Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Residence space available for Fall 2019

A message from Housing and Residences.

The 100 percent residence guarantee has been extended until Monday, June 10 at 9:00 a.m. You may be communicating with students who have questions regarding where they may live in the fall. Please let students know that we still have space in residence available for incoming first-year students as long as they apply by the deadline. 

For more information about residence options and details on how to apply, please visit the Housing website or direct any questions to our office at ext. 32679, or housing@uwaterloo.ca.

IST doubles down on two-factor authentication

Information Systems & Technology (IST) recently kicked-off a project to facilitate the implementation of two-factor authentication (2FA) across campus. 

Here's how 2FA works: Logging into 2FA protected sites and applications is as simple as accepting a notification on your phone, plugging in an authenticator, or entering a PIN from a text message or phone call. 2FA at Waterloo is powered by DUO. 

The DUO mobile app is the recommended second factor solution for campus. The mobile app is very easy to use and provides the highest level of security of the available 2FA options. However, employees who would prefer not to download and use the DUO mobile app on a personal device may request an authenticator from IST. 

What is an authenticator? Also known as a DUO hardware token, it is a physical fob with a button the employee will press to receive a verification code to enter when prompted by the application. The DUO token will be provided to employees who require an authenticator as part of their job (i.e., as a result of the data or applications they have access to). 

Employees who do not require an authenticator as part of their job and all Waterloo students may purchase a U2F key from an external provider for personal use, if desired. 

Individual employees or department heads may submit a request for an authenticator to IST. Please complete the request form or visit an IST Service Desk. 

Important notes:  

• IST will cover the cost of the employee's first DUO hardware token. 

• Lost or stolen tokens can be replaced by the employee's department at a cost of approximately $40.  

• DUO hardware tokens can be reprogrammed for use by a new/different employee.  

• Defective hardware tokens will be replaced at no cost.  

Please submit all replacement, reprogramming, or defective token support requests via https://uwaterloo.ca/request-tracking-system/2fa-token-request or by visiting an IST Service Desk. 

To learn more about two-factor authentication and managing your account, please visit our 2FA website.  

Anyone with questions or concerns is invited to contact the IST Service Desk, helpdesk@uwaterloo.ca or ext. 44357. 

Discussing diversity at the Teaching and Learning Conference

This is an excerpt of an article originally posted on the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) website.

Over 400 people attended the University of Waterloo’s 11^th Annual Teaching and Learning Conference, for a full day of presentations, workshops, posters and panel discussions focused on the theme of “teaching and designing for diverse learners.”

Conference co-chairs, Kyle Scholz and Kristin Brown, explain: “We use the term ‘diverse learners’ to represent the very real context of any teaching environment at the University of Waterloo: Learners come to our courses with varying backgrounds, experiences, and abilities, so we need to acknowledge that in the design and implementation of our teaching practices, activities, and assessments.”

Inclusive teaching and Universal Design

In her keynote address, Allison Lombardi (Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Connecticut) outlined the advantages of Universal Design, which aims to maximize usability for as many people as possible regardless of ability. Universal Design for Instruction is “the proactive design and use of inclusive instructional strategies that benefit a broad range of learners”. View Allison Lombardi’s keynote address.

The interactive sessions that followed provided some inspiring examples of research projects and teaching approaches—at UWaterloo and beyond—geared toward incorporating inclusive strategies in teaching, course design and learning spaces.

Igniting Our Practice

An annual favourite of many conference attendees, this year Carol Hulls (Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering) and Markus Moos (School of Planning) treated attendees to a snippet of what it’s like to be a student in their class. Both Carol and Markus showcased how good lesson design can outline clear expectations for students, in addition to discussing how they create an inclusive teaching environment.

View Carol Hulls’ presentation.

View Markus Moos’ presentation.

View the conference program for other topics presented, including gamification, problem-based and kinaesthetic learning, engaging international students, and an Indigenous learning circle.

Read the full story on the CTE website.