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About the CFTL

Nipissing University's Centre for Flexible Teaching and Learning is dedicated to providing teaching and learning supports and services to Nipissing University faculty and students. Staff members include web developers, learning management system experts, project managers, and instructional designers.

Welcome to Nipissing University's Centre for Flexible Teaching and Learning. As the Academic Director for the Centre, I am delighted to be part of the Centre.

Over the last couple of weeks, many people have asked me the same question: what is flexible teaching and learning? In simplest terms, flexible teaching and learning is about the choices we make to enable learning in positive and appropriate ways. Does this mean that flexible learning can happen in classrooms where there is little to no use of technology? Absolutely.

Think of it this way: a teacher may decide that the best way to inspire students in a course on medieval literature is to use well prepared lectures and a library assignment. Imagine that this teacher is a good explainer, interesting lecturer, and enthusiastic dramatist when reading passages out loud. While there is no technology here except for the students' library work, in all likelihood, the students will come to understand and enjoy Chaucer's Canterbury Tales a great deal. Contrarily, the biology teacher down the hall may use different approaches including group projects, formal lessons, and interactive labs.

In both instances, the teacher is practising flexible teaching. Simply put, the teacher is making choices based on the subject matter, the students' needs and strengths, and the teacher's expertise. Where then does technology fit?

Certainly the Internet has revolutionized our world: we bank, plan vacations, listen to music, talk to friends and children around the world, and study through opportunities made possible through the wonders of technology. Consider what this means to a registered practical nurse in Moosonee wanting to complete her degree and a working single parent who requires a post-secondary education to get a better job. Such opportunities are nothing short of transformative.

The combination of education and technology goes well beyond the domain of adult education. Even pre-school children interact with and use technology. As they move through elementary and secondary school, theirs is a world of social networking and unprecedented volumes of information available through laptops and mobile devices. That technology has found its way into today's classroom should not surprise us.

So where does Nipissing University's Centre for Flexible Teaching and Learning fit into this educational landscape? First and foremost, the CFTL is about teaching and learning in all its configurations; as such, it offers diverse and responsive supports and services to teacher and learners. Some of these possibilities include formal and informal workshops; conversations about pedagogy, good teaching, and the place of teaching in the university; speakers; technical support; and mentoring.

The Centre also supports the scholarship of teaching and learning through its involvement with the Schulich Fellowship program as well as leadership in educational research. The teacher as scholar model and the concept of a teaching commons are integral to the mandate of the CFTL and Nipissing University.

Perhaps you are a teacher; alternately, you may be a student, someone thinking about studying at Nipissing, or a member of the Nipissing community who cares deeply about the educational experience. So that the CFTL can grow in ways that are timely, practical, and reflective of the importance of teaching and learning in our lives, please be sure to be in touch. We look forward to these important conversations.

Kind regards,

Lorraine Carter, PhD, MA, BEd, Hons. BA
Academic Director
Centre for Flexible Learning
lorrainec@nipissingu.ca
705-474-3450, ext. 4602​​

For further information regarding our staff please go to the following:

 
Nipissing University
100 College Drive, Box 5002
North Bay, ON, Canada
P1B 8L7
Tel: 705.474.3450
TTY: 877.688.5507
Brantford Campus
50 Wellington St.
Brantford, ON, Canada
N3T 2L6
Tel: 519.752.1524
Muskoka Campus
125 Wellington Street
Bracebridge, ON, Canada
P1L 1E2
Tel: 705.645.2921
 

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