Let’s Talk About Teaching – Summer 2025

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Let’s Talk About Teaching June 11 & 12, 2025

Student Academic Success by Design: Merging Rigour with Inclusion in Education

Join the Division of Learning and Teaching Innovation for 20+ presentations by faculty, instructors, and librarians from across campus! The event will begin with a highly anticipated keynote presentation by Indigenous (Métis) scholar in Indigenous Education and Disability Studies, Dr. Rheanna Robinson.

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Let’s Talk About Teaching Schedule | Day 1

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

All LTAT sessions will be held exclusively in person, except for the Keynote Presentation, which is available online and in person. Click the blue icons to read the session summaries. Read the accessibility features of each room that LTAT will take place in.

9:00 am to 10:20 am

Keynote: Disability needs to be decolonized: How Indigenous knowledges can inform inclusive pedagogies of practice

Dr. Rheanna Robinson

In this talk, Dr. Rheanna Robinson will draw on her experience as an Indigenous scholar that lives with chronic illness and disability to describe how her academic research within Indigenous Disability Studies represents a compelling example of how Indigenous knowledges offer the world meaningful representations of equity and inclusion in diverse and varying ways.

10:35 am to 11:25 am

Designing for student belonging and confidence

Session #1 | Lightning Talk
DSC Library | Room accessibility

Trefor Bazett & Josh Manzer | From Math Anxiety to Math Confidence  

Math anxiety can negatively impact student behaviours, performance, and academic choices. This session will explore key results from the literature on how math anxiety impacts students, provide an overview of a math anxiety intervention undertaken by the Math & Stats Assistance Centre (MSAC), and suggest strategies to integrate into the classroom.

 

Loren Gaudet | Belonging in the Library–A low stakes assignment to increase access
This presentation will share how a low stakes writing assignment incentivizes accessing and using UVic Libraries’ resources. The session will present data assessing the effectiveness of this assignment and will show how it increases student access and fosters research skills.

 

Alison Parker | Creating Safety for Students to Exercise Professional Judgment
This session will discuss an Intermediate Accounting assessment tool that fosters analysis, judgment, and self-evaluation.

11:30 am to 12:20 pm

Beyond the timeline: Engagement meets rigour in theatre history

Barbara Clerihue
Session #2 | Discover presentation
DSC Library | Room accessibility

Chronology is out, connection is in! Discover how a thematic-driven approach to performance history and inclusive, multimodal evaluations increase engagement and interest in theatre history!

11:30 am to 12:20 pm

The engaged learner: From experience to learning and impact

Daniela Damian & Kezia Devathasan
Session #3 | Discover presentation
Room 025 Library | Room accessibility

The far-reaching impact of software in our diverse society demands that software developers understand the implications of technology development in people’s lives and work.

As educators, we have a unique opportunity—and, I would argue, a responsibility—to create learning environments where students engage with authentic project situations that allow not only technical skill development but also an ongoing reflection on the human and team dynamics involved in software development for a diverse society. Technologies reflect the teams that create them, so it is crucial for students to understand the connection between the quality of their work and how they collaborate with each other and with the people they build technologies for. In this talk, I aim to spark a discussion about the possibilities and challenges of creating learning environments where students become deeply engaged in both their learning journey and the software development process.

Using examples from the INSPIRE: STEM for Social Impact program at the University of Victoria, I will describe the implementation of and experiences from a community-based research and innovation hub (INSPIRE) that blends collaborative, experiential learning with societal impact. Through community-engaged projects, the students become fully engaged with those affected by the solutions they design, as well as supportive mentorship within an academic and industry network. Most impactful, they engage in a journey of personal growth through collaboration within diverse teams, learning how different perspectives contribute to the creation of better technologies.

Lunch Break
Note: Lunch will not be provided this year

1:30 pm to 2:20 pm

Libraries and justice-oriented learning

Session #4 | Lightning talk
DSC Library |
Read accessibility

Ying Liu and Angie Chau | Active Writing to Impact: A Toolkit for Embedding Wikipedia Assignments in Cultural Studies Curriculum

Discover how embedding Wikipedia assignments in the Asian Studies curriculum foster inclusive and multilingual engagement in cultural studies classrooms.

