UOIT invites local leaders back to class

OSHAWA, ON - The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) brought together representatives from local MP and MPP offices, Industry Canada, the Council of Ontario Universities and UOIT faculty members and administrators back to class on February 15 to showcase the innovation in teaching and learning that is happening at the university.

“We are delighted to be part of this very worthwhile event and share our passion for teaching and learning,” said UOIT President Tim McTiernan. “At UOIT we look at the whole learning experience and provide our students with everything they need to succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Whether it is support services, engaged and passionate faculty or a technology-enriched learning environment, this overall experience prepares our graduates to thrive in the 21^st century workplace.”

The event, themed Learning Reinvented, included welcome remarks from Dr. McTiernan, and a presentation by Dr. Bill Muirhead, associate provost, Academic and Information Technology, who highlighted a number of ways the university applies its advanced learning technologies to enhance the teaching and learning experiences of its faculty and students.

Participants also enjoyed presentations from Dr. Carla Cesaroni, an associate professor with the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities and past UOIT Teaching Award recipient; Vernon Kee, a 2006 Bachelor of Education graduate and 2009 Premier’s Award – New Teacher category recipient, who explained how he utilizes the technology skills he obtained at UOIT and applies them in his own classroom; and Raquel Murray, Master of Science in Modelling and Computational Science candidate, whose undergraduate summer research experience opened doors to her future.

Following the presentations, guests toured UOIT’s state-of-the-art Gaming and Virtual Reality Laboratory and Medical Science Laboratory (Med Lab). The Gaming lab is dedicated to the study and development of games and game technology. It consists of 30 high-tech workstations, a full body motion capture system and a laser scanner. Students in UOIT’s Medical Laboratory Science program, a direct-entry honours degree program that is one of two such programs in Canada, learn increasingly complex technical laboratory skills in UOIT’s advanced simulation laboratories, equipped with instrumentation that mirrors industry standards.

The event is part of the Council of Ontario Universities’ provincewide initiative, Back to Class  that focuses on teaching and learning. It is designed to celebrate success in this area and use those experiences to inform both institutional and public policy approaches with the aim of further enhancing the learning experience. Other activities will include the production of an Ontario report on best practices in teaching and a provincial symposium on Assessing Learning Outcomes, as well as university conferences that discuss ways to improve student engagement and inspire life-long learning.

About Ontario Tech University
A modern, forwarding-thinking university, Ontario Tech advances the discovery and application of knowledge to accelerate economic growth, regional development and social innovation. We inspire and equip our students and our graduates to make a positive impact in a tech-focused world. For us, it’s not only about developing the next tech breakthrough. Understanding and integrating the social and ethical implications of technology differentiates us as university. Learn more at ontariotechu.ca.

Media contact
Melissa Levy
Communications and Marketing
Ontario Tech University
905.721.8668
289.928.0268
melissa.levy@uoit.ca