Sessions 2025

The WatITis conference is held as a hybrid event on December 4, 2025.  In-person sessions will be held in the Science Teaching Complex (STC).

To watch sessions online, make sure you are a member of the WatITis 2025 Team.

* indicates a session will not be recorded.

Speakers: Mark "Stu" Stewart, Jason Greatrex

Duration: 20 Minutes

Description:
The Centre for Extended Learning (CEL) is currently building a new program evaluation system for AVPA portfolio stablemates, Academic Quality Enhancement (AQuE). Figma’s feature-rich prototyping environment, along with complementary third-party applications and libraries, has been leveraged heavily throughout the early design and prototype phases of the project lifecycle. In this session we’ll showcase how the use of Figma has led to rapid, collaborative, client-focused application development, and specifically how Figma prototypes serve as living blueprints that bridge the gap between ideas and implementation—empowering stakeholders to visualize, test, and refine solutions before a single line of code is written .

Back to top

Speaker: Tyler Struyk

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
This presentation will dissect the code output of leading AI technologies, scrutinizing their solutions to real-world challenges. Join us as we showcase concrete examples from my work with the WCMS team and identify the key factors that differentiate a good AI from a great one in a professional coding environment.

Back to top

Speakers: Aldo Caputo, Yasin Dahi

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
Universities are at a critical juncture: mounting costs, shrinking budgets, and declining public confidence; at the same time, advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence are reshaping the creation and dissemination of knowledge – threatening the integrity of the learning process, but also offering opportunities to reimagine teaching and learning. Through a foresight lens, we'll explore and envision how AI could disrupt traditional teaching models and even call into question the relevance of current delivery platforms such as Learning Management Systems. We will also demonstrate an innovative genAI-enabled learning platform that sheds light on what the future may hold.

Back to top

Speaker: Chun Chih Chen

Duration: 20 Minutes

Description:
Explore how OHD supports university staff development using ed tech tools like Brightspace (LEARN), LinkedIn Learning, and PebblePad to create a digital learning ecosystem that moves beyond training to deliver personalized, on-demand professional development. This session explores how OHD leverages Brightspace for structured programs, LinkedIn Learning for self-directed skills development, and PebblePad for reflective practice and portfolio building, while covering implementation strategies, adoption techniques, and methods for demonstrating ROI on ed tech investments. We’ll share practical approaches for building a culture of continuous learning that fits into busy academic schedules.

Back to top

Speakers: Nathan Lee, Anne Paulson, Gregory Smith

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
Over the past year, over 100 voices from across Waterloo - Academic, Administration, Students, Distributed IT, IST, Senior University Leaders and external University CIOs - helped shape a shared vision for the future of IT at our university. This session will take us inside that journey: how the UW IT Strategy was built, who contributed, and what the resulting framework means for all of us working in IT. Join the Office of the CIO including Anne Paulson (Manager, IT Services, Planning and Delivery), Gregory Smith (Chief Information Officer) and Nathan Lee (IT Governance Project Manager), and as they share the story of the IT Strategy process, from early exploration towards an IT strategy framework. The presentation will highlight the eight strategic themes - from strengthening our ‘One Waterloo’ culture to advancing cybersecurity, data governance, and emerging technologies - and connect them to the four strategy drivers leading to the operating plan and beyond. This interactive session is designed for the IT community at Waterloo. It will explore how the strategy can translate into action and how together we will strengthen IT as a trusted, resilient, and innovative partner across campus.

Back to top

Speakers: Aleksandar Malinovic, Amy Todd

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
Successful software starts with the right requirements — but getting them right is often one of the biggest challenges in any project. In this talk, We’ll share our team’s real-world journey of eliciting, refining, and validating requirements in TA Funding Project. We’ll walk through the practical techniques we used — from stakeholder interviews and collaborative workshops to prototyping and iterative feedback cycles — and how we adapted our approach as the project evolved. We’ll discuss challenges we faced, such as conflicting stakeholder expectations, ambiguous inputs, and changing priorities, and how we addressed them through clear communication, documentation strategies, and agile practices. This session is not about theory — it’s about what actually worked (and what didn’t) in a real project setting. Whether you’re a developer, analyst, or project manager, you’ll walk away with practical insights and strategies for improving requirements elicitation in your own projects.

Back to top

Speakers: Matt Justice, Yasin Dahi, Mark Stewart

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
In the summer of 2017 the Zengenti Contensis content management system (CMS) was added to the suite of Centre for Extended Learning (CEL) course delivery platforms, in an effort to decrease the reliance on technical staff to create and maintain HTML/CSS course content, and empower online course authors/instructors and other non-technical users to create and maintain professional looking, interactive web content themselves. We presented the highs and lows of the first year with our inaugural CMS at WatITis 2018. In 2023 we commenced building our own CMS to better fit our evolving needs and remove reliance on a third-party vendor. We offered the first courses in Hive, a Drupal-based solution, in January 2024. In this session we’ll provide a demo of Hive’s current functionality, including full H5P integration, along with insights into the exciting direction we hope to take Hive in the future, including student engagement analysis and GenAI authoring assistance. Join us to learn what all the buzz around Hive is about.

Back to top

Speakers: Ryan Goggin, Traci Dow

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
Ryan Goggin and Traci Dow will share the history of IT Asset Management at the University of Waterloo and introduce GLPI, the newly selected, centrally supported ITAM solution. The session will highlight past projects and challenges, and provide an overview of GLPI’s features and planned features moving forward.

