Learning Crossroads (CRX) Explained: Resources and Strategies for Effective Teaching
Before today’s near-exclusive focus on batteries as an alternative to powering vehicles, there was an a major and ongoing effort to explore options to decrease gasoline use and mitigate emissions. Those fuels were many and varied, ranging from biodiesel and methanol to natural gas and hydrogen. One fuel stood out so dramatically as a seamless drop-in alternative to gasoline that it was embraced by many automakers by the millions in their production vehicles. That fuel - E85 ethanol - prompted a significant effort to establish E85 fueling stations and promote this as a viable alternative fuel. This eventually faded away as momentum for heavily-subsidized battery electric vehicles eclipsed movement toward all other fuel alternatives. But before that happened, Chevrolet’s high-profile Avalanche became a poster child for E85 ethanol and created excitement about this fuel’s future potential. To help promote the use of ethanol in flexible fuel vehicles, General Motors has provided 28 state governments with Chevrolet Avalanche E85-capable demonstration vehicles. The move is designed to raise awareness for E85 as a viable, domestically produced alternative to gasoline. GM is currently the world’s leading producer of ethanol flexible fuel vehicles and offers flexible fuel vehicles for sale in all 50 states. Hyundai has been involved in hydrogen vehicle research and development for nearly three decades now, a nod to the company’s vision that hydrogen may well play an important part in our motoring future. and around the world. The Korean automaker’s latest advancement is the debut of its second generation NEXO hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, a nameplate that debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show as a replacement to the Tucson FCEV back in 2019.
The electric vehicle (EV) industry is no longer emerging - it’s a global race. You don’t need headlines to see the electric revolution underway; you just need to look around. Electric technologies are more efficient, quieter, and cleaner. But full-scale electrification still faces major hurdles, especially in how we power EVs and manage that power once it’s onboard. This is where Eaton excels. Before an EV can drive a mile, its power must travel through a complex web of electrical infrastructure. Eaton’s Electrical Sector has long powered critical infrastructure like hospitals and data centers. Today, that same expertise is helping to scale EV charging networks. To simplify deployment, Eaton partnered with ChargePoint, combining chargers, power distribution gear, and engineering services into a single solution. Looking ahead, Eaton and ChargePoint are also developing bidirectional charging and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) capabilities. Managing energy doesn’t stop at the charging cable. Inside the vehicle, power must be used wisely to maximize range, performance, and safety. One example is Eaton’s Battery Disconnect Unit with Breaktor protection, which integrates the functions of fuses, contactors, and pyro switches into a single, compact device. Another innovation is the Battery Configuration Switch (BCS), developed with Munich Electrification. One of the most overlooked challenges in EV design - especially for commercial vehicles - is drivetrain performance. Its heavy-duty 4-speed EV transmission, recognized as a 2024 Automotive News PACEpilot Innovation to Watch, delivers smooth launches on 30 percent grades and maintains highway speeds on inclines as steep as 7 percent. The transmission leverages a proven layshaft architecture - common in automated manual transmissions (AMTs) - but reengineered for EVs. Medium-duty EVs benefit from 4- and 6-speed variants that have logged over 2 billion real-world miles. Also, part of the lineup is Eaton’s ultra-compact 4-speed transmission, which delivers exceptional torque density, more payload capacity, extended range, and added space for battery packaging. Together, these EV transmissions help overcome the limitations of direct-drive systems, providing diesel-like performance while improving acceleration, climbing ability, and highway cruising efficiency. In EVs, even the smallest components can have an outsized impact on performance. Eaton continues to lead in terminals and connectors that maximize conductivity and minimize heat loss. Reliability is critical, especially in crash scenarios. Eaton’s dual-trigger pyro fuses act like airbags for the electrical system, disconnecting power instantly in the event of a crash. What sets Eaton apart isn’t just one standout product, it’s the company’s ability to manage power from the transformer to the transmission. The Electrical Sector ensures grid readiness and smart infrastructure. Few companies have the breadth and depth to support the entire EV power journey. Electrification is no longer a dream - it’s happening. But to reach its full potential, the industry needs partners who understand how to connect every dot in the power ecosystem. Today’s news is all about electric cars, or at least electrified variations of the cars, trucks, and SUVs we’ve come to rely on over the years. It wasn’t always that way. In fact, for decades there was wide recognition that our driving needs might be well-served with an array of fuels and technologies and that maximum mpg was an increasingly important goal. The reason was, and is, clear: Greater fuel economy means less fuel is used for every mile driven, and thus carbon emissions are greatly reduced. This was the focus of the Automotive X Prize and the innovative teams that strived to demonstrate extreme fuel efficiency.
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Designing Effective Courses
Key Elements of Course Design
When designing and preparing new courses, several important matters must never be neglected. The graphic provides an overview of steps in designing a course. The Teaching and Learning Support Service (TLSS) can assist you through its new webpages on inclusion in the classroom and through the training sessions it provides, for example. You should also know that experiential learning is a priority at the University of Ottawa. Think of ways to include experiential learning in your courses and programs. The Library makes accessible publications available to students and professors who, due to a sensory impairment, require them in alternative formats. It also provides accessible workstations that include a range of software applications. The Library also offers research guides, with a range of resources and content that support the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. The Library has also produced an OER (Open Educational Resources) by Discipline Guide, which includes a section on inclusion, diversity, accessibility, anti-racism and equity, as well as on Indigenization and decolonization.
