Focus on TEL: Faculty Teaching/Learning Support Services

The Centre for the Support of Teaching and the Faculty Support Centre are now housed in proximity, in part to provide integrated support services to faculty members with the CST's overall support for their pedagogical activities and the FSC's technical support for those who wish to use technology in teaching and learning activities.

Find both support services in one location (Room 1050 TEL Building). MAP

Centre for the Support of Teaching (CST)

The CST was established in June 1989 to provide advocacy for excellence and innovation in teaching and to assist individuals, units and Faculties in improving student learning. The CST coordinates a broad range of programs and strategies to promote reflective practice and scholarly dialogue on teaching and learning among faculty and graduate students at York University. The CST also chairs the TEL Coordinating Committee, a group which brings together all the technology support units on campus and which seeks to maintain a pedagogical grounding for the university's technology support.

The CST reception area in Room 1050 TEL Building

Current CST Programs

Programs currently coordinated by the CST include:

Teaching and Learning Webliography
Resources available electronically on course development, delivery and evaluation, teaching critical thinking, problem based and cooperative learning, teaching with technology, TA teaching tools, and association journals and listservs

Programs for Faculty and Course Directors
New Faculty Teaching at York, Discipline Specific Teaching Development Programs, Teaching/Learning Circles, Classroom Research, Course Design, Individualized Consultations, Teaching and Learning with Technology

Programs for Graduate Students
TA Day, University Teaching Practicum (UTP) and FAQs, Ongoing Lecture Series, University Teaching and Learning (UTAL), Teaching Assistants Resource Group (TARG)

Teaching Awards, Grants and Fellowships
Internal and External Teaching Awards Information, Teaching and Learning Grants and Fellowships, York Assessment Forum

CST Administration

Professor Ron Sheese, Academic Director
Olivia Petrie, Associate Director

More information

For a list of upcoming events, CST publications and more information on CST programs, services and activities, go to the website: http://www.yorku.ca/cst/

CNS Faculty Support Centre (FSC)

The Computing and Network Services Faculty Support Centre provides assistance to faculty who are interested in using technology to support, supplement or enhance their teaching and research.

FSC Services and Facilities

• Consultation on technology options to help reach pedagogical goals in the classroom, at conferences or on the web
• Project support to faculty to facilitate use of technology in their teaching, whether a course component or an entire course
• Multimedia development, including the best way(s) to incorporate multimedia elements into teaching and learning activities, or providing customized audio, video, CD or DVD creation
• Workshops on a wide range of topics, from broad overviews of possibilities to specific application training (e.g. Web CT, PowerPoint)
• WebCT web-based course management system support for faculty, providing a course website plus communication and management tools
• Equipment in drop-in and multimedia labs - including both Macintosh and PC computers and software. FSC's specialized software and fast computers will save time in creating instructional content
  

Enhancements

Audio/Video Studio
The new FSC space will offer a mini-studio to allow faculty to produce instructional modules for classroom or online use. Try different presentations: topics you introduce as course director or lecturer, interviews with experts on a particular topic - the approach is up to you. And you can use the studio facility with assistance from FSC staff, or on your own.

CD/DVD duplication service
The FSC offers CD and DVD duplication services, so that faculty members can make the course materials they have created easily available to their students.

New version of WebCT
WebCT, the web-based course management system supported by FSC, has been upgraded to a new version, with a new look and feel. We hope you'll find it easy to use - two-hour Introduction to WebCT workshops for interested faculty will be held throughout the fall. Check our website for more details. For more details on the WebCT upgrade, see the article in this newsletter.

Coming soon to the FSC

Online discussion group software
The Faculty Support Centre will be implementing a stand-alone discussion group tool, which faculty may use without having to learn the WebCT package - a fast and easy way to include an online discussion group module in your course.

More information

For more information on the Faculty Support Centre, including hours of operation and the full range of services provided, visit the website: http://www.fsc.yorku.ca/.

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