Toronto Metropolitan University Library is excited to announce the recipients of the 2019 DME Creators Grant. Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science student Kelly Bang, School of Disability Studies student Paul Benson, Faculty of Community Services student Alannah Fricker, and Ted Rogers School of Management students Hansel Igbavboa and Mazin Kanuga will receive funding to complete individual passion projects that address current social issues.
In September, 2018, the Library launched the DME Creators Grant as an initiative designed to support innovative undergraduate projects aimed at tackling local and systemic societal issues. The grant highlights experiential learning opportunities at the Library and provides both funding and mentorship to recipients.
The successful applicants will design projects that address issues relating to: increased awareness of disabled communities; public safety on campus; minority representation in media; racial discrimination; and harm reduction. Through the creation of websites, documentaries, interactive art and public installations, these talented students will place a spotlight on important topics while providing solutions for positive change. In addition to providing funding, Library grant facilitators will partner students with faculty and industry mentors. Students will have the opportunity to learn and develop the skills required to bring each project to fruition. Mentors will guide students using resources, tools and equipment available through the Isaac Olowolafe Jr. Digital Media Experience Lab, at the Library.
Students kick off their projects in May, and will present completed projects in early September. Presentations will be open to the public.
Fourth year student Charles Garcia lights up his own mini keypads at the Library’s DME
Throughout his undergraduate studies, fourth-year computer engineering student Charles Garcia has made the most of the opportunities available to students at the Library’s Isaac Olowolafe Jr. Digital Media Experience Lab (DME). The DME is a student academic hub that offers digital literacy workshops, and experiential learning programming. In the summer of 2018, after researching and building his own small-scale keypad prototype at the DME, Garcia started developing his own workshops to teach other students how to do the same. He’s now facilitated two pilot mini keypad workshops, and will launch his first official workshop at the DME on April 29, 2019.
Why did you start making mini keypads?
Originally the keypad was created to fulfill a small need of my own: a small, portable gaming keypad for a game I played during my first year at university. As time went on, I spent less time gaming; however, I was still interested in the process of creating mini keypads—3D-modeling/printing, firmware programming and basic circuit design. I continued creating the keypads as a way to keep updating my skills, which led to more keypads and keyboards. It is now a hobby that allows me to keep making small improvements to each small project.
How did you make the first keypad?
The original keypad was built using a USB-capable Arduino (Leonardo, Micro, and Teensy) attached to four keyboard buttons, enclosed in a 3D-printed case. Not much has fundamentally changed since then, other than the refinement of the keypad design including incremental improvements in firmware (Arduino code), the use of circuit boards over wires, differing numbers of buttons, and lighting effects.
This project is really innovative. Where and how did you acquire the skills to develop the keypad?
I can’t say that this was an original idea. Logitech and other hardware manufacturers are further ahead of me in terms of innovation.
Most of the knowledge I‘ve gained has been based on research. I’ve spent hours going through online forums, datasheets and tutorials, in addition to the support at the DME. I’ve also had to learn and update skill sets in order to implement the keypad, such as programming, soldering, and 3D modeling. I learned these skills in order to minimize research costs and create meaningful progress for these projects. Even re-implementing a current design requires plenty of research and self-education. The DME has and continues to be, very supportive. I cannot thank them enough for their support and the resources given to me.
What can participants look forward to at your keypad workshop?
The keypad workshop is a culmination of my experience building keypads designed around teaching basic assembly, soldering and programming skills. Participants will receive a kit containing materials required to build my keypad, instructions from myself, and a GitHub page documenting the build process. The kit has been designed to be simple enough for beginners, but also challenging enough to warrant learning a new set of skills. Experienced builders/programmers can also program the keypad beyond the scope of the workshop to fulfill their own needs.
The kit, when assembled, will be a keypad with eight buttons, lighting circuitry built-in, and can be programmed with effects.
Garcia’s first official mini keypad workshop will be offered on April 29, 2019 at the DME
Students can register at: DIY Macro Keyboard Workshop
Toronto Metropolitan University Library welcomes visiting scholar Michael Ridley. A current PhD candidate with the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University, Ridley’s research focuses on the opaqueness of machine learning systems and explainable artificial intelligence, with the intent of demystifying systems in order to build trust in the data and information they generate.
