Session Descriptions

Preparing submission of your course outline and/or outlines for Spring? Responding to an action item from Comprehensive Program Review (CPR) and curriculum mapping? Join us to get you off on the right foot to begin mapping the EESs! Come prepared to engage with me and others to review wise practices for for mapping the EESs across the program and in individual courses!

Always wondered why we map courses to program learning outcomes (PLOs) and course learning outcomes (CLOs) to PLOs? Always wondered how? Have you been invited to participate in curriculum mapping in the Comprehensive Program Review (CPR) process and not quite sure what curriculum mapping entails? Come join us to explore the why and provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate the how through the Curriculum Mapping Application (CMA)! No additional preparation needed from you, come willing to discuss, test, and share openly!

Are you revising a course outline or creating a new one as part of your Spring activities? Join us for a review of wise practices when completing your course outlines.

Step into a transformative learning journey guided by the principle of Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing)—a way of being that invites us to view the world through multiple lenses. Rooted in Mi’kmaw teachings and shared by Elder Albert Marshall, Etuaptmumk encourages the integration of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, not as competing truths, but as complementary gifts that deepen understanding and strengthen our collective responsibilities.

Explore how diverse perspectives—including those of the land, water, animals, and all our relations—can inform inclusive, respectful, and action-oriented practices in education, community work, and environmental stewardship. Engage in reflective mapping, critical dialogue, and collaborative design to create learning experiences that honor both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing.

Through this experience, learners will critically examine institutional structures, propose meaningful change, and center Indigenous voices in the pursuit of reconciliation and intercultural understanding. Guided by humility, curiosity, and responsibility, participants will leave with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper connection to the wisdom of many eyes and many hearts—for the benefit of the next seven generations.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this lesson, students will have demonstrated the ability to…

• Define the concept of Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing) and explain its significance in integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge systems.
• Analyze how Two-Eyed Seeing can be applied in educational, environmental, and community contexts to foster mutual respect and collaboration.
• Design learning experiences that incorporate both Indigenous and Western perspectives in a balanced and respectful manner.
• Critically assess institutional practices and propose changes that support the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge systems in policy and curriculum.
• Engage in dialogue and collaborative learning that centers Indigenous voices and promotes intercultural understanding and reconciliation.

The purpose of these modules is to:

• Provide the true history of Canada and its relations with Indigenous communities; to (re)define who we are.
• Explore how education has historically been a method of colonization and what we can do to address this in our curricula.
• Expand thought and experience in terms of personal and professional development.
• Create a network of faculty, staff, and students who are committed to lifelong learning about Indigenous history and contemporary Indigenous issues.

You can register for this by enrolling in the Manually Managed Course on DC Connect.

This interactive workshop provides faculty with the tools and strategies to integrate authentic learning experiences and assessments into their teaching practices. Participants will explore the concept of authentic learning as a process that connects personal experience, community, and cultural knowledge. By harmonizing insights from multiple Indigenous pedagogical methods, attendees will learn to create meaningful, learner-centered assessments that align with real-world applications. Activities will include reflecting on personal learning experiences and brainstorming ways to design assessments that prioritize wholistic learning and measure depth of understanding. The workshop will conclude with a creative exercise where participants collaborate to analyze and re imagine assessments, ensuring alignment with course learning outcomes and fostering genuine engagement. This session empowers faculty to embrace authentic learning practices, enrich classroom experiences, and support diverse learners.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this lesson, students will have demonstrated the ability to… 

• Discuss the impact of Land Acknowledgements on community building and reconciliation efforts.
• Identify meaningful Land Acknowledgements and build personal connections.
• Create a personal, meaningful, and respectful Land Acknowledgement to be utilized within your courses/roles.
• Create strategies that transform these acknowledgements into meaningful actions.

Braver Spaces: Facilitating Inclusive Classrooms and Conversations on Indigenous Realities

This transformative workshop empowers educators to create inclusive, respectful learning environments while confidently navigating complex conversations around Indigenous histories and contemporary realities. Through a trauma-informed lens, participants will explore how to address topics such as residential schools, Reconciliation, and active allyship with care and cultural humility. The session delves into recognizing and responding to micro and macro aggressions, implementing anti-racism practices, and fostering classroom spaces where all voices feel seen and valued. Educators will also gain practical strategies for preparing students to engage with these critical issues in their future professions. By the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped not only to support Indigenous students more effectively but also to champion equity and inclusion across their teaching practice.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this lesson, students will have demonstrated the ability to…

• Discuss connections between the historical and current government practices, policies, and oppression with a focus on its impact today.
• Plan Reconciliation strategies in relation to an educator’s role and what those responsibilities are.
• Demonstrate how to have difficult conversations on Indigenous topics.
• Apply trauma-informed practices while delivering Indigenous content in educational spaces.

