Students shared powerful reflections on the impact their chosen teachers had on their lives, highlighting the dedication, compassion, and humour these educators brought to the classroom. For some, the most influential teachers were also the toughest—those who held them to high standards because they genuinely believed in their ability to succeed.

“My mom went to a parent-teacher conference. I had an excellent report card—except for all the classes I had with one teacher, Ms. Margaret Wiens. My grades in her class were thirty percent lower than every other class,” shared Christine Hay, the outstanding student selected from the Faculty of Education. “The rural school I attended was a Grade 4 to 12 school, with no high school art programming at all. Margaret Wiens was a teacher who saw the value of art in education. So, when I decided in Grade 12, four years later, that I wanted to apply to the School of Art at UM with no arts training at all, it was Ms. Wiens who learned how to build an entrance portfolio and mentored me through the entire process—during her lunches, her preps, and after school. I did end up getting direct entry into the School of Art. It is with deep gratitude that I stand here today and thank you, 23 years later, for showing up every day with grit, for showing me grace, and for being an example of how I hope to show up for my future students.”

Left image from left to right, Yvonne Fenner, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding student, Ms. Margaret Hart, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding teacher. Right image from left to right, Mr.  Ron Constant, Joe A. Ross School, outstanding teacher, Yvonne Fenner, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding student

This year’s Students’ Teacher Recognition Reception was held on May 5 bringing together students, their selected teachers, faculty representatives, and invited guests for an afternoon of meaningful celebration. The event was hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and emceed by the Centre’s Director, Dr. Erica Jung.

Dr. Diane Hiebert-Murphy, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) brought greetings and shared her own reflections on the educators who made a lasting impact in her life. “I think back to my high school teachers’ who encouraged me to recognize potential that I didn’t fully see in myself, and some University Professors who helped shape the direction of my academic life, and ultimately my professional life. These individuals will never fully appreciate or know the impact that they had on me, but I certainly think about them every year when I come to this reception.”

Throughout the afternoon, students spoke not only about the academic guidance they received but also the personal support their teachers offered—support that extended beyond the classroom. Many shared stories of educators who cared deeply, often becoming mentors, role models, and even friends.

Yvonne Fenner, the outstanding student from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, spoke with heartfelt appreciation about the many ways her selected teachers supported her. “It wasn’t only the educational part of this journey that she helped me with. Ms. Margaret Hart was there for me on a personal note, as I have called on her many times in the last two years.” Ms. Margaret Hart, a First Nations Indigenous educator in the health sciences, shared that the presence of Indigenous students carries deep personal significance. “I’m there to nurture the students’ learning, but also, I’m there to nurture their identities too”—a sentiment that reflects a commitment not only to academic growth but to personal and cultural growth as well.

Following the ceremony, attendees had a chance to mingle, take photos, and reflect on the meaningful connections that helped shape their journeys.

Faculty of Law student Alessandro Potenza put it best: “I know that we were not uniquely smart, but instead, that we had a uniquely exceptional teacher.” A sentiment echoed by many—while talent may open the door, it’s great educators who help students walk through it.

For a full list of award recipients, please visit our webpage.

Sponsored by the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, this annual interdisciplinary event celebrates the impactful research of SoTL Support Fund recipients, highlighting innovative approaches to improve student learning.

Why attend?

Whether you’re just beginning to explore the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning or looking to refresh your teaching practice, the SoTL Symposium has something for you.

The event showcases the teaching and learning research findings of SoTL Support Fund recipients – colleagues who are using scholarly inquiry to improve their teaching and elevate student success.

Join us on May 29 to hear their insights, exchange ideas, and connect with a vibrant community of educators and researchers dedicated to transforming learning experiences at UM!

Keynote presentation

This year’s symposium will feature Dr. Andrea Webb from the University of British Columbia as the keynote. Dr. Webb is currently co-directing a multinational SSHRC-funded project, Narrative Art and Visual Storytelling in Holocaust and Human Rights Education. As Chair of SoTL Canada, she plays a key role in shaping national conversations on scholarly teaching and in supporting a vibrant community of educators committed to enhancing student learning through reflective and research-informed approaches. Dr. Webb worked as a high school teacher for ten years before transitioning to a teacher educator in post-secondary education. Her research interests include Threshold Concepts, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and Social Sciences Teacher Education.