Integrating Technology
The Library offers a wide range of studios and technology on the second floor of the Learning Crossroads (CRX), including a video wall for visualizing data, virtual reality equipment, a podcast recording studio, a learning lab and much more. It also offers multimedia equipment loans and a wide range of content creation tools. You can use these technologies in preparing your syllabi and designing your activities and evaluations.
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Assessments and Evaluations
Assessments (also called evaluations) are important tools for measuring student learning. At the same time, they’re one of their biggest sources of stress. You’ll therefore need to prepare fair and inclusive evaluations that reflect your course’s anticipated learning outcomes and promote academic integrity. The TLSS and academic integrity webpages have relevant information and training (e.g. In such situations, document the allegation and notify the dean’s office.
Syllabus Design and Management
A syllabus is more than a source of important information. It lays the foundation for a positive and welcoming atmosphere. At the University of Ottawa, we use a syllabus design and management tool called Simple Syllabus. It is a template, in a way. Simple Syllabus is effective because it draws on common syllabus content to generate the key (and compulsory) components of your syllabi. Hand out your syllabus at the start of the term, by the end of the first regularly scheduled course (Academic Regulation A-2). We recommend that you also include your expectations as regards academic integrity (see the template in the Professor Zone) and that you have your students ask questions should something not be clear. Lastly, we encourage you to add a list of mental health support services, or a link to the Health and Wellness webpage. Show your students that you care about them. Syllabi should be available online. Syllabi not only detail the knowledge and skills students will acquire - they also help avoid misunderstandings should something unexpected happen.
Virtual Campus (Brightspace)
Virtual Campus (Brightspace), a learning management system, is used to organize courses, communicate with students (announcements, syllabus, list of compulsory readings, quizzes, etc.) and disseminate grades securely. You can connect to the platform using your uOttawa.ca address. On your Brightspace page, you can create a course by selecting the Maestro link (at the top of the menu on the right-hand side of the page). The Maestro portal describes the steps for creating a site for your course. The site will normally be online within 24 hours, and will be available for student access at that time. Explain to your students the procedure for scheduling consultations with you outside class time, i.e., during your office hours.
Protected Documents and Ares
Professors must know the rules governing protected documents. Ares, the Library’s digital course reserve system, is a one-stop access point for digital course documents. It can be accessed directly via Virtual Campus once the function has been enabled. If you use this service, course reserve staff will locate the documents listed in the syllabus and make them available via Ares. This system also manages copyright and licences. Once your request has been processed, materials that have been reserved will be available to students via Ares. Submit your requests as soon as possible to ensure they are processed in a timely manner. If we don’t have the document you need, you can submit an interlibrary loan request (if the document is available). You can also suggest that we purchase a work and add it to our collection.
Open Educational Resources (OERs)
Open educational resources (OERs) are teaching and learning resources that are freely and openly available. OERs, which are often textbooks or even courses, can also be videos, podcasts, simulations, case studies, slides and much more. You must meet a number of requirements when using and providing materials in your courses.
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Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment
Promoting Equity and Inclusion
The University of Ottawa provides an equitable and inclusive learning experience for everyone. We encourage you to provide support and accommodation measures to ensure that students with disabilities have equitable access to and can take part fully in their learning environments, while minimizing the impact of barriers in those environments. We encourage you to explore the resources available to you to make your courses as equitable, diverse and inclusive as possible. In addition, the Library has resources and considerable expertise on how you can make your courses more inclusive.
Accommodating Students with Disabilities
Ontario universities are legally obligated to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Given the complex and decentralized nature of academic teaching, the university accommodations process hinges on co-operation and communication. Accommodations are implemented in order to ensure equitable opportunities for everyone. However, all students must meet the same requirements as regards academic performance (i.e., the same learning outcomes) in their courses and programs. Academic accommodations are granted based on medical documentation submitted and conditions foreseen in the learning environment. If you think that implementing one or more accommodations that have been approved in Ventus could compromise attainment of academic standards, discuss the issue with the Academic Accommodations Service. Currently, some 4,650 students with disabilities, or approximately 10% of our student body, have been granted academic accommodations at the University of Ottawa. That percentage is slightly lower than the provincial average, with most institutions posting proportions between 12 and 15%. A significant percentage of these individuals have invisible disabilities. We should therefore not make assumptions about people’s abilities based on their appearance. Each person with a disability is different, and needs and abilities vary. Some people are comfortable talking about their needs, while others prefer to keep that information confidential. Students are not obligated to disclose their disability status or their diagnosis, and they must not be given the impression that they are required to do so. Students may request accommodations at any time, regardless of whether their disability is permanent or temporary. Some students register for supports at the time of admission, while others receive diagnoses during their studies and register right away. In other cases, students may try to persevere without accommodations, for fear of stigmatization. Whatever the case may be, as soon as a student begins the registration process and provides a valid medical document from a qualified health care provider, they’re supported by our service.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Whereas accommodations seek to reduce barriers in the learning environment, Universal Design for Learning principles aim to eliminate barriers and to ensure equal opportunity for all by taking as many aspects of learning into account as feasible. There are two main kinds of approved accommodations for students: pedagogical accommodations in the classroom and accommodations for timed assessments. For more information about the different kinds of accommodations, see Ventus. When designing your course, you can be proactive in anticipating the most-requested pedagogical supports. The list of the most common support measures provides an overview of the kinds of measures that could benefit your students and help you base your courses on Universal Design for Learning principles. Give an additional grade of 2% to students who agree to upload their course notes to a shared class resource. In so doing, you’ll encourage quality note-taking and class attendance, which will help students who need their colleagues’ notes to complete their own.
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