Back to top

Speaker: Jordan Barnartt

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
Are there systems in your unit that you know to be missing patches, or that are running end-of-life operating systems or applications? If there were, how would you know? Measuring and weighing the risk associated with a system against the benefit it provides is an important balancing act. A risky system in one functional area can increase the potential for compromise of other systems in that area, or even in other faculties/units. This presentation will discuss the role of vulnerability management in determining risk at UW, the tools we use (purchased and bespoke) to find and report on vulnerabilities even when we have limited visibility or knowledge about the systems, and how you can improve the security posture of your environment. It also includes many fun and exciting acronyms like TLS, VITA, and EOLOS!

Back to top

Speakers: Rebecca MacAlpine, Avean Ayati Ghaffari, Natasha Cardinal, Carla Stocco, Rahmah Bacchus

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
This panel conversation will provide insight into current Waterloo student perceptions about Waterloo’s newly established Edtech Sandbox. A joint 3-year pilot project between the Teaching Innovation Incubator, the University of Waterloo’s Library, and the Instructional Technologies and Media Services, the Sandbox serves to help create more interactive learning spaces for the University of Waterloo’s community. It includes both physical (e.g., Meta VR Headsets and Insta 360 Pro 2 3D Camera) and virtual (e.g., iClicker and Vevox) spaces to ensure adequate accessibility and experimentation with Educational Technologies. Through a student panel led by Educational Technologies (EdTech) Sandbox Supervisor, Dr. Rebecca MacAlpine, the four Teaching Innovation Incubator undergraduate educational research coordinators will discuss their experiences testing and using the Edtech Sandbox tools. This includes acquiring hands-on experience with the tool, and creating simple “how-to” guides for anyone, at any technical level, to use. Our goal with this panel is to highlight and promote the resources that the Sandbox offers, as well as student perspectives of the space. This will inform attendees of the possible applications of the Sandbox in their learning pathways. Additionally, instructors will be able to see the benefits of utilizing the Edtech Sandbox for both their personal learning and their teaching practices. This session will also serve as an opportunity to learn about how to access these resources available to students, staff, and faculty. The panel will conclude the session by opening the discussion to the audience with a Q&A for those looking to learn more.

Back to top

Speaker: Aleksandar Malinovic

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
Test automation has become an essential component of modern software development, enabling faster releases, higher quality, and reduced costs. Among the available tools, Robot Framework has emerged as a powerful, open-source solution for keyword-driven test automation. This talk introduces Robot Framework, its core concepts, and its extensive ecosystem of libraries and tools. We will explore how it supports a wide range of testing domains, including web, mobile, API, and robotic process automation, while remaining highly extensible through Python and Java. Practical examples will demonstrate how Robot Framework simplifies test authoring, generates rich reports, and integrates seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines. We will also cover advanced features such as reusable keywords, data-driven testing, and custom library development. Finally, case studies from Odyssey project will highlight best practices and lessons learned. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of Robot Framework’s strengths and how to apply it to achieve scalable, maintainable, and efficient test automation in enterprise environments.

Back to top

Speaker: Mike Patterson

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
We will take a look at the last year or so in cybersecurity at Waterloo, including threats imagined and realized, and consider how things might change on campus.

Back to top

Speaker: Gwendoline Nubila

Duration: 20 Minutes

Description:
The Infrastructure (INF) team within CSCF recently implemented a practical ticket classification model to bring greater structure to our Request Tracker (RT) system. Twelve months in, we've seen a significant reduction in open tickets and a shift from reactive to intentional work. This talk shares how we used the Eisenhower Matrix and Theory of Constraints as guiding tools, and how categorizing tickets into “Operations,” “Projects,” and “Other” helped clarify team priorities, improve delegation, and boost overall operational efficiency. Attendees will leave with actionable insights on how simple classification and process framing can help any IT team manage demand, avoid bottlenecks, and make room for long-term improvements even when working within existing tools.

Back to top

Speaker: Pavol Chvala

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
AI is transforming work (and producing a whole lot of “slop” along the way). We’ll explore how to separate real innovation from hype, decode the latest waves of agentic copilot marketing speak, and speculate about the futures where robots may (or may not) take over our jobs… and our sanity.

Back to top

Speaker: Lynn Long

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
Over the past two years, funding from the Staff Excellence Fund has supported a collaborative initiative between the Conflict Management Office and the Dana Porter and Davis Centre Libraries at the University of Waterloo. Together, these partners have explored the use of immersive virtual reality to support staff wellbeing and communication skill development through the VR for Workplace Wellness initiative. This session will showcase key highlights from the program’s evolution, beginning with the Nature Treks VR app, designed to promote emotional recovery and relaxation, and expanding to include Ovation VR for practicing difficult conversations. Participants will hear firsthand testimonials from staff, learn about the research foundations that informed the initiative, and view a live demonstration of Nature Treks VR streamed directly from a MetaQuest headset. The session will also highlight the 2025 three-part Practicing Difficult Conversations with VR initiative, the August 2025 program addition focused on de-escalation skills, and new plans to help departments and teams create tailored, scenario-based practice assignments aligned with their specific workplace challenges and learning goals. To conclude, participants will have the opportunity to engage directly with the technology during a hands-on VR try-on experience, exploring the immersive tools firsthand and reflecting on their potential applications within their own teams and departments.

Back to top

Speakers: James McCarthy, Belle Tuen

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
In this session we will show how we have migrated some of our legacy code-based applications to the Microsoft Power Platform. We will discuss when it does and doesn't work as a solution, demonstrate some of our applications, and build a simple application to show some of the features available to application builders.

Back to top

Speaker: Edward Chrzanowski

Duration: 45 Minutes

Description:
From the original 3 high level languages to current stock, explanations and evaluations will give you insight into the core of your programming project or what you can use (or use copilot, chatgpt, etc. [or should you]).

Back to top