His research spans not only machine learning and explainable artificial intelligence, but also includes algorithmic and digital literacies–areas of study well situated within the expertise and mandate of libraries. Both academic and public libraries have an important role to play in helping to create transparency, which will enable trust in systems, and the ability to build and use them in productive and creative ways.
As a Visiting Scholar, Ridley is available to collaborate with faculty, graduate and undergraduate students from across campus. He will be working with librarians and Library staff to advance internal scholarly, research and creative (SRC) initiatives, and will also be helping the Library continue developing strategic partnerships in the area of machine learning. Building on existing relationships with public libraries across Canada and his new appointment as a Vector Institute Fellow, Ridley brings valuable community and city building connections to this role.
Noting the innovation fostered and supported at Ryerson–and recognizing the Library as unique venue for advanced research in the area of artificial intelligence and machine learning–he’s excited to create new opportunities and potential pilot projects with librarians and staff.“Librarians are faced with translating information needs and requests into queries that seek to provide the best resources in a huge information space, which is getting larger and larger by the second,” says Ridley. “One way this type of technology could help is by creating a system that enables librarians to sift through resources in more effective ways.” This type of project would effectively lead to improved understanding and application of a system.
Chief Librarian, Carol Shepstone is enthusiastic about Ridley’s term, and the research opportunities he brings to the Library. “Mike comes to the Library with wealth of knowledge and critical insight in a field of study that is of great interest to our work in the Library, but also to many research projects and centres around the University,” says Shepstone. “As a new Visiting Scholar, I know Mike will add to our thinking and understanding of this rapidly evolving field. I am thrilled he has agreed to join us in this capacity.”
Michael Ridley is the former Chief Librarian and Chief Information Officer at the University of Guelph (1995 to 2012), and has served as President of the Canadian Association for Information Science, the Ontario Library Association, and as Chair of the Ontario Council of University Libraries.
Dr. Jonathon Anderson and Dr. Kazem Fayazbakhsh present talks on design and implementation solutions offered by large-scale 3D printing in the fields of architecture and aerospace engineering.
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is one of the most popular processes of 3D printing and offers flexibility in manufacturing with a wide range of materials. Commercial desktop FFF 3D printers are cost effective and do not require specific power or installation requirements. Nonetheless, most parts in industry are larger than the build volume of most desktop 3D printers. To help Canadian industry adopt 3D printing, investigation of full-scale components out of high-performance materials is required. In the Facility for Research on Aerospace Materials and Engineered Structures (FRAMES), robotic 3D printing with a 20 in × 20 in build plate is developed. A laser line scanner is also mounted on the robot to inspect parts for defects during printing. Research outcomes in this field will extend the use of 3D printed parts in industrial applications.
On a global scale, cross-disciplinary research to leverage the full potential of digital fabrications and applications of robotics are at the forefront of architectural design.
This presentation will introduce the hardware and software control of a KUKA KR AGILUS industrial robot and the printing process through algorithmic designs. Several projects will be presented to show how the use of a robotic arm with custom engineered end effectors (spool fed and pellet fed extruders) have the ability to export and realize the architectural potentials of robotic extrusion beyond traditional addictive fabrication processes. These digital fabrication systems are applied with traditional design methods to investigate computational craft approaches to designed objects, systems, surfaces, and interiors. Building on the principles of computational craft, robotic fabrication seeks to build on recent advancements by examining the ways in which robotic arms have come to be seen as transcending their traditional role as performers of the monotonous tasks of mass manufacturing pipelines (Gramazio & Kohler, 2008) and instead be viewed as part of the toolset available for the production of crafted and unique work.
Toronto Metropolitan University Library is currently participating in the LibQUAL+ survey, along with several other Canadian university libraries. The Library participated in LibQUAL+ in 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. Please visit the Library results from previous survey.
