George Brown College employees gathered for exploration and learning focused on teaching innovation, a celebration of teaching excellence at the college, and conversations on the impact of rapidly evolving technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), on post-secondary education.
Hosted by GBC's Teaching and Learning Exchange (TLX), the 2023 edition of GBC's annual teaching and learning conference “EvolvED” on June 29 featured a keynote presentation by the University of Calgary's Brenda McDermott, a plenary discussion with Microsoft Canada's National Technology Officer John Weigelt, as well as several workshops hosted by GBC faculty and employees on topics including equity, diversity and inclusion, AI, applied research and others.
During the keynote presentation and plenary discussion, attendees explored the technological advancements and the latest tools and research, focusing on high-impact and ready-to-implement practices. In conversation with GBC President Dr. Gervan Fearon, Weigelt highlighted the possibilities of AI to improve the learner experience.
"We're on a fantastic part of this journey where we can now really personalize the learning experience according to the needs and demands of particular learners," he said. "You're able then to have learners, then self-identify where they have challenges or difficulties, or perhaps even provide them assistance and say, 'Hey John, I think your calculus isn't going that well, you need to understand this a little bit better, and we can help you do that.'"
Check out highlights from EvolvED.
Celebrating teaching and learning excellence
Faculty achievements were celebrated with an awards ceremony after the guest speakers and workshops.
The following three honours were presented:
Educator of the Year: This award recognizes a GBC educator for teaching excellence, demonstrated through exemplary practice and contributions that nurture excellence within the broader institutional learning environment.
- Presented to Anna Bartosik.
Innovation (Teaching and Learning): This award recognizes employees who have designed and implemented a significant innovation that positively impacts the learning of George Brown College students.
- Presented to Lori Stahlbrand.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: The SoTL Scholar Award recognizes an individual or team for their outstanding contributions to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and the college's knowledge of and commitment to evidence-informed practice.
- Presented to Raj Khatri.
