1.4 Open Mic Sessions

1.4.1 The Power of Presence: Centering In‑Person Communication in a Digital‑Heavy Era
Alexandra Motut, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Rotman School of Management  

Filtering the Noise: Tools, Trends, and Tensions        

I describe how my commitment to in-person, real-time assessment in a second-year business communications course cuts through the noise of a digital-heavy teaching landscape and helps students understand what matters most in communicating effectively with others.

In an era of overwhelming AI-powered tools and asynchronous convenience, I structure my course around one core principle: students learn communication best when they must communicate in real time, in person, with real people. This single strategic commitment underpins every major assessment and helps students tune out digital noise and tune in to authentic human interaction.

All major assignments require students to perform, collaborate, or connect live. Students deliver small-group presentations in rooms with a TA and five peers, responding to audience cues and managing real-time dynamics. Each student meets with me individually during office hours—a deliberately analog, relational assessment—to practice professional one-to-one communication of feedback. A “coffee chat” assignment requires students to conduct a real-world conversation with someone outside the classroom and record it for feedback, emphasizing real-life conversation skills. Students also record a video presentation live, in front of a peer and a TA, reinforcing the embodied nature of the course. Out-of-class practice opportunities include peer-to-peer workshops and coaching appointments at the writing and communications centre.

By making presence—not paperwork—the central mode of assessment, students develop grounded, practical communication skills that written, asynchronous tasks cannot capture, while overall engagement and focus increase. This approach is easily adaptable to other disciplines seeking meaningful, high-impact learning experiences.

1.4.2 Indigenization of Higher Education Curriculum – Insights from a collaborative initiative of “One Dish One Spoon” faculty mentorship project
Tanzina Mohsin, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Physical and Environmental Sciences, UTSC 

Sustaining Resonance: Lessons, Insights, and Impact

This session shares lessons and a practical, transferable model from a completed UTSC faculty mentorship initiative grounded in One Dish, One Spoon responsibilities and relationship-centered approaches to teaching and learning. The project supported faculty, librarians, staff (and some students) in building confidence and competence to integrate Indigenous Knowledges and decolonizing pedagogies into curriculum without tokenism, by prioritizing relationship, place, reciprocity, and reflective practice.

An interdisciplinary team of faculty-librarian convened a sequence of land- and place-based learning circles: one multi-day retreat in a natural setting and several one-day gatherings on/off campus sessions, each guided by Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, Elders, and Indigenous scholars. Across formats, the same core structure was used: circle-based dialogue, land-/place-based learning, guided reflection prompts and peer-supported “translation” of insights into “course” actions. The session focuses on a central theme: improving impact by protecting the signal (relational learning, cultural safety, accountable partnership) while reducing the noise (logistics, honoraria processes, unsuitable spaces, communication constraints on protocols).

Attendees will receive practical “Retreat-to-Course Mapping Ideas” that helps educators move from learning experience → course touchpoints → student activities → reflection/feedback, alongside a short implementation checklist. The session will also highlight the value of interdisciplinary and library partnership for ethical resource pathways and sustainable curation of teaching resources. Participants will leave with concrete options to adopt the model at different contexts, a short list of do’s/don’ts for Indigenous relationship-centered engagement, and options for sustainable scaling  such as recurring retreats, book club models, and shared repositories of vetted resources while keeping the principles intact.

1.4.3 Connection at Scale: Efficient Strategies for Personalized, Empathic Feedback
Kathleen Yu, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Economics, UTM

Amplifying the Signal: Connection, Engagement, and Civil Discourse          

In many classrooms, students often wonder whether their professors truly see them or care about their individual learning experiences. This session explores a scalable, relationship‑centered communication strategy that strengthens human connection in large‑enrollment courses by making feedback personal, timely, and grounded in care through personalized emails to students after every major assessment.  The session highlights how intentional, individualized outreach can amplify clarity, empathy, and (most importantly) be efficiently accomplished even when hundreds of students are involved. Although this session draws on experiences from a high‑enrollment course, the strategy can be easily adapted to small- and medium-sized courses as well.

The approach centers on acknowledging students’ efforts, recognizing their progress, and offering supportive pathways forward after key assessments. It reframes feedback as an opportunity to build trust, foster dialogue, and affirm students’ sense of belonging. Students consistently report feeling seen, supported, and motivated when they receive personalized communication that meets them where they are, whether they excelled, struggled, or simply made incremental gains. These messages become touchpoints that humanize the learning experience and open doors to deeper conversations about study strategies, challenges, and a growth mindset.

Participants will consider how this model can be adapted across disciplines, modalities, and class sizes to encourage meaningful engagement. The session will also address practical strategies for implementing individualized communication efficiently and sustainably. Ultimately, this approach demonstrates that even in large classes, small acts of personalized connection can profoundly shape students’ confidence, resilience, and willingness to engage in the shared work of learning.