Starting the week of March 20th, a random sample of students and faculty will receive an e-mail invitation to complete the web-based survey. Participation is completely voluntary and the process is entirely confidential. Students may choose, if they wish, to submit their email for a chance to win one of three $50 Starbucks gift cards. Neither the email address nor any other personal identification will be transmitted with the survey responses.
We sincerely hope that you will complete the survey if you receive an email invitation to participate in LibQUAL+ 2019.
Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, please email: libqual@torontomu.ca
If you notice some construction on Gould and Victoria Streets in the coming weeks, you may wonder what’s going on and why.
The work will be part of the Campus Core Revitalization project, designed to enhance the quality of safe, accessible spaces and implement infrastructure upgrades, resulting in a campus that’s greener, more easily accessible, pedestrian-friendly and connected to the community.
“As a key component of our Campus Public Realm Plan, this project really aims to create common outdoor spaces on campus where our community can come together and thrive,” said Deborah Brown, vice-president, administration and operations. “While addressing these needs, we are taking the opportunity to build accessibility into the design and to modernize our infrastructure. We want to create a defined campus core that encourages community connections and enhances the experience of being at Ryerson.”
On Thursday, March 14, 2019 Toronto Metropolitan University Advancement hosted the “Rule of the Robot” Blue & Gold Society event at the Library Collaboratory.
Members of the Blue & Gold Society joined Valerie Pringle, Chair, for an exclusive peek inside the Toronto Metropolitan University Library Collaboratory and Isaac Olowolafe Jr. Digital Media Experience Lab, where research meets tech in interdisciplinary collaboration.
Moderated by eCampusOntario’s Lena Patterson, this session will feature leaders from two institutions that have adopted open education as part of a larger strategy. Join this session to learn about what is involved in exploring an OE strategy from various leadership perspectives and how open education initiatives might dovetail with institutional mission and vision going forward.
Laurie Rancourt, Senior Vice President Academic, Humber College
Carol Shepstone, Chief Librarian, Toronto Metropolitan University
Time: 12:00 pm to 12:50 pm
Watch in Person: Ryerson Library LIB386C, 3rd Floor of Library
Dr. Stuart Inglis, award-winning instructor in the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences at the University of Buffalo, will emphasize the importance of open resources as a starting point for pedagogies that support engaged, inclusive, and technologically enhanced learning, with examples from a STEM classroom. The session will include a hands-on workshop in which Dr. Inglis will demonstrate how to use open source software to generate content for use in your teaching.
This event is presented by the Learning & Teaching Office, the Office of eLearning, the Ryerson Library, and the Chang School. Funding provided by eCampusOntarioand additional sponsorship provided by the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, and the Faculty of Science.
Did you know that the majority of openly licenced materials are images? This workshop is an overview of how to find open images, how to use open images in teaching, and how to advise students on proper use of Creative Commons images in web projects. Faculty Event: Register
Library Student Townhall
Time: 12:00 pm to 2 pm2:00
Location: Ryerson Library LIB386C, 3rd Floor of Library
We want to hear from you about buying and using textbooks. Drop by and share your experience. We’ll have pizza and refreshments to make sure your belly is full and your mind open.
We’ll have pizza and refreshments to make sure your belly is full and your mind open.
Curating in the Open– Webinar with James Skidmore
Time: 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
This webinar, brought to you by Chang School, will focus on content curation approach to open and online education.Watch James explain his curatorial approach to designing courses based on freely accessible materials. James Skidmore is a faculty member at the University of Waterloo and was a eCampusOntario Open Education Fellows.
Open Textbooks: Open Minds – A Colloquium Exploring Re-Use of Open Resources to Improve Quality and Access (U of T event)
Time: 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
In Person Location: University of Toronto Blackburn Room, 4th Floor, Robarts Library
Open Textbooks: Open Minds will showcase the findings of a recent University of Guelph study exploring the impact of cost and access to course materials on student success. In addition, University of Toronto instructors, librarians, staff and graduate students who have had first hand experience in the creation and adaptation of open textbooks will share their strategies and insights. Wendy Freeman, Ryerson’s Director of the Office of E-Learning, and the Learning and Teaching office will also be presenting.
