Summer 2025 Instructor Programming
Schedule at a Glance
May
- 1st: "Ready, Set...Reflect! (RGASCxTLC)" (in person)
- 8th: "Inviting Constructive Dialogue to the Classroom" (in person)
June
- 10th: Finding the Trail: A Primer on Indigenous Pedagogy in Higher Education (online)
- 17th: Workshop: Diversifying Reading Lists (online)
July
Coming soon!
Workshop: Diversifying Reading Lists
Tuesday, June 17th from 12:00pm-1:30pm (Online event)
Facilitated by: Corrine Bent-Womack, Education Developer Anti Racist Pedagogies and Navroop Gill, Teaching & Learning Librarian
Legitimizing the voices of equity-deserving scholars actively disrupts dominant knowledge paradigms, and exposes students to a more diverse, representative set of voices.
2. Examine citation justice principles and their transformative impact on traditional pedagogical practices.
3. Reflect and identify gaps on diverse representation in your course reading lists.
4. Explore strategies to locate relevant resources for your reading lists.
Past Events
Generative AI Lunch and Learn Series
Facilitated by: Rob Huang, Educational Developer, Instructional Practices and Student Engagement, RGASC
This lunch and learn series will explore various Generative AI tools in higher education through the lens of the STRIVE (Student-centeredness, Transparency, Responsibility, Integrity, Validity, and Equity) model.
Designed for instructors at varying levels of comfort and experience, each of the six 30-minute sessions will demonstrate potential ways of incorporating a Generative AI tool into our teaching and learning practice, as well as build our collective pedagogical literacy in AI.
Each session will consist of the following format:
- Introduction to the featured AI tool (5 minutes)
- Demonstration of the tool's application in education (10 minutes)
- Discussion of the tool through the STRIVE framework lens (10 minutes)
- Q&A and wrap-up (5 minutes)
Six sessions will be offered, with the first three taking place in the Fall term. There will be both online and on campus sessions. Please see full list of Fall sessions below, including registration information.
Session 1: “Microsoft Copilot”
Wednesday September 18th from 12:00pm-12:30pm (Online via Zoom).
- Microsoft Copilot is now available through the University of Toronto to all instructors, staff, and students.
Session 2: “Claude”
Thursday October 24th from 12:00pm-12:30pm (Online via Zoom).
- Claude by Anthropic is a generative AI tool similar to Microsoft Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but with better performance in terms of creativity, proofreading and coding assistant.
Session 3: “Perplexity”
Wednesday November 20th from 1:00pm-2:00pm (On campus in MN3230 – CDRS Large Collaboration Space).
- Perplexity is a generative AI powered search engine designed to provide accurate, reliable, and up-to-date information with citations.
Assessment of Learning Series: “A Brief History of Educational Assessment” (Online)
Wednesday October 16th, 2024 from 12:00pm-1:00pm (Online via Zoom)
Facilitated by: Amanda Brijmohan, Educational Developer, Assessment and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, RGASC
The first session of the Assessment of Learning Series will trace the historical origins of our present-day assessment practices. As this history is expansive, the session will focus on key moments in educational assessment history which will shine a light on how and why we assess student learning in the ways that we do. The goal of this session is to provide a space to connect these histories with our current assessment practices, such that participants can begin to reflect, re-imagine, and reconstruct their understandings around assessment and student learning.
Assessment of Learning Series: “What do we mean when we say: ‘Inclusive Assessments’?”
Wednesday December 4th , from 11am-12:00pm in MN3230 – CDRS Large Collaboration Space
Facilitated by: Amanda Brijmohan, Educational Developer, Assessment and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, RGASC and Adriana Grimaldi, Acting Senior Educational Developer, RGASC
The second session of the Assessment of Learning Series will discuss pedagogical considerations for implementing inclusive assessment design in your classroom. This session's content will appeal both to instructors new to the paradigm of inclusive assessment as well as those interested in re-imagining their course with inclusive assessment in mind. The principles of inclusive assessment design and practical examples of it will be discussed including the latest Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 3.0.
