Educational Uses of Facebook: Promises & Pitfalls of Social Media Sites in the University Classroom
Thursday, July 17, 2008 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Teaching Support Centre (Room 121, D.B. Weldon Library)
Social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Second Life, are rapidly changing the educational landscape and reports of their uses and abuses in University settings are attracting huge amounts of attention. These technologies offer TAs and instructors new and exciting ways to connect with students, share opinions and integrate ideas. However, social media can also blur the lines between professional and private information, create new avenues for academic dishonesty and introduce concerns about intellectual property rights.
Are you interested in using Facebook or other social media as teaching tools, but remain concerned about the challenges these sites present both inside and outside of the classroom? This interactive session will introduce some of the key issues associated with the use of social media in the University environment. The workshop will explore the benefits and limitations of using Facebook as a teaching tool and will highlight strategies for maintaining a professional presence online, while ensuring that personal information remains secure. Whether you're an avid Web 2.0 fan or a novice Facebook user, this session is not to be missed!
|
Providing Effective Feedback on Student Writing
Thursday, July 24, 2008 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Teaching Support Centre (Room 121, D.B. Weldon Library)
Written assignments are often challenging for undergraduate students to prepare and equally difficult for graduate TAs to assess. Providing thoughtful, constructive feedback to undergraduates can significantly reduce their anxiety about the writing process while also helping students to improve their written communication skills.
In this workshop we will explore the characteristics of high-quality writing and high-quality feedback, while also examining time-saving strategies to improve the efficacy and efficiency of your feedback. |
Flipping Problem Solving on its Head
Thursday, July 31, 2008 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Teaching Support Centre (Room 121, D.B. Weldon Library)
New problem sets to enhance learning and motivation among science, math & engineering students
(2 hr session - 1 hour lecture + discussion and 1 hour writing + critiquing problems)
Using concrete examples, this workshop will introduce 5 new problem types that promise to enhance the creativity, retention, connection building and analytical skills of science and engineering undergraduates. These problems are short, practical and can be tailored to any technical subject matter or experience level. They can be immediately incorporated into assignments, tutorial sessions and examinations to enhance student motivation and learning.
Workshop participants will not only learn about these alternative problem types and their benefits, but they will also have the opportunity to practice writing such problems and receive feedback on their design from their peers and the workshop facilitator. |