Location: Ryerson Library LIB386C, 3rd Floor of Library
This workshop will highlight some of the new interactive features that have been released recently in Pressbooks. We will look at H5P, a tool that lets you create interactive content (quizzes, fill-in-the-blanks, matching games, etc.) that you can include in your books. We will also explore Hypothes.is, a web annotation tool that can be used with your books and other web content. Finally we will test the new glossary feature in Pressbooks.
Using Open Education Resources (OER) for Teaching and Learning Workshop
Time: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Location: Ryerson Library LIB386C, 3rd Floor of Library
This Chang School workshop will give an overview of how instructors can use open educational resources in their teaching. Through guided support by a team of librarians and instructional designers, participants will locate relevant resources and draft an action plan for OER use in their respective courses.
Hypothesis is web-based software that lets you annotate the web anywhere with anyone. You and your students can use it to hold discussions, collaboratively annotate course readings, organize your research and take personal notes. Students can use it to collaboratively annotate course readings. We will give an introduction to the software, show a few examples of educators using Hypothesis and will provide time to get experience using Hypothesis with hands-on exercises.
Becoming an Open Educator – Webinar with Maureen Glynn
Time: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
This webinar, brought to you by Chang School, will discuss the characteristics of an Open Educator. Through a practical activity, participants will examine their own level of openness and discuss benefits of being an educator. The facilitator will share strategies and resources to support you in honing your skills as an open educator.Maureen Glynn is an eCampus OER fellow and Senior eLearning Designer at Trent University.
eCampusOntario Webinar: Open Leadership and Institutional Strategy Focus Session
Time: 12:00 pm to 12:50 pm
Watch in Person: Ryerson Library LIB386C, 3rd Floor of Library Moderated by eCampusOntario’s Lena Patterson, this session will feature leaders from two institutions that have adopted open education as part of a larger strategy. Join this session to learn about what is involved in exploring an OE strategy from various leadership perspectives and how open education initiatives might dovetail with institutional mission and vision going forward.
Laurie Rancourt, Senior Vice President Academic, Humber College Carol Shepstone, Chief Librarian, Toronto Metropolitan University
Fair dealing defines important user rights allowed by Canadian laws. These user rights give Canadians the ability to use short excerpts from copyright protected works for private study, research, criticism, review, education, parody and satire, without having to seek permission from the copyright owner.
Much of what students and educators do on a daily basis would be very challenging without this user right. Without fair dealing you would not be able use an image in an assignment, share an article with your group project team, or photocopy a chapter from a library book to read at home.
Fair dealing allows for a freer flow of information to happen in educational settings. It promotes learning and scholarship.
Celebrate Fair Dealing – it is a user’s right that Canadians should use, not lose!
Do you use images you find online for assignments and projects? Do you worry about copyright issues and want to learn more?
This one-hour workshop looks at ways you can use images using copyright exceptions like fair dealing. We will also introduce how to search for open access (creative commons) images that you can use for assignments and beyond your student work.
Day: Tuesday, February 26th, 2019
Time: 2-3pm
Place: SLC 508
Facilitated by Ann Ludbrook, Copyright Coordinator/Librarian
How do students know what they can and cannot pull from the Internet to use in their online assignments? You show them!
With a focus on using images, where to get Creative Commons material, the tensions around fair dealing, and how to avoid cultural appropriation, this workshop teaches you how to model best copyright practices and how to teach copyright to your students both online and in the classroom.
Understand how to model acknowledgement for others’ work by doing your own online work and building assignments that consider good copyright behaviour as it overlaps with academic integrity.
Day: Thursday, February 28th, 2019
Time: 1-3 pm
Place: POD 372
Facilitated by Ann Ludbrook, Copyright Coordinator/Librarian, and Andrea Ridgley, Academic Integrity Specialist
Fourth year student Charles Garcia lights up his own mini keypads at the Library’s DME
If you notice some construction on Gould and Victoria Streets in the coming weeks, you may wonder what’s going on and why.
On Thursday, March 14, 2019 Toronto Metropolitan University Advancement hosted the “Rule of the Robot” Blue & Gold Society event at the Library Collaboratory.
