Category: Effective Teaching

A Foundational Understanding of Accessible Teaching and Learning at Conestoga College

Reading Time: 4 minutesAcross Ontario colleges and universities, there are growing numbers of students with disabilities (Learning Disabilities of Ontario, 2019). At Conestoga, we have seen our numbers of students with disabilities steadily increase. For example, across two academic years (i.e., 2017-2018 and 2018-2019), Conestoga had a 3.5% increase in students with a disability registered at Accessible Learning.  Despite these growing numbers, a...

Cybersecurity for Teaching

Reading Time: 4 minutesBy Baljeet Bilkhu, Faculty in Applied Computer Science and Information Technology Programs Having worked in the IT industry for the past 30 years after graduating from the University of Waterloo with a B.A. Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Baljeet Bilkhu has been sharing his experiences, knowledge and methods for a successful career with students at Conestoga College since 2016. During this...

 Open At Conestoga: Library Q&A 

Reading Time: 4 minutesHolly Ashbourne, eLearning Liaison, answers questions about the Library’s OER Toolkit and open at Conestoga College. Select the link to read an introduction to Open Educational Resources at Conestoga.  How does Conestoga support open?  The Library, along with other departments like Teaching and Learning, has championed Open Educational Resources (OER) for years. We have supported faculty in various ways, including finding relevant open resources for courses,...

Micro-Credentials as Building Blocks to Lifelong Learning  

Reading Time: 3 minutesBy Dorina Grossu, Professor (Contract), School of Workforce Development, Continuing Education, and Online Learning  My professional career focus, for the last 10 years, has directed me towards online education and technologies that are used to enhance our learning and life experiences. I was excited when I discovered that Conestoga was offering online micro-credential courses whose credits apply to a Post-Secondary Teaching certificate.   I decided to challenge myself and take the required course credits for this certificate program. So far, I have completed 24...

Empower Your Teaching with Ontario Extend

Reading Time: 2 minutesOffered by eCampusOntario, Ontario Extend is a free micro-credentialed learning program exploring emerging technologies and pedagogical practices. It includes six modules that equip educators with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to thrive in the digital landscape. Conestoga College has partnered with eCampusOntario to support online teacher training. After completing all six Ontario Extend modules (more details on the individual modules...

Best Practices for Faculty to Support Students in Distress or in Crisis

Reading Time: 4 minutesIn this post, you will learn about best practices to support students in distress or in crisis. Some of the information here is based on More Feet on The Ground, a recommended, free, 25-minute online campus mental health training available to anyone working in post-secondary education. Setting Students Up For Success Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, students face numerous challenges...

Tips for Teaching Out-of-Country International Students

Reading Time: 3 minutesDue to the current situation, many students are attending classes from their home country. Students attending the courses from outside of Canada require some unique supports from the Professors teaching them. This teaching tip offers some key issues to understand and consider while teaching out-of-country international students. Teaching international students can be supremely rewarding. Eventually, students will overcome the barriers,...

“Involve Me and I Learn”- The Connection Between Active Learning and How the Brain Learns

Reading Time: 3 minutesTell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. Benjamin Franklin Conestoga College endorses active learning to promote an engaging and positive learning experience for the students. Active learning is an approach to teaching and learning where teachers involve the students in the learning process by using various strategies. However, why do students learn...

Students from India: Effective Communication Strategies

Reading Time: 4 minutesBy Kathryn Brillinger, Laura Stoutenburg, & Nasreen Sultana, Teaching and Learning, Conestoga College A wide range of communication styles exist all around the world. We communicate the way we were taught, raised in a culture or influenced by our society. Thus, when we interact with students from different cultures, achieving effective communication becomes complex from both ends. This teaching tip...

The Decisions I Make While Teaching Both Asynchronously and Synchronously: Stories From the Classroom

Reading Time: 3 minutesFaculty had to switch to remote teaching in March 2020. I was one of those teachers In this teaching story. While not teaching in person, there has been a constant tug of war in my mind between asynchronous materials and synchronous teaching content. How do I make a balance between asynchronously and synchronously delivered teaching materials? How do I make...

Headed Towards Hybrid

Reading Time: 2 minutesPost by Rachel Schultz, OLC, and Elan Paulson, Teaching & Learning Explore the benefits of hybrid learning, and reflect on how a hybrid model could apply to your courses.  While the pandemic has brought many challenges, it is also a time where instructors have been able to explore various pedagogical approaches using technology. It has allowed instructors to consider how course design can...