LSAC Eastern Regional Conference (Toronto)

A Novel Approach to a Common Book
Presenters: Tamsin Cobb and Naomi Verton, Conestoga College

There has been controversy over the effectiveness of common reading programs in post-secondary institutions. However, the Learning Commons at Conestoga College has customized the traditional common reading program to create a professional development opportunity for peer tutors. The program uses a novel as a medium to develop essential skills such as critical thinking and reflection and promote a community of practice for tutors. Come to learn about our process of planning and implementing the program, our reflections on the pilot, and our next phase in promoting leadership with our peer tutors. Leave with insights into how programming can be customized to foster communities of practice and the development of essential skills in your own institution.

How Learning Strategists can collaborate with faculties and campus partners to transform transitional programming for first year students
Presenters: Erica McKellar, Andrea Prier, Courtney Little, Ashley McKnight, and Theresa Nystrom, University of Waterloo

In this session you will hear about the changes we have made to our transitional programming at the University of Waterloo. How we, the academic development specialists, teamed up with the new student transition team, faculty relations managers, campus partners, first year professors and peer mentors to put a new spin on transitional programming for incoming students including first year, international, mature and transfer students! You will also hear about the evolution of individual success coaching (learning strategists) into academic development specialists on our campus and how we plan on working differently with stakeholders to proactively support students throughout their transition into university. As collaboration and teamwork are key components of the work we do, this session will also allow for ample time for dialogue. Specifically, we would like to hear how learning strategists on your campuses are or could be working with stakeholders differently to support students.

Being an Effective Online Learner: Developing interactive online learning support modules from idea to impact
Presenters: Michael Lisetto-Smith and Jenna Olender, Wilfrid Laurier University

Funded by the Council of Ontario Universities, Being an Effective Online Learner was a project conceived by the Centre for Student Success at Wilfrid Laurier University to develop a series of online self-contained modules to provide flexible, custom learning strategies and study skills development for students enrolled in online learning courses. These modules aimed to support their successful transition into post-secondary education as well as their ongoing academic success. These modules include videos, interactive activities, assessments, student guidebooks, and a faculty guidebook and are primarily intended for faculty to use as part of their curriculum, though students may engage with them independently. In this session, the presenters will outline how they brought this project from idea to impact by reviewing the stages of production, the lessons learned, and presenting segments of the finished product.

Building Skills Beyond the Classroom
Presenters: Bethany Wiseman and Alison Rose, Algonquin College

Building Skills Beyond the Classroom highlights two successful programs being run at Algonquin College: Dare to Self-Care and TSC Socials. These programs do not focus specifically on building traditional academic skills, but instead provide students with opportunities to create meaningful connections, build confidence, and find a sense of belonging in the college environment. Through participation, students are able to build social skills and reduce stress in ways that will help them better integrate into and enjoy college life.

Dare to Self-Care is a six-week peer support group that focuses on stress reduction, self-esteem, and assertiveness in college women. TSC Socials are weekly social events planned for students on the autism spectrum. This session will share the rationale and steps for implementing both programs and offer insights into the potential support provided to students through alternative programming. Come out to see how these programs have become a part of our students’ “college story!”

Intercultural Learning as a Learning Strategy
Presenters: Cathy Maloney and Ronald Ng, University of Toronto

The 2014 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) results for University of Toronto students suggest that intercultural learning can be a learning strategy for our international students. Among U of T students, international students were the same as or ahead of their domestic counterparts on eight of the ten indicators. Since the NSSE indicators are empirically linked with learning, improving student engagement in these two areas should yield better learning results. Interestingly, the two indicators in question are 1) Discussions with diverse others and 2) Reflective and integrative thinking; both of which are areas which our intercultural learning programming addresses.

This information session will provide an overview of what intercultural learning programming we are currently doing at the Centre for International Experience (CIE) at U of T and consider ways in which we might expand or change our programming as we consider its potential as a learning strategy for international students.