UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
of the FRASER VALLEY

reac

Volume 12, Number 3

November 12, 1997

Teaching and Learning Centre to foster better
teaching in all its forms

The latest in computing
technology and old-
fashioned human interaction
are two of the key
ingredients in the University
College of the Fraser Valley
Teaching and Learning
Centre, which was officially
opened on November 3.

The centre, with sites on
both the Abbotsford and
Chilliwack campuses, is a ee
place where faculty and staff #4)
can come to develop their
teaching skills, whether it be
trying out the latest
presentation software,
attending a seminar on
curriculum development,
reading the current teaching journals,
learning more about online teaching, or
just talking about teaching with
colleagues.

Both the Abbotsford and Chilliwack
centres are outfitted with state-of-the-art
computer software and hardware, thanks.
to a $50,000 equipment donation from .
Seanix Technology Inc., which was
matched with a $50,000 grant from the
provincial government. A significant
portion of the donated funds has been
reserved to upgrade the equipment and
software as needed so the centre keeps up
with the rapidly evolving world of
computers.

““Seanix recognizes education as one of
the most important and fertile fields for
the application of technology,” says Paul
Girard, Seanix CEO. “Over the past 10
years Seanix has become Canada’s largest

Seanix CEO Paul Girard, professional development coordinator
Elizabeth Asner, Board vice chair Rebecca Andersen,
and faculty member Patrick O’Brien at the TLC opening.

manufacturer of PCs; we are very proud
to be able to share our success and invest
in the future of Canada through this
donation.”

The human face of the centre is
represented by Elizabeth Asner, UCFV’s
professional development coordinator.
Her office is now located in the
Abbotsford centre, and she will also be
spending time at the Chilliwack centre
starting in January. Asner’s tasks will
include coordinating seminars on
teaching-related subjects; maintaining a
library of teaching-related books,
journals, videos, websites, etc.; “just
being there” for anyone who wants to talk
to an experienced colleague about
teaching issues; and helping faculty to
gain access to research funding.

Asner says that teaching and learning
centres exist to address the fact that

although post-
secondary faculty are
experts in their
specialized fields,
many have not received
extensive training on
teaching techniques.

‘Most of us learned
to teach by emulating
better teachers whom
we admired, and made
it our business to
informally learn as
much about teaching as
we could,” says Asner.
“A centre like this
formalizes that process
by giving faculty and
staff a place that is
dedicated to fostering teaching
excellence.”

The centre will also be a place where
instructors struggling with their teaching
can go for support, Asner says.

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