 

Emily Nickerson | Adapting to new academic norms: collaborative approaches to research and writing for global learners
The Master of Global Business (MGB) program brings a diverse cohort to UVic. This session will share how the Library and the Centre for Academic Communication (CAC) collaborate to deliver an inclusive orientation workshop that equips MGB students with research and writing skills while fostering belonging in the Canadian academic context.

Jessica Mussell | The Development of Citation Justice Resources at the University of Victoria Libraries 
This presentation will review a LibGuide and workshop developed by the University of Victoria Libraries on critical citation and citation justice for the campus community. This session will showcase teaching materials which can be integrated into existing course content or used standalone to promote inclusivity work. 

 

Jessie Lampreau & Heather Dean | Locating Indigenous Voices in the Special Collections and University Archives
UVic Libraries stewards important collections documenting Indigenous self-determination, governance, resistance, and creative resurgence including the archives of Chief Wilton Littlechild, Frank Calder, and Aiyyana Maracle. This session will highlight learning and teaching opportunities with Indigenous archives and rare and unique materials in Special Collections and University Archives.

2:30 pm to 3:20 pm

Practical strategies to support student engagement and belonging

Teresa Dawson, Emily Evans & Sara Fallahi
Session #5 | Discover session
DSC Library | Room accessibility

In this session, participants will have the opportunity to hear from inclusion facilitators and a teaching professor about strategies that foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment and course modifications that showcase students’ learning. Participants will learn about best practices and strategies to create an inclusive classroom for all learning styles, key benchmarks, and ways to measure how inclusive a classroom is for students. The sessions will also include an open discussion about student centered scenarios.

2:30 pm to 3:20 pm

Navigating teamwork implementation challenges

Ricardo Flores
Session #6 | Discover presentation
Room 025 Library |
Room accessibility

This presentation addresses challenges when including teamwork within courses. Drawing on the presenter’s research, this session will present evidence-based pedagogical approaches to develop teamwork skills that respond directly to instructors’ most pressing challenges in diverse educational environments.

3:30 pm to 4:20 pm

Building inclusive and supportive learning communities

Session #7 | Lightning talk
DSC Library | Room accessibility

 

Maria Virginia Acuña | Connecting with Students: Strategies and Tools for Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Classroom  
This presentation discusses two innovative assessment methods: a flexible research project for upper-level courses, that allows students to choose their topics and presentation formats, and non-traditional quizzes for lower-level courses. This session will highlight how these strategies promote diversity, accessibility, and student engagement in learning.

Brandon Justus & Nigel Mantou Lou | Fostering Intergroup Mentorship Through Connections: Let’s Play Board Games Together  
This session will explore the integration of intergroup contact activity within a Psychology of Immigration Course.  The activity that will be the focus of the presentation aims to support students in building real-world intergroup communication, fostering successful relationships and intercultural skills. This session will show how this learning activity enhanced the class experience by fostering a sense of connection.

Jane Butterfield & Josh Manzer | What we have learned about developing inclusive student support services  

The Math & Stats Assistance Centre (MSAC) strives to provide an inclusive space to reflect the diversity of UVic students. This session will highlight how the MSAC tutor training program works to promote positive student-led interactions through strategies such as close listening and diagnosing before solving in an accessible space.

Let’s Talk About Teaching Schedule | Day 2

Thursday, June 12, 2025

9:00 am to 9:50 am

Collaborative and tech-enhanced learning design

Session #8 | Lightning talk
DSC Library | Room accessibility


T. Ilamparithi | Online exam in electrical power engineering courses in the era of ChatGPT
This session will discuss the integration of software simulation tools to assess student learning in online Electrical Engineering exams. Implementing this strategy enhances these courses two-fold. It increases the connection to standard industry practices and mitigates the use of GenAI. This session will demonstrate how this approach enhances students’ industry readiness.

 

Suzan Last | Supporting Effective, Equitable, and Inclusive Collaboration; or How I learned to Love Teamwork
This session will describe challenges related to creating successful group project assignments and using examples, the presenter will provide strategies for facilitating group projects that promote equitable and inclusive participation.


