Event Description
How can we facilitate maximally accessible online learning environments while recognizing that some learners will experience access barriers where other learners experience access supports? Access friction can pose challenges to implementing access and demonstrates there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach (Glossary, Access Anthology: Reflections on Disability Art and Culture, Gallery TPW, 2023, p. 66).
During this Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) MicroCourse, learners will have the opportunity to explore effective methods for navigating what some disability communities call access friction. Through problem-based learning, participants will develop inclusive, non-hierarchical ways of anticipating, navigating, and responding to access friction by drafting statements for their course syllabi that detail their planned approach.
Participants also will review each other’s draft statements, allowing them to:
- Identify frequently encountered sources of access friction (Example: cameras on to facilitate lip-reading versus cameras off to support mental health needs)
- Craft student-centered approaches to navigating access friction in online environments
- Provide constructive peer review for syllabus accessibility statements using online asynchronous annotation tools
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Recognize what constitutes access friction in online learning
- Practice effective methods for mitigating access friction in flexible and inclusive ways
Course Logistics
Time commitment: 6-8 hours
Format: Asynchronous
While most of the learning will happen asynchronously, we will offer an optional synchronous session on Friday, January 23, 2026, 10:00–11:00 a.m. PST.
Registration is now closed
This session will be recorded, archived, and shared with course registrants.
About the Facilitator
Stefan Sunandan Honisch (he/him) is a disabled researcher, educator, and musician. He is a sessional instructor in Theatre Studies, and a Scholar-in-Residence at St. John’s College, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Musqueam Nation, on which the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus is situated. Honisch has also previously worked for the B.C. Public Service Agency’s Learning Centre.
About the Session
This session will explore the design and use of CITE GPT, a custom AI (Artificial Intelligence) chatbot created as a project in the University of British Columbia (UBC) Master of Educational Technology ETEC 511 class, to support students and educators with academic writing, citation formatting, and ethical information use in a reflexive way. The aim of this session is to demystify the design process, showing our successes and failures, which may lead to participants being better informed or trying this skill themselves.
Developed using OpenAI’s custom GPT framework and grounded in the principles of reflexivity, digital literacy, and educational usability, CITE GPT serves as a model for how AI can be thoughtfully embedded into academic practice.
Participants will be led through the coding process of creating a chatbot, engage in hands-on experimentation with the chatbot, be encouraged to make a chatbot of their own, and explore how the system-level prompt and knowledge base can shape user experience, all while reflecting on how AI can support, not shortcut, learning. This is done by emphasizing critical thinking, ethical engagement with technology, and student agency.
Together, we’ll reflect on how to use AI tools responsibly in our teaching and help students develop agency, not dependency. By the end, participants will leave with a concrete sense of how to evaluate, adapt, or build their own tools to support academic success.
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This session may be recorded, archived, and shared after the event.
About the Facilitator
Amanda Robins is an educator, instructional designer, and MEd candidate at the University of British Columbia, specializing in educational technology. With over 20 years’ experience teaching English for academic purposes at the college level at both Langara College and Simon Fraser University, she brings a deep understanding of pedagogy, digital learning, and accessibility. Her recent work explores the ethical integration of AI in the classroom. Amanda has led workshops for educators on AI and assessment for B.C. TEAL and UVic ProD days, and recently organized workshops for a digital literacy teaching exchange in China.
About the Series
Discover the BCcampus EdTech Sandbox Series!
In these 90-minute workshops, expert leaders will introduce and demonstrate cutting-edge, open, and free, or low-cost educational technology tools aligned with the B.C. Post-Secondary Digital Literacy Framework. Participants will experiment with tools, work with fellow educators to review features of the tools, gain insights into teaching activities, and discover ways to integrate these tools into courses.
Focus Areas
- The AI Sandbox: a space dedicated to experimenting with, and reviewing, artificial intelligence tools and applications in educational settings.
- Other Learning Technologies: a space to explore, experiment, and review emerging learning technologies beyond AI, highlighting their potential impacts and practical applications.
