BCIT

LTC News

Events, tools, initiatives

Join a Climate Fresk Workshop

by Leave a Comment

Climate Fresk is a three-hour workshop that explores the cause-and-effect connections of climate change in a fun and insightful way. Climate Fresk can be used in your teaching and supports sustainable development goals on climate action and quality education.

Institute Sustainability invites interested BCIT employees to participate in a workshop at the downtown campus:

Dates: March 13, 20, 27
Time: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Place: Downtown BCIT Campus, Room 795
Registration: Email Jennie_Moore@bcit.ca before February 28 and put Climate Fresk in the subject heading

In order to take action and build solutions, we first need to understand the problem—Climate Fresk

Grant Deadlines Fast Approaching!

by Leave a Comment

Just a reminder to all that the application deadlines for grants are just around the corner.

Travel Reimbursement for Enhancing Knowledge Grant (TREK):

TREK grants increase opportunities for permanent faculty members (FSA and BCGEU) to attend conferences that specifically enhance teaching and support student learning.

We will accept applications for a new round of TREK grants from March 17 to March 30, 2025. Within the budget, we prioritize first-time applicants, then award grants on a first-come first-served basis. Please note that we cannot consider applications for conferences that occur before a decision is made about your application. Application results are sent a couple weeks after the closing date. For more information, please visit this site: https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/trek-grants/

Send applications to develop@bcit.ca

Access TREK grant applications at https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/trek-grants/

Instructional Enhancement Grant (IEG):

All BCIT employees involved in teaching or teaching-related activities are eligible to apply for an Instructional Enhancement Grant of up to $10,000. These grants provide funding for educational initiatives that enhance teaching and learning at BCIT.

We will accept applications for a new round of IEG grants from March 17 to March 30, 2025.  For IEG grants, we accept all applications within the window and then award grants based on

  • educational impact
  • applicability to other members of the BCIT community
  • opportunities for innovation
  • joint support (other resources to support the project)

For more information, visit https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/instructional-enhancement-grants-ieg-ie-grant/

Send applications to develop@bcit.ca

Access IEG grant applications at https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/instructional-enhancement-grants-ieg-ie-grant/

Special Interest Grant (SIG):

SIG grants provide funding for workshops initiated at the department level for BCIT instructors (FSA and BCGEU) and staff, which will enhance teaching and learning at BCIT.

For SIG grants, we accept applications on an on-going basis. We will start accepting applications for a new round of SIG grants on March 17, 2025, and will continue to accept applications for the fiscal 2025/2026 year until funds are exhausted.

Grants are awarded within the budget on a first-come first-served basis, provided the application fits the grant criteria. Once the funding is exhausted for the year, we will close the applications and post a notice on the webpage. You can find more information at https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/special-interest-grants-sig/.

Send applications to develop@bcit.ca

Access SIG grant applications at https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/special-interest-grants-sig/

Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant (LTI):

The Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant provides faculty, staff, and other service departments with funds and support for applied initiatives aimed at enhancing the student experience through alignment to the pillars of the Learning and Teaching Framework (LTF). For more information, please read the Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant Information Sheet.

We will accept applications for a new round of LTI grants from March 10 to March 23, 2025.  For LTI grants, we accept all applications within the window and then award grants based on alignment to the criteria laid out in the Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant Rubric.

For more information, please visit https://www.bcit.ca/learning-teaching-centre/learning-teaching-framework/learning-and-teaching-innovation-grant/

Send applications to develop@bcit.ca

Access IEG grant applications at https://www.bcit.ca/learning-teaching-centre/learning-teaching-framework/learning-and-teaching-innovation-grant/

Registration Now Open for Spring & Summer Polytechnic Teaching Courses

by Leave a Comment

Build your skills as a polytechnic instructor while earning BCIT’s Associate Certificate in Polytechnic Teaching. The courses are available with a fee waiver for BCIT employees, and are transferable to the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program (PIDP) at Vancouver Community College (VCC).

Course link Dates Format
POLY 1005
Instructional Skills
Workshop		 Apr 5–May 3
Jun 2–6
Jun 9–12
Jul 8–30
Jul 21–25
Aug 5–21
Aug 18–28
Aug 18–25
Aug 25–28		 In-person
Blended
In-person
Blended
Online
Online
Online
Online
In-person
POLY 1010
Instructional Strategies		 Apr 9–May 28 Blended
POLY 1025
Fostering Learning Online		 Apr 5–Jun 14 Online

How to Register

  1. Go to the course link in the table and check the detailed schedule.
  2. Contact poly@bcit.ca to start the registration process.

Program Declaration

Let us know if you’re planning to complete the full certificate so we can advise you on how to declare your program.

More on the Program

If you’re not familiar with BCIT’s polytechnic teaching program, find out more at Polytechnic Teaching, Associate Certificate.

Food for Thought: Unlocking Climate Action in BC

by Leave a Comment

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.

