Learning and Instructional Supports

Along with providing a welcoming and comfortable space where students can engage in teamwork with their peers, there are also other learning supports on offer at the Student Commons. These include:

• Technology Loans for Students. For a full list of available equipment see the tech loans page.  Items are loaned by T-Card on a first-come, first-served basis and subject to availability from the Information Desk on the 4th floor of the Bissell Building.
• Writing/Tech Tutors aim to help students develop as writers in ways that will continue to benefit them on their scholarly and professional journeys.
• The Maker Space provides students a creative space where they can explore different technologies, be creative and make things within a collaborative and safe environment. Learn more here: KMDI-Semaphore Makerspace.

Quercus, a Latin term meaning oak tree genus, is the learning management system used by the University of Toronto and powered by Canvas-Instructure, Inc.  Students, staff and faculty can find their online courses, resources and para-course modules where students interact online to fulfill course and program mandates. The UofT Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation provides a Quick Quercus Guide for staff and instructors, and Quercus Support for Students. To access a Quercus course, go to q.utoronto.ca.

The Faculty Equipment Collection is a small collection of laptops, MacBooks, wireless microphones and headphones, adapters, and so on, that instructors can borrow for their teaching throughout the term. The collection can be found in the Student Commons on the 4^th floor. Faculty can use their T-Cards to borrow items for loan periods of 24 – 72 hours. For longer loans, requests for equipment should be sent at least one week in advance. Any equipment not currently available will be considered for future purchase.

Educational Software is reviewed by the UofT Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation, which provides a list of UofT approved educational software for teaching and learning: Quercus Support Resources & the Academic Toolbox. The Academic, Research & Collaborative (technologies group goes through a rigorous privacy and security process before adding tools to this Toolbox: See Academic Toolbox: New Tools, How it Works. This aligns with U of T’s, Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy (FIPPA) guidelines. Additionally, U of T recognizes that instructors may be interested in using social media and third-party and/or cloud-based technology tools that may not be on the Toolbox list yet, so they have provided guidelines around their use, Tools Beyond Quercus. Faculty of Information instructors can send requests at least a month in advance to assess third-party tools to it.ischool@utoronto.ca to determine if an educational software can be used for teaching.

• The Syllabus and Course Review Service offers an analysis of academic materials to ensure the alignment of course objectives, assessments and instructional strategies with Universal Design for Learning and accessibility best practices for optimal student learning and success.
• The Accessible Document and Media Service offers an analysis of course materials and provides solutions for instructors looking to make their digital materials, including documents and media files, accessible, ensuring that all users have equal access to information and resources.
• PCOC/pedagogy roundtables
• TA development
• The Technical and Accessibility Support Assistant (TASA) Team are student members of the Learning Hub team. They are embedded in Faculty of Information courses to support course instructors and students as they navigate the integration of technology in their teaching and learning. TASAs provide guidance and support for creating accessible digital content, and resolving any technical issues.