Faculty Learning Community

As part of Ontario Tech University’s Teaching Scholar in Residence (TSiR) program, current TSiR recipient Dr. Eric Rapos will be facilitating a year-long Faculty Learning Community (FLC) for faculty and staff involved in teaching and learning.

Complete this form by Friday, September 4 to express interest in participating.

The Let's Play FLC will focus on role reversal as a tool for empathy and connection with students. We will explore how the unconventional medium of board games can serve as a catalyst for reflection, discussion, and pedagogical experimentation. Through gameplay and guided discussion, participants will examine the challenges of learning from a beginner’s perspective, including the often-overlooked impact of the expert blind spot, and consider how this awareness can improve student success.

This is NOT about games in the classroom.
This is NOT about gamification.
This is NOT (just) an excuse to play board games.

While games and game-based learning may naturally emerge as topics of discussion, the focus of this FLC is not on games as the outcome. Instead, games are a shared experience that allow us to reflect on learning, expertise, challenge, feedback, and the student experience.

Who is this for?

Are you looking for a community of like-minded educators to discuss teaching innovation?
Are you interested in receiving professional development funding to support a teaching innovation project?
Do you enjoy in-depth pedagogical conversations with colleagues — preferably over lunch?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the 2026–2027 Let’s Play FLC may be for you! Avid tabletop gamers are absolutely welcome, but no prior gaming experience is required.

Session schedule

All sessions will take place in-person on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m, at the Ontario Tech North Campus.

Fall 2026

September 17, 2026
October 1, 2026
October 22, 2026
November 5, 2026
November 19, 2026

Winter 2027

January 21, 2027
February 4, 2027
February 25, 2027
March 11, 2027
March 25, 2027

Member expectations

FLC members are expected to:

Commit to attending the 10 sessions scheduled throughout the academic year.
Attend regularly, with occasional absences understood when necessary.
Design and implement a teaching intervention or innovation project in a Winter 2027 course, incorporating feedback and ideas generated through FLC discussions.

Have questions?

If you have questions about the Faculty Learning Community, please contact Dr. Eric Rapos at Eric.Rapos@ontariotechu.ca