This interactive workshop provides faculty with the tools and strategies to integrate authentic learning experiences and assessments into their teaching practices. Participants will explore the concept of authentic learning as a process that connects to wholistic approaches. By harmonizing insights from multiple Indigenous pedagogical methods, attendees will learn to create meaningful, learner-centered assessments that align with real-world applications. This session empowers faculty to embrace authentic learning practices, enrich classroom experiences, and support diverse learners.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this lesson, students will have demonstrated the ability to…

• Recognize authentic learning as a process that connects personal experience, community, and cultural knowledge.
• Harmonize insights from the science of learning and Indigenous methods of authentic learning experiences.
• Revise a course assignment to be an authentic learning experience/assessment that reflects Indigenous values, learner-centered goals, and meaningful engagement with real-world contexts.

What does it mean to teach in a way that honors Indigenous knowledge, relationships, and ways of being? In this dynamic and heart-centered course, participants journey through the foundational principles of Indigenous pedagogy—where learning is rooted in land, guided by relationality, and shaped by reciprocity. Through reflection, you’ll be introduced to designing inclusive learning environments that center Indigenous perspectives. Together, we’ll examine meaningful strategies for decolonizing curriculum and pedagogy. You’ll leave with a toolkit of approaches to evaluate resources, build respectful relationships, and create learning spaces that uplift Indigenous learners and communities.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this lesson, students will have demonstrated the ability to…

• Apply Indigenous-informed frameworks to design inclusive learning environments that center Indigenous voices, perspectives, and knowledge systems.
• Integrate Indigenous pedagogical principles—such as relationality, reciprocity, and land-based learning—into lesson planning and assessment.
• Analyze the impacts of colonialism on current educational structures and propose strategies for decolonizing curriculum and pedagogy.
• Evaluate educational resources for cultural authenticity, accuracy, and alignment with Indigenous worldviews and protocols.

The percentage of mobile devices (smart phones and tablets) among college students continues to rise. DC Connect is now much more mobile friendly, with a cleaner and fully functional user experience. As more students are interacting with their course content and activities through their phones, it is important that your content is easily available.

The use of templates creates a consistent course experience for your students. A consistent visual experience helps learners understand the flow of your course. In addition to consistency, use of templates create visual appeal. By applying simple formatting to your content, you increase user engagement. If it is easy to read, your students are more likely to read it.

Do your students seem overwhelmed during class? Do they forget information you just taught? If so, your students might be experiencing cognitive overload. Learn how working memory limits learning, how cognitive overload occurs, and strategies to optimize cognitive load to promote student learning.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this lesson, students will have demonstrated the ability to…

• Explain the information processing model of learning.
• Explain cognitive load theory.
• Differentiate between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load.
• Apply strategies to optimize cognitive load in learning environments.

Engaging students in collaborative learning can lead to deeper learning, but it can also feel unpleasant for both instructor and students. In this session, you will explore how to design group tasks that promote true collaboration among students and how to address the common challenges that arise when students work (or don’t work) together.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this lesson, students will have demonstrated the ability to…

• Distinguish between different types of collaborative learning.
• Identify appropriate groups for various learning activities.
• Apply strategies to address common challenges with group work.
• Develop a plan to support collaborative learning activities.

Academic Integrity is becoming an increasing concern for educators across the institution. In this session we will discuss contract cheating, how to use Turnitin to your greatest advantage, and ways in which you can design assessments that support students in avoiding academically dishonest behaviours. There will also be an opportunity to answer your questions related to specific situations you have encountered.

Join us while we explore AI hacks that streamline your daily tasks, from crafting calendar files to simplifying instructions for others. Let AI help organize your day fewer keystrokes and clicks!

The tools available in DC Connect can be associated with each other so that information passes from one to another. Assessment associations and release conditions are how we make this happen. Combining tools together can increase productivity and student engagement.

Assignment submission folders are commonly associated with Grade Items, but did you know you can...

• Associate a rubric with a Discussion topic?
• Control access to an assignment submission folder with a Checklist?
• Reward high achieving students with automated positive messaging?

In this workshop, participants will:

• Create and attach release conditions to content and activities.
• Associate Rubrics with assignment folders, discussion topics, and grade items.
• Control student access to an assignment submission folder with a Checklist.

In the absence of these tools, how would you manage your course with a comparable level of personalized communication? What would the work be for all this, just in time? A manual process is costly. If 45 minutes per learner is saved by using them, and 40 learners are in your course, that’s 1800 minutes or 30 hours per course. There is an upfront time investment, but with significant return. Energy can be focused on teaching, not administration.

Have you ever sat through a class or meeting with a presenter who reads their entire presentation off text-heavy slides? Or, tried to visually wade through icons, images and animations to find the relevant information? If so, you’ve likely experienced “Death by PowerPoint”. Join this session to explore the causes of this and learn strategies to develop presentations that will engage your students and support their learning.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this lesson, students will have demonstrated the ability to…

• Identify the causes of “death by PowerPoint”.
• Apply strategies to make engaging and accessible slide decks.

The purpose of these modules is to:

• Provide the true history of Canada and its relations with Indigenous communities; to (re)define who we are.
• Explore how education has historically been a method of colonization and what we can do to address this in our curricula.
• Expand thought and experience in terms of personal and professional development.
• Create a network of faculty, staff, and students who are committed to lifelong learning about Indigenous history and contemporary Indigenous issues.

