Day 1, Tuesday

Presenters:

Jonathan Vandor, Peer Programming Team Lead, University of Toronto

Session Description:

Since 2023, the University of Toronto Tutor Training Program, or UT3, has trained current students in effective and ethical ways of supporting their peers, and its associated Directory has facilitated hundreds of tutoring sessions since November 2024. This presentation spotlights the development of the UT3 and how the Canadian Tutor Standards (CTS) can guide a parallel process at your institution.

Learning outcomes:

• Participants will examine the University of Toronto Tutor Training Program (UT3) as a case study and apply key principles from the Canadian Tutor Standards (CTS) to assess and improve their own tutoring initiatives.
• Participants will learn how to conduct environmental scans and stakeholder consultations to identify gaps in tutoring support and design a structured tutoring program that aligns with institutional needs.
• Through guided discussions and activities, participants will outline actionable steps to establish or enhance their tutoring programs using the CTS framework, ensuring effective, ethical, and sustainable tutor training.

Presenters:

Miriam Unruh, Instructor, Academic Coach, University of Manitoba

Session Description:

This workshop explores Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and its impact on students' learning and behaviour. I will focus on the interaction between emotion, working memory, and attention through the lens of current neuroscience research on ADHD. 

Learning outcomes:

• Develop a basic understanding of ADHD and executive functions.
• Learn how impaired emotional regulation can impact a student’s ability to focus and get work done. 
• Understand how the task-positive network (TPN) and the default mode network (DPN) impact neurodiverse students' ability to study/learn
• Gain strategies on positive reframing, student overwhelm, and developing the students' ability to leverage their interests (vs. importance) when faced with daunting tasks. 

Presenters:

Joanne Domnico, Founder of Study with Joanne, Learning Strategist, Centennial College

Laura Gibson, Learning Strategist, Fleming College

Session Description:

Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Learning Strategists (LSs) share a deep understanding of how cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors impact learning and student success. As Learning Strategists with an OT background, we bring a unique lens to student support—one that integrates neuroscience, executive functioning, self-regulation, and accessibility to optimize learning outcomes.

In this interactive workshop, we will explore how OT principles enhance learning strategy work and discuss how LSs, regardless of their background, can integrate these approaches to better support students. Through case studies, discussion, and hands-on activities, participants will discover how OT-informed strategies can address barriers to learning, improve self-efficacy, and foster independence in students.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify OT-informed approaches that can be applied to learning strategy work, including sensory-based strategies, cognitive/ behavioural scaffolding, and environmental modifications.
• Apply interdisciplinary strategies through case study analysis and problem-solving activities to enhance student support.
• Develop new perspectives on integrating holistic, functional approaches into their work as Learning Specialists.

Presenters:

Katherine Rowland, Learning Strategist in Accessibility Services, University of Toronto, St. George Campus

Session Description:

One of the major challenges for neurodivergent (ND) post-secondary students is sustained executive function skill-building. Indeed, ND students are also navigating multiple diagnoses and intersectional identities, making their experiences even more complex, and often requiring additional avenues for support. We are using both multi-session skill-building groups and one-off workshops as programming opportunities directed towards ND students as add-on to one-to-one learning strategy sessions. Programming that Accessibility Services at University of Toronto, St. George Campus currently offers for ND students includes ADHD Skills Group, Career Pathways Series for ND Students, Virtual Accountability Check-ins, and ADHD Study Hubs. In addition, specific social groups for ND students are held throughout each semester. We discovered that students value the community building and accountability aspects of these groups, in addition to continuing to build on executive functioning skillsets. Taken together, providing skill-building programming opportunities directed towards ND students can be an effective measure in supporting and enhancing learning experiences at post-secondary institutions. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Content and considerations for building out programming for ND students.
• Tips for recruiting students into multi-session groups.
• What’s working, including what content is valued by students within groups/workshops.

Presenters:

Leslie Paterson, Manager, Student Academic Success Services, Queen's University

Dr. Johanna Amos, Outreach Manager, Student Academic Success Services, Queen's University

Session Description:

Student Academic Success Services (SASS) is a writing and learning centre at Queen’s University that offers appointments, workshops, and resources on skill development for students. Like other similar units, we found the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technologies jarring, especially as it became apparent that GenAI tools might have strong implications for student learning and skill development. Our office needed to be able to facilitate open and exploratory conversations about GenAI tools with students and how they might be incorporated into their academic work. Moreover, we had to do so while also being in the position of learners ourselves—these tools were as new to us as they were to students! 