EdTech Sandbox Series Sessions
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- September 10, 2025 – Choose Your Own Adventure! Dynamic Branching Scenarios and Game Maps With H5P and AI Tools
- October 8, 2025 – The Intelligent Notebook: Become a Knowledge Expert With NotebookLM
- October 17, 2025 – [Special EdTech Sandbox] Remote Proctoring Through an Ethical Lens: the Case Against Surveillance
- November 26, 2025 – Claude vs. ChatGPT: Choosing the Right AI for the Job
- January 21, 2025 – Build Your Own Teaching Bot: My Story of Creating CITE GPT as a Teaching Tool
Session Description
Are you familiar with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and trying out some ideas? Are you interested in accessible pedagogy? Interested in upping your UDL game? Join us for ideas on extending your UDL-based teaching practices using the new UDL 3.0 guidelines.
Register Now!
This session may be recorded, archived, and shared after the event.
About the Facilitator
Your facilitator for this session is Dr. Seanna Takacs.
Seanna is Practice Lead in Accessibility Services at KPU. She consults on UDL and accessible pedagogy for post-secondary institutions in British Columbia and is Co-chair for the Accessibility and Inclusion Community of Practice for Canadian Association of College & University Student Services (CACUSS).
2025-26 Accessibility Bites Series
- Accessibility Bites: Introduction to Web Accessibility, August 28, 2025
- Accessibility Bites: Supporting Post-Secondary Students with ADHD, September 25, 2025
- Accessibility Bites: Let’s Talk about Learning Disabilities, October 30, 2025
- Accessibility Bites: The Gift of Dyslexia, November 27, 2025
- Accessibility Bites: Access Friction, December 11, 2025
- Accessibility Bites: UDL 3.0 in Practice, January 29, 2026
- Accessibility Bites: An Indigenous Lens on Disability Rights, February 26, 2026
For recordings and resources from previous Accessibility Bites workshops, visit the Accessibility Bites Pressbook.
About the Session
Join us for an exciting Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) session about a news literacy framework for educators and students. In these information-challenged times, this workshop will introduce the concept and benefits of including news literacy (e.g. Ashley, 2020) as a crucial element in the post-secondary teaching and learning environment. We will explore the news literacy framework, discuss why it is essential to 21st-century post-secondary learning and teaching, and provide an orientation to a new open education resource, a news literacy toolkit.
The session will be of interest to professors, librarians, and other educators who support student learning. It aims to give participants the knowledge and skills to better understand and engage with today’s complex media environment. By the end of the workshop, participants will:
- Be able to define and explain the concept of news literacy and its importance in the current media landscape
- Understand how the presence of bias in news reporting affects the representation of events
- Learn strategies to curate a diverse and balanced news diet, avoiding echo chambers and ensuring exposure to multiple perspectives.
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This session may be recorded, archived, and shared after the event.
About the Facilitator
Justin Harrison has over 20 years’ professional experience as an academic research librarian and holds the position of Engagement & Learning Librarian at the University of Victoria Libraries. He is also a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria, focusing on media literacy, news literacy, and their intersections with civic engagement and political polarization.
About the Panel
GenAI is now part of the everyday reality of post-secondary education. Educators across B.C. are navigating a mix of curiosity, concern, as well as fatigue as they decide how, or whether, to engage with these tools in their work to support teaching and learning. This panel brings together sector leaders, educators, and researchers to explore how we might move beyond simple “ban or embrace” narratives towards rethinking teaching and learning with GenAI with particular focus on human-centred approaches and open pedagogy.
This panel will be moderated by Helena Prins, an Advisor on the Learning + Teaching team.
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This notice is to inform you that this session may be recorded, archived, and shared after the event.
