Focus on Teaching Info-bulletin

FEATURED EVENT

Designing Effective Multiple-Choice Questions
Friday, October 4, 1:00-3:00 PM

Would you like to improve the quality of your Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)? Would you like to learn how to use MCQs to assess higher order thinking skills such as application and analysis? If so, join a group of fellow instructors for this two-hour workshop about the principles of well-designed MCQs.  

UPCOMING EVENTS

Honouring Partnership: Promoting Engagement & Sensitivity in Aboriginal Health Research
October 4, 8:30-12:30 PM

How do you conduct research ethically? This interactive symposium draws together expert members from Aboriginal, as well as MUHC and McGill University research communities to discuss a wide range of ethical issues.
Note: A special lecture by Dr. Ian Mosby will follow this event at 2:30pm. See below.

The Legacies of Human Biomedical Experimentation in Aboriginal Communities and Residential Schools
October 4, 2:30-3:30 PM

Dr. Ian Mosby discusses the historical legacies of a series of scientific experiments conducted in a number of Aboriginal communities and residential schools during the 1940s and 1950s.

The Right Start: Building a Healthy Student-Supervisor Relationship
Friday, October 25, 9:30-12:30 PM

This conflict resolution workshop is designed to help supervisors build communication with supervisees and learn how to effectively prevent and manage conflict in their relationships. 

Beyond the Research Paper – New Ways to Get Students Writing
Wednesday, October 30, 9:30-12:30 PM

Integrating writing assignments into undergraduate courses can increase students’ engagement and promote critical thinking. Attend this workshop for guidelines on designing short written assignments that make students think more and write less. For more info, visit our website.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Customization of Course Evaluation Questionnaires
Did you know that you can request that up to three (3) additional specific questions be added to your Mercury end-of-course evaluations? Please ensure that you send your questions to the Department Mercury Liaison no later than Monday, October 21, 2013 to be included in the fall evaluations.

Mid-Course Evaluations
Want to receive useful feedback from students about your course mid-term?  This can help you make changes immediately as well as encourage participation in end-of-course evaluations. Effective strategies include setting up an anonymous discussion board, administering an online survey using myCourses, or having an in-class student-led forum.

Lecture Recording Available
Students have told us they find lecture recordings extremely valuable.  If you are teaching an a classroom that supports lecture recording, please make sure you sign up to record your lectures and make them available to your students. Instructions in the IT Knowledge Base.

Are You Teaching Now? myCourses was upgraded!
This upgrade improves general usability and tools such as Content and Grades. If you haven’t already, check out the links below to ensure you have everything you need.

• Full list of New Features in myCourses (also available as a video)
• Index of instructor videos and documentation
• IT checklist for instructors preparing for the academic year

Latest Version of Clicker Software Available!
Download the latest version of TurningPoint for PC or Mac from McGill Software licensing website. The new version for Mac is now integrated with PowerPoint (for Macs running MS PowerPoint 2011).

Library Collections: Relocation Update
This summer, the McGill Library has undergone many significant changes that will impact the ability to locate and access parts of the collection at different branches. A status update regarding the relocation of collections will be posted on a regular basis in order to better serve you during this transitional period.

TEACHING CHECKLSTS

IT Checklist for Instructors Preparing for the Academic Year
Use the IT Checklist and articles to help ensure you have everything you need.

Library Checklist for Instructors Preparing for the Academic Year
The Library has compiled a short Checklist that outlines main Library services available to support teaching activities of McGill faculty.

Clicker Checklist for Instructors Preparing for the Academic Year
Register your course, pick up your clicker/receiver set and follow other key items on the checklist to help you get started for the Fall term.

LEARN MORE ABOUT

Code of Student Conduct
To help the academic community with standards and procedures required to maintain and protect the objectives of teaching at the University.

McGill’s Teaching for Learning Blog Join McGill faculty, staff and students in a conversation about higher education. Read the latest posts:

• McGill and the Quebec Charter of Values
• The lost art of being selfish
• MOOCs and pistol shrimp in the Sea of Cortez

Teaching Snapshots: Perspectives on teaching and learning
Ever wonder what other professors do to keep their students engaged? Visit the Teaching Snapshots website and learn about McGill instructors’ thoughts on teaching and learning. New interviews added this month include instructors teaching philosophy, law, writing, and statistics.

Audio Streaming Databases
McGill Library hosts multiple databases where you can access and link to streaming musical recordings ranging from classical music, to live concerts. Accessing off campus: VPN or EZproxy.

e-books
Access over 800,000 ebooks in 24 collections at the McGill Library. Subjects range from the Reformation, English and American Poetry, to Life and Biomedical Sciences and Theoretical and Computational Physics.

Films on Demand
Integrate high quality online streaming educational videos or fully annotated segments into lectures or presentations. Programs include Canadian Public Performance rights. Accessing off campus: VPN or EZproxy.