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2019-2020 Annual Report

2021-2022 Annual Report

Director's Welcome

Message from Carol Rolheiser, Director, CTSI

This has been a remarkable year.

As always, it was a year of new programming and collaborations as the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI) worked with partners across the University, including individual instructors, to enhance the teaching and learning landscape of U of T. It was a year of reflection and analysis as we participated in a self-study that contributed to an external review of teaching support across U of T. Our presentation at the international Professional and Organizational Development (POD) conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in November 2019, also provided an opportunity for our CTSI team to reflect on 10 years of strategic work, through our presentation, “The road travelled, the road ahead: Teaching center strategic change.”

And, of course, this year was especially remarkable in that it saw our team responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our entire U of T community. We have seen or heard the phrase “unprecedented times” in more ways than we can imagine over these last months. While without a doubt this period has been overwhelming and incredibly challenging, it has also been a time of affirmation of our commitment to the learning of our University of Toronto students.

Administrators, instructors, staff and countless others have rallied to ensure that our programs and support services have continued, and in many ways have been enhanced, as we have worked together to increase our collective innovation, effectiveness and efficiency. I have never been as proud of our team in CTSI as I have been during this recent period as we supported our community to shift to online/remote teaching in order to continue serving our mission of enhancing teaching and learning for the University of Toronto.

As you read through this annual report, you will see the many ways CTSI, and the functional teams within our unit, have engaged with and helped enrich the teaching and learning community across our institution. From providing individual and group consultations, workshops, webinars and support resources, to supporting effective pedagogy and educational technology in online learning, CTSI has connected and collaborated with a wide range of sectors across U of T. And, proudly, with a broader community across Canada and internationally.

After a long planning period, we were happy to run and successfully complete this past year the pilot program for the Certificate in Effective University Instruction, a partnership between CTSI and the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). Forty-five continuing appointment faculty members from all 3 campuses and 10 Divisions successfully completed 25 online modules over the year, participated in 4 face-to-face workshops and sought support through personal consultations. On June 20, 2020 our faculty certificate recipients were honoured in a virtual ceremony by Cheryl Regehr, Provost, Susan McCahan, Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education, and our CTSI facilitation team. The certificate received by faculty is endorsed by the American Council on Education and we were so pleased that this pilot initiative resulted in a 96% faculty success rate. We look forward to launching the next ACUE cohort in December 2020 as we have now confirmed our continuing partnership with ACUE.

For the past two years, CTSI team members worked on a long- term assessment project for the Transforming the Instructional Landscape (TIL) Project with Academic + Campus Events (ACE). I am happy to report that in June 2020 we published our final report, “Assessing Targeted Objectives of the Transforming the Instructional Landscape Project: Active Learning Classrooms at U of T”.

This year also marks the end of my term as Director, CTSI. As I write this final Director’s Message for the annual report, I continue to reflect on the privilege it has been to have served the University in this leadership role for over a decade.

Our CTSI team represents qualities that I treasure: purpose, passion, partnerships, teamwork, resilience, dedication, high standards, compassion and heart.

In truth, it has been a remarkable eleven years.

I am so very grateful to our CTSI team and to all of you, our U of T community, for your steadfast commitment to high standards, your creativity and innovation, and your attention to ALL that goes into great teaching. Thank you for sharing your pedagogical journeys – these have illuminated your everyday practices, your trials and triumphs, and your caring hearts.

I am truly going to miss the opportunities and optimism that have been a part of my work in CTSI from day one, along with the collaboration with so many diverse partners across our University. I am very confident about the next phase of our unit’s work under the leadership of Dr. Alison Gibbs – who looks forward to working closely with all of you to chart the future of teaching and learning at the University of Toronto and beyond.

On a personal level, as I begin this new phase in my life, I look forward to continuing adventures and ongoing learning.

Dr. Carol Rolheiser
Director, Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation

Course Evaluations 

At the University of Toronto, online course evaluations are conducted to collect formative feedback for instructors to inform their teaching, to provide summative data for program, curriculum and course review, and to provide members of the University community, including students, with information about student learning experiences at the University. The CTSI Course Evaluation (CE) team operates the centralized system and provides guidance and facilitation, including for implementation, interpretation, item design, technical support, and educational support. The team continues to provide leadership and connections with peers across universities from around the world through consultations and engagement.

