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In January 2021, eCampusOntario released a call for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) in support of the Government of Ontario's Virtual Learning Strategy (VLS). Project teams at Seneca have been busy all year, leading and collaborating on projects that are designed to expand and build capacity for virtual learning, and they'll be available soon to all Ontario institutions through eCampusOntario.
In November 2021, a second call for EOIs was released (referred to as VLS 2.0).
All projects listed below are Seneca-led unless otherwise stated.
Digital Content projects aim to promote innovative virtual pedagogies by encouraging the reuse of digital content and creating additional activities for virtual learning.
part of VLS 2.0
Academic Integrity in Cyberspace
Seneca’s Teaching & Learning Centre partnered with the academic integrity office of Toronto Metropolitan University to create "Academic Integrity in Cyberspace." The game was designed to create an approachable, engaging environment for students to tackle the often emotionally and ethically fraught situations that lead to compromising academic integrity. The game’s cute and fun aesthetic, as well as the space setting, help create an environment that students can engage with and enjoy while dealing with these situations, as well as allowing the scenarios to avoid parallels to specific people or groups. The tool contains three modules, or planets; these planets, which make up the Akadema Galaxy, each represent a specific area of academic integrity. Planet 1, Colaborea, focuses on collaboration and communication challenges. Planet 2, the Archive of Bosh, takes students through scenarios involving issues of sourcing and research. Finally, Planet 3, Cheel, gives students the opportunity to explore situations that involve stress management and decision making.
As mentioned in the VLS 2.0: Academic Integrity in Cyberspace Spark Plug article from the Teaching & Learning Centre.
Digital Fluency projects are designed to provide resources and supports for educators and learners in a virtual teaching and learning environment.
Designing and Developing High-Quality Student-Centred Online/Hybrid Learning Experiences
This accessible and flexible 4-week asynchronous online course provides learners with strategies and tools to create well-organized, accessible, and culturally inclusive courses that engage learners and help them achieve their learning goals in a virtual environment. Each of the four modules contained within the course are learner-centered and include transferable supports that allow for reskilling and upskilling of faculty.
As mentioned in the Designing and Developing High Quality Student-Centred Online/Hybrid Learning Experiences Spark Plug article from the Teaching & Learning Centre.
Learn more about the Designing and Developing High-Quality Student-Centred Online/Hybrid Learning Experiences project:
Rethinking Assessment Strategies for Online Learning: A short course for post-secondary educators
This short course for post-secondary educators guides you on a transformative journey through new ways of thinking about online assessment and feedback. We examine the why, what, and how of authentic and alternative digital assessments through teaching scenarios, exemplars, activities, and reflections. Along the way, we provide tips, resources, and templates to support instructors in the design, implementation, and evaluation of equitable, decolonized, and inclusive assessment and feedback practices.
Resource companion: We have compiled a collection of sample authentic and alternative assessments for your use. These exemplars were generously shared by instructors from various colleges and universities across Ontario. Refer to these exemplars for inspiration as you develop your own authentic and alternative assessments or directly adapt them to your course.
As mentioned in the Solving Online Assessment and Feedback Challenges Spark Plug article from the Teaching & Learning Centre.
Learn more about the Rethinking Assessment Strategies for Online Learning: A short course for post-secondary educators project:
Digital Capacity projects promote the achievement of excellence in virtual learning and learning in support of pandemic response and recovery through the development, adaptation, and adoption of educational materials for virtual environments.
Liberated Learners
Following in the footsteps of the Ontario Extend: Empowered Educator program is its predecessor, Ontario Extend: Liberated Learners. The original program worked to prepare educators to be better able to teach in a digital realm. The Liberated Learner seeks to do the same for the learners themselves. As such, the project has four modules: The Learner, The Navigator, The Collaborator, and The Technologist. Taken together, the modules aim to enable a well-rounded and ready-for-almost-anything post-secondary learner. For Learners. By Learners.
Seneca collaborated on this project that was led by Trent University.
As mentioned in the VLS Spotlight: Liberated Learners Spark Plug article from the Teaching & Learning Centre.
🏅 Winner of a 2022 Open Education Award for Excellence for Best OER from Open Education Global!
Learn more about the Liberated Learners project:
Skoden: Teaching, Talking, and Sharing About and for Reconciliation
The purpose of this text is to offer support to individuals and institutions working towards understanding the colonial history of Canada and its ongoing impact on people who are First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. Skoden is designed to offer opportunities for reflection on what this truth means for each of us personally and professionally.
Learn more about the Skoden: Teaching, Talking, and Sharing About and for Reconciliation project:
Online Digital English Language Learning Objects (ODELLO)
ODELLO is the home of a series of Online Digital English Language Learning Objects designed to support English language learners. ODELLO’s digital English Language Pathway (ELP) provides students with flexibility, choice, and the ability to pursue non-credit language development. The learning modules feature Canadian content and themes relevant to learners’ academic, career, social, and personal growth. The learning modules are created for basic English abilities and range from Levels 1-4 on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) scale and test listening, reading, writing, and speaking abilities accordingly.
Supporting Post-Secondary English Language Learners (SPELL)
Supporting Post-secondary English Language Learners (SPELL) is a 12 hour professional development course is for post-secondary faculty who teach multilingual and multicultural students. It emphasizes essential strategies for supporting English language learners (ELLs) in written communication, oral interaction, presentations, reading course materials, and understanding lectures.
Learn more about both the Online Digital English Language Learning Objects (ODELLO) and the Supporting Post-Secondary English Language Learners (SPELL) projects:
Virtual Gaming Simulation: Crisis Intervention
This Virtual Gaming Simulation (VGS) was a student-led project which involved a digital recreation of a mental health scenario to demonstrate a suicide risk assessment. This VGS provides learners with the opportunity to make decisions in a setting that replicates the complicated conditions of working with a client who is suicidal in a safe learning environment. The main objective of this project is to increase learners' confidence and readiness when working with clients who are suicidal.
Learn more about the "Working with Clients Who Are Suicidal" Virtual Gaming Simulation:
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