Were you at the College’s Ped Day January 14, 2026? Even if you were not, you could benefit from the resources offered by our speakers, such as keynote Tracy Vaillancourt, and facilitators.
They are all found on the Office of Academic Development SharePoint site.Â
Winter 2026 Ped Day Keynote: Tracy Vaillancourt
The move into CEGEP is one of the most consequential periods in a young person’s life. Mental-health challenges often emerge or intensify in late adolescence and emerging adulthood, precisely when students are navigating new academic expectations, shifting social networks, and increasing responsibility. This keynote examines what we know about mental-health trajectories during this developmental window, why the CEGEP transition is uniquely stressful, and how small, practical shifts in college teaching practice can significantly strengthen student wellbeing, resilience, and academic success. Tracy’s plenary talk will be followed by a presentation by Sameer Bhatnagar, of Dawson specific data on trends in student academic performance across the programs. Sameer is the Associate Dean of the Quality Assurance and Planning Office (QAPO).
The move into CEGEP is one of the most consequential periods in a young person’s life. Mental-health challenges often emerge or intensify in late adolescence and emerging adulthood, precisely when students are navigating new academic expectations, shifting social networks, and increasing responsibility. This keynote examines what we know about mental-health trajectories during this developmental window,...
With the revision, both pre-university programs in natural science include a programming course during the first year. This hands-on workshop will present how students can reinvest their Python skills in the labs to analyze and visualize data. Ideally, participants should bring typical data sets. After an overview of useful code examples, participants will play with...
Addressing Excessive Student Workload in Technical °µÍø³Ô¹Ï (Full) - Giovanna Primerano (Nursing), Myriam Julien (Nursing), Stephanie Harrison (Analytical Chemistry), Mahsa Sadeghi (Computer Science), Eric Mayhew (Computer Science), Sharon Clegg (Physiotherapy), Maria Lavoie (Diagnostic Imaging), Jane Hudson (OAD)
The Student Workload Working Group consists of teachers from technical programs assessing and planning interventions to address student workload in their programs. In this panel presentation, teachers will share the specific actions or projects they are working on this year. Some strategies and tools they explore: intentional competency development strategies, course-evaluations, resilience teaching, aligned assessments...
A hands-on activity with a live Moodle “workshops” assignment. Partifcipants will use a Moodle activity (a sandbox) and model submitting and evaluating eachothers work. Peer-review helps to relieve instructors from excess grading, can improve student engagement, provide targeted feedback to students on the relevant criteria, and allows students to reflect on their specific tasks. The...
Join the SAAC team for a lighthearted, honest, and fun session exploring how learning environments can unintentionally disable students, and what we can do about it. Through real student stories, humor, and a peek behind the SAAC curtain, we’ll unpack myths, reveal the hidden curriculum, and show how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) turns empathy...
Join us to refresh and strengthen your classroom management toolkit. This interactive workshop will equip you with tools to prevent unwanted student behaviour, foster positive relationships, and establish a structured learning environment. You will leave with practical classroom management strategies you can use starting Day 1 of the winter semester plus gain additional helpful strategies...
Kanerahtiio Hemlock is the indigenous pedagogical consultant at Dawson college. He will present on a program he created at the First Nations Regional Adult Education Center in Kahnawake.
Building on the proactive and preventative classroom management strategies introduced in Part 1, this session focuses on how to respond confidently and professionally when challenging classroom behaviours arise. Part 2 will add to your toolkit of strategic interventions, strengthen your judgement in addressing problematic student behaviour and allow space to practice applying intervention strategies to...
Want to connect with colleagues, engage in rich discussions about teaching and learning, and tackle classroom challenges as part of a convivial and collegial group? Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) might be the answer. In this session, you will hear from participants about their experiences in current FLCs and learn about the FLCs that will be...
Improving Program Alignment in Technical °µÍø³Ô¹Ï (Full) - John Robert Battista (Radiation Oncology), Carlos Carpintero (Product Design), Chantal Chapson (Illustration), Einat Idan (OAD), Kurt Holfeld (Interior Design), Monica Lopez (OAD), Peter Mikhail (Diagnostic Imaging), Melanie Nash (Medical Ultrasound)
The Curriculum Alignment Working Group consists of teachers from six technical programs who have been engaged in strengthening their program alignment. These faculty members reviewed and analyzed the way competencies were distributed in their own programs and courses through collaborative learning, group discussions, departmental consultations and independent work. They concluded with concrete proposals to improve...
This interactive workshop explores intentional opening activities for students through an Interprofessional Education (IPE) lens. Participants will engage in three purposeful starters designed to build trust, collaboration, and shared understanding. Together, we’ll analyze how intentional openings—rooted in pedagogical goals and professional competencies—are replacing traditional icebreakers by fostering meaningful connection and readiness for effective interprofessional learning.
Creating courses that re-enforce concepts and support each other can be a real challenge. Using the Computer Science Technology program as a case study, this presentation will explore strategies and techniques that support student success through a holistic approach to course and program design. Real world processes involving course outline design and examples will be...
The GenAI Sandbox is a collaborative, living lab concept for exploring generative AI across disciplines. This workshop will guide small groups through critical reflection and hands-on trial of AI tools for teaching and learning (e.g., ChatGPT). The session emphasizes responsible AI use through exploratory, reflective practice in a low-stakes sandbox environment.
