Workshops and Webinars

Semester Start-Up: August 4 to September 1

• First Day Toolkit for TAs - September 14

  First Day Toolkit for TAs

  Date: Monday, September 14, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
  Facilitators: Lasandra Conliffe and Dr. Anna Rodrigues

  This session is designed to provide new teaching assistants with practical strategies and resources. The session will focus on inclusive teaching strategies, classroom management, effective communication with students and faculty, and where to turn when you have questions.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Describe inclusive teaching strategies that can be integrated into tutorials or labs.
  • Identify different classroom management techniques.
  • Develop effective communication methods for interacting with students and faculty.

  Who Is This For?

  • Teaching assistants
• ♥ The Weight of the World: Supporting Students through a Trauma-informed Lens - September 21

  The Weight of the World: Supporting Students through a Trauma-informed Lens

  Date: Monday, September 21, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
  Facilitator: Dr. Anna Rodrigues

  A trauma-informed approach to teaching considers students’ experiences and how trauma may affect learning. In this session, we will discuss how trauma-informed practices can support students’ academic success.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Define trauma within an educational context.
  • Identify how trauma impacts teaching and learning.
  • Apply a trauma-informed approach in teaching and learning.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff

  ♥ CUT-eligible: Inclusive Teaching

• Canvas “Refresh”: What’s New and What’s Next - September 25

  Canvas “Refresh”: What’s New and What’s Next

  Date: Friday, September 25, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
  Facilitators: Lasandra Conliffe, Kevin Johnson, and Dr. Anna Rodrigues

  Stay up to date with the latest Canvas developments! This session will highlight new and upcoming Canvas features and institutional reminders. We’ll also share practical tips and resources to save you time and enhance the teaching and learning experience.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Identify important Canvas updates, features, and enhancements.
  • Explore new tools and resources that can improve course delivery and management, and support student success.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff
• New Quizzes: Build, Bank, and Lock It Down - October 2

  New Quizzes: Build, Bank, and Lock It Down

  Date: Friday, October 2, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
  Facilitators: Kevin Johnson and Dr. Anna Rodrigues

  In this hands-on session, we will explore the Canvas New Quizzes engine to help you build interactive and robust exams. We will cover how to utilize a variety of question types, effectively manage item banks, and secure your assessments using Respondus Lockdown Browser.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Design interactive assessments using a variety of question types and targeted student accommodations.
  • Manage item banks for collaborative sharing and question randomization.
  • Configure Respondus LockDown Browser settings to secure high stakes exams.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants
• Presenting with Purpose - October 15

  Presenting with Purpose

  Date: Thursday, October 15, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
  Facilitator: Kevin Johnson

  The strategies covered in this workshop will provide a foundation applicable to many presentation contexts, including lessons and lectures, academic conferences, professional presentations, and workshops, both online and in-person.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Organize the basic structure of a presentation that will be effective in most contexts.
  • Design clear and simple slides that will enhance and clarify your presentation.
  • Utilize nonverbal and verbal public speaking strategies to enhance your presentations.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff
• ♥ Embracing Vulnerability in Teaching - October 21

  Embracing Vulnerability in Teaching

  Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
  Facilitator: Kevin Johnson

  In this session, we will explore how embracing vulnerability can humanize your classroom and build stronger connections with your learners. We will discuss practical ways to show authenticity and reduce anxiety while maintaining healthy professional boundaries. Join us to discover how small steps can create a more inclusive learning environment for everyone.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Explain how embracing vulnerability and authenticity can reduce learner anxiety and foster an inclusive classroom.
  • Differentiate between productive vulnerability and oversharing to establish healthy professional boundaries.
  • Develop a practical plan to integrate connection-building strategies into your current teaching context.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff

  ♥ CUT-eligible: Inclusive Teaching

• ♣ Think Global, Teach Local: Practical Strategies for Internationalizing Curriculum - October 23

  Think Global, Teach Local: Practical Strategies for Internationalizing Curriculum

  Date: Friday, October 23, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  Facilitator: Dr. Anna Rodrigues

