LTC News

Town Square C was filled to capacity on April 23 when a panel of BCIT alumni spoke about their experiences regarding communication in the workplace. Organized by the Communication Department’s Curriculum Committee, alumni Jarell Alvarez, Taryn Antalek, Bryant Lee, and Jeet Sivia shared the various tools they use to communicate with their work teams, their superiors, and their clients. (Two of the alumni, Jarell and Jeet, also teach at BCIT.)

The panel answered questions about what defines excellent communication skills, and what kinds of interpersonal skills they value in their current positions. They explained why different tools work better in different situations, and how they modify their tone and style of communicating depending on the relationship they have with the people to whom they are texting, talking, or presenting.

We learned that one organization relies heavily on Zoom for its internal meetings for the benefit of a team member who is deaf, because Zoom’s AI-generated transcript is remarkably accurate. We also learned that memos are not completely archaic—the format may have changed, but entities like municipal governments still uses memos to communicate with construction companies.

The panel talked briefly about how Covid-19 has changed workplace communication and what they did to accommodate those changes, particularly the shift to video calls. They stressed that networking is still one of the most fundamental communication skills and it’s important to make face-to-face connections, which can’t be done with the camera turned off during video meetings.

AI was a running theme throughout the presentation. While every member of the panel said it is a useful tool and had lots of examples of how AI helps them work better and faster, they all agreed that it is not a replacement for human creativity.

Food for Thought sessions are hosted by BCIT Library and the Learning and Teaching Centre throughout the academic year, and are opportunities for faculty and staff to showcase research, learning and teaching practice, student support services, and innovation at BCIT. The sessions are hosted on Teams and in-person at the Library Summit Centre (where a light lunch is provided). A calendar of upcoming sessions and recordings of previous sessions are available on the Library Food for Thought SharePoint page.

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Ever call yourself a Luddite? Do you know where the term comes from?

Matt Greaves (PhD), Member Engagement Officer with the BCITFSA, went through the history of the Luddites in his March 19 Food for Thought presentation entitled Who Were the Luddites? Technology, Power, and Labour: Lessons from the Past. In a past life, Matt taught labour history at the post-secondary level.

Luddites refers to people who resist new technology. Those of us online or at the Library Summit Centre learned that the original Luddites were machine breakers in early nineteenth-century England. These skilled artisans knew that the machinery being brought into the factories to speed up production were a threat to their way of life. Shifting skills from humans to machines would result in lower wages or job losses. Without any state supports at the time other than workhouses with high mortality rates, workers knew that the machines would likely lead to the breakup of their families or, perhaps, premature deaths.

Because collective bargaining had been illegal in Britain since 1799, machine wrecking was the only form of resistance open to workers. They called themselves Luddites after Ned Ludd, a mythical mill worker who supposedly was the first to wreck a machine.

Matt then described for us two visions of how we think about technology. There is classical determinism, which sees technology as autonomous and dominant over humans — a dystopian view common in science fiction. And there is progressive determinism, which sees technology as positive — this is the vision we are living with today.

Is there a place for technology that lies somewhere between these two visions? Yes, says Matt. He concluded his talk by describing the fields of study around science and technology that have developed since the 1970s. However, because the links between technology and sociology have not been well defined, the ways in which technology contributes to greater inequality have not been thoroughly studied. Matt believes it would be beneficial to examine who benefits from technology and who is disadvantaged by it. And, to bring the discussion full circle, Matt suggested that the Luddites in their own way understood this.

The session concluded with a thoughtful Q&A where attendees drew parallels between what the Luddites went through more than 200 years ago and the challenges we are facing today with the increasing power of modern technology, in particular GenAI.

Food for Thought sessions are hosted by BCIT Library and the Learning and Teaching Centre throughout the academic year, and are opportunities for faculty and staff to showcase research, learning and teaching practice, student support services, and innovation at BCIT. The sessions are hosted on Teams and in-person at the Library Summit Centre (where a light lunch is provided). A calendar of upcoming sessions and recordings of previous sessions are available on the Library Food for Thought SharePoint page.

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If you have a favourite topic you’d like to share with the BCIT community on PD Day but need some help, the LTC can provide assistance.

We can help you develop resources and give you ideas on how to make your presentation engaging and interactive. Session ideas should align with one of four streams—education, work, wellbeing, or technology.

To apply, complete the Presenter Application and submit it by Friday, April 4, 2025.

For more information, see PD Day 2025: Coming Together for Student Success.

Jamie Finley, research assistant with Natural Health and Food Products Research Group and former BCIT student and researcher, was the presenter at the March 13 Food for Thought session held at the Library Summit. His talk, entitled A Deaf Gain Perspective: An Overview of Best Practices for Deaf Students and Interpreters, offered a wide range of information. Did you know that the origin of poster sessions at academic conferences was for the benefit of deaf attendees? Or that Wladislav Zeitlin, a 1920s scientist who studied how to transmit moving pictures using electricity (research that eventually led to the first televisions), was deaf? Jamie mentioned these examples to make his point that innovation by deaf scientists to improve accessibility for the deaf often results in better accessibility for all.

Two systems for interpretation are currently used with deaf students. Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) involves someone typing text that is read on a screen, while sign language interpreters translate ASL into speech (or vice versa). Research has shown that student achievement is the same regardless of the method used.

