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.

Get updates to LTC News by joining LTC News | Teams channel.

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.

Get updates to LTC News by joining LTC News | Teams channel.

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.

Get updates to LTC News by joining LTC News | Teams channel.

An attentive and engaged group gathered online and in-person at the Library Summit Centre on January 30 for the first Food for Thought of the winter term. Kamyar Razavi, veteran journalist, expert in environmental communication and climate journalism, and BCIT instructor, was presenting on the topic of translating climate science into action.

Kamyar said he was motivated to speak when somebody at the last Food for Thought he attended wondered what we, as ordinary citizens, can do to enhance our climate action. Realizing that was his area of expertise, he offered to do a session on the topic.

Kamyar’s thought-provoking questions encouraged a lively discussion: How do we get people engaged in the topic of climate change? How do we combat climate change fatigue? How do we get people who don’t think human activity contributes to climate change to take the issue seriously? And, more importantly, how do those of us who do think climate change is caused by human activity turn our beliefs into action?

Kamyar recommends starting with the last group, the ones who are concerned about the impacts of climate change. One strategy he recommends is to increase the sense of efficacy: focus on the things we are doing that are making a difference. A second is to show (rather than tell) solutions without overlooking the urgency of the issue. And one of the most effective strategies, he said, is storytelling: talk about the environment in your daily conversations with others.

To reach those who don’t take the issue of climate change seriously, Kamyar suggests talking about local impacts, especially on places that are significant to us. Rather than focusing on what climate change is doing to polar bears in the Arctic, focus on the lack of outdoor ice rinks in communities that used to have ice every winter. He also used the analogy of a tip jar to explain how descriptive social norms can be one of the most effective ways to motivate people to change their behaviour. A sign in a hotel room saying 75% of guests reuse their towels is far more effective than a sign that asks guests to reuse their towel to protect the environment.

Kamyar concluded his talk by saying that the best way to increase your climate action is focus your efforts on the intersection of what work needs doing, what you are good at, and what brings you joy.

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.

Get updates to LTC News by joining LTC News | Teams channel.

The final Food for Thought lunchtime session of the fall term was held November 27, 2024, at the Library Summit Centre. Michele Bridge and Claudine Warburton, both IDCs at the LTC, and Joanna Angelidis, Associate Director of Student Wellbeing and Accessibility, gave an informative presentation on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) .

The goal of UDL, as explained by the presenters, is to design instruction in a way that addresses the diversity of learners, thereby removing any barriers in either the instruction or the learning environment. At its core, UDL is a way of thinking about instruction — a lens that can be applied to the choices made around designing and delivering instruction.

UDL is not the same as the accommodations provided to individual learners. Rather, UDL adjusts the learning environment for all learners. For example, providing a private room for exam writing is an accommodation that can be provided for an individual student but is not feasible for an entire class. On the other hand, recording lectures or offering alternative options for assessment is an accommodation that removes barriers for all students, not just one individual.

It was noted that barriers also exist to implementing UDL — instructors at BCIT are already stretched for time and resources. The presenters’ recommendation is to start small: choose one practice to implement and grow from there.

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).