonstrated success in these areas through a multi-disciplinary process of consultation and collaboration with students, faculty, staff, and external campus and community partners.
With a master’s degree in Educational Psychology, she draws on her understanding of evidence-based instructional strategies and frameworks such as Universal Design for Learning, the POUR framework for accessible design, and the Multimedia Learning Theory. to develop training workshops and resources for diverse audiences including educators, educational technology specialists, and instructional designers, guiding them in the practical application of these theoretical principles to course design. She works as a learning designer at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV).
In this role, Fizza encourages faculty to think about accessibility and flexibility in all aspects of course development and supports the development of accessible content design skills. Fizza serves on UFV’s Accessible British Columbia Act steering committee, tasked with guiding the university in meeting the statutory requirements of the provincial legislation. She is also a member of BCcampus’ Sector Advisory Committee, providing leadership, advice, and support with the rollout of B.C.’s Digital Learning Strategy.
Gena Hamilton (she/her) is an academic advisor for the school of education at the University of the Fraser Valley and a certified career development practitioner. She has a passion for learning design and innovation in career education.
About the Session
Do you want to create a learning environment that considers the diverse lived experiences of your students? In this three-hour Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) Lab session, we will start by exploring current frameworks for course design (such as Universal Design for Learning and quality assurance) and determine what is “missing” with these frameworks from an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) perspective. We will then explore at least two different approaches to incorporate principles of EDI into the course design and development process. We will conclude with space for critical reflection and co-creation of strategies for implementing these changes.
This session will be beneficial for anyone who is interested in moving away from the status quo in course design and becoming an agent of change!
Please note: This session will not be recorded. Registrants should plan to attend the full three hours for an optimal learning experience.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Explain shortcomings of existing approaches or frameworks to course design from an EDI perspective
- Discuss the challenges they may encounter in their current course design process from an individual, interpersonal, and institutional perspective, and how to overcome them
- Reflect on how to apply a critical, collaborative and wholistic approach to their course design and development process
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About the Facilitator
Randeep Nota (she/her) is a second-generation Punjabi settler. She is a consultant whose work comprises educational development and program and policy reviews. She is concurrently pursuing her PhD at the University of Toronto, focused on work, learning, and social change. Randeep has experience working in post-secondary institutions in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario in various teaching, staff, and management roles. She has researched and presented nationally and internationally on topics including anti-racism policies and practices in the post-secondary sector; incorporating equity, diversity, and inclusion practices in course design; the internationalization of higher education; the use of technology in post-secondary teaching and learning; and the (un)ethical use of surveillance in learning. Prior to her work as an educational consultant, Randeep provided pedagogical consultations for credit and non-credit, online and hybrid courses, and worked on program development, and quality assurance reporting for diploma and degree-granting programs.
About the Session
In this FLO Friday session, participants will formulate “ShouldAI, CouldAI, WouldAI?” questions to discuss the use of AI in their classes and assessments.
Recognizing that learning outcomes inform pedagogical practices; participants will explore how AI could be used to support achievement and to enhance student success. Generative AI has not only underscored the need for curricular innovation but also highlighted the necessity for support and training to manage this complex task.
Participants will collaborate on the future of education with an “AI perspective.” They will analyze their assessment strategies in the context of their learning outcomes and AI use among students. They will collaborate on developing a curriculum considering current and future AI use.
Registration coming soon!
This notice is to inform you that this session will be recorded, archived, and made available publicly on BCcampus.ca. By participating in this session, you acknowledge that your participation in this session may be recorded and the recording will be made available openly.
About the Facilitator
Your FLO Facilitator for this session is Jenny Fitzgerald.
Jenny Fitzgerald (she/her) is an instructor of university success strategies, communications, and English upgrading at Capilano University. As an educator and curriculum developer, she sees the promises and challenges presented by AI in a post-secondary context. For the past two years, she has engaged in research and curriculum projects to support her students and colleagues around the ethical use of AI, focusing on adapting her courses and teaching practices to support student success. Jenny takes every opportunity to geek out with other educators and strives for collaborative innovation to mitigate the challenges posed by the rapid advancement of technology.