Event details and registration

Date: Thursday, May 29

Time: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Location: Marshall McLuhan Hall, Room 204 UMSU University Centre, Fort Garry Campus

Light breakfast, lunch refreshments will be served.

Register now for the 2025 SoTL Symposium

Experiential Learning Community of Practice Monthly Meeting: End of Year Reflection

Date and time: Tuesday, May 6, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The Experiential Learning Community of Practice is a growing network of UM faculty, instructors, and staff passionate about experiential education.

Monthly meetings
Join our monthly meetings to build relationships with other Community of Practice members, explore best practices and innovations, and participate in engaging conversations.

End of Year Reflection
This is our last meeting for the 2024-2025 academic year. Join us to reflect on what we learned together this year and share your thoughts on what you’d like to see at the Experiential Learning Community of Practice next year!

Register for the End of Year Reflection

TLC Mini-Institute – Designing and Evaluating Assessment Strategies (TLCTS2, Day 1)

Date and time: Monday, May 12, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Lunch is not provided.

The Centre offers the one-and-a-half day TLC Mini-Institute every May and August. The workshops in the Mini-Institute are:

1. Designing and Evaluating Assessment Strategies
2. Strategies for Maintaining a Respectful Classroom Environment

The Mini-Institute is for Pre- and Tenured Faculty Members, Instructors, Sessional Instructors, Librarians, and Post-Doctoral Fellows. Participants can choose to sign up for each workshop separately or attend both.

This session:

This workshop (over two sessions) will provide instructors with opportunities to design assessment strategies to support student learning. You will design formative and summative assessments and learn strategies for providing constructive feedback on students’ work. You will also have opportunities to evaluate the effectiveness of different assessment tools. Please bring a current course syllabus with learning objectives.

Register for TLC Mini-Institute – Designing and Evaluating Assessment Strategies (TLCTS2)

*Please note: Teaching and Learning Certificate (TLC) program participants are required to sign up for both workshops (May 12 & May 13) in the TLC Mini-Institute to fulfill the program requirements.

TLC Mini-Institute – Strategies for Maintaining a Respectful Classroom Environment (TLCTS2, Day 2)

Date and time: Tuesday, May 13, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m

The Centre offers the one-and-a-half day TLC Mini-Institute every May and August. The workshops in the Mini-Institute are:

1. Designing and Evaluating Assessment Strategies
2. Strategies for Maintaining a Respectful Classroom Environment

The Mini-Institute is for Pre- and Tenured Faculty Members, Instructors, Sessional Instructors, Librarians, and Post-Doctoral Fellows. Participants can choose to sign up for each workshop separately or attend both.

This session:

As instructors, you may have experienced behaviour by your students that you felt was disrespectful, rude, or disruptive. These can be challenging situations to deal with. This interactive workshop will focus on teaching strategies that foster and maintain respectful classroom behaviour.

Register for TLC Mini-Institute – Strategies for Maintaining a Respectful Classroom Environment (TLCTS2)

*Please note: Teaching and Learning Certificate (TLC) program participants are required to sign up for both workshops (May 12 & May 13) in the TLC Mini-Institute to fulfill the program requirements.

TLCN06 Teaching Dossier

Date and time: Wednesday, May 14, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Increasingly, university promotion and tenure committees are requiring a teaching dossier to document your development and achievements as an educator. This workshop looks at the requirements at the University of Manitoba for teaching dossiers and covers the basics of writing a Teaching Philosophy statement and creating a teaching dossier.

Register for the TLCN06 Teaching Dossier workshop

Join us Thursday, March 6, 2025, for the third session of the Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium Series. Dr. Matthew Quesnel [B.A./13, M.A./15, Ph.D./20] (The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning) will share his research examining the connection between international students’ metastereotypes and seeking out peer support and support services offered by their postsecondary institutions. Quesnel will share his research findings and explore how they can inform strategies for fostering a more inclusive campus environment, promoting accessing UM support resources, and improve academic success and well-being for international students.

The Teaching and Learning Colloquium Series, hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, supports educators in creating a learning environment that responds to the changing needs of learners and strengthens student supports. It provides a platform for UM scholars and educators to share knowledge, research, and success stories to empower learners.

The series was designed “to provide an opportunity for faculty and higher education professionals to gather and talk about students’ support needs, barriers students may face in seeking help, and effective strategies for supporting and enhancing student learning,” says Quesnel, Teaching and Learning Colloquium Series chair.