Course Evaluation Team Highlights

Events: Course Evaluation Institute 2020

Over the past year, the CE on team has grown the Course Evaluation Institute, taking a leadership role in hosting this event that engages the broader course evaluation community in conversation and collaboration on course evaluation matters. This includes creating a Listserv with a broad membership representing universities from around the globe.

The CTSI CE team had planned, organized, and reviewed proposals for the second hosting of the two-day Course Evaluation Institute in May 2020 but due to COVID-19’s global impact, the event was postponed until further notice. Although the event could not take place, the Course Evaluation Institute garnered significant interest from global partners and peers, highlighting the importance of CTSI CE team leadership with regard to the assessment of teaching in the broader higher education community. CTSI looks forward to hosting this postponed event in the near future.

Building upon an initial pilot in 2018-2019, an analysis of concerning comments in the open-ended fill-in-the-blank course evaluation questions has been expanded to a full review of comments across 3 of U of T’s largest divisions. In a separate project, a policy review regarding concerning comments in course evaluations across 29 research intensive universities in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom was also conducted. This work is being used to inform decision making, policy, and practice by the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education as well as U of T’s Course Evaluation Advisory Group. This work is being further deepened and expanded through current work on positive comments, and, the piloting of text analytics to support divisional administrators.

Members of the Course Evaluation team shared their work, knowledge, and expertise in academic, technical, and practical applications of course evaluation data. Team members presented a workshop at the STLHE 2019 conference in Winnipeg and two well-attended presentations at Bluenotes 2019, an annual eXplorance (U of T’s course evaluation vendor) conference, in Chicago. This engagement led to further connections and dialogue with international members of the course evaluation community, and further enhanced the University of Toronto’s leadership in this area.

Members of the CE team are engaged in ongoing implementation work to finalize Pharmacy’s integration into U of T’s Course Evaluation Framework (CEF). This work has involved the creation of program-specific course evaluation items, facilitating discussions with implementation committee members on matters of policy and guidelines, and consultations with sub-groups of the committee to communicate about the CEF.

Team Intersections

Team projects, collaborations, and initiatives

The work of the Course Evaluation team spans the scope of nearly every Division at U of T, from facilitating implementation of the Course Evaluation Framework to ongoing operational support through every course evaluation period. Currently, there are 12 Divisions that are implemented under the University of Toronto’s Course Evaluation Framework.

The Course Evaluation team continues to consult broadly across the institution, this year completing 45 consultations on a variety of topics including interpretation, implementation, SoTL, and course evaluation-specific ROSI Express training. Working in collaboration with the office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty and Academic Life, the Course Evaluation team also offered a workshop, “Assessment of Teaching in Tenure, Continuing Status, and Promotion Reviews for Chairs, Directors and Members of Teaching Evaluation Committees”.

The CTSI Course Evaluation team actively participates in the Institutional Course Evaluations Advisory Group, helping to shape the culture of assessment at the University of Toronto by sharing current research on course evaluations, trends, updates on U of T implementation and activities, and encouraging a collaborative approach to improving evaluation administration and use of course evaluation data.

CTSI has established itself as a leader, nationally and internationally, on course evaluations. The CE team is frequently consulted by a range of individuals from institutions both nationally and internationally on both the CE system as well as the framework, establishing CTSI and the University of Toronto as leaders in course evaluation best practices and as key resources for peer institutions. This year, the CE team provided 20 external consultations to international colleagues. As of now, their listserv has 57 members (13 from U of T and 44 from other universities
across the world).

Academic and Collaborative Technologies 

Through faculty consultations, training, resource development and service responses, Academic & Collaborative Technologies (ACT) Support staff provide strategic and operational leadership on the innovative use of teaching technologies. Whether responding to a help desk request regarding U of T’s Quercus, delivering a workshop or webinar, or providing in-depth consultation, ACT Support assists faculty, graduate students and staff to enrich the learning experiences of students at U of T.

ACT Team Highlights

COVID-19 Response

When the University moved to the online/remote learning environment in 2020 due to COVID-19, the ACT team accelerated resource production with tip sheets, videos and online guides to help ease the transition for faculty and students. New webinars and programming options were developed and delivered through the transition period and continued throughout the summer and fall terms.

