Programming and Services
CTL offers workshops and webinars on a range of teaching and learning topics to serve the diverse needs of our faculty and instructional community. Upon request, we can also offer unit-specific workshops on topics within our current portfolio.
To request faculty or unit-specific workshops, please contact CTL at ctl@ualberta.ca.
Workshops
Sessions offered in-person, virtually, or hybridly focused on structured active and experiential learning activities that 1) are relevant to instructors' individual teaching, and 2) develop self-awareness and personal goal setting to enhance teaching practice. The intended outcome of a workshop is for instructors to be able to consider and implement new ideas and skills in their teaching. A workshop may be standalone (i.e., one time) or a series of several standalone workshops linked by topic in an interconnected sequence.
For more information on upcoming workshops, please see our events page.
CTL Talks
Sessions focused on the sharing of information and ideas on topics related to teaching and learning. Talks are offered in-person, virtually, or hybridly and include interactions such as discussion, reflection, and Q & A. Unlike workshops, talks do not focus on skill building and application. The intended outcome of a talk is for instructors to be able to consider the potential and impact of the topics in their teaching. A talk may be standalone (i.e., one time) or be part of a series linked in an interconnected sequence.
For more information on upcoming talks, please see our events page.
Cohort Learning Groups:
Semester-long, interdisciplinary learning cohorts, including:
- Communities of Practice and Care (CoPC) bring learners together as whole people and across social locations and academic communities to explore pedagogical themes in a supportive environment. These communities aim to prioritize pedagogies of care through justice-oriented, accessible, and equitable practices. Together and in low-stakes ways, we will try to nurture and embody accountable, relational, and transparent approaches to teaching and learning and consider how to move these forward in our teaching and learning spaces. CoPCs are open to educators across campus, including instructors, graduate students, and other educators (e.g., librarians, lab instructors, tutors) engaged in teaching and learning.
- Reading Circles that unite community members in accountable and brave ways to engage with published pedagogical theories and practice, including the scholarship of teaching and learning, public scholarship, and grassroots and advocacy works. Through individual and collective reading, reflection, and analysis, participants consider how concepts in the readings connect to their own teaching experiences, communities, and decision-making processes. Reading circles are open to educators across campus, including instructors, graduate students, and other educators (e.g., librarians, lab instructors, tutors) engaged in teaching and learning.
Learning cohorts for CoPCs and Reading Circles meet approximately biweekly for (online) 50 minutes throughout the semester.
For more information on upcoming Communities of Practice and Care (CoPC) and Reading Circles, please see our events page.
Makerspace:
A collaborative workspace offering opportunities for instructors to engage with various tools, resources, and methods, allowing them to play, tinker, design, and build their own learning experiences. Emphasizing learner agency, makerspaces are ideal environments for reflecting on and refining teaching practices. Consequently, a makerspace is a flexible learning environment, adaptable to suit the needs of individual instructors, collaborative groups, or specific faculty development requests. Depending on the focus of the making activity, the nature of the activities within a makerspace can vary widely, ranging from high-tech applications to simple, no-tech approaches.
For more information on upcoming Makerspace, please see our events page.
Consultations:
One-on-one or group solution-focused discussion with a CTL team member on topics related to pedagogy and course/program design and delivery.
New to University of Alberta Onboarding of Teaching
(August 14–November 23, 2023)
New to the University of Alberta? Teaching your first course at the U of A? Join the Centre for Teaching and Learning’s “New to University of Alberta Onboarding of Teaching” Program!
If you are a new sessional or faculty hire at the University of Alberta or have been hired in the last two years, CTL has programming specific to your needs. Join other instructors who are preparing to teach or are teaching their first courses at the U of A to share experiences and to learn more about teaching at the U of A.
Whether you are teaching a course in-person, online, or hybrid from any of the five campus locations, or you are teaching in a classroom, lab, studio, or field placement in the community, CTL's Team Members welcome you and are ready to partner with you for the development of your teaching practice.
Instructors are invited to attend all of the programming, or you can register for only the sessions you need this semester.