Register for Barriers to Support: Metastereotypes and Help-seeking Among International Students. 

Location: Room 325, Education Building 

Date: Thursday, March 6, 2025 

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

Session details: 25-minute presentation, followed by discussion and refreshments. 

Generative AI in Teaching and Learning

Date and time: Wednesday, March 5, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

This workshop focuses on ethical and responsible instructional uses of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) to support student learning in higher education. Participants will gain a foundational understanding of how genAI works and explore its capabilities, limitations, and ethical issues. The core of the workshop will involve discussion about basic learning theories supported by the cognitive sciences and how genAI can enhance and hinder the learning process. Through individual and group reflections, discussions, and activities, participants will critically assess how to use genAI ethically and responsibly in ways that support student learning.

Register for the Generative AI in Teaching and Learning workshop

Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium Series: Session 3

Date and time: Thursday, March 6, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The 2024/25 Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium Series shares the important work of University of Manitoba scholars and educators, whose research sheds light on student support needs, barriers to support seeking, and strategies for supporting students’ learning. Over a series of three research talks, faculty, instructors, and support staff will learn from and with each other about supporting diverse learners. Each talk will be followed by a discussion period and refreshments.

Session 3:

Barriers to Support: Metastereotypes and Help-seeking Among International Students

International students face unique challenges adapting to living and studying abroad, which may influence various aspects of their postsecondary studies. The resources and support services offered by university staff, instructors, and classmates are, therefore, essential for academic success and an overall positive university experience for many international students. Dr. Matthew Quesnel’s work examines how international students’ metastereotypes of how they are viewed by Canadian faculty, staff, and students on their campus, predict whether they seek out peer support and support services offered by their postsecondary institutions. In this session, Matthew will share his research findings on international students’ metastereotypes and its relationship to their help-seeking on campus and explore how this can inform strategies for fostering a more inclusive campus environment, promoting international students’ help-seeking and academic success and well-being on campus.

Register for the Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium, Session 3

Pedagogies of Care: Science of Learning – Firing and Wiring the Neurons

Date and time: Thursday, March 13, 10:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.

Join us for a series of four monthly 50-minute sessions designed for graduate students, instructors, and professors committed to exploring pedagogies of care. These sessions offer strategies that foster care, inclusion, and broaden perspectives in higher education, including insights into how brain science can enhance teaching effectiveness. Each session will provide practical tools for creating inclusive, engaging, and empowering learning environments, drawing on research into neural connections, brain plasticity, and how these processes affect learning, memory retention, and student engagement. Whether you’re teaching in-person or in an online format, this series will equip you with neuroscience-based strategies and pedagogical approaches that cultivate caring and inclusive educational spaces.

During the Science of Learning – Firing and Wiring the Neurons session:

• Participants will discuss the basic principles of how brain processes, such as neural connections and plasticity, influence learning and memory retention.
• Participants will explore brain-based strategies to their teaching methods, fostering environments that enhance cognitive engagement and student learning.

Register for the Pedagogies for Care workshop

Knowledge Transfer: Transitioning from Classroom Learning to Clinical Application

Date and time: Thursday, March 13, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Specifically relevant for Clinical Educators: Effective knowledge transfer from the classroom to the clinical setting is an ongoing goal of didactic teaching.  Effective knowledge transfer ensures that students perform well not only in their academic journey, but also after graduation when they enter their respective fields. If you would like to learn best practices for enhancing the process of transferring knowledge, this workshop will provide strategies to promote this important aspect of learning.

Register for the Knowledge Transfer workshop

Manitoba Academic Integrity Network (MAIN) Speaker Series

Date and time: Thursday, March 13, 2025, 6:00 p.m. to 6:55 p.m.

The Centre is excited to host the 2024-2025 Manitoba Academic Integrity Network (MAIN) Speaker Series, a collection of six professional development opportunities related to academic integrity. A Certificate of Completion will be awarded to individuals who register and attend all six sessions in this series. Visit the Manitoba Academic Integrity Network Speaker Series website for more details.