U of T’s Academic Toolbox provides integrated apps and educational technology tools for Quercus, our online learning management engine. Over the past year the ACT team has:

  • Worked with Divisions to integrate tools (like, the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering Registrar Advisor app and the Canvas Blueprint app that allows sub-accounts (divisional ‘sub-domains’) to manage the default course templates in Quercus) that are specific to their needs.
  • Collaborated with the University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) on LibApps that allow discipline-specific library resources (also known as research guides, or libguides) to automatically appear in a Quercus course.
  • Continued development work on new tools like the New Canvas Gradebook, New Quizzes and the U of T Quercus Administrator Toolkit that will allow administrators to manage enrollments via a batch process that serve the entire University.

Through the Instructional Technology Innovation Fund (ITIF), ACT staff:

  • Worked with UTL to develop a set of self-moderated Library Literacy Skills Modules for incoming U of T students and high school students
  • Worked with Chemistry faculty members and the Mobile Application Development (MAD) Lab to develop an innovative new tool called ARChemy, a mobile Augmented Reality app designed to teach Chemistry with 3D visualizations

In all these instances the ACT Team worked with web developers, faculty, Divisional staff and educational developer professionals to ensure a smooth integration and to make certain that all supports are in place when the tools are made available to the University.

Throughout any given year, the ACT team produces resources and tip sheets for new or updated Quercus tools and best practices.

This past year, ACT team members:

  • Contributed to CTSI resources on active learning in classrooms and student engagement in the online learning environment and helped develop and deliver CTSI programming (see Appendix C for details – coming soon)
  • Wrote for the Quercus for Students Blog, contributing high-interest posts focusing on new apps, some basic trouble shooting, and tips on post-holiday prep for students
  • Continued to contribute and update resources to the Ed Tech Admin Support Resource & Development Hub, a support resource on Quercus best practices and a staging environment for designing and sharing Quercus training and support materials for Educational Technology Support staff

The ACT team also provided consultations (received through CTSI General Inquiries, Quercus Help, and individual staff emails) for U of T faculty and staff.

As the University moved to a remote working and online learning environment, the ACT team worked to enhance online tools and features to improve this experience, including:

  • Microsoft MS Teams Meetings. Users can now schedule a MS Teams meeting from Quercus and provide invitation information on how to join to students
    • Blackboard Collaborate Ultra
    • Telephone local phone number. A local 416 teleconferencing number is available to join a Blackboard Collaborate Ultra session. Long-distance charges may apply if users are calling in from outside of the GTA
  • Large Scale Events. All users can create a session in webinar mode and allow 250+ attendees to join

The ACT team also provided on-call consultations during the first initial, high pressure weeks of working remotely. Through multiple live Q & A sessions held at various times during the day – including on a few weekends – the ACT Support team responded in real time to Quercus Help and Service Now email requests and followed up with multiple additional scheduled consultations throughout the transition period.

The U of T community can suggest a new tool for Quercus or see the list of tools currently under review by visiting ACT’s View Ideas. Tools that have been approved and are in the implementation and testing phase can be viewed on Projects.

Team Intersections

Team projects, collaborations, and initiatives

The ACT Support team’s work is deeply intertwined with the work of other CTSI teams, when it comes to programming, resources and communication, in particular. The UDL+Q series was a joint effort between ACT and the Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP), with contributions from the Programming and Communications team, and the University of Toronto’s Accessibility Office. CTSI’s response to COVID-19 was reliant on ACT’s expertise and knowledge concerning online and remote teaching and using tools within Quercus. The long-established relationships and processes of working with each other internally within CTSI, and across the University with other units, allowed this shift to happen quickly and efficiently. The team’s connection to educational technology professionals and IT support on all three campuses made for a much smoother and more fruitful transition.

To connect the programming of offices and Divisions across the University, the ACT team worked with the office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education (VPIUE) to create the Global Calendar to Support Online/Remote Teaching. This events calendar provides registration information for webinars from all three campuses using EVE, their in-house developed events and participant tracking system.

Programming and Communications 

The Programming and Communication team serves to activate the strategic mission of CTSI through campus-wide collaborations, opportunities for community building and critical learning, and responsive leadership and resource development. Through a range of strategic communications, the Programming and Communications team feeds this work back to the teaching and learning community, seeking to enhance the culture of teaching at U of T. For Programming and Communication metrics, see Appendix C (coming soon).

