Instructional Support Workshops

Workshop Schedule + Descriptions

January

• Canvas 101: From Setup to Success - January 8

  Canvas 101: From Setup to Success

  Date: Thursday January 8, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
  Facilitators: Dr. Kaitlyn Watson, Kevin Johnson, Lasandra Conliffe, Miranda Varricchio

  In this session, the Educational Developers from the Teaching and Learning Centre will provide an overview of the key features in Canvas. This session is designed with new Canvas users in mind, but is also useful for existing users looking for a quick refresher! We will cover the following:

  • Assignments
  • Quizzes
  • Gradebook
  • Media Sharing and Storage
  • Support Options
• TA Toolkit: Foundations for Effective Teaching - January 16

  TA Toolkit: Foundations for Effective Teaching

  Date: Friday January 16, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
  Facilitators: Dr. Kaitlyn Watson, Kevin Johnson, Lasandra Conliffe, Miranda Varricchio

  This session is designed to provide teaching assistants with practical strategies and resources. The session will focus on inclusive teaching strategies, classroom management skills, and clear guidance on where to turn when questions arise. All teaching assistants are welcome!

• Connecting with Students via Canvas - January 19

  Connecting with Students via Canvas

  Date: Monday January 19, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
  Facilitator: Dr. Laura Banks

  This workshop will focus on various ways in which we can communicate with our students using Canvas. Whether you are sharing weekly announcements, offering feedback, or connecting through short video messages, Canvas provides multiple ways to engage students. We will explore Canvas tools that help you stay connected throughout the term in both online and in-person courses.

• Navigating Communication and Relationships with Students as a TA - January 22

  Navigating Communication and Relationships with Students as a TA

  Date: Thursday January 22, 10:00 am - 11:30 am
  Facilitators: Kevin Johnson, Lasandra Conliffe

  This workshop introduces teaching assistants to the core principles of building effective, professional, and supportive connections. Through guided examples, discussion, and scenario-based activities, participants explore how their role shapes interactions in labs, tutorials, and online spaces.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Navigate professional relationships and interactions in various instructional contexts.
  • Communicate effectively using clear, professional, and empathetic strategies.
  • Manage conflict through assertive communication and collaborative problem-solving.
• ♣ Moving Beyond Multiple Choice - January 23

  Moving Beyond Multiple Choice

  Date: Friday January 23, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
  Facilitators: Dr. Lidya Salim, Miranda Varricchio

  Effective assessments should capture the full range of students’ knowledge and skills. This session will explore the development of diverse question types that go beyond traditional multiple-choice formats. We will also examine how you can leverage New Quizzes to create more interactive and engaging assessments, utilizing features such as hot spots, categorization, and more.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Recognize the importance of designing assessments that cover a wide range of cognitive levels.
  • Explore question types that move beyond simple recall.
  • Identify strategies for developing engaging assessments with New Quizzes.

  ♣ CUT-eligible: Special Topics in Higher Education

• Designing Teaching and Learning Experiences for Instructors - January 27

  Designing Teaching and Learning Experiences for Instructors

  Date: Tuesday January 27, 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
  Facilitator: Dr. Kaitlyn Watson

  In this workshop, we will explore the design of engaging and effective teaching and learning experiences informed by Gagné's Nine Events of Instruction. Learning experiences will be designed to attract and maintain attention, provide instruction and feedback opportunities, and support knowledge retention to foster deeper understanding.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Identify strategies you can use in your practice based on Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction.
  • Explain the significance of integrating opportunities for students to connect to prior learning, apply knowledge, and receive feedback towards retention.
• Designing Teaching and Learning Experiences for TAs - January 29

  Designing Teaching and Learning Experiences for TAs

  Date: Thursday January 29, 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
  Facilitators: Dr. Kaitlyn Watson, Lasandra Conliffe

  This workshop invites Teaching Assistants to explore Gagné's Nine Events of Instruction as a model for designing practical and flexible learning experiences. We will explore how each event, from capturing attention to supporting long-term retention, can strengthen learning experiences in various contexts, such as labs and tutorials.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Identify strategies you can use in your practice based on Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction.
  • Explain the significance of integrating opportunities for students to connect to prior learning, apply knowledge, and receive feedback towards retention.