Session 6: Transforming Assessment Practices in Higher Education with the AI Assessment Scale (AIAS) 

As the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) technologies have become increasingly ubiquitous in higher education, and institutions must equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for an AI-driven future. Although some institutions have attempted to ban the use of these tools and enforce this through an AI text detection strategy, this session proposes an alternative solution to this challenge. The AI Assessment Scale (AIAS) developed by Perkins et al. (2024), offers a flexible framework for incorporating GenAI into educational assessments while promoting academic integrity and ethical use of these technologies. It consists of five allowable levels of AI use in submitted assessments, ranging from ‘No AI’ to ‘AI Exploration’, enabling educators to design assessments that focus on areas requiring human input and critical thinking. This intervention will explore the challenges of attempting to use a detection-based approach to dealing with GenAI use in assessments, introduce the AIAS as a possible alternative, and discuss the findings of a pilot study of the AIAS at British University Vietnam which has demonstrated significant benefits in reducing misconduct and supporting student engagement and attainment. 

Register for the MAIN Speaker Series, Session 6

Small Shifts, Significant Gains: March Session

Date and time: Monday, March 17, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Looking for ways to revitalize your teaching but don’t have time for a big redesign? In Small Teaching, author James Lang argues that small changes in classroom techniques and activities can have big impacts on student learning. Join our sessions to hear practical teaching strategies from faculty guest speakers. Bring your questions and your lunch.  Leave with ideas that you can implement right away in your courses! 

Lightning Presentation Speakers:

• C. Lee Anne Deegan from the Faculty of Social Work presents: Centering Collaboration: Applying Relational Values to Reimagine Group Work
• Cheryl Glazebrook from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management

Register for Small Shifts, Significant Gains: March Session

Experiential Learning Community of Practice Monthly Meeting: Leveraging AI to Enhance Experiential Learning

Date and time: Wednesday, March 19, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Experiential Learning Community of Practice is a growing network of UM faculty, instructors, and staff passionate about experiential education.

Monthly meetings:
Join our monthly meetings to build relationships with other Community of Practice members, explore best practices and innovations, and participate in engaging conversations.

Leveraging AI to Enhance Experiential Learning:
This month, we’ll explore how AI can enhance experiential learning, showcasing the innovative ways instructors are integrating AI into their teaching. Join us for a dynamic, facilitated discussion that will dive into the benefits and challenges of AI in experiential learning and celebrate the impactful work happening in this field.

Register for Leveraging AI to Enhance Experiential Learning

Incorporating the Seven Sacred Teachings into Classroom Teaching Strategies and Giving Feedback

Date and time: Thursday, March 20, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

This workshop will focus on an introduction to the Seven Sacred Teachings and how to incorporate them in day-to-day teaching strategies.  This workshop will also focus on how to deliver strength-based feedback. We will also put strategies into practice with scenarios.

Register for the Incorporating the Seven Sacred Teachings workshop

Universal Design for Learning in Practice: Recognize Expectations, Beliefs, and Motivations

Date and time: Thursday, March 27, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Join us for the last Thursday of each month in an ongoing series, where participants will review discreet elements of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Participants will work together to develop pedagogical practices that align with the UDL principle being discussed that month.

Topic: This session will focus on CAST’s UDL principle of recognizing expectations, beliefs, and motivations and how it can be directly applied to pedagogical practice. There will be a brief presentation of the core elements of this principle followed by a question-and-answer session where participants can collaborate with the facilitator to develop their practice. 

Register for Recognize Expectations, Beliefs, and Motivations

Experiential Learning in the Arts and Humanities

Date and time: Tuesday, February 4, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

There is more to experiential learning than internships and co-ops. In this workshop, we’ll explore ways in which experiential learning pedagogy and opportunities can be integrated into the arts and humanities classroom.

Register for the Experiential Learning in the Arts and Humanities workshop

Small Shifts, Significant Gains: February Session

Date and time: Tuesday, February 4, 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Looking for ways to revitalize your teaching but don’t have time for a big redesign? In Small Teaching, author James Lang argues that small changes in classroom techniques and activities can have big impacts on student learning. Join our sessions to hear practical teaching strategies from faculty guest speakers. Bring your questions and your lunch.  Leave with ideas that you can implement right away in your courses!