Programming and Communications Team Highlights

Response to the COVID-19

The CTSI Programming and Communications team’s work is grounded in outreach, collaboration, engagement, community building, and this year, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, engaging in both thoughtful responsiveness and a proactive stance. CTSI emerged as a key pillar of support and expertise for instructors, administrators and staff as the University shifted to online/remote delivery options in response.

By reworking and consistently updating the CTSI website homepage during COVID-19 phases, support and just-in-time resources were prioritized and made accessible for instructors, TAs and support staff. This included the development, design and communication of a wide range of new resources to support instructors during the various phases of Continuity Planning, including a new Course Planning Guide for Online/Remote Teaching, a new repository for recorded webinars, a Checklist for Continuity Planning, Quick Guide for Continuity Planning, 5 Tips for Students, and Tip Sheet for TAs.

CTSI worked across divisions to develop new support materials; this included collaborating with the office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education to develop a Global Calendar for U of T online/remote teaching support and to populate this with CTSI offerings. As well, CTSI liaised with numerous U of T offices and personnel to develop new resources to support the teaching community during COVID-19 (e.g., resources related to Academic Integrity; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Accommodations and Accessibility; Online Assessment; Technological Tools, etc.)

CTSI Online/Remote webinar sessions were developed and delivered to assist with the transition to online/remote teaching, with recordings of all offerings available to the U of T community:

Sample webinar topics included:

  • Planning and Preparing Your Course
  • Connecting and Interacting with Your Students Online
  • Assessing Student Work and Providing Feedback Through Quercus
  • Teaching from a Distance: Webinars and Lecture Recordings

This past year the Programming and Communications team continued their work on the Transforming the Instructional Landscape (TIL) initiative in collaboration with Academic & Campus Events (ACE). Phase two of the assessment project included instructor and administrator interviews, in-class observations, document collection (e.g., course syllabi) and final interviews exploring current pedagogical practices and support for teaching in Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs) on the St. George campus (within the mandate of the office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education and Academic Programs).

Throughout this assessment project the CTSI team analyzed data and synthesized themes to operationalize its findings, including unpacking faculty member’s experiences teaching in a range of ALCs and their desired classroom design support and resources. The team published two articles for Harvard Business Education “Goodbye Lecture Halls, Hello Active Learning Spaces” and “How to Shake Up Active Learning Assumptions” (October 2019 and January 2020), continued updating the Active Learning Pedagogies section of the CTSI Website, and submitted a peer-reviewed proposal which was accepted for the Supporting Active Learning & Technology Innovation in Studies of Education (SALTISE) Conference, Concordia University, June 8-9, 2020. The conference was cancelled; however, the session, “Transforming the Instructional Landscape: Dialogues Between Pedagogy and Space” was included in a special edition of the SALTISE 2020 Proceedings.

The final report and summary of recommendations, “Assessing Targeted Objectives of the Transforming the Instructional Landscape (TIL) Project: Active Learning Classrooms at the University of Toronto” was completed May 2020.

The Programming and Communications team designed and led a UX (User Experience) audit of the CTSI website which involved critically examining users’ experiences, attitudes, needs and challenges when engaging with the CTSI website.

By tapping into the expertise of the UX Lab at Robarts Library, a research plan was developed that included data collection in two phases and engaged a cross section of CTSI community members, including staff, librarians, instructors and an administrator. The team also conducted an analysis of the site’s Google Analytics, and performed an environmental scan of similar higher education faculty development websites. The team analyzed the findings to develop recommendations in a final report (June 2020) which will inform the redevelopment of the CTSI website.

UX Review Quick Stats

Phase 1:

  • Online survey was distributed via the CTSI newsletter to U of T instructors, librarians and staff
  • 24 responses
    • 17 staff
    • 3 librarians
    • 2 instructors
    • 1 administrator
    • 1 student

Phase 2:

  • Respondents who indicated they were interested in speaking in more detail were connected to participated in a one-hour face-to-face interview
  • 7 interviews
    • 4 staff
    • 3 librarians

Team Intersections

Team projects, collaborations, and initiatives

This year, in addition to the mainstay pedagogical workshops, the Programming and Communications team established new programming streams for CTSI that involved collaboration across the University. Partnering with the University of Toronto AODA Officer and the University of Toronto Library Accessibility Specialist, CTSI designed and offered new programming around Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that included the development of a repository for resources (from both U of T and beyond), lunch and learn webinars and an online course design institute co-developed with Online Learning Strategies.

