The following updates highlight initiatives currently underway that impact the work of Waterloo instructors, including opportunities to provide input and more. Read more about:
- the Teaching Innovation Incubator project
- the Learning Management system Review
- the Credentials Framework project team
- Teaching Assessment Processes
- Reconfiguration of projection screens in RO e-classrooms
- the Educational Technologies hub
- the Digital Learning Strategy project
Engagement opportunities
Teaching Innovation Incubator project
The Teaching Innovation Incubator (TII) project team will be wrapping up its consultations with faculty, staff, students, and campus leadership before the end of the year. Next steps include identifying recommendations informing the development of a teaching incubator at Waterloo.
Learning Management System (LMS) Review
Several opportunities to learn more about this project and provide feedback are scheduled to take place throughout the Fall 2022 term, including:
- Stakeholder consultations: Focus group sessions with faculty and students are being held this month. Following these consultations, the campus survey data and focus group data will be summarized to form a recommendation for our next steps for our central learning management system.. Please contact Nathan Lee, project manager, if you would like the opportunity to participate: n4lee@uwaterloo.ca.
- Project web page: The LMS Review project page is available for review.
Credentials Framework project team
The Credentials Framework project team is tasked with considering whether Waterloo’s current offering of credentials, both credit and non-credit, are the right ones for the future of the University. Are there credentials that we should be offering to mid-career professionals who are not interested or able to register for full degree programs? Currently our efforts in this space are largely “non-credit.” Should there be a way to “stack” these non-credit accomplishments into progress towards a more traditional credential (such as a professional Master’s degree)? Are there things that we should recognize that students are or might do that we don’t currently recognize on transcripts? If the answers are “yes” to any of these questions, then how should these new credentials be approved in ways that are not too cumbersome but that still ensure that they are of sufficient quality to deserve the University of Waterloo name attached to them?
The project team will be reaching out for input beginning in December 2022. While the group will be open to receiving written feedback from anyone, sharing your ideas with your Chair or Associate Chair will help ensure that they your thinking is duly considered.
Updates
Teaching Assessment Processes (TAP)
Learning about changes to Waterloo’s teaching assessment processes for the first time? Read The path to here: 2014-2022 on the Teaching Assessment Processes website.
With the winter 2022 launch of the new Student Course Perception (SCP) survey, the TAP office has been tasked with regularly reviewing results to determine how well it performs, and in particular to consider whether there are important differences in results depending on instructor characteristics irrelevant to teaching performance. Analysis of data from winter 2022 SCP data looked at mean differences in ratings assigned by students to male and female instructors and found that differences in scores (with a very small number of exceptions) were not statistically significant (p>.05). Moreover, the difference was close to 0 in almost all cases explored. These results therefore find no evidence of gender bias endemic to the instrument itself. While this is good news, this of course does not mean that sexism does not exist, nor does it mean that it does not affect SCP scores—especially as this is just a one-term study. As noted, the TAP office will continue to examine SCP results in future terms. A research report presenting the winter 2022 results will be posted on the TAP office website soon. Note: gender-related data are gathered through Human Resources.
The TAP office remains committed to analyzing and monitoring SCP results with respect to race, but a low response rate for Waterloo’s Equity Survey (together with the already small number of faculty members in some racialized groups) means that we will need more than one term’s worth of data to gather meaningful results. This analysis will be repeated as needed, in addition to the ongoing collection of data that will eventually illustrate multi-year trends. Processes and survey items will be adjusted where necessary.
Monitoring bias is only one part of the TAP office’s commitment to making teaching assessment a worthwhile, consistent, and fair exercise. View a summary of the TAP office’s current activities, including supporting the University’s work towards equity, supporting and consulting with Faculties, ongoing research and development, and occasionally supporting similar work at other U15 universities.
As always, please contact Sonya Buffone, TAP Director (sonya.buffone@uwaterloo.ca) or Kathy Becker, Specialist, Teaching Assessment Processes (kathy.becker@uwaterloo.ca) if you have questions or concerns.
Reconfiguration of projection screens in Registar's Office e-classrooms
Early this term, ITMS received feedback that some instructors had were surprised that e-classrooms had not been reconfigured back to the way they were pre-pandemic, with multiple screens and projectors available in the larger classrooms. A decision was made during the first week of class to proceed with the reconfiguration. Following reading week, M3 1006 has two new projectors installed and all projectors reactivated. Premium plus features (audience mics and audience camera) still require additional time to complete. STC 1012 now has the rear projectors activated. The two side projectors have not been working since the return to class, so replacements have been ordered. Installations and reprogramming will be scheduled according to room availability once the projectors are received. ITMS appreciates your continued patience as we work around supply chain delays and room availability. Faculty and staff who may have concerns are invited to contact ITMS: Marcel David, mdavid@uwaterloo.ca or Pam Fluttert, fluttert@uwaterloo.ca.
Educational Technology (EdTech) Hub website now available
The Educational Technology (EdTech) Hub is now available. The Hub is a new website that pulls together information on Waterloo’s centrally supported EdTech tools – i.e., digital technology tools used to deliver and facilitate learning or learning activities, or to aid in the creation and dissemination of content. While the site is not an exhaustive list of EdTech tools, it is a repository of centrally supported tools (i.e., tools for which there is an institutional agreement and/or recognized institutional responsibility for aspects of its use), and it will continue to grow. Please visit this site for regular news updates regarding EdTech and classroom technology and projects.
Digital Learning Strategy (DLS) project team
Consultations informing the development of recommendations for a Digital Learning Strategy are nearly complete. Thank you to stakeholders – including faculty, staff, students, and campus leadership – for sharing your ideas with the DLS project team. The team is in the process of identifying final recommendations. A report will be shared with the campus community.