Jamie then discussed ASL interpretation in more depth. ASL does not have official language status in Canada and there are issues in interpretation when English is not the common language. Currently, there is a shortage of interpreters, which means they need to be booked quite far in advance. There is also the matter of the “translated deaf self.” Because it’s not possible to look at the interpreter and the speaker at the same time, there is always a trade-off between what is being said and the personality of the interpreter, which can lead to interpretation issues when the interpreter is not well known to the deaf person.

The hearing attendees at the session were able to experience the significant role an ASL interpreter plays as Jamie’s presentation was in ASL.

Food for Thought sessions are hosted by BCIT Library and the Learning and Teaching Centre throughout the academic year, and are opportunities for faculty and staff to showcase research, learning and teaching practice, student support services, and innovation at BCIT. The sessions are hosted on Teams and in-person at the Library Summit Centre (where a light lunch is provided). A calendar of upcoming sessions and recordings of previous sessions are available on the Library Food for Thought SharePoint page.

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As educators continue to grapple with the challenges brought to their teaching practice by artificial intelligence, the latest Food for Thought session at the Library Summit offered valuable support to BCIT faculty.

Led by Erika Ram, an instructor in BCIT’s computing department and chair of the EDCO Educational Technology and Learning Design Committee, the March 5 session focused on what makes us human, and what essential human qualities students need to live and work in a world influenced by AI. Attendees left with activity ideas and an implementation plan for incorporating those activities in the classroom.

Food for Thought sessions are hosted by BCIT Library and the Learning and Teaching Centre throughout the academic year, and are opportunities for faculty and staff to showcase research, learning and teaching practice, student support services, and innovation at BCIT. The sessions are hosted on Teams and in-person at the Library Summit Centre (where a light lunch is provided). A calendar of upcoming sessions and recordings of previous sessions are available on the Library Food for Thought SharePoint page.

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The BCIT PD Day Committee are excited to announce that the BCIT Professional Development Day (PD Day) 2025 will be held at the Burnaby Campus on Wednesday, June 4, from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm for all staff and faculty.

All daytime classes and exams at all BCIT campuses are cancelled on this day, unless previously discussed with your Associate Dean. Please share this information with your students and make accommodations to reschedule classes and exams where necessary.

This year’s PD Day theme, Coming Together for Student Success, recognizes our collective impact in fostering vibrant and inclusive communities and excellent educational programming that supports student success. Professional development sessions throughout the day will focus on four areas—education, work, wellbeing, and technology—to inspire a dynamic culture of shared learning, engagement, and collaboration.

The day will kick-off with a warm welcome and an inspiring keynote address, followed by a series of professional development sessions. To close the event, you will be invited to enjoy a complimentary BBQ lunch while mingling with your colleagues.

More information about PD Day 2025, including session registration, will be shared in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we encourage you to consider becoming a presenter at PD Day 2025. This is a great opportunity to lead a session for your colleagues while sharing your knowledge on a topic that inspires you.

Consider presenting at PD Day 2025  

All staff and faculty are invited to apply to become a presenter at BCIT PD Day 2025. Session topics should align with one of four streams—education, work, wellbeing, or technology. The BCIT Learning and Teaching Centre is available to assist with session and resource development for all prospective presenters who need it. Please complete the Presenter Application and submit it by Friday, April 4, 2025.

If you have questions about PD Day 2025, please contact pdday@bcit.ca. We look forward to seeing you at PD Day 2025!

https://vimeo.com/1060651300

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The Library and the LTC have a full slate of Food for Thought sessions scheduled throughout the month of March. Mark your calendars now for any or all of these sessions, presented by your BCIT colleagues from across the Institute. For those attending the in-person sessions at the Library Summit, a light lunch will be provided. The sessions are also hosted on Teams.

For more information, please see the Library Calendar or Food for Thought on SharePoint.

Food for Thought sessions are hosted by BCIT Library and the Learning and Teaching Centre throughout the academic year, and are opportunities for faculty and staff to showcase research, learning and teaching practice, student support services, and innovation at BCIT. The sessions are hosted on Teams and in-person at the Library Summit Centre (where a light lunch is provided). A calendar of upcoming sessions and recordings of previous sessions are available on the Library Food for Thought SharePoint page.

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Dr. Jennie Moore, Director of Institute Sustainability at BCIT, and Sarah Campbell, Sustainability Programming Manager, SOCE, spoke on the topic of adding sustainability content to the trades curriculum at the Food for Thought session held on February 19.

Jennie began by talking about how vocational instructors struggle to add more content to their curriculum because it is already quite full and tightly controlled. But she then went on to explain some of the creative ways that BCIT’s instructors have managed to incorporate sustainability into their programs, such as by rethinking the materials students use or by relying on virtual simulation to improve students’ motor skills before they begin using the actual materials.

To support the trades instructors, Sarah Campbell has created a free online module, available on the Learning Hub, entitled Introduction to Sustainable Building Practices for Trades (SUST 0100). (To search for the course on the Learning Hub, go to myTools and select Discover.) The course can be completed within a couple of hours and is recommended for trades students at the beginning of their programs.

Additional resources are available at BCIT’s Living Labs website. Jennie also recommended looking at the IDEAS framework for guidance.

Food for Thought sessions are hosted by BCIT Library and the Learning and Teaching Centre throughout the academic year, and are opportunities for faculty and staff to showcase research, learning and teaching practice, student support services, and innovation at BCIT. The sessions are hosted on Teams and in-person at the Library Summit Centre (where a light lunch is provided). A calendar of upcoming sessions and recordings of previous sessions are available on the Library Food for Thought SharePoint page.

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