CTSI also created a new programming stream focused on ensuring teaching and learning environments are safe and welcoming for racially, culturally, ethnically, physically, cognitively and gender diverse students. In collaboration with a Faculty of Arts & Science instructor and a staff member from Student Life, CTSI presented a once-a-month Equity in the Classroom Roundtable Series bringing instructors together for informal discussions. Working with the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office (ARCDO), CTSI offered a new workshop, Know Your Responsibilities & Deepen Your Practice: Racial Discrimination in the Learning Environment. In addition, Enabling Impact in the Classroom Through Cultural Fluency was another new workshop offered in collaboration with an instructor from the Rotman School of Management.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 

The Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) team works closely with instructors to support research on teaching and learning at the University of Toronto. Through workshops, regular consultations on a wide range of research process topics, and by connecting faculty with others undertaking similar inquiry projects, the CTSI SoTL team connects individuals and divisions across the University to share experiences and research and encourage the rigorous pursuit of pedagogical scholarship.

SoTL Team Highlights

Conclusion of the First SoTL Cohort

The cohort of 14 continuing appointment faculty worked together between June 2018-July 2019. Each member brought an individual SoTL project to the group – some were starting with a new idea, while others were already more deeply involved in their research – and worked on it through regular face-to-face meetings and online discussions. Throughout this time the cohort was supported by CTSI facilitators and their peer participants as they built skills in designing and implementing a research project situated in course experiences.

These research projects were presented at the 2019 U of T Teaching and Learning Symposium (TLS) poster session. This culminating activity allowed the cohort to share their research with over 300 U of T colleagues attending the TLS.

Learn more about the SoTL cohort and projects.

As interest and participation in research on teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning increases at the University of Toronto, so does the number of faculty members and staff seeking consultation. The CTSI SoTL team met with 28 U of T community members (total of 31 meetings) over the past year (an increase of 30 % from 2018) to discuss a range of topics, that spanned instructors beginning their research journey to others who sought feedback on draft publications. The SoTL Team also met with 7 members of the broader SoTL community (external to U of T). Team members were also invited to present the Faculty Fellows Workshop with the Centre for Community Partnerships (topic: SoTL Q&A) and the Centre for Teaching and Learning at UTSC’s Educator Exchange (teaching-related workshops for faculty).

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and U of T moving to remote and online teaching and working, the SoTL team worked with CTSI, ACT and offices across the University to create resources to support faculty, staff and students. Topics included: Academic Integrity and the Role of the Instructor (a considerable update to an existing guide), Teaching Online/Remote – Planning for Next Term, and Instructor Resource to Help Students: 5 Tips for Students.

For more information on the CTSI’s and their SoTL team’s response to COVID-19, please see resources listed in Appendix D (coming soon).

Team Intersections

Team projects, collaborations, and initiatives

Throughout the year, SoTL programming and network events offered by CTSI bring together members of the U of T community in a variety of ways. The regular workshop series, including lunch and learn roundtables, are designed to support faculty starting with their research (e.g., See Yourself in SoTL), looking for guidance on essential issues (e.g., Research Ethics: Conducting Scholarly Enquiry on Your Teaching), and on methods of research (e.g., Survey Design & SoTL). The team works with facilitators from across the University when developing and delivering programming, including University of Toronto Libraries (in particular for Searching the Higher Education Literature, presented twice a year), and this past year, Student Life and the Department of Physiology.

Throughout this past year and as we all worked remotely and met virtually, the SoTL team continued to meet with faculty on a number of non-SoTL-specific topics, including providing feedback on important processes like dossiers and dossier reviews.

Teaching Assistants’ Training Program 

The Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP) offers in-person (training, workshops, microteaching, consultations) and online webinars (resources, tip sheets, videos, training modules) support for members of CUPE 3902, Unit 1, at the University of Toronto, as well as professional development opportunities such as special events and two certificate programs. The TATP also administers two teaching awards to acknowledge teaching excellence in teaching assistants and graduate student Course Instructors.