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn about our multifaceted response, including internal and student-facing resource development and training.
• Discover why this approach has been beneficial for staff and students.
• Strategize around potential challenges and opportunities for writing and learning centres grappling with GenAI.

Presenters:

Nico Turner, Learning Specialist - Academic Writing, University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC)

Session Description:

As a capital-G Gamer who grew up during the boom of home computing and the "golden age" of educational gaming, Nico noticed that educational games are not often utilized at the post-secondary level, and set out to investigate post-secondary educational game design as part of a thesis project. This session will describe some of the findings, including some unexpected themes that are worth discussing, particularly for any learning specialist who is considering working more game mechanics into student support programming.   

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn more about the current state of educational games for post-secondary
• Look at some design elements that contribute to both success and failure of educational games
• Discover some potentially surprising themes in post-secondary student reactions to educational games

Presenters:

Nancy M. Smith, Learning Strategist, Trent University (Retired)

Session Description:

We find ourselves with a gap between best practices for learning pre-ChatGPT and exaptive practices for learning in a world of burgeoning technology, complexity, and change. 

For example, we use the term "learning strategies" with humans; we also refer to "machine learning" with computers. This can create confusion. A computer does not change in the way that a human brain does. Similarly, with humans, learning and memory are often confounded. We compare computer memory with analogous references to human memory. And we have yet to distinguish between the brain and the mind. 

Our mental models serve to structure our approach to human learning and learning strategies. What repurposing of learning strategies for humans is needed in a world of AI?

Learning Outcomes: 

• "Re-Cognize" their assumptions of learner understanding and the limits of proffered learning strategies that are intended to guide, encourage, and support learner metacognition.
• Operationalize opportunities that self-reflection provides to mobilize, enrich, and close the learning feedback loop. 
• Discover and demonstrate the power of play and its inherent paradoxes for learning.

Presenters:

Haleh Raissadat, Math and Engineering Learning Specialist, Concordia University

Peter Howe, Peer Math Tutor, Concordia University

Session Description:

While generative AI offers significant opportunities for learning, many Gen-AI applications tend to overpromise, particularly in the context of math and problem-solving courses.  

We have developed a Chat-GPT-enhanced virtual Tutor designed to support students in the basic calculus course at Concordia University. It adapts to each student's individual learning progress and provides personalized assistance tailored to Concordia's specific curriculum. The tool offers real-time feedback, explanations, and practice problems, enhancing students' understanding of key calculus concepts. While initially developed for this course, the system's framework has the potential to be expanded to support other STEM courses. 

Learning Outcomes:  

• Deepening students’ understanding of a math course content 
• Increasing accessibility 
• Tailoring learning specifically designed for Concordia students 

Presenters:

Anne Marie Portelli, SLG Program Assistant, University of Guelph

Session Description:

Imagine being a first-year university student again, transitioning from small classes of 20 or 30 to hundreds, and from a structured environment to one that requires self-sufficiency. Now, add the layer of having an invisible disability – such as ADHD, learning disabilities, or mental illness. Transitioning from smaller, structured class environments to larger, more independent settings can be particularly difficult, especially for those with these disabilities. 

This session will focus on the intersection of invisible disabilities and learning in a university context – to hopefully make the often invisible, visible.  

Statistics indicate that mental health and learning disabilities are the most common among youth aged 15 to 24 – in addition to those experiencing similar challenges without formal diagnoses. It’s important to recognize, though, not all experiences are purely negative - most experiences aren’t ‘all or nothing’ after all – and when students’ strengths are identified and leveraged, university learning can become more manageable.  

Learning Outcomes:   

• Understand the connection between university learning, invisible disabilities, and the role of Learning Services in promoting academic success. 
• Recognize signs and symptoms of mental health and learning concerns in educational settings 
• Develop strategies that build on students' unique strengths, to better support them. 
• Identify effective phrases and prompts for productive conversations within Learning Services 
• Discern how to move forward when/if conversations reach a standstill.