  In this workshop, participants will explore practical strategies for embedding global perspectives and intercultural competencies into their teaching practices. Participants will learn how intentional curriculum choices can better support multilingual students and foster a sense of belonging for everyone in the classroom.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Define internationalization of curriculum.
  • Identify curriculum choices that can be used to internationalize teaching practices.
  • Apply pedagogical strategies that support the academic success of multilingual students.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff

  ♣ CUT-eligible: Special Topics in Higher Education

• ♥ The Heart of Teaching: Turning Conflict into Connections - October 29

  The Heart of Teaching: Turning Conflict into Connections

  Date: Thursday, October 29, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
  Facilitator: Lasandra Conliffe

  Conflict in classrooms isn’t a failure of good teaching; it's where the real learning happens. This session invites instructors to step beyond the idea of the classroom as a "safe space" free of friction and instead explore how to intentionally build a "brave space," where disagreement, discomfort, and tension become part of the learning rather than something to avoid. Through open dialogue and peer sharing, instructors will reflect together on real moments of tension from their own classrooms, and leave with a strategy for inviting productive conflict into their teaching.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Analyze the tension between “brave space” and " safe space” frameworks by examining why civility, ownership, and choice work together when conflict shows up in class.
  • Critique a real moment of tension from your own teaching, evaluating what worked, what didn’t, and how a “brave space” approach can change the outcome.
  • Design a conflict resolution strategy with intentionality for an upcoming class session.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff

  ♥ CUT-eligible: Inclusive Teaching

• ♦ Leveraging Technology for Inclusive Education - November 16

  Leveraging Technology for Inclusive Education

  Date: Monday, November 16, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  Facilitators: Hannah Atkinson and Lasandra Conliffe

  This workshop will explore how technology can drive inclusivity in education by integrating intersectional approaches and Universal Design for Learning( UDL) principles. Participants will explore tools and resources to apply in their instructional practices.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Apply intersectionality and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to create inclusive learning environments.
  • Employ technology for inclusivity and accessibility in practice.
  • Identify actionable strategies to address inclusive instructional challenges in your practice.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff

  ♦ CUT-eligible: Educational Technologies

• ♣ Thrown in the Deep End: Adopting Last-Minute Courses - November 20

  Thrown in the Deep End: Adopting Last-Minute Courses

  Date: Friday, November 20, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
  Facilitator: Kevin Johnson

  In this session, we will explore how to adopt a triage mindset that prioritizes the quick creation of a functional and clear learning environment. We will discuss practical strategies, including streamlined Canvas navigation and leveraging existing resources. Join us to share survival strategies and build an action plan for your next unexpected teaching assignment.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Apply a triage mindset to prioritize essential course elements and reduce cognitive load.
  • Implement rapid-deployment strategies to streamline course navigation and manage early scheduling.
  • Develop an action plan to navigate the immediate hurdles of a last-minute course assignment.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants

  ♣ CUT-eligible: Special Topics in Higher Education

• ♥ Interrupting Biases in the Classroom: Strategies for Equitable Learning Experiences - November 26

  Interrupting Biases in the Classroom: Strategies for Equitable Learning Experiences

  Date: Thursday, November 26, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
  Facilitators: Lasandra Conliffe, Dr. Anna Rodrigues, and Dr. Rose Ann Torres

  Bias often shows up quietly in higher education classrooms: who gets called on, whose perspectives are treated as the default, and how the same behaviour is read differently across student identities, eroding engagement and performance for underrepresented students. This workshop draws on current research to help participants reflect on their teaching patterns and build practical strategies for equitable participation, assessment, and curriculum design.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Differentiate between implicit bias and explicit discrimination.
  • Identify three or more common forms of bias that occur in classroom settings.
  • Explain how bias affects student outcomes, engagement, achievement and sense of belonging.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff

  ♥ CUT-eligible: Inclusive Teaching

• ♦ The Perfect Prompt: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI - November 30

  The Perfect Prompt: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI

  Date: Monday, November 30, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
  Facilitators: Kevin Johnson and Miranda Varricchio

  In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore how to craft effective prompts for generative AI tools. You will be guided through how to create prompts that will result in clear, relevant, and actionable responses. Whether you're using generative AI for teaching, research, or creative work, this session will help you unlock its full potential.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Create prompts with a general understanding of how prompt structure can shape outputs in a text-based GAI tool.
  • Refine prompts based on their initial outputs to help clarify and refine results.
  • Apply prompt-crafting strategies to create a rubric that can be used to evaluate student assignments.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff

  ♦ CUT-eligible: Educational Technologies

• Open Educational Resources 101: Start Here - September 22

  Open Educational Resources 101: Start Here

  Date: Tuesday, September 22, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
  Facilitator: Pranjal Saloni

  Curious about Open Education but not sure where to begin? Open Education 101: Start Here is a beginner-friendly introduction to the principles, practices, and possibilities of Open Education. This one-hour session will introduce participants to Open Educational Resources (OER), open licensing, Creative Commons, and open pedagogy, with a focus on how these approaches can be applied to teaching and learning.

  Participants will also be introduced to the Open Education Lab at Ontario Tech University, including the Lab’s role in supporting faculty with finding, evaluating, adapting, creating, and sharing open educational resources. Through examples and hands-on exploration, participants will discover how the OE Lab can support their own teaching and course development.

  The session will provide practical starting points for faculty who are new to Open Education, while also highlighting opportunities to get involved with the OE Lab and incorporate open practices into their courses.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Explain key principles of Open Education and the benefits of OER by identifying examples of how they can support teaching and learning.
  • Differentiate between Creative Commons licences by determining how openly licensed resources can be reused and adapted.
  • Identify opportunities to incorporate OER and open practices into your teaching by exploring relevant resources and OE Lab support services.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff
• Assessing Authentically: Alternatives to Traditional Assessments - September 29

  Assessing Authentically: Alternatives to Traditional Assessments

  Date: Tuesday, September 29, 10:30 a.m. to noon
  Facilitators: Dr. Anna Rodrigues and Kevin Johnson

  Assessment is an integral component of the learning process, and it should reflect the complexity and diversity of students' skills and knowledge. This webinar will explore a range of assessment strategies that go beyond traditional exams, allowing you to assess student learning in more authentic and meaningful ways.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Describe the role of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment in course design.
  • Identify the limitations of traditional exams.
  • Explore alternative assessment strategies to increase student engagement and prevent academic integrity violations.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff
• ♦ Generating Time: Using Generative AI to Shift Time from Tedium and Invest it in Human Relationships - October 1

  Generating Time: Using Generative AI to Shift Time from Tedium and Invest it in Human Relationships

  Date: Thursday, October 1, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
  Facilitator: Miranda Varricchio

  Generative AI can help with more than simply getting work done faster - it can create more time and attention for the people at the heart of the role: students. This session will explore easy ways to use generative AI for everyday instructional tasks, and consider how the time gained can be reinvested in meaningful connections with students - and even colleagues. No advanced generative AI knowledge or experience is needed.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Identify routine instructional tasks that may be appropriate for generative AI support while distinguishing them from work that requires human expertise, judgement, or connection.
  • Apply simple generative AI workflows to start, transform, expand, or refine common instructional materials and communications.
  • Redesign a common workflow to shift time from repetitive work toward meaningful human interaction.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff

  ♦ CUT-eligible: Educational Technologies

• ♣ Unpacking Liminality in Teaching and Learning - October 6

  Unpacking Liminality in Teaching and Learning

  Date: Tuesday, October 6, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
  Facilitators: Dr. Rose Ann Torres and Pranjal Saloni

  This webinar foregrounds the concept of liminality in teaching and learning and its implications for higher education. Drawing on an anti-oppressive approach, participants will explore how learners and educators move through in-between and beyond spaces in the university setting. It highlights liminality as a productive pedagogical space and strength in times of uncertainty and becoming, where race, sexuality, religion/spirituality, belonging, and ways of knowing and understanding are reimagined.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Recognize liminal moments experienced by students and educators.
  • Understand how uncertainties, dis-orientation, and dis-identification can result in transformative teaching and learning experiences.
  • Find ways in which educators and learners work together in navigating through uncertainty, ambiguity, and transition.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff

  ♣ CUT-eligible: Special Topics in Higher Education

• Open Pedagogy: Moving Beyond Open Textbooks - October 22

  Open Pedagogy: Moving Beyond Open Textbooks

  Date: Thursday, October 22, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
  Facilitator: Pranjal Saloni