TATP Team Highlights

Pre-arrival Teaching e-Orientation Program

With the support of a provostial International Student Experience Fund (ISEF) grant, the TATP is working with the Centre for International Experience (CIE) to develop the Pre-Arrival Teaching e-Orientation program for international students. Through virtual discussion spaces, themed resource hubs, and live online webinars facilitated over a four-week summer time frame, incoming first-year students will connect with seasoned international teaching assistants (ITAs) on topics such as: the importance of intercultural teaching and learning in the classroom; teaching in the Canadian higher education context; or professional development opportunities to make the most out of their teaching experience. Two ITAs, hired for August 2019-2020, also led a workshop on “Developing Intercultural Competencies for Use in Diverse Classrooms” for the TATP and produced a report with recommendations based on focus groups with ITAs.

Exploring ways to respond to the current needs of TAs and graduate student Course Instructors (CIs), the TATP has participated in broader university conversations around transferable skills. TATP ran workshops with Student Life’s Grad Step-Up and the Graduate Professional Development Conference (GPDC) and supported the SGS’s Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) by acting as judges and offering two workshops and one webinar on preparing an effective 3MT presentation. TATP staff and trainers delivered sessions in Music [DMA], English, German, Chemistry, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology to support transferable skill development.

As a provider of mandatory training for TAs and graduate student CIs, as well as teaching-related professional development opportunities for graduate students, the TATP has become a gateway for those interested in pursuing educational development (ED) as a career. Since 2017, TATP has offered sessions and resources related to pursuing a career in ED and co-facilitated a half-day workshop (Educational Development: Getting Started) and networking lunch for the Council of Ontario Educational Developers (COED).

The TATP continues its work on guidelines and best practices for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in its programming and resource development. UDL is now embedded throughout all TATP staff training and sessions, promoting equitable and inclusive teaching and learning. Working with U of T’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities (AODA) Office, and Accessibility Services. UDL-focused workshops were offered for certificate participants, including core workshops, and for various departments and units (e.g., OISE). TATP is also participating in the newly established institutional Community of Practice focused on UDL application across higher education.

In a joint programming initiative with CTSI and ACT Support, the TATP offered a four-part webinar series on UDL and Quercus, Strategies for: 1) Structure and Navigation, 2) Assessment and Feedback, 3) Student Engagement and Community Building, and 4) Inclusive approaches to teaching, learning and assessment, and accompanying resources. These sessions were also offered for instructors through CTSI programming on repeated occasions.

Visit Re:Think to read TATP graduate student staff members reflect on the move to remote/online learning:

Team Intersections

Team projects, collaborations, and inititiatives

The TATP continues to explore and deepen their work on graduate student development through U of T partnerships with Rotman School of Management, Student Life, the Centre for International Experience, School of Graduate Studies, the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office, and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Office. As a result of the TATP’s UDL advocacy (consultations and sessions) with U of T partners, Accessibility Services (UTSG) inserted a discussion of UDL practices into their guides and resources.

TATP’s reach beyond U of T can be seen in their work with the Southwestern Ontario Educational Development & Grad Support Meeting (a TATP initiative), roundtable sessions on teaching at the college level (with Professors and Deans from Humber, Sheridan and Conestoga colleges) and in teaching-focused positions and delivering sessions at the inaugural Life Sciences Career Expo (both postponed until 2021).

For metrics on the numbers of TAs and graduate student CIs who attended TATP training sessions and workshops, as well as session titles and departments, see Appendix E (coming soon).

“I believe creating the online Course Instructor [Training] Camp brought our team even closer together, strengthening the connections we have at the TATP, and also helped build and strengthen relationships with graduate CIs who completed the camp.”
Matthew Patience, Course Instructor Coordinator, Teaching Assistants’ Training Program, PhD Candidate, Department of Spanish & Portuguese

Course in Effective University Practice 

As a result of the partnership between the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI) and the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), the Course in Effective Teaching Practices launched in June 2019 with 45 continuing appointment faculty members. Faculty completed 25 online models over the course of the year, focused on evidence-based instructional practices culminating in a “Certificate in Effective University Instruction” offered through ACUE and endorsed by the American Council on Education.

Cora McCloy, CTSI Faculty Liaison Coordinator, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, co-facilitated the program with Karen Reid (Professor, Teaching Stream, Computer Science, FAS). They led four face-to-face sessions and met with faculty participants on a regular basis to provide personalized support. Carol Rolheiser and Megan Burnett, University Leads for the initiative, worked with ACUE personnel and leaders across U of T to ensure success of this pilot initiative.

