CTL Workshops

1. Explain the value of end-of-semester SPOT surveys for both instructors and students.

2. Identify at least two strategies for increasing student response rates on SPOT surveys.

3. Outline key messages to help students provide more specific and actionable feedback.

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Curious about creating interactive, open, and accessible learning materials for your courses? The University of Alberta Library provides free access to Pressbooks, a powerful platform for developing open textbooks and other open educational resources (OERs). With Pressbooks Results, student scores from H5P activities are sent directly to your Canvas gradebook for an easy integration of interactive learning into your course.

In this 20-minute webinar, co-hosted by CTL and the Library, you’ll see a live demo of Pressbooks at the U of A and learn how Pressbooks Results connects with Canvas. You’ll also hear practical ideas for incorporating these tools into your teaching—whether to enhance existing materials or to create something new.

Stay for an additional 25-minute Q&A to discuss Pressbooks in more depth. Can’t wait for the session? Browse the list of locally published open textbooks!

Learning outcomes:

1. Evaluate how Pressbooks and Pressbooks Results can support the design of interactive and open learning materials in your courses

2. Identify practical strategies for integrating Pressbooks and H5P activities into Canvas to enhance student engagement and assessment

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Reflective documentation is key to helping students use AI ethically and effectively. Join us for an instructor-led webinar exploring how David Peacock, from Community Service Learning, integrates AI into course design and assessment through structured student reflection. Learn how this approach helps learners document their AI use, evaluate outputs critically, and combine AI-generated and original work responsibly. Drawing from real classroom experiences, he’ll share challenges, surprises, and strategies for fostering transparency and academic integrity in AI-supported learning.

Learning outcomes:

1. Explain how reflective documentation supports ethical and transparent use of generative AI in learning and assessment

2. Apply strategies for fostering transparency and academic integrity when integrating AI tools into course design and assessment.

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Developing AI literacy helps students become thoughtful, critical users of emerging technologies. Join us for an instructor-led webinar on integrating AI into course design and assessment. Tim Konoval and Ehsan Misaghi, from Health Sciences, present a teaching strategy that leverages AI to enhance reflection, collaboration, and role understanding in healthcare education. Using a custom Gem in Gemini, students engaged in guided reflection and peer learning to connect personal insights with group problem-solving. The presenters will share challenges, insights, and practical approaches for fostering ethical, reflective, and student-centered learning in large classes.

Learning outcomes:

1. Analyze how AI-supported instructional strategies can foster deeper reflection and collaboration.

2. Adapt learning activities that integrate AI tools to promote ethical, reflective, and student-centered learning in large classes.

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This hands-on workshop is designed to familiarize University of Alberta Instructors with the use of the Simple Syllabus platform.

Simple Syllabus is a centralized, template-driven platform supporting syllabus management for the U of A, including required institutional content and policies, and the customization for each Instructor. The tool is set up to automatically include a standard U of A template, resulting in consistency across the institution and a reduction in the time spent on manual document setup.

The use of this platform improves the student experience. By guaranteeing accessibility standards and providing a consistent structure across all courses, Simple Syllabus reduces student confusion, making it easier for them to locate key information like policies, schedules, and learning objectives.

Learning outcomes:

1. Access and Navigate: Log in to the Simple Syllabus platform using their U of A credentials (CCID) and locate their assigned courses.

2. Generate the Draft: Create a new syllabus, pre-loaded with the official U of A institutional template and embedded policies.

3. Edit Efficiently: Customize and edit course-specific sections (e.g., learning objectives, assessment breakdown, and weekly schedule).

4. Publish and Share: Finalize the document, publish it, and retrieve the direct link for sharing with students via Canvas

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The Teaching Excellence Award deadline is coming fast, January 15th! Don't just submit—stand out. This just-in-time workshop is your final opportunity to polish your teaching philosophy statement. Bring your draft and we'll help you transform it into a powerful, compelling narrative that makes your entire application unforgettable.

Bring your current draft of your teaching philosophy, and we’ll provide you with the tools and strategies to turn it into a compelling narrative. You’ll walk away with a polished statement that highlights your unique teaching strengths and makes your application memorable.

Learning outcomes:

1. Participants will apply key strategies to strengthen their draft and persuasively communicate their unique philosophy of teaching.

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Spot results are available mid-January. While Student Perspectives of Teaching (SPOTs) are a crucial source of feedback, processing them can be overwhelming, especially when faced with difficult comments. 

Bring your results to this practical, hands-on workshop, designed to be a supportive space for reflective analysis. You'll learn a simple, structured method for moving past the noise and focusing on constructive suggestions. You will leave with a clear, actionable process for breaking down and reflecting on your evaluations.

Learning outcomes:

1. Analyze Feedback: Efficiently sort and analyze SPOT results to identify recurring themes and actionable feedback.

2. Plan Next Steps: Use data to set concrete goals for course adjustments and pedagogical improvement.

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