Workshop: Re-Thinking Rubrics in the Age of Generative AI (Online)
Thursday November 28, 2024 from 12:00pm-1:30pm (Online via Zoom)
Facilitated by: Amanda Brijmohan, Educational Developer, Assessment and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, RGASC
Rubrics are useful for specifying criteria used to assess student work. They can be helpful for instructors in maintaining consistent grading practices and are helpful in communicating academic expectations for student learning. However, as generative AI tools become more integrated in how students complete course work, rubric development practices will need to be updated to reflect this change. This online workshop will discuss current models of how generative AI use can be integrated into assessment expectations in your course, and how these expectations can be communicated through different kinds of rubrics. Participants are encouraged to bring a draft of an assignment rubric they want to revise and will work in breakout rooms to rethink their rubric criteria when considering generative AI.
Session Objectives:
- Explore emerging assessment frameworks which consider generative AI integration in how learning is assessed
- Discuss strategies for generative AI integration in rubric criteria
Generative AI Lunch and Learn Series
Facilitated by: Rob Huang, Educational Developer, Instructional Practices and Student Engagement, RGASC
This lunch and learn series will explore various Generative AI tools in higher education through the lens of the STRIVE (Student-centeredness, Transparency, Responsibility, Integrity, Validity, and Equity) model.
Designed for instructors at varying levels of comfort and experience, each of the six 30-minute sessions will demonstrate potential ways of incorporating a Generative AI tool into our teaching and learning practice, as well as build our collective pedagogical literacy in AI.
Session 4: “Revisiting Microsoft Copilot”
Monday January 20th from 12:00pm-12:45pm (Online via Zoom).
- Revisiting Microsoft Copilot with a focus on data analysis and visualization.
Session 5: “Revisiting Claude: Data Analysis”
Wednesday, February 19th from 12:00pm-12:45pm (Online via Zoom).
- Revisiting Claude with a focus on data analysis and visualization.
Session 6: "Notebook LM"
Wednesday, March 26th from 2:00pm-3pm (In person at CDRS MN3230).
- Discover how NotebookLM can help you transform your research, teaching and learning workflow with an AI companion that turns multiple sources into crystal-clear insights, in, for example, engaging podcast-style audio overviews. Experience an intelligent research tool that can summarize key insights, generate comprehensive study guides, and answer nuanced questions across diverse source materials, fundamentally changing how we approach academic research and learning.
Assessment of Learning Series
Facilitated by Amanda Brijmohan, Educational Developer, Assessment and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, RGASC.
Assessment of Learning Series 3: Educational Assessment Practices and Student Identity Formation
Wednesday, January 22nd from 12:00pm-1:00pm (Online via Zoom).
Assessment practices in higher education can have a significant impact on student identities, namely in how they perceive themselves, their academic abilities, and their sense of belonging. The third session of the Assessment of Learning Series will explore Dr. Juuso Henrik Nieminen’s work on the impact of educational assessment on student identity formation. Participants will be introduced to Nieminen’s (2024) framework of student identity formation through assessment practices. In anticipation of February’s “Ungrading” workshop led by Laura McKinley, participants will be invited to use Nieminen’s (2024) framework to reflect on assessment practices in their classrooms and rethink ways in which aspects of student identity formation can be better supported.
Assessment of Learning Series 4: Assessing Collaborative Learning and Group Work
Thursday, March 20th from 1:00pm-2:30pm (In person at CDRS MN3230)
Group work in higher education presents a unique opportunity for students to develop collaborative learning skills, such as teamwork, trust, and communication. However, assessing collaborative learning in a group work context remains a challenge that is contingent upon the learning context, the learning goals, and the learners themselves. The fourth session of the assessment of learning series will present a review of literature on pedagogical theories, practices, and strategies for assessing collaborative learning in group work. As collaborative learning in groups is highly contextual and discipline specific, the session will invite participants to reflect on the theories and assessment strategies presented and whether there is utility in these approaches to their teaching and learning context.
Workshop: Creative and Critical Thinking with Generative AI
Thursday, January 30th from 1:00pm to 2:30pm (Online)
Facilitated by: Rob Huang, Educational Developer, Instructional Practices and Student Engagement, RGASC and Victoria Sheldon, Faculty Liaison Coordinator, Generative AI Pedagogies, CTSI
Generative AI tools have the potential to be used as metacognitive partners, promoting deeper levels of divergent thinking, reflection, and analysis. In this online workshop, we will explore the implications of generative artificial intelligence on creative and critical thinking. The aim is to provide an overview of creative and critical thinking models that could be applied in your teaching and learning practice while exploring and critically evaluating how generative AI could enhance, extend, empower or hinder student creative and critical thinking.
Session objectives:
- Examine models of creativity and critical thinking
- Explore the pedagogical implications of integrating generative AI-assisted creative and critical thinking in curriculum design
- Discuss strategies for incorporating generative AI into course design, learning activities, and assessments that focus on creative and critical thinking
- Evaluate potential challenges to creative and critical thinking posed by generative AI, and develop strategies to mitigate these risks when integrating AI tools into teaching contexts
Workshop: Developing Surveys in SoTL: Guidelines and Considerations
Tuesday, February 11th from 12:00pm to 2:00pm (Online)
Facilitated by: Yuxin Tu, Senior Manager, Evaluation & Assessment, CTSI and Amanda Brijmohan, Educational Developer, Assessment & Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, RGASC.
This workshop is Part III in the 2024-25 SoTL Series and is jointly facilitated with CTSI and the RGASC at UTM. This session provides an introductory overview of design principles and data collection strategies for survey tools used in teaching and learning research.
We begin with a discussion on the strengths and limitations of surveys as a data collection tool relative to other methods, including the types of research questions that surveys best address. We then provide an overview of how to design and assess survey questions, including examples of how to adopt validated instruments/scales. Finally, this workshop provides practical guidance for conducting surveys in SoTL settings, particularly around eliciting responses.
The workshop will include breakout groups for participants to discuss their research ideas/questions and survey design considerations with their colleagues. Although it’s not mandatory, we invite participants to bring a working draft of survey questions that they feel comfortable sharing with colleagues.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify research questions that can be answered with surveys
- Identify types of surveys and variables which can be assessed with surveys
- Make informed choices on the use of appropriate survey instruments
- Design effective survey questions
- Disseminate surveys and collect data
NOTE: In advance of this workshop, you might consider developing your research on teaching questions or general topic area by checking out the October 17th webinar: Introduction to SoTL: From Curiosity to a Research Question. To access all SoTL programming, and to see the Tipsheet referenced in this session, ensure you are enrolled in the SoTL Quercus Hub.
Workshop: Ungrading: Why grades can sometimes compromise student engagement and what you can do instead
Tuesday, March 11th from 2:00pm to 3:30pm (In person at CDRS MN3230) // Monday, April 7th from 1:00pm to 2:30pm (In person at the RGASC (MN3251) in the ALC Room MN3260)
Facilitated by: Laura McKinley, UDL and Accessible Pedagogy Coordinator
Traditional grading can, paradoxically, function as an obstacle to student engagement and optimal learning outcomes, while adding to the load of pressure that students already carry. ‘Ungrading’ is an umbrella term for a variety of learning focused evaluation strategies that aim to reduce grade-related anxiety and increase students’ sense of agency in their own learning. This workshop will invite reflection on the pedagogical impact of grades and grading and introduce participants to a variety of ungrading strategies that can be customized to your classroom size and discipline.