Taking Teaching to the Next Level in Toronto
A featured video interview with Carol Rolheiser and Megan Burnett on the ACUE website.

Highlights
  • U of T ACUE participants boasted a 96% completion rate of the course – achieving well beyond the ACUE average of 80%
  • Most participating faculty said they would recommend the course to a colleague (87%), and the majority (97%) also indicated that the course was helpful in refining their teaching practice
  • Course participants indicated that as a result of the course, their beliefs about teaching changed with 100% of faculty reporting increases in their use of research to inform practice and their use of student feedback to adjust instruction

“It was amazing the support that was there for us. It wasn’t just about being a student and being an educator at the same time, and using applied learning techniques, it was about community. That’s why you are seeing that 96% [completion rate]. That’s why you are seeing so many of us finish this course.” (U of T ACUE participant)

Participation–Of 45 active course takers:

  • 96% completed the course
  • 4% completed 0-10 modules

Demographics:

  • 2% Professor
  • 2% Associate Professor
  • 36% Assistant Professor
  • 16% Associate Professor, Teaching Stream
  • 41% Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream
  • 2% Other
  • 87% of faculty would recommend the ACUE course to a colleague
  • 97% of faculty report modules were helpful in refining their practice
  • 94% of faculty found the content relevant to their work

Faculty report improved knowledge of evidence-based teaching practices. On average, course completers:

  • Learned 70 new practices
    • All course takers on average learned 2.8 new practices per module
  • Learned 73 more about practices
    • All course takers on average learned 2.9 new practices per module

Faculty report implementing evidence-based teaching practices. On average, course completers:

  • Implemented 23 new practices
    • All course-takers on average, implemented 0.9 practices per module
  • Plan to implement 60 additional practices
    • All course-takers on average, implemented 2.4 practices per module

After completing the course, U of T faculty reported increases in their confidence using evidence-based practices such as Designing an Effective Course and Class, Establishing a Productive Learning Environment, Using Active Learning Techniques, Promoting Higher Order Thinking and Assessing to Inform Instruction and Promote Learning.

CTSI Voices 

Words from our passionate, creative, and engaged CTSI community.

Sarah Pierce, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Geography, FAS

Having participated in many webinars, workshops, and consultations, I find it difficult to describe how much the CTSI helped me over the last year. I was tasked with teaching six courses this year, none of which I had taught before. In addition, I had to design one of those courses from scratch. I do not think I would have been able to successfully complete the year without the help and feedback I received from the CTSI. Thank you and everyone at CTSI!

The SoTL cohort program pushed me to try different mechanisms of assessing the student experience outside of the surveys I had conducted in the past. With these supports I successfully planned and executed a focus group, the results of which highlighted aspects of the laboratory experience that I hadn’t realized were so important to the students.

CTSI helped me immensely in my research by sharing some of its data on teaching effectiveness and explaining its relevancy. CTSI was knowledgeable, accessible, and always professional.

I believe that programs like the TATP are invaluable as they provide future educators with time outside of their immediate practice to reflect on and develop strategies for teaching and learning.

Celebrating Teaching 

CTSI provides support for faculty members and divisions preparing nomination packages for institutional, provincial and national teaching awards, including consultations and guidance around the compilation of nomination files. CTSI maintains an online database of U of T teaching award recipients at the institutional and external levels and administers the Teaching Excellence Awards for Teaching Assistants and graduate student Course Instructors.

Teaching Fellows

The U of T Teaching Fellowship Program supports emerging pedagogical leadership in the Teaching Stream at U of T. Over their two-year term, the cohort of Teaching Fellows works closely with CTSI and the Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education. In addition to developing their own pedagogical projects, they have regular access to mentoring and support by CTSI staff and contribute to CTSI activities.

2020-2022 Teaching Fellows
Maria Assif, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, English, UTSC
Kerry Taylor, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Criminology and Sociological Studies, FAS

2019-2021 Teaching Fellow
William Ju, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Program in Human Biology, FAS

2018-2020 Teaching Fellows (extended to June 2021 due to COVID-19)
Kathleen Liddle, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Sociology, UTSC
Sarah Mayes-Tