Monday, July 11, 2016

Register to be a beta tester for the Portal App

A message from the Portal team.

You asked, we listened.

The Portal app is now in open beta testing. Register to be a beta tester for the Portal app.

You'll get advanced access to the beta app so you can explore, submit feedback and customize your experience before Portal app is even released!  

The Portal app is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2016.

Learn more about Portal.

Gamification in the workplace: turning pleasure into business (or vice versa)

By Kaitlin O'Brien.

Betsy Brey, a member of The Games Institute has written a MITACS-funded white paper with Guelph-based organizational development software and services company ODScore on the subject of gamification in the workplace.

The document, entitled “Turning Pleasure into Business – Gamification in the Workplace” explores what gamification in the workplace entails, how it can be implemented and what it would take to maintain it in an organization.

Brey’s research, which considers the benefits of gamification in the workplace including the resulting engagement and motivation of employees addresses the fact that there are various levels of gamification that can be applied to a workplace.

ODScore says the following, based on Brey’s research:

Workplace gamification has many benefits when implemented correctly and maintained properly, most notably the ongoing engagement and motivation of employees, in a way that enables them to get more done. There are different levels of gamification, any of which may be appropriate for an organization, based on the strategy and culture the organization is looking to drive. We have determined that the best gamification systems are designed with the user in mind, allowing for continuous insights into the real world people work in, and the experiences that can motivate and support positive change. Maintenance and an exit plan are also important elements of a good gamification strategy.

The Games Institute on any given day is a hub of activity where games researchers engage in discussions about games, game technologies, game interactions, game narratives, game studies, purposeful games, and gamification. From its inception, the Games Institute was designed to be a truly interdisciplinary setting, and here you’ll find professors, PhD students, Masters students, and post-doctoral fellows from English, Computer Science, Psychology, Engineering, Sociology, and more.

Eco-Summit continues to build campus sustainability networks

What do Brexit, community gardens, and climate change have in common?  On Wednesday, July 6, 70 attendees at Waterloo’s third annual Eco-Summit learned about the global, local, and University networks that are building a sustainable future, as well as the tensions within and between those networks.

Mike Morrice, Executive Director at Sustainability CoLab, provided a keynote address on the value of networks when solving sustainability challenges and the forces that are bringing us together and pulling us apart.

The summit also featured updates on Waterloo’s progress, case studies from Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, UW Campus Market Gardens, and St. Paul’s, and a breakout session for attendees to provide input on campus sustainability next steps.

Ian Rowlands, professor in the School of Environment, Resources, and Sustainability and Interim Associate Vice-President International, provided closing comments and presented certificates to departments participating in the Green Office pilot program.  These included the Library, CTE, Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, and the Arts, Environment, and Engineering Dean’s Offices.

Food security the focus of SHAD design project

The design project for the SHAD high school enrichment program at Waterloo, and the other 11 host campuses across Canada, was launched Thursday. The theme this year? How might we improve food security for Canadians?

"Canada is on the cusp of the 150^th anniversary of Confederation – an occasion for reflection and celebration," says a statement from SHAD. "Despite our advanced and developed economy, food security is a serious concern. In 1867, almost every Canadian grew their own food; currently that number is 3 percent. Today, systems of food production, processing, distribution, and waste are complex and intertwined with influences such as climate change, energy prices, population density, locality, and socio-economic status. The challenge of food security includes health and safety in the entire food supply chain, from farm to table, as well as ensuring abundant nutritious food is available for all."

As part of this challenge, teams will conduct market research, write business and marketing models and design and build working prototypes.

The SHAD students have just completed an intensive design thinking workshop, and now professors from across campus will share their expertise on this topic, including Steffanie Scott from Geography and Environmental Management, and Rhona Hanning and Sharon Kirkpatrick from the School of Public Health and Health Systems.

The SHAD students will hold a public open house to share their projects on Thursday, July 28, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Great Hall at Conrad Grebel University College.

WLU custodians strike and other notes

"CUPE 926 informed Wilfrid Laurier University that it will direct its members, which represent approximately 110 custodial, grounds, and trades employees at Laurier’s Waterloo campus and Kitchener location, to withdraw their services and begin strike action starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 10, 2016," says a statement from Wilfrid Laurier University.

“The university is committed to reaching a settlement as quickly as possible, but any agreement must be in the best interests of the institution and its students,” said Jim Butler, vice-president: finance and administration. “I regret the disruption that a strike will cause for the university community. I believe that the university’s proposal was fair, and is consistent with proposals that CUPE has agreed to at a number of other Ontario universities. We remain eager to return to the table.”

The university remains open and operational and will post updates to its negotiations website as necessary.

Maryam Latifpoor-Keparoutis of the Faculty of Environment has always been an avid gardener, enjoying growing vegetables and herbs in her garden for as long as she can remember. Last year, after a car accident, she was not able to plant or maintain her garden. A friend, who understood how much she loved gardening, suggested that she try something called straw bale gardening.

Straw what, you might ask?

Maryam would like to invite you to join her for a UWRC-hosted short presentation on her journey into the world of straw bale gardening, and hopefully motivate you to try your hand at this new, sustainable method. The event takes place from 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. in EV1 221. Register by emailing UWRC@uwaterloo.ca.