Day 2, Wednesday

Presenters:

Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer, Founder of Awakened Learning; Adjunct Faculty, TMU, Awakened Learning & Toronto Metropolitan University

Session Description:

Early in my career as a learning strategist, one supervisor told me that I couldn't incorporate mindfulness into my 1:1 sessions with students. More recently, Substacks and social are increasingly brim-full of learning science research posts and sharings. Learning strategies can make a world of difference for students, across the years and programs and profiles, yet are their best and most transformative when they're not singular in their discipline, or narrow in their focus. In this session, Deena will make the full-hearted case for multi-wisdomed learning strategies.

Learning Outcomes:

• Critically evaluate the limitations of traditional study techniques and explore the benefits of holistic learning strategies that integrate cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being.
• Apply evidence-based holistic learning strategies to support diverse learners, including those with ADHD, learning disabilities, and high-achieving but stressed students.
• Develop an action plan to embed holistic learning strategies within their own practice, fostering academic resilience and sustainable student success.

Presenters:

Lyle Williams, Adaptive Technology Specialist, Centennial College

Session Description:

As post-secondary education continues to evolve, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) offers a roadmap for ensuring accessibility and equity in the learning environment. But how do we effectively integrate assistive technology (AT) to support all learners? This session introduces the ROWNAA Framework, a structured approach to assessing student needs and aligning them with AT solutions to enhance learning outcomes. 

Developed as an assistive technology assessment and training tool, the ROWNAA Framework guides educators, learning specialists, and accessibility professionals in identifying functional limitations, selecting appropriate AT supports, and measuring student success. Through six key areas—Reading, Organization, Writing, Notetaking, Assessment, and Arithmetic (ROWNAA)—this model facilitates a structured, student-centered approach to technology implementation. 

Learning Outcomes:   

• Explore how the ROWNAA Framework helps identify student challenges and AT solutions. 
• Learn practical strategies for training students in AT use and measuring engagement. 
• Discuss best practices for implementing AT within a UDL framework. 
• Engage in a hands-on demonstration of technology tools that support diverse learning needs.

Presenters:

Dr. Jovita Vytasek, Learning Strategist, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Elizabeth Spalding, Faculty Tutor English Language Studies, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Dr. Alice Macpherson, Learning Strategist, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Emily Ginter, Learning Strategist, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Dr. Mitra Gorjipour, Acting Dean, Academic and Career Preparation, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Session Description:

The widespread adoption of generative AI (GenAI) has changed how students approach academic work (Kenedy, 2024), creating a need to reimagine peer tutoring practices. To address this challenge, we created a cross-disciplinary workshop for peer tutors to build knowledge and capacity to address GenAI content. This work utilizes an action-research approach to pedagogical design (Ferrance, 2000). We will share the tutor-driven collaborative framework designed, initial insights, and future directions of this pilot program.  

Our framework focuses on three key areas: understanding the capabilities and limitations of current GenAI tools, developing strategies for productive discussions with tutees, and fostering critical analysis of GenAI content within specific disciplinary contexts. Important to this work was the necessity to account for varying levels of permitted AI access in different courses. 

Learning Outcomes:   

• Explore an actionable structure to adapt and implement into tutor training programs while navigating AI-related challenges. 
• Utilize seven role-play scenarios and accompanying materials to enhance tutoring sessions and enable tutors to practice addressing AI-related cases while maintaining the principles of peer-assisted learning.

Presenters:

Alyssa Foerstner, Academic Skills Support Coordinator (EAL), Queen's University

Lydia Skulstad, Intercultural Academic Support Coordinator, Queen's University

Session Description:

We are two full-time academic skills coaches who work with international and multilingual students in Canadian post-secondary. In the context of a changing post-secondary landscape, including post-covid impacts, the emergence of generative AI, and increasing demands on students’ time, we find ourselves struggling to sustain not only our programs but also ourselves in terms of both our capacity and motivation. In this session, we share how we have reignited passion in our work by pursuing part-time PhD studies, creating a connection between our personal growth and professional mandates. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify strategies for personal and professional development that align with both joy and practicality.
• Explore real-life examples of integrating work and education for career growth.
• Analyze the connection between work-education integration and a pedagogy of love.

Presenters:

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

Lindsay Heggie, Academic Skills and Writing Specialist, Queen's University

Session Description:

The launch of ChatGPT created a furor in higher education; generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools were suddenly poised to make a significant impact on human writing and learning. In this session, we showcase our response to this challenge: an interactive module that guides students in the productive and ethical use of GenAI tools for academic work. We highlight the potential of a “yes, but” approach to GenAI—one that asks students to apply the same critical capacity required in their coursework to these tools—and of meeting our students in the messiness of a moment of disruption and uncertainty. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn about an interactive module that guides students in the productive and ethical use of GenAI tools in academic work.
• Reflect on the ways that GenAI has impacted the support we provide as learning specialists, as well as how we might respond.

Presenters:

Lyle Williams, Adaptive Technology Specialist, Centennial College

Session Description:

As post-secondary education continues to evolve, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) offers a roadmap for ensuring accessibility and equity in the learning environment. But how do we effectively integrate assistive technology (AT) to support all learners? This session introduces the ROWNAA Framework, a structured approach to assessing student needs and aligning them with AT solutions to enhance learning outcomes. 

Developed as an assistive technology assessment and training tool, the ROWNAA Framework guides educators, learning specialists, and accessibility professionals in identifying functional limitations, selecting appropriate AT supports, and measuring student success. Through six key areas—Reading, Organization, Writing, Notetaking, Assessment, and Arithmetic (ROWNAA)—this model facilitates a structured, student-centered approach to technology implementation. 

Learning Outcomes:   

• Explore how the ROWNAA Framework helps identify student challenges and AT solutions. 
• Learn practical strategies for training students in AT use and measuring engagement. 
• Discuss best practices for implementing AT within a UDL framework. 
• Engage in a hands-on demonstration of technology tools that support diverse learning needs.