Workshop: Designing Inclusive Classrooms: How to create meaningful learning experiences
Tuesday, February 25th from 12:00pm to 1:00pm (Online)
Facilitated by: Laura McKinley, UDL and Accessible Pedagogy Coordinator
The most recent update to the Universal Design for Learning guidelines, UDL 3.0, responds to the call for the framework to embed greater attention to a more inclusive equity lens into its suggestions for enhancing and fostering meaningful learning experiences for all learners. This workshop will describe the updates to the guidelines and how they differ from previous iterations, offer participants the opportunity to practice its application to a learning activity, assignment or assessment strategy and reflect on how the framework might change how we teach.
Towards Ethical Spaces of Engagement in Higher Education: Bridging Indigenous and Western Knowledge Systems for Transformational Teaching and Learning
Tuesday, April 15th from 12:00pm-1:30pm (In person at CDRS MN3230).
Facilitated by: Louis Busch, Special Projects Officer, Indigenous Curriculum and Pedagogies
- This workshop introduces the ethical space of engagement (Ermine, 2007) as a practical framework for authentic dialogue and collaboration between groups with diverse worldviews. To illustrate its utility in higher education, we will explore a hypothetical interaction between a university program grounded in Western academic traditions and a First Nations community organization grounded within an Indigenous knowledge system.
Ready, Set...Reflect! (RGASCxTLC)
Thursday, May 1st from 9:00am-1:00pm (In person at CDRS MN3230).
We are pleased to introduce Ready, Set...Reflect! The goal of this new half-day workshop is to provide the space and tools to cultivate a reflective and responsive teaching practice.
Reflection is the cornerstone of an effective and iterative teaching practice. We do not come as fully formed educators to our teaching spaces; rather, we come to our teaching spaces as pedagogical learners on-the-go, adapting and refining our teaching to better meet the learning needs of students. Reflective practice includes a critical examination of teaching approaches, so that we can make informed changes and decisions to our teaching practices (Farrell, 2019). In other words, we make sense of that experience by querying the context of it (Ryan and Ryan, 2015), and asking ourselves how can we do better? These necessary steps take time, and an intentional methodology because in an iterative teaching practice, no one finishes learning how to teach!
We recognize that effective pedagogical practices are personalized and adaptive, allowing instructors to determine what works best for their unique teaching contexts. In this Ready, Set…Reflect! workshop, participants will have the opportunity to address a variety of questions:
- How can reflective practices strengthen my teaching dossier?
- How do I launch a new course, or refresh an existing one?
- What should I do with the course evaluation data?
We will hear from keynote speaker Kathleen Scheaffer, who will share her talk, “Contemplating Pedagogy Through Immersive Practices.” Participants will also learn from one another and from the Educational Development team, who will offer a year-in-review and highlight supports and trends to guide teaching into the upcoming academic year. Louis Busch (Special Projects Officer, Indigenous Curriculum and Pedagogy) will lead us in guided reflection to create space to pause and consider the significant experiences of the past term, both big and small. Surfacing what worked (or didn’t) can reveal new ways to engage with our students, and help us to reimagine future teaching experiences.
Looking ahead, we also hope to reimagine our shared teaching experiences, laying the groundwork for our next planned gathering “Ready, Set, Teach”, tentatively scheduled to take place on August 18. “Ready, Set, Teach” will be designed to prepare us for the new term through collaborative learning and sharing.
Inviting Constructive Dialogue to the Classroom (EDIO x RGASC)
Thursday, May 8th from 9:30am-1:30pm (In person at CDRS MN3230).
The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office (EDIO) and the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre (RGASC) would like to invite you to participate in an in-person, half-day symposium entitled “Inviting Constructive Dialogue to the Classroom”
This symposium aims to demonstrate how the methods we use to create meaningful learning experiences in our classrooms can also help us have “difficult” or, as we have suggested, constructive dialogues. We will also discuss how to assemble a toolkit to navigate classroom dialogues mindfully and intentionally.
The symposium will consist of two (2) sessions followed by a roundtable discussion composed of a cross-disciplinary panel of UTM Faculty and Instructors.
The Symposium will welcome all levels of comfort and discomfort when dealing with constructive dialogues in the classroom and we look forward to starting this conversation with you.