Lightning Presentation Speakers:

• Kathy Yerex from the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, presents: Work Smarter, Not Harder: Harnessing AI for Rubrics and Lecture Slides
• Kaleigh Warden from the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, presents: Using Generative AI to Craft Case Studies and Inspire Critical Thinking

Register for Small Shifts, Significant Gains: February Session

Pedagogies of Care: Cultivating Liberatory Spaces

Date and time: Tuesday, February 4, 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Join us for a series of four monthly 50-minute sessions designed for graduate students, instructors, and professors committed to exploring pedagogies of care. These sessions offer strategies that foster care, inclusion, and broadened perspectives in higher education, including insights into how brain science can enhance teaching effectiveness. Each session will provide practical tools for creating inclusive, engaging, and empowering learning environments, drawing on research into neural connections, brain plasticity, and how these processes affect learning, memory retention, and student engagement. Whether you’re teaching in-person or in an online format, this series will equip you with neuroscience-based strategies and pedagogical approaches that cultivate caring and inclusive educational spaces.

During the Cultivating Liberatory Spaces session:

• Participants will be able to identify key elements of relational and emancipatory teaching approaches that foster inclusivity and empowerment in the classroom.
• Participants will reflect on their own teaching practices to create strategies that promote student engagement and cultivate a sense of belonging within learning communities.

Register for the Pedagogies of Care workshop

Virtual Reality-Based Teaching Skills Program – Effective Communication: How to Have Better Conversations with Your Students

Date and time: Wednesday, February 5, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Embark on an immersive skill development journey in our comprehensive Virtual Reality-based teaching skills program designed to enhance communication strategies. During the program, faculty and instructors (graduate students are also welcome) will explore effective techniques that are applicable to various educational contexts. Participants are given the option to practice communication skills in a safe, judgement-free environment that incorporates role play and Virtual Reality-based simulations before applying them in their teaching and learning environments. 

Register for the Virtual Reality-Based Teaching Skills Program

Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium Series: Session 2

Date and time: Thursday, February 6, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The 2024/25 Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium Series shares the important work of University of Manitoba scholars and educators, whose research sheds light on student support needs, barriers to support seeking, and strategies for supporting students’ learning. Over a series of three research talks, faculty, instructors, and support staff will learn from and with each other about supporting diverse learners. Each talk will be followed by a discussion period and refreshments.

Session 2:

Fostering Success: Addressing Basic Psychological Needs for Students with Learning Disabilities in Postsecondary Settings.

The number of students with Learning Disabilities (LD) at postsecondary institutions is increasing; however, their graduation rates continue to lag behind those of their peers. To address this, Dr. Goegan and her team have been exploring Basic Psychological Needs (BPNs) and the impact that the satisfaction or frustration of these needs can have on postsecondary success. Indeed, decades of research has found that supporting students’ needs for autonomy (e.g., feeling in control), competence (e.g., feeling capable), and relatedness (e.g., feeling connected to others) has a positive impact across various indicators of success. As such, this session will begin by providing a summary of research on the satisfaction and frustration of BPNs for students with LD and then explore strategies for supporting the satisfaction of students’ BPNs in postsecondary classrooms.

Register for the Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium Series, Session 2

Manitoba Academic Integrity Network (MAIN) Speaker Series

Date and time: Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 9:00 a.m. to 9:55 a.m.

Session 4: Academic Integrity in the Irish Higher Education System: Lessons Learnt and Reflections along the Way 

In 2019, legislation was passed in Ireland that criminalized the provision or advertisement of contract cheating services. Shortly thereafter, the National Academic Integrity Network, which brings together representatives from across the Irish higher education sector (and more recently the vocational/further education sector), was established. Throughout its five years of existence, NAIN has encouraged and supported the development of cultures of academic integrity in higher education institutions and produced resources to guide and assist institutions. Since 2023, elements of the N-TUTORR project, a national program of activity aimed at building capacity in the relatively new technological university sector, has been building upon and working in partnership with NAIN to progress and support the implementation of NAIN resources. In this webinar, the chair of NAIN and the N-TUTORR academic integrity project lead will discuss the benefits of collaboration and partnership and reflect upon lessons learnt. 

Register for the MAIN Speaker Series, Session 4

Experiential Learning Community of Practice Brown Bag Conversations: AI Powered Critical Reflection

Date and time: Thursday, February 13, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Bring your lunch and connect with other members of our community of practice! There is no formal agenda for these casual meetings just good people and conversation! Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts and experiences as we explore different topics in experiential learning. 

Topic: AI powered critical reflection. Are your students using AI to complete reflection assignments? What challenges are you experiencing? What might be some strategies to overcome those challenges? 

Register for AI Powered Critical Reflection

Manitoba Academic Integrity Network (MAIN) Speaker Series

Date and time: Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 10:00 a.m. to 10:55 a.m.