You can register for this by enrolling in the Manually Managed Course on DC Connect.

This interactive workshop provides faculty with the tools and strategies to integrate authentic learning experiences and assessments into their teaching practices. Participants will explore the concept of authentic learning as a process that connects personal experience, community, and cultural knowledge. By harmonizing insights from multiple Indigenous pedagogical methods, attendees will learn to create meaningful, learner-centered assessments that align with real-world applications. Activities will include reflecting on personal learning experiences and brainstorming ways to design assessments that prioritize wholistic learning and measure depth of understanding. The workshop will conclude with a creative exercise where participants collaborate to analyze and re imagine assessments, ensuring alignment with course learning outcomes and fostering genuine engagement. This session empowers faculty to embrace authentic learning practices, enrich classroom experiences, and support diverse learners.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this lesson, students will have demonstrated the ability to… 

• Discuss the impact of Land Acknowledgements on community building and reconciliation efforts.
• Identify meaningful Land Acknowledgements and build personal connections.
• Create a personal, meaningful, and respectful Land Acknowledgement to be utilized within your courses/roles.
• Create strategies that transform these acknowledgements into meaningful actions.

Braver Spaces: Facilitating Inclusive Classrooms and Conversations on Indigenous Realities

This transformative workshop empowers educators to create inclusive, respectful learning environments while confidently navigating complex conversations around Indigenous histories and contemporary realities. Through a trauma-informed lens, participants will explore how to address topics such as residential schools, Reconciliation, and active allyship with care and cultural humility. The session delves into recognizing and responding to micro and macro aggressions, implementing anti-racism practices, and fostering classroom spaces where all voices feel seen and valued. Educators will also gain practical strategies for preparing students to engage with these critical issues in their future professions. By the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped not only to support Indigenous students more effectively but also to champion equity and inclusion across their teaching practice.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this lesson, students will have demonstrated the ability to…

• Discuss connections between the historical and current government practices, policies, and oppression with a focus on its impact today.
• Plan Reconciliation strategies in relation to an educator’s role and what those responsibilities are.
• Demonstrate how to have difficult conversations on Indigenous topics.
• Apply trauma-informed practices while delivering Indigenous content in educational spaces.

Step into a transformative learning journey guided by the principle of Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing)—a way of being that invites us to view the world through multiple lenses. Rooted in Mi’kmaw teachings and shared by Elder Albert Marshall, Etuaptmumk encourages the integration of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, not as competing truths, but as complementary gifts that deepen understanding and strengthen our collective responsibilities.

Explore how diverse perspectives—including those of the land, water, animals, and all our relations—can inform inclusive, respectful, and action-oriented practices in education, community work, and environmental stewardship. Engage in reflective mapping, critical dialogue, and collaborative design to create learning experiences that honor both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing.

Through this experience, learners will critically examine institutional structures, propose meaningful change, and center Indigenous voices in the pursuit of reconciliation and intercultural understanding. Guided by humility, curiosity, and responsibility, participants will leave with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper connection to the wisdom of many eyes and many hearts—for the benefit of the next seven generations.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this lesson, students will have demonstrated the ability to…

• Define the concept of Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing) and explain its significance in integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge systems.
• Analyze how Two-Eyed Seeing can be applied in educational, environmental, and community contexts to foster mutual respect and collaboration.
• Design learning experiences that incorporate both Indigenous and Western perspectives in a balanced and respectful manner.
• Critically assess institutional practices and propose changes that support the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge systems in policy and curriculum.
• Engage in dialogue and collaborative learning that centers Indigenous voices and promotes intercultural understanding and reconciliation.

Note: This course is scheduled for delivery in Fall. Please contact CTL@durhamcollege.ca for more information. As this is cross-listed with a college training certificate, the course may only be used to fulfill ONE growth stage of Braiding Knowledge.

Explore how identity, bias, positionality, systemic structures, and belonging shape learning experiences, while weaving inclusive, trauma-informed, and relational practices into your teaching. Critically examine current issues in equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB), and consider their impact on teaching, learning, and assessment. Deepen your understanding of how learner supports, and assessment strategies can enhance success for students with accommodations. This journey invites you to reflect on your own biases, position, and teaching practices, reframe your role in creating safer spaces, and braid together inclusive pedagogies that honour all learners. Rooted in wholistic approaches and guided by the principles of reciprocity, relationships, respect, and responsibility, discover how to cultivate learning environments where every student feels seen, valued, and empowered to thrive.

This introductory-level session will introduce features of DC Connect that help to support students.  In discussing features like Release Conditions and Intelligent Agents we will be changing our focus from content delivery and direct student interaction and instead looking at ways to guide students in their learning using DC Connect and assisting students who need it. The Pulse App will also be introduced.

Explore features like auto captions, live translations, email summaries, audio transcription, and Presenter Coach—all without Gen AI!