The Flexible Learning Initiative (FLI) is a new program funded by the Vice-Provost Innovations in Undergraduate Education to provide support to instructors in the development of fully online or hybrid undergraduate courses. The program’s aim is to increase the range of online learning opportunities at the University of Toronto while building capacity for innovative approaches to teaching and learning. A key outcome of the course design process is the availability of more flexible options that leverage online technologies to accommodate scheduling or geographic constraints while providing a rich learning experience.
Features of the FLI include:
- Teams of three instructors from the same department or program that will work collaboratively to explore needs within their discipline area while re/designing their courses.
- A faculty development program will leverage the new Course Design for Online materials and include support for use of course data to inform design plans.
- Each cohorted team will address a focus area of strategic importance to their program, unit and/or division. Examples include:
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- Equity, diversity and inclusion
- Experiential learning
- Data-informed design
- Other discipline specific themes
Digital Learning Innovation is pleased to welcome our cohort for 2022-23, which includes:
Department of Statistical Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Science
- Bethany White, Statistics and Scientific Inquiry in the Life Sciences
- Katherine Daignault, Methods of Data Analysis I
- Sam Caetano, Surveys, Sampling and Observational Data
Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
- Jennifer Farmer, Physical Chemistry
- Daniela Galatro, Heat and Mass Transfer
- Lydia Wilkinson, Communication
Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, University of Toronto, Mississauga
- Alex Rennet, Linear Algebra I*
- Jaimal Thind, Linear Algebra I
- Maria Wesslen, Linear Algebra I
*Course to be offered in range of online and hybrid formats
Programming begins in October 2022 with the first workshop for all participants, facilitated by Digital Learning Innovation unit team. Participants will be building upon lessons learned, and enhance course design work done, during our shift to remote/online teaching and learning during the last two years. Instructors will improve upon those courses that underwent a modality shift to remote delivery and create an intentional, high quality, ‘digital by design’ hybrid courses that meet UofT expectations for meaningful student engagement and assessment.
Contact digital.learning@utoronto.ca for more information.