The Centre is excited to host the 2024-2025 Manitoba Academic Integrity Network (MAIN) Speaker Series, a collection of six professional development opportunities related to academic integrity. A Certificate of Completion will be awarded to individuals who register and attend all six sessions in this series. Visit the Manitoba Academic Integrity Network Speaker Series website for more details.

Session 5: Neutralizing the “Threat”: A Practitioners Guide to Re-Evaluating Student Assessments to Maintain Academic Integrity 

Technology and various tools have the power to disrupt learning and compromise academic integrity. The onslaught of genAI has caused many of us to reconsider our assessments, yet the task of assessment redesign can be daunting, and we may not know where to begin. This presentation discusses four broad “filters” through which educators can consider how to best move forward (or not) with an existing assessment. When considered with other concepts, theories, and contextual factors, these filters may help enrich our decision-making. The four filters are, Abandon, Monitor, Enhance, & Adopt, and they all intended to help “neutralize the threat” to assessments. Overall, these filters are intended to provide a guide or framework for faculty (or used by those who coach or work with faculty) when they are considering assessment redesign while promoting academic integrity.

Register for the MAIN Speaker Series, Session 5

Pedagogies of Care: Universal Design – Curb Cutting the Academy

Date and time: Tuesday, February 25, 1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Join us for a series of four monthly 50-minute sessions designed for graduate students, instructors, and professors committed to exploring pedagogies of care. These sessions offer strategies that foster care, inclusion, and broadened perspectives in higher education, including insights into how brain science can enhance teaching effectiveness. Each session will provide practical tools for creating inclusive, engaging, and empowering learning environments, drawing on research into neural connections, brain plasticity, and how these processes affect learning, memory retention, and student engagement. Whether you’re teaching in-person or in an online format, this series will equip you with neuroscience-based strategies and pedagogical approaches that cultivate caring and inclusive educational spaces.

During the Universal Design – Curb Cutting the Academy session:

• Participants will be able to discuss learning activities that incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, ensuring accessibility for all students.
• Participants will evaluate existing course materials and assessments to identify opportunities for enhancing accessibility and inclusivity.

Register for the Pedagogies of Care workshop

Open Educational Resources: What, Why, and How

Date and time: Thursday, February 27, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

The term open educational resources (OER) describes a wide range of materials in teaching and learning that are available for public use with an open license or in the public domain. Examples of OER include full courses, course modules, syllabi, textbooks, lectures, assessments, and datasets. In this workshop, participants will learn why OER are valuable, and how to locate them, how to evaluate them using a rubric. The workshop does not assume prior experience with these topics.

Register for the Open Educational Resources workshop

Universal Design for Learning in Practice: Clarify the Meaning and Purpose of the Goals

Date and time: Thursday, February 27, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Join us for the last Thursday of each month in an ongoing series, where participants will review discreet elements of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Participants will work together to develop pedagogical practices that align with the UDL principle being discussed that month.

Topic: This session will focus on CAST’s UDL principle of clarifying the meaning and purpose of the goals and how it can be directly applied to pedagogical practice. There will be a brief presentation of the core elements of this principle followed by a question-and-answer session where participants can collaborate with the facilitator to develop their practice.

Register for Clarify the Meaning and Purpose of the Goals

January 9 — As more students with learning disabilities pursue post–secondary education, the needs of the UM student population continue to evolve. When needs are not met, students with learning disabilities are more likely to trail behind their peers in academic achievement and graduation rates.

Join us on Thursday, February 6, 2025, for the second session of the Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium Series. Dr. Lauren Goegan (Educational Administration, Foundations and Psychology, Faculty of Education) will share her research about inclusive pedagogies and strategies to nurture success of students with learning disabilities more effectivity. Goegan and her team explore how basic psychological needs, such as autonomy, relatedness, and competence, impact postsecondary success. 

The Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium Series hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (The Centre) is one way The Centre supports advancing pedagogies that respond to the diverse needs of learners. The colloquium series creates an opportunity for UM faculty to share their knowledge, research and success stories within the UM instructional community to empower learners. 

The Colloquium Series was designed “to provide an opportunity for faculty and higher education professionals to gather and talk about students’ support needs, barriers students may face in seeking help, and effective strategies for supporting and enhancing student learning,” says Dr. Matthew Quesnel, Colloquium Series Chair and Faculty Specialist – Science of Teaching and Learning, The Centre. 