February

• ♥ The Weight of the World: How Instructors Can Support Students Through a Trauma-Informed Lens - February 4

  The Weight of the World: How Instructors Can Support Students Through a Trauma-Informed Lens

  Date: Wednesday February 4, 9:30 am - 11:00 am
  Facilitator: Dr. Kaitlyn Watson

  A trauma-informed approach to teaching takes into account students’ experiences and how learning may be impacted by trauma. In this session, we will discuss how our instruction can support students in these particularly trying times.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Define trauma and describe how it impacts student learning.
  • Identify strategies you can implement in your courses to embrace a trauma-informed approach.

  ♥ CUT-eligible: Inclusive Teaching

• ♦ New Quizzes: Question Type Deep-Dive - February 6

  New Quizzes: Question Type Deep-Dive

  Date: Friday February 6, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
  Facilitators: Kevin Johnson, Lasandra Conliffe

  This hands-on session guides participants through a thorough exploration of the question types available in New Quizzes. We will emphasize practical application, focusing on when and how to use each question type effectively to support diverse learning strategies and assess course learning outcomes.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Differentiate between the New Quizzes question types and their instructional purposes.
  • Build a quiz using various question types, advanced settings, and creative applications.
  • Align question type selection with specific learning outcomes and assessment goals.

  ♦ CUT-eligible: Educational Technologies

• ♥ From Margins to Belonging: Teaching Through an Inclusive Curriculum - February 10

  From Margins to Belonging: Teaching Through an Inclusive Curriculum

  Date: Tuesday February 10, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
  Facilitator: Lasandra Conliffe

  This workshop invites educators to reimagine their teaching through inclusive, equitable and learner-centred approaches. Grounded in principles of intersectionality, participants will critically reflect on how experiences of marginalization are shaped across diverse identities. Through discussion and activities, we will examine how traditional education often overlooks intersections, while inclusive practices can recognize and respond in ways that foster belonging, accessibility and diversity.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Examine how intersectionality and educator/learner identities shape inclusive teaching and learning practices.
  • Critically analyze how experiences of marginalization affect learners’ access, participation, and sense of belonging in educational contexts.
  • Implement inclusive feedback & assessment strategies to promote learners' growth, agency & belonging.

  ♥ CUT-eligible: Inclusive Teaching

• ♦ CoPilot and Agents - February 19

  CoPilot and Agents

  Date: Thursday February 19, 10:00 am - 11:30 am
  Facilitators: Kevin Johnson, Miranda Varricchio

  Discover how generative AI can streamline your workload. This introductory workshop provides attendees with a practical overview of Copilot, our institutionally supported GenAI tool, and explores how AI agents can be developed and used to enhance and support a variety of day-to-day tasks. Attendees will learn what Copilot can do, how to design and deploy effective agents, and why these tools can enhance efficiency, creativity, and decision-making in academic contexts. No prior AI experience is required!

  Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the core functions and capabilities of Copilot as our institutionally supported genAI tool and identify appropriate use cases in their personal context.
  • Develop and test a basic AI agent within Copilot.
  • Evaluate the benefits and limitations of Copilot’s AI agents.

  ♦ CUT-eligible: Educational Technologies

• ♣ Alternative Grading Strategies - February 27

  Alternative Grading Strategies

  Date: Friday February 27, 9:30 am - 11:00 am
  Facilitators: Miranda Varricchio, Dr. Kaitlyn Watson

  Traditional grading structures can demotivate learners. In this workshop, we will explore several types of alternative grading methods such as contract grading, mastery grading, and ungrading. You will learn about their practical applications in a variety of educational contexts and reflect on the benefits and challenges for both instructors and students.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Compare various alternative grading strategies for use in various contexts.
  • Describe the benefits and challenges of implementing alternative grading strategies for instructors and students.
  • Apply an alternative grading approach for both low- and high-stakes assessments.

  ♣ CUT-eligible: Special Topics in Higher Education

March

• ♣ Process Over Product - March 2

  Process Over Product

  Date: Monday March 2, 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
  Facilitators: Dr. Kaitlyn Watson, Dr. Lidya Salim

  Assessment is an integral part of the learning process. However, assessment is often used to capture learning at a specific moment in time which does not reflect the complexity or diversity of students' skills and understanding. In this workshop, we will explore how centering 'process over product' in assessments can enhance understanding, provide multiple means of expression, and promote academic integrity.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Describe the limitations of assessment approaches that capture learning at specific moments in time.
  • Identify opportunities to design or revise assessments that emphasize the learning process.

