| | | Welcome! What's happening in the world of FASE EdTech this month? We’re putting the final touches on the Mining Industry Management Program (MIMP), a series of interactive Rise modules that integrate expert video insights alongside other learning elements. It’s a good reminder of how powerful (and approachable) video can be with the right preparation and support (see Tip 01). As you look ahead to the wrap-up of the Winter term, or possibly begin planning for summer and Fall courses, this is also a great time to think about what you might want to refresh or try for the first time (see Teaching support). As Cheryl recently moved into a new role at UTSC, we want to thank her for her outstanding contributions as our Educational Graphic and Media Developer. Her graphic design expertise, sharp eye for detail, and strong commitment to accessibility have left a lasting mark on our work, and we will miss her greatly! What's happening over the next few months? With conference season starting to pop up across the University and beyond (see Tip 02), there will be plenty of opportunities to connect, reflect, and share our takeaways in a future blog. As we wrap up current work, we’ll also be turning our attention to a few new projects that have recently come our way. Recording is already on the horizon, including a new demo and a lightboard session in the ETO studio. We’re also continuing our partnership with Engineering Strategies & Practice (ESP), and are looking forward to seeing the student teams present their initial design concepts to us for the first time. If you do one thing after reading this newsletter, review the steps for entering grades for an in-person quiz, test, or exam in Quercus. |
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| | 1. Listen to the new MADE podcast, Confidence and authenticity on camera |
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| In the 14th episode of MADE (Media And Design in Education) for U of T, we hear from Laura Hepes, the founder and executive producer at Iceberg Media Productions, a Toronto-based video production company. Laura shares her approach to working with people who aren’t used to being on camera: what helps them relax, how to draw out their best performance, and what lessons we can bring into our own academic production environment. |
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| | Teaching supportWork with the ETO teamOur office is committed to inspiring, supporting, and empowering FASE faculty in the thoughtful use of educational technologies. We offer consultations and a range of services to make integrating technology into your teaching smoother and more effective. |
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| | If you want to: If you want to: discuss integrating video, audio, or other media into your teaching plan a recording (e.g., lightboard video, guest speaker sessions)
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| | 2. Save the dates for upcoming conferences and workshops |
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| Several exciting teaching, learning, and AI-focused events are coming up over the next few months. Be sure to mark your calendars and watch for registration details. |
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| | | Signal to Noise: Tuning In to What Matters in Teaching (May 13-14, 2026). The annual Teaching & Learning Symposium is the premier teaching showcase for the University of Toronto. It is also a signature event for the Offices of the President and Vice-President & Provost, and by extension, CTSI. This year the symposium will explore how to cut through the noise of competing demands, new technologies, and evolving teaching practices to focus on what truly makes a difference for student learning. Registration is opening soon. |
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| | Co-Creating the Future of Higher Education: Human Presence in an Age of Artificial Intelligence (June 10-11, 2026). This virtual conference will be hosted by the University of Guelph, in partnership with Western University, McMaster University, University of Toronto, and University of Windsor will bring together educators, students, staff, and sector leaders to envision a more relational, equitable, and sustainable future for higher education. Registration is opening soon. |
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| Bookmark: The EdTech Related Events Calendar brings together EdTech-related events from across the Faculty and the University, along with key deadlines for EdTech funding opportunities. |
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| | | Quick tech tipGrading in-person assessments in Quercus Planning to enter grades for an in-person quiz, test, or exam in Quercus? If you need a gradebook column for manual grading, use an Assignment – not a Quiz – in Quercus. Even if you refer to it as a “quiz” in your syllabus, for Gradebook purposes you should: |
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| | Faculty questions of the weekEach week we answer a real question that we've received about Quercus and other Academic Toolbox and media tools, keeping the questions timely and relevant to you. Select a question to read the full inquiry and response, or browse all previous faculty questions of the week. Read the faculty question of the week |
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| | | Worthwhile clicks from the web |
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| Looking for something to read/watch/listen to? Each month we round up things that we've interacted with that we think are worth sharing: 7 Tips for Writing Realistic Wrong Answers in Branching Scenarios | Christy Tucker Learning From the blog: “It’s one of the big challenges in creating branching scenarios: writing realistic wrong answers. Each decision point in a branching scenario for training needs to have plausible distractors. But how do you come up with those options in ways that feel realistic without being too obvious?” This blog discusses strategies for writing realistic wrong answers that strengthen the authenticity of branching scenarios and enhance learning and assessment. Stop generating, start thinking | localghost From the blog: “As I see more and more people generating code instead of writing it, I find myself wondering why engineers are so ready and willing to do away with one of the good bits of our jobs (coding) and leave themselves with the boring bit (reviews).” This opinion piece suggests that while LLMs can assist with coding, developers must still think critically about architecture, trade-offs, and long-term impacts. From Scientific Film to Do-It-Yourself Streaming Media: 50 Years of Media in Higher Education | Media & Learning From the blog: “In lecture halls, films initially served as moments of pause, resting points for teachers and welcome interruptions for students. Yet even then, moving images held significant pedagogical value: they visualised complex processes, captured laboratory experiments, and documented phenomena otherwise inaccessible to learners.” This is an transcribed interview with Jan T. Goldschmeding, a member of the International Association for Media in Science (IAMS). Dead Reference: Real research or AI hallucination? | Sam Illingworth From the website: “Dead Reference is a short browser game about the gap between real research and AI hallucination. You will read ten academic citations. Five are real. Five were fabricated by AI. Your job is to guess which ones actually exist. It sounds simple. Most of them will fool you.” Try it out and see how well you do!
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| | A picture is worth a thousand words, or at least whatever we can fit in the description! Here are a few photos taken by the ETO team during the past month: |
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| ETO Team lunch (Inga Breede) |
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| Special capture in HS building (Marisa Curmi) |
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| Ice fishing in Keswick (Yun Wu) |
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| The perfect tamp (James Zhan) |
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| | Copyright (C) 2026 U of T Engineering. All rights reserved. Quick ETO Information Email: fase.edtech@utoronto.ca ETO Studio Space: Bahen 3116 ETO Office Space: 256 McCaul, Rms. 204a to 207 |
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| What is the FASE Education Technology Office? The Education Technology Office (ETO) supports academic teaching activities in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering by providing leadership, consultation, development and support of academic technology solutions. If you’re using a technology tool in the classroom (or thinking about using a technology tool in the classroom), we are here to help you plan and support it at every stage. |
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