Call for Proposals: Open Education Grants 2025

by Leave a Comment

BCIT instructors and faculty are invited to submit proposals for grants that support the creation of open educational resources (OER) in credit courses. Several grants are available this year. The objective is to empower educators to create accessible, high-quality, and sustainable resources that reduce financial barriers for students. Collaboration across the institute is encouraged.

Examples of past open education projects can be viewed in BCIT’s Institutional Repository or in our showcase.

Current opportunities

Learn more about open education on the Open BCIT webpage. If you have any questions, please contact open@bcit.ca.

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

Seats Open in Winter ISWs

by Leave a Comment

Space is still available in Winter sessions of the Instructional Skills Workshop (POLY 1005). We offer a mixture of times (weekdays, weeknights, weekends) and delivery options (in-person, online, blended mixture of both).

Dates Delivery Format
Jan 11 – Jan 19 [full] In-person
Jan 21 – Feb 13 [full] In-person
Feb 03 – Feb 28 Blended
Mar 10 – Mar 14 Blended
Mar 10 – Mar 13 In-person
Mar 10 – Mar 14 Online

See the POLY 1005 web page for detailed schedules.

To Register
Contact poly@bcit.ca to start the registration process.

More about POLY 1005 Instructional Skills Workshop
Course participants review core ideas about teaching and learning, reflect on current practices, and try new instructional strategies, techniques, and approaches within a respectful and supportive environment. BCIT Schools encourage all instructors to take the ISW, which is also recommended as the first course for the Associate Certificate in Polytechnic Teaching. All courses in the certificate program are free to BCIT instructors and staff.

The Application Window for TREK Grants Is Now Open!

by Leave a Comment

The Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant Committee is accepting applications for TREK (Travel Reimbursement for Enhancing Knowledge) grants from now to January 26, 2025.

TREK grants help permanent faculty members from both FSA and BCGEU attend conferences that specifically enhance teaching and support student learning.

The committee prioritizes first-time applicants and awards grants on a first-come, first-served basis. Application results are sent a couple weeks after the closing date.

For more information, please visit https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/trek-grants/

TREK grant applications are available at https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/trek-grants/

Send completed applications to develop@bcit.ca

Food for Thought: Universal Design for Learning

by Leave a Comment

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).

Teaching with AI Comes to the Town Square

by Leave a Comment

Last month, the LTC hosted a mini-conference for BCIT faculty at the Town Square on Burnaby Campus. The focus of the conference was to deepen faculty’s understanding of the challenges and opportunities of teaching with GenAI.

Lucas Wright, Senior Educational Consultant at UBC’s Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, presented the keynote address, Currents of Change: Generative AI’s Impact on Teaching, Learning. He began with a quick, hands-on demonstration of how to write a GenAI prompt, then identified the three factors he sees as instrumental to why GenAI is having such a profound impact on higher education: (1) rapid adoption (students are already using GenAI), (2) growing capabilities (GenAI is continually improving), and (3) the emergence of new skills (necessary for learning and working in a world that uses GenAI).

Lucas spoke about the ethical issues facing GenAI users (environmental impacts, concerns around privacy and copyright, and accuracy of output), then concluded with some examples of the opportunities provided by GenAI, including personalized learning, co-creation, and the development of evaluative judgment skills.

After lunch, attendees had the opportunity to further explore the topics and issues raised by Lucas in a variety of sessions led by BCIT faculty and IDCs from the LTC. Those in attendance were engaged and came away with a better understanding of how a world with AI can function.

A recording of Lucas Wright’s keynote address and presentation slides of the sessions are available on the LTC’s GenAI website. Another event is in the planning stages for fall 2025. Details will be posted on the website as they come available.

Upcoming Grant Application Periods

by Leave a Comment

Travel Reimbursement for Enhancing Knowledge (TREK) Grants

January 6–26, 2025

TREK grants increase opportunities for permanent faculty members (FSA and BCGEU) to attend conferences that specifically enhance teaching and support student learning.

The Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant Committee is accepting applications for a new round of TREK grants from January 6 to 26, 2025. Within the budget, we prioritize first-time applicants and award grants on a first-come, first-served basis. Application results are sent a couple weeks after the closing date.

For more information, please visit https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/trek-grants/

Special Interest Grants (SIG)

Ongoing

The SIG provides funding for workshops initiated at the department level for BCIT instructors (FSA and BCGEU) and staff, which will enhance teaching and learning at BCIT.

Grants are awarded within the budget on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that the application fits the grant criteria. Once the funding is exhausted for the year, we will close the applications and post a notice on the webpage. More information is at https://www.bcit.ca/instructional-development/grants/special-interest-grants-sig/.

Other Grants

Stay tuned

The grant committee will be accepting applications for other grants facilitated by the Learning and Teaching Centre, such as the Learning and Teaching Innovation (LTI) grants and the Instructional Enhancement Grant (IEG), again in the spring. Stay tuned for an announcement about application dates for those in March 2025.