About the Facilitators
Gwen Nguyen is a Learning + Teaching Advisor with BCcampus. Gwen holds a PhD in education studies from the University of Victoria and a MA in applied linguistics from Saint Michael’s College. Recently, Gwen has developed a keen interest in exploring pedagogical approaches that ethically and creatively integrate AI into teaching and learning. Gwen comes to this panel to set the stage, bringing a GenAI-literacy-in-teaching lens grounded in her work at BCcampus, where she has been observing the tension between resistance and reimaging education while developing support channels for educators, including the open access BCcampus GenAI in Teaching and Learning Toolkit and related initiatives.
Dr. Neil Fassina took on the role of President at Okanagan College in April 2021, inspired by the college’s reputation for transforming lives and communities. Dr. Fassina earned his PhD in Management from the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto and holds a BSc in Psychology from the University of Calgary. He is recognized as a Fellow Chartered Professional in Human Resources (FCPHR) and a Chartered Director (ICD.D) through the Institute of Chartered Directors. He has contributed to numerous refereed articles, co-authored a Canadian Human Resource Management textbook and enjoys speaking about the future of education and its role in economic and social development. Before joining Okanagan College, Neil served as President of Athabasca University from 2016 to 2021. His previous roles include Provost and Vice President Academic at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and Dean of the JR Shaw School of Business and School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. Throughout his academic career, he has taught at the University of Toronto, the University of Calgary, the University of Manitoba, and in executive education programs.
Elizabeth Childs is a professor in the School of Education and Technology at Royal Roads University. She has worked in government, industry, and academia and consulted nationally and internationally. She is interested in the design, creation, and implementation of flexible learning environments that incorporate the affordances of technologies and provide learners with increased access, choice, flexibility, and opportunities. Dr. Childs’ research interests include online and blended learning, open education and open pedagogy, online learning communities and digital habitats, socio-emotional learning and immersive professional development, design thinking, and participatory design approaches.
Sharon Stein is an Associate Professor of Higher Education and Professor of Climate Complexity and Coloniality in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia. She is the author of Unsettling the University: Confronting the Colonial Foundations of US Higher Education, and a co-founder of the Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures Arts/Research Collective. She is focused on an inquiry about the possibilities of earth-aligned AI for education – that is, AI that can help scaffold a transition from reductionist, anthropocentric learning toward relational intelligence and planetary responsibility.
Jessica Rizk, PhD, is a Senior Research Associate at the Conference Board of Canada. A former K–12 teacher and current post-secondary educator, she leads national research on education, workforce development, and AI literacy, focusing on how institutions and educators can adapt to an AI-enabled future. Her work bridges research, policy, and practice, bringing a perspective centered on equity, innovation, and preparing learners for the evolving demands of work and education.
About the Session
This advanced session explores how educators can meaningfully elevate and integrate Indigenous values within their courses through intentional curricular alignment. Grounded in an understanding of the full history and context of the Territory(ies) in which post-secondary institutions exist, the workshop builds on concepts of decolonization and Indigenization through a distinctions-based approach.
Participants should come with a cohesive knowledge of their own positionality, the history and ongoing impacts of colonization in B.C., and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Together, we will review examples, engage in discussion, and consider how integrating an Indigenous Values Framework might support our commitments to Truth and Reconciliation while enhancing student learning and engagement.
This session will be of interest to ally professors, librarians, and educators who support student learning. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Reflect on the Traditional Territory(ies) in which they live and work, using a distinctions-based approach
- Consider the impacts of colonization in post-secondary settings and discuss current actions to decolonize these spaces
- Explore and discuss Indigenous Values Frameworks as a methodology for decolonizing and Indigenizing curricula and course delivery
Register Now!
This session will be recorded, archived, and shared after the event.
About the Facilitator
Natasha Parrish Sk’ing lúudas was born and raised as a visitor in the Homelands of the lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples (Victoria, B.C.) She belongs to the Kyaanuusalii Clan of the Raven moiety of the Haida Nation through an unbroken matrilineal line. She also carries English ancestry and is a fourth generation settler-Canadian. She has a Bachelor of Arts, a post-degree professional program in secondary teaching, and a Master of Indigenous nationhood from the University of Victoria. Sk’ing lúudas is an Education Developer Indigenization at Camosun College, with experience in secondary and post-secondary education settings. Her thinking has been influenced by many local Elders and Knowledge Keepers, such as Elder Henry Chipps (Sci’anew Nation) and Brother Rick Peter (Cowichan Nation) as well as many hours with Haida Elders, Community Members, and time in her home Territory. She is passionate about Land Back initiatives and is a recent founder of Indigenous Roots Coffee Co.