A final session for 2024-2025 academic year, focusing on Metastereotypes and Help-seeking Among International Students, will take place in early March.

Register for Fostering Success: Addressing Basic Psychological Needs for Students with Learning Disabilities in Postsecondary Settings.

Location: Room 325, Education Building 
Date: Thursday, February 6, 2025 
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Session details: 25-minute presentation, followed by discussion and refreshments.

Developed by CAST, a nonprofit education research and development organization, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve teaching and learning, based on scientific insights into how humans learn. The framework includes three principles and nine sub-categories, each with individual elements.

“When you first engage with the UDL framework, it can be overwhelming because there’s so much to look at, it can be hard to know where to start,” says facilitator Johnathan Bevan, an Educational Developer with The Centre. “Our goal with this series is to break down the overall framework and look at the discreet elements, one at a time, and work through how to put them into practice.”

Each workshop will include a brief presentation on a framework concept, followed by working through an exercise on how to apply the concept to course materials. Each workshop explores an individual consideration. Each event in the series is self-contained, you do not need to attend the entire series to understand and participate.

“It is important that we start to dismantle the ableism that exists in higher learning. For those who do not experience barriers to engaging in education, it is difficult to perceive how people are being excluded,” says Bevan. “Taking the time to work through an individual UDL principle will help understand where there are barriers in your practice. Incorporating one element of UDL to your pedagogy will influence other aspects of your teaching. This is because each element functions individually and is also complimentary to the wider philosophy.”

Bevan notes that integrating UDL is an ongoing process of learning and refinement. “Universal design should not be understood as a destination or a checklist. It is a process that exists in conversation with the people who are engaging with our practice,” he says.

Bevan is hopeful this series helps faculty, both in integrating concepts into existing course materials and to look at including UDL in their course design—something Bevan can also support.

“The whole point is to engage critically with pedagogical practice to remove barriers,” he says. “The more we practice implementing UDL principles, the more meaningful our pedagogical design will be for the students we are seeking to teach.”

Universal Design for Learning Workshops – Winter Term 2025

UDL in Practice: Optimize Relevance, Value, and Authenticity
Thursday, January 30, 12 – 1 pm

Description: The session will focus on CAST’s UDL principle of optimizing relevance, value, and authenticity and how it can be directly applied to pedagogical practice.

Register

UDL in Practice: Clarify the Meaning and Purpose of the Goals
Thursday, February 27, 12 -1 pm

Description: The session will focus on CAST’s UDL principle of clarifying the meaning and purpose of the goals and how it can be directly applied to pedagogical practice.

Register

UDL in Practice: Recognize Expectations, Beliefs, and Motivations
Thursday, March 27, 12 – 1pm

Description: The session will focus on CAST’s UDL principle of recognizing expectations, beliefs, and motivations and how it can be directly applied to pedagogical practice.

Register

UDL in Practice: Represent a Diversity of Perspectives and Identities in Authentic Ways
Thursday, April 24, 12 – 1pm

Description: The session will focus on CAST’s UDL principle of representing a diversity of perspectives and identities in authentic ways and how it can be directly applied to pedagogical practice.

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The certificate, offered through The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, combines workshops, mentorships and classroom observations. Participants learn pedagogical principles and foundational knowledge that can be applied in the classroom.

“One of the challenges that new faculty can face is that they come into the classroom as experts in their field of study but may not feel confident that they have a strong a foundation in the science and pedagogy of being an educator,” says Joanna Koulouriotis, Educational Developer with The Centre and TLC Program Coordinator. “This program helps them develop their knowledge, skills and reflective practices to improve the classroom experience for both students and themselves.”

Dr. Jenna Tichon, an instructor in the Faculty of Science, began taking TLC workshops during her PhD, when she was working as a sessional instructor and then took the full program when she transitioned to a faculty position.

She says it was the mentorship and the connection to a community of other instructors that was transformative for her in her early years in the classroom.

“Community was the biggest thing for me,” says Tichon. “Being able to go for a walk with my mentor and talking about what I was doing or things I wanted to try. Your first couple of years of teaching can be overwhelming—and when everything is feeling overwhelming and too much, to have someone who you can talk to and who listens and understands is so important. I think doing the program was one of the best decisions I could have made.”

While the program was designed to provide support to new faculty, it also has incredible value for mentors. Colleen Plumton, an instructor with the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, has served as mentor since the program began and has seen the benefits for both participants and the mentors who take part.  