  Move beyond using open textbooks and explore how open pedagogy can transform student learning and participation. This session introduces practical approaches such as renewable assignments, student co-creation, knowledge sharing, and authentic assessment, with examples that can be adapted to different teaching contexts. Participants will consider how they can shift students from consumers of course content to active contributors to shared knowledge.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Differentiate between traditional and open pedagogical approaches by identifying how renewable assignments and authentic assessment can create opportunities for meaningful student contribution.
  • Design an open pedagogical activity by transforming an existing course assignment into a renewable or student-created learning experience.
  • Evaluate opportunities for student co-creation and knowledge sharing by developing an approach that supports meaningful student participation in their own teaching context.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff
• ♣ Integrating Research, Scholarship, and Evidence-informed Practice to Enhance Student Learning - November 4

  Integrating Research, Scholarship, and Evidence-informed Practice to Enhance Student Learning

  Date: Wednesday, November 4, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
  Facilitators: Dr. Rose Ann Torres, Pranjal Saloni, and Lasandra Conliffe

  How can educators transform their own research into engagement and meaningful learning experiences? How can educators make their classes more believable and exciting? Why is including research findings in teaching important? What can students learn from these research findings? This webinar explores how scholarly research can serve as a powerful pedagogical tool to enhance teaching, foster critical inquiry, and promote evidence-informed practice.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Explore the relationship between research, scholarship, and evidence-informed teaching.
  • Examine research findings and explore meaningful classroom learning experiences.
  • Identify evidence-informed teaching activities using research findings.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants

  ♣ CUT-eligible: Special Topics in Higher Education

• Ontology of Forgetting: A Theoretical and Pedagogical Approach - November 10

  Ontology of Forgetting: A Theoretical and Pedagogical Approach

  Date: Tuesday, November 10, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
  Facilitator: Dr. Rose Ann Torres

  In the institutional and public spheres, silence or denial of historical truths creates an "ontology of forgetting". This webinar critically examines how collective amnesia overlooks histories of systemic oppression, allowing dominant power of hierarchies to persist. Through theoretical analysis and interactive reflection, educators and learners will learn to identify these mechanisms of erasure, challenge surface-level diversity models, and integrate critical historical consciousness into their pedagogical practices.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Identify and articulate how historical erasures and "forgotten" colonial legacies actively sustain modern social and racial inequities.
  • Analyze different mechanisms of ontology of forgetting and understand how such frameworks often mask root causes of structural injustice.
  • Explore self-reflective methodologies to be able to interrogate personal complicity in institutional forgetting.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff
• Cheat Sheets - November 12

  Cheat Sheets

  Date: Thursday, November 12, 12:30 to 2 p.m.
  Facilitators: Dr. Laura Banks and Miranda Varricchio

  This workshop explores how thoughtfully designed, instructor-approved cheat sheets can support learning, encourage students to organize and prioritize key concepts, and reduce pressure that may contribute to departures from academic integrity. Participants will consider practical ways to incorporate cheat sheets into courses and assessments while maintaining appropriate academic challenge.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Explain how creating and using cheat sheets can support retrieval, organization, and deeper learning.
  • Identify how authorized cheat sheets may help reduce pressures that contribute to departures from academic integrity.
  • Design clear guidelines for student-created, instructor-approved cheat sheets.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants
• Creative Commons, Copyright & Fair Dealing: What Can I Use? - November 25

  Creative Commons, Copyright & Fair Dealing: What Can I Use?

  Date: Wednesday, November 25, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
  Facilitator: Pranjal Saloni

  Confused about what you can legally use, adapt, and share in your teaching materials? This practical session explores copyright, fair dealing, public domain, and Creative Commons licensing in the context of course development. Participants will work through real-world examples to determine what permissions are needed, how to apply proper attribution, and how to make informed decisions when incorporating third-party materials into their courses.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Differentiate between copyright, fair dealing, public domain, and Creative Commons licensing by classifying examples of teaching materials according to the permissions that apply.
  • Interpret Creative Commons licence conditions and attribution requirements by determining whether specific materials can be reused, modified, or shared in a given teaching context.
  • Apply copyright and licensing principles to course material development by evaluating real-world examples and selecting an appropriate approach for legally incorporating third-party content.

  Who Is This For?

  • Instructors, teaching assistants, staff