We’re excited to introduce the GenAI Teaching Lounge: an informal, virtual space where educators can gather over a hot drink to explore teaching ideas with Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Curious about using AI tools to support assessment design? Wondering how to centralize student voices when integrating AI into coursework? Or simply want to share your own stories and tea with others? The Lounge is your space to ask questions, exchange ideas, and learn with colleagues.
No lectures, no recordings—just conversation, connection, and curiosity. Join us for a 45-minute drop-in session designed to generate practical takeaways and strengthen our teaching community.
Sessions
Sessions will be held from 2:00–2:45 p.m. PT:
- October 21, 2025
- November 25, 2025
- January 13, 2026
- February 17, 2026
- March 10, 2026
Register Now!
This session will not be recorded.
Hosts
Gwen Nguyen (she/her) is a Learning + Teaching Advisor at BCcampus supporting the adaptation and evolution of teaching and learning practices in post-secondary education through collaboration, innovation, and digital technologies. Gwen worked as a learning experience designer at the University of Victoria (UVic), supporting educators with developing and delivering face-to-face, hybrid and online courses. She has also worked as a university lecturer and researcher at UVic and the Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Japan. Gwen holds a PhD in education studies and an MA in applied linguistics. Recently, Gwen has cultivated a keen interest in pedagogical strategies that ethically and creatively incorporate AI into teaching and learning.
Britt Dzioba (she/her) is a Learning + Teaching Advisor at BCcampus where she works to support educators in developing their digital skills through resource development. As a neurodivergent educator, she is passionate about helping faculty create more inclusive learning environments that support neurodivergent students. Britt holds a Master of Education from the University of British Columbia, specializing in adult learning. Her graduate research focused on digital literacy education in community-based programs.
Helena Prins (she/her) is a Learning + Teaching Advisor at BCcampus, where she coordinates the Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) portfolio. She began her career as a high school teacher in South Africa. Over the past 20 years, she has taught students of all ages and stages on four continents. A golden thread throughout her career has been breaking down barriers to learning. Prior to joining BCcampus in 2020, she worked as a career learning and development advisor at Royal Roads University.
Session Description
This workshop offers a brief but meaningful reflection on disability rights through an Indigenous lens, drawing from traditional Nɬeʔkepmx ecological knowledge. It challenges Western deficit-based models and affirms the strength, knowledge, and interdependence of all community members, including those living with disabilities. Participants will gain insight into how Indigenous knowledge systems hold space for diverse bodies, minds, and spirits, and how this informs a decolonial approach to accessibility in post-secondary spaces.
Register Now!
This session will be recorded, archived, and shared after the event.
About the Facilitator
Sue Sterling-Bur is a member of the Nłeʔkepmx and Stó:lō Nations and sits with the Duntem’yoo (Bear) Clan in Bahlats with Nadleh Whut’en from the Carrier Sekani Nation. She is a strong advocate for the advancement of Indigenous Rights and educational opportunities for all.
Sue holds a master’s degree in social work and is a Ph.D. candidate at The University of British Columbia Okanagan, where she also serves as the Manager of Indigenous Strategies and Initiatives. Her doctoral research offers an Indigenous perspective on the systems of belief around giftedness in children with disabilities. Her research is grounded in Nłeʔkepmx Spilahem and Speta’kl stories and aims to identify the ethics, values, and beliefs that guide working with and supporting Indigenous people with disabilities.