“One of the fabulous things about this program is the reciprocal component of it,” says Plumton. “I learn so much from the individuals I’ve mentored because their areas aren’t my areas of expertise and there’s ideas and approaches they use that I’ve been able to take and adapt to my teaching—it continues to inspire me.”

99 faculty members have completed the program, which offers an annual intake. The graduates and mentors make up a community, which both Tichon and Plumton say is one of the best things about the program.

“Having people you can call up and talk through challenges you’re having, or ask questions to, makes you feel like you’re part of something larger,” says Plumton. “It’s about supporting each other and continuing to learn and get better. That’s what it’s all about—you never, ever want to stop learning.”

Registration for the next intake of the TLC program opens in April 2025. Learn more about the TLC program.

“It starts and ends with the Associate Dean,” the podcast hosts quipped as they led Asper School of Business faculty members, leaders, and students through the day’s programming.

The podcasters were enthused about Pu’s scheduled introduction to artificial intelligence, excited to hear Lukas Neville’s best practices for AI in the classroom, intrigued by Kiran Pedada’s Harvard-informed workshop, and utterly curious about guest speaker Xuan Zhao’s keynote address titled “Student Wellbeing in the Age of AI.”

Wenxi Pu, Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning

(The hosts and the podcast were—surprise—AI generated.)

Pu (Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems, and The Associates Fellow in Innovation) began the day with this demonstration, scratching the surface of what generative AI can do and encapsulating the theme of the 2024 Reg Litz Teaching Day: Student Success in the Age of AI.

Named in memory of beloved instructor of entrepreneurship, Reg Litz, the day is held annually and dedicated to helping Asper School of Business instructors develop their pedagogical skills to enhance student learning.

Pu explains why this theme seemed the perfect fit for the 2024 instalment.

“AI is transforming the business landscape at an unprecedented pace, presenting both challenges and opportunities for innovation in business education. Reg Litz Teaching Day is the perfect platform for Asper faculty and students to brainstorm strategies that empower students to achieve what once seemed impossible.

“At Asper, students are at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to fostering not only their academic excellence but also their psychological well-being in this dynamic age of AI.” Pu said.

In his opening remarks, Bruno Silvestre (Dean, CPA Manitoba Chair in Business Leadership) echoed this sentiment, reminding participants: “AI is not the future for our students; it is the present.”

Featuring lively discussions and insights from Asper faculty members and students across departments, the day was spent volleying the implications, challenges, and opportunities of AI in teaching and learning. From questions of accessibility and privilege to considerations of the environmental cost of technology, the workshops encouraged open conversations and reflections.

Many teachers and students in the room noted that clear parameters are important—whether in individual AI use or in widespread academic AI usage.

To this point, Neville (Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour) offered the following considerations for instructors navigating AI in the classroom:

1. are we teaching students what AI tools are and how to use them?
2. is AI usage augmenting or replacing learning?
3. how can we ensure AI usage is ethical and sustainable?
4. how does AI usage impact assessment?
5. how will AI affect professional practice for students and grads on the job? and
6. how do we foster critical thinking while embracing AI?

The discussions that followed centered on experience, with many instructors sharing both their successful and less successful forays into AI in the classroom. This experimentation, a tangible sense of play, reflected the intent and legacy of the Reg Litz Teaching Day itself—a decade after the first instalment in 2014.

Litz himself was known and loved for his unconventional teaching methods (and props) in the classroom, his creativity, his insight, his encouragement, and his compassion for students.

This last sentiment run throughout the day as well, culminating in Zhao’s (CEO and Co-Founder of Flourish Science, Behavioural Scientist at Stanford University) keynote discussion considering the value of AI for student wellness and wellbeing.

The 2024 Reg Litz Teaching Day focused on AI and emerging technologies because at its heart and despite its name, the day itself is about learning. It is a day when experienced instructors, who spend most of their time in classrooms at the front of lecture halls, instead sit where their students normally would. It’s a day that celebrates learning as part of any excellent teacher’s toolkit.

The late Dr. Reg Litz, respected alumnus and professor of entrepreneurship.

At the Asper School of Business, students thrive thanks to a strong commitment to teaching excellence. Asper’s intimate class sizes and dynamic course offerings provide opportunities to exchange ideas and dig deep into the issues and challenges of today’s business world. Learn more about programs of study, from undergraduate and research, to professional and executive programs here.