Samira Gharehkhani | Elevating Engineering Students’ Proficiency in Thermal-Fluid System Design

This session will overview the redesign of the engineering course MECH 493 to incorporate real world engineering projects. This approach encouraged students to apply theoretical concepts, solve problems, and think creatively gaining new skills in thermo-fluid engineering through incorporating hands-on projects, industry-standard software, and guest lectures from industry experts.

10:00 am to 10:50 am

From classroom to cutting edge: Revolutionizing student engagement with industry driven projects

Navneet Popli
Session #9 | Discover presentation
DSC Library |
Room accessibility

Dive into a thrilling transformation as “From Classroom to Cutting Edge” unleashes student potential with industry-driven projects. Experience how hands-on innovation, real-world challenges, and a dynamic shift in engagement for courses, bridges academia and industry to redefine learning. Join the revolution in learning and teaching!  

10:00 am to 10:50 am

Weaving relations: Inclusive pedagogy through hands-on learning

Erin McGuire & Tommy Happynook
Session #10 | Discover presentation
Room 025 Library | Room accessibility

This session will highlight how inclusive pedagogical practices such as cedar weaving and wool spinning foster discussion, experimentation, and relational learning for UVic students in Anthropology. This session will demonstrate how these practices promote curiosity and openness while embracing imperfection and Indigenous pedagogy in classroom environments.

11:00 am to 11:50 am

Exploring Pedagogy through print: Hands-on learning at UVic Libraries’ Farallon Book Arts Lab

Christine Walde & Heather Dean
Session #11 | Discover presentation
Farallon Book Arts Lab | Room 086 Library

 

This session introduces the Farallon Book Arts Lab as a space for hands-on, interdisciplinary learning. Participants will explore how bookmaking and print techniques engage students creatively and critically, fostering tactile engagement and cross-disciplinary reflection. The session invites discussion about integrating book arts into diverse curricular contexts.

Accessibility Statement

LTAT 2025 aims to be as accessible as possible. LTAT staff will be available during all sessions to support accessibility needs. If you have any questions regarding accessibility, please contact ltsioffice@uvic.ca.

Sessions for LTAT 2025 will be held in the McPherson Library in the Digital Scholarship Commons (DSC) and in room 025. The nearest parking lot for the McPherson Library is UVic parking lot B located off Ring Road. Paid accessible parking spaces are available. Please be aware that due to convocation there may be limited parking available.

The Keynote Presentation will take place in person and online. The nearest parking lot to the David Turpin Building is UVic parking lot 4 located off ring road. Paid accessible parking spaces are available 

McPherson Library
Digital Scholarship Commons (DSC)
3rd floor

  • DSC is on the third floor of the McPherson Library
  • Wayfinders will be present on the main floor of the library to provide direction to elevators and stairwells
  • DSC is a mobility aid accessible space with capacity for 40
  • Light refreshments will be available; guests are welcome to bring their own

McPherson Library
Room 025
Lower Level

  • This room is on the lower level of the McPherson Library
  • Wayfinders will be present on the main floor to provide direction to elevators and stairwells
  • Room 025 is a mobility aid accessible space with capacity for 40

David Turpin Building (DTB)
Room A104

  • This room is a mobility aid accessible tiered lecture hall with capacity for 110
  • Wayfinders will be present to provide direction once guests arrive at the building
  • There will be designated seating for mobility aid users and those who require the lower tiered seating
  • Live captions and amplification will be provided during the welcome and keynote

McPherson Library
Room 086
Ground Floor 

  • This room is accessible through either the lobby elevator or main stairwell.
  • We will have wayfinding posters directing folks to the room
  • There is seating for around 18 people, and others will likely need to stand.
  • The format will be a series of 15 minute demonstrations at three different stations, with attendees circulating between activities.
  • There is ample space for mobility aides, and a capacity of 40.
  • As the space is an active letterpress printshop, we kindly ask that folks refrain from eating or drinking, and wash their hands as they leave as to avoid dangers associated with lead type.

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April 24, 2025

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