Sue’s experience includes supporting Indigenous communities and agencies in B.C. to develop and implement programming for Indigenous children; serving as a Child & Youth Mental Health Advisor for Doctors of B.C.; acting as a Provincial Child Care Advisor for the Ministry of Children and Family Development, serving as Vice President for Students for the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology; sitting on the Board of the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society, and more recently, being appointed co-lead of the Idigenous Research stream at the Canadian Institution for Inclusion and Citizenship.
2025-26 Accessibility Bites Series
- Accessibility Bites: Introduction to Web Accessibility, August 28, 2025
- Accessibility Bites: Supporting Post-Secondary Students with ADHD, September 25, 2025
- Accessibility Bites: Let’s Talk about Learning Disabilities, October 30, 2025
- Accessibility Bites: The Gift of Dyslexia, November 27, 2025
- Accessibility Bites: Access Friction, December 11, 2025
- Accessibility Bites: UDL 3.0 in Practice, January 29, 2026
- Accessibility Bites: An Indigenous Lens on Disability Rights, February 26, 2026
For recordings and resources from previous Accessibility Bites workshops, visit the Accessibility Bites Pressbook.
About the Session
This session explores how generative AI can support more inclusive teaching through the lens of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Through live demonstrations, practical activities, and collaborative discussion, you’ll experiment with AI tools to redesign lessons, activities, or resources that reflect UDL principles.
This workshop is not an introduction to GenAI or UDL, but an opportunity to explore how generative AI can help you design flexible, accessible, and learner-centered learning experiences. You’ll leave with a draft product tailored to your own context, and new strategies for using AI to reduce barriers and support diverse learners.
Register Now!
This session may be recorded, archived, and shared after the event.
About the Facilitator
Kelly Fyke is a Teaching and Learning Specialist at College of the Rockies with 20 years’ experience spanning K–12 teaching, international education, and post-secondary educational development. Her work focuses on generative AI in education, Universal Design for Learning, and inclusive teaching. Kelly is passionate about empowering educators, creating equitable learning spaces, and supporting innovation that helps students thrive. Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn.
We’re excited to introduce the GenAI Teaching Lounge: an informal, virtual space where educators can gather over a hot drink to explore teaching ideas with Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Curious about using AI tools to support assessment design? Wondering how to centralize student voices when integrating AI into coursework? Or simply want to share your own stories and tea with others? The Lounge is your space to ask questions, exchange ideas, and learn with colleagues.
No lectures, no recordings—just conversation, connection, and curiosity. Join us for a 45-minute drop-in session designed to generate practical takeaways and strengthen our teaching community.
Sessions
Sessions will be held from 2:00–2:45 p.m. PT:
- October 21, 2025
- November 25, 2025
- January 13, 2026
- February 17, 2026
- March 10, 2026
Register Now!
This session will not be recorded.
Hosts
Gwen Nguyen (she/her) is a Learning + Teaching Advisor at BCcampus supporting the adaptation and evolution of teaching and learning practices in post-secondary education through collaboration, innovation, and digital technologies. Gwen worked as a learning experience designer at the University of Victoria (UVic), supporting educators with developing and delivering face-to-face, hybrid and online courses. She has also worked as a university lecturer and researcher at UVic and the Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Japan. Gwen holds a PhD in education studies and an MA in applied linguistics. Recently, Gwen has cultivated a keen interest in pedagogical strategies that ethically and creatively incorporate AI into teaching and learning.
Britt Dzioba (she/her) is a Learning + Teaching Advisor at BCcampus where she works to support educators in developing their digital skills through resource development. As a neurodivergent educator, she is passionate about helping faculty create more inclusive learning environments that support neurodivergent students. Britt holds a Master of Education from the University of British Columbia, specializing in adult learning. Her graduate research focused on digital literacy education in community-based programs.
Helena Prins (she/her) is a Learning + Teaching Advisor at BCcampus, where she coordinates the Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) portfolio. She began her career as a high school teacher in South Africa. Over the past 20 years, she has taught students of all ages and stages on four continents. A golden thread throughout her career has been breaking down barriers to learning. Prior to joining BCcampus in 2020, she worked as a career learning and development advisor at Royal Roads University.