University of Waterloo receives provincial funding to advance digital education
The University of Waterloo has been awarded almost $1.5 million from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) as part of their $50 million investment in virtual learning. Ontario’s Virtual Learning Strategy will expand the possibilities of traditional and life-long learning through the accelerated use of both online and hybrid learning.
As Ontario’s postsecondary education sector rapidly transitioned to remote delivery in 2020, the need for virtual learning supports to enable access to high-quality learning quickly became apparent. Recognizing online learning within the University’s 2020-2025 strategic plan, Waterloo had 52,600+ online course enrolments in 2019/20 and more than 500 online courses available in our regular course catalogue. With this funding, more can be done; not only for Waterloo students but for instructors and students across the province.
Universities are being called to improve society and drive prosperity in a responsible way by challenging traditional models of education. As we’ve seen from the past year, online and virtual learning are key components in the future of education. Waterloo is committed to transforming how we teach and learn, and to educating global citizens who are able to thrive in an age of rapid change.
These are the 19 programs funded that will be led by the University of Waterloo:
|
AUTHOR/DEPT |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
COLLABORATORS |
|
Mike Chee; Library |
OER Librarian |
1 year position in Library to support OER development, reuse, and remixing at UW | |
|
Mike
Chee;
Library |
Academic Integrity for Undergraduate STEM Students |
Five undergraduate-focused academic integrity (AI) modules with a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) context. |
Ottawa, McMaster, Queens, Guelph, Windsor, Toronto |
|
Kim Cuddington, Brian Ingalls, SCI |
Learner-centered quantitative education for biology graduate students |
Create content for short- duration learning opportunities that provide quantitative training for graduate students and junior scientists |
Edwards; Fisheries & Oceans Canada |
|
Jason Grove; ENG |
Carbon Trading Serious Game |
Carbon trading role-playing sim |
ENV,
Games
Institute,
IDEAS
Clinic |
|
Marios Ioannidis; Eric Croiset; John Zhang ENG Gillian Dabrowski; Felicia Pantazi; CEL |
Experiential Learning in Chemical Engineering Through Integration of 360 VR Tours, |
Shared content for Chemical Engineering students that makes widely accessible the experience of a one-of-a-kind chemical processing plant of industrial relevance |
Ryerson, Mohawk |
|
Christine McWebb; ARTS |
Modules in Advancing Intercultural Competence for Global Learners |
Three discreet modules to advance intercultural competence in post-secondary global learners. |
Waterloo (multiple departments), Renison, Calgary |
|
Kate
Mercer;
Library Christine Moresoli; Tom Coyle; ENG |
Critical Information & Digital Literacy Skills for the Engineers |
Content initially designed for engineering students, with a sizable portion of the content repurposable broadly for STEM fields including other professional degrees. The five modules are: 1. Information Overload; 2. Diversity of Information; 3. Misinformation and Information Evaluation; 4. Trust & Bias; 5. Information Use, Ethics, and Professionalism. |
University of Toronto Faculty of Engineering; Library Queen's University Library Waterloo: Academic Integrity; CEL; Success Office |
|
Tanya Missere-Mihas; Renison |
Volunteer Management for the Not-for-Profit Sector |
Volunteer management practices, standards, and strategies that are in demand within the not-for-profit sector |
Lisaard
and
Innisfree
Hospice;
St.
Joh
Ambulance |
|
Hannah Neufeld; FOH Jane Chomyc; CEL |
Indigenous Health and Social Justice: A Community-University Partnership for Reciprocal Learning |
To create an accessible online graduate course on Indigenous Health and Social Justice | |
|
Leanne Racicot; SCI Marie Lippens; CEL |
Organic Chemistry Laboratory Simulations |
Creation of simulated reality experiments complements an online or hybrid offering of introductory organic chemistry laboratory |
Ottawa, Western |
|
Chris Rennick, Sanjeev Bedi: ENG |
Creation of Digital Twins for an Industrial Automation Simulation |
Create what is called a “digital twin” of an industrial automation system, which is a high-fidelity simulation of a physical system in the digital world. | |
|
Jennifer Roberts-Smith |
CYA.Live demonstration project |
FurtherdevelopTRL8 integration of augmented reality (AR) and haptic interactivity for Cya.live, an existing, commercially-available digital platform, to support remote, synchronous, interactive, collaborative embodied learning |
JRS,
ARTS |
|
Elisabeth Van Stam; WCC |
Fostering undergraduate communication skills in the sciences |
Seven asynchronous open access workshops on science communication to facilitate communication instruction in existing post-secondary STEM courses | |
|
Monica Vesely, CTE Gwen Penner; CEL |
Reconceptualizing the Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW): A Peer-Based, Student-Centred Approach for Online Instructional Skills Development in Higher Education |
Make the Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) - an internationally recognized, peer-based, learner-centered teaching development program - readily available in the online mode Ontario-wide |
McMaster, York, Mohawk |
|
David Wang, ENG |
Kritik |
Kritik will be used in courses across several universities. It is proposed to provide a systematic statistical analysis of the efficacy of this platform in order to validate the benefits of this AI-driven peer-assessment tool. |
Ontario Tech, Seneca |
|
David Wang; ENG |
Ametros |
Design and development of a virtual experiential learning module that assesses student competence in programming in a simulated agile setting. | |
|
Kristin Wilson; Daniel Opperwall: Pia Zeni; CEL |
Humanizing Virtual Learning in Higher Education |
Development of a 4-module, open course for post-secondary educators on humanizing learning |
Trent, Conestoga |
|
Christine Zaza; Julia Burke; CEL |
Mental Health Literacy Course |
Revise Waterloo’s existing Mental Health Literacy university course and create one new college course |
17 university and college collaborators + CICMH |
|
Pia Zeni; Daniel Opperwall; Kristin Wilson; CEL |
High-Quality Online Courses |
Develop an open High-Quality Online Course suitable for online educators in both the college and university sector |
Toronto, Queens, Conestoga |
Through these awards, Waterloo can further share its extensive experience in online learning, explore new avenues for providing engaging learning opportunities and aid other institutions and community members. Come March 2022, 19 project proposals from 28 authors will be freely accessible through the University of Waterloo to any post-secondary institution in Ontario.
Waterloo has been a leader in online learning in Canada for many decades, providing high quality, engaging learning opportunities for our students. Now, thanks to this funding, we’ll be able to further enhance learning experiences for our students and share the outcomes of these projects with the entire Ontario higher education community.
These projects are truly a great demonstration of collaboration, both across Waterloo faculties and Academic Support Units, and externally with more than 15 Ontario college and university partners. Waterloo will also be able to take advantage of the other funded projects t to enhance our existing Waterloo resources.
Ontario’s Virtual Learning Strategy will enable Waterloo, and other universities and colleges to offer improved online experiences and help prepare students for a complex and rapidly changing world.
You can find a full list of the funded projects on the eCampusOntario website.