  ♣ CUT-eligible: Special Topics in Higher Education

• ♥ The Sound of Learning - March 11

  The Sound of Learning

  Date: Wednesday March 11, 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
  Facilitators: Miranda Varricchio, Kevin Johnson

  The halls are alive…with the sound of learning!

  These are a few of our favourite things: podcasts, audio lectures, and sound-based assignments that bring learning to life. In this interactive workshop, you’ll explore how audio can serve as an inclusive, accessible, and engaging alternative to traditional content delivery. Learn to design assessments that sing, using pedagogical best practices, and discover open tools and resources that can help you confidently bring the sound of learning into your course design.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Evaluate effective strategies for using audio content, including podcasts and audio lectures, as accessible, inclusive, and engaging alternatives to traditional text-based or visual course delivery methods.
  • Apply pedagogical best practices when incorporating sound-based assignments, such as audio recordings, podcasts, or soundscapes, into course assessments.
  • Identify open tools and resources that can be utilized in the design and delivery of sound-based content.

  ♥ CUT-eligible: Inclusive Teaching

• ♥ Decolonizing Your Syllabus - March 27

  Decolonizing Your Syllabus

  Date: Friday March 27, 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
  Facilitator: Dr. Kaitlyn Watson

  Academic curriculum, content, and the broader university system exist in a historical context of subjugation and control. The process of decolonization has the potential to disrupt colonial ideologies including the superiority of Western thought. In this workshop, we will examine colonialism in education as well as strategies for decolonizing your syllabus. All disciplines are welcome!

  Learning Outcomes

  • Describe colonization and decolonization and their relationship to education.
  • Examine existing syllabi through the lens of decolonization.
  • Envision new possibilities for a decolonized syllabus.

  ♥ CUT-eligible: Inclusive Teaching

• ♣ Inquiry in Action: Bridging Educational Research and Practice - March 30

  Inquiry in Action: Bridging Educational Research and Practice

  Date: Monday March 30, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
  Facilitators: Dr. Kaitlyn Watson, Dr. Lidya Salim

  The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is a systematic approach to investigate teaching and learning practices with the aim of enhancing educational outcomes. In this session, we will explore various inquiry methods and how to engage meaningfully in SoTL.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Describe the practice of scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL).
  • List various techniques and approaches that can be used to engage in SoTL.
  • Explain the importance of SoTL for instructors and students.

  ♣ CUT-eligible: Special Topics in Higher Education

April

• ♦ H5P Elements - April 1

  H5P Elements

  Date: Wednesday April 1, 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
  Facilitators: Miranda Varricchio, Kevin Johnson

  Enhance your Canvas courses with rich, interactive learning experiences. This hands-on workshop introduces faculty to the creation and deployment of H5P elements, which are dynamic activities such as interactive videos, knowledge check activities, branching scenarios, and more. Participants will learn how to build H5P content and integrate it seamlessly into Canvas.

  No prior experience is required, but it is suggested that participants pre-register for their free H5P account through eCampusOntario at https://h5pstudio.ecampusontario.ca/register. 

  Learning Outcomes

  • Create a basic H5P interactive element using the H5P authoring environment.

  ♦ CUT-eligible: Educational Technologies

• ♣ Accessibility Beyond Accommodation - April 9

  Accessibility Beyond Accommodation

  Date: Thursday April 9, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
  Facilitator: Lasandra Conliffe

  Accessibility extends beyond responding to individual accommodation requests; it's about creating learning experiences where all students can participate fully from the start. This workshop introduces instructors, postdoctoral researchers and teaching assistants to simple, proactive practices that make instruction more inclusive and equitable. Through examples and practical strategies, participants will learn how small changes in communication, assessment, and course design can help build instructional practices that work for everyone.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Distinguish between the key concepts of accessibility, accommodation, and inclusion.
  • Identify common physical, digital, and pedagogical barriers that affect learner access and participation.
  • Apply proactive strategies to improve accessibility or inclusion within your teaching practice.

  ♣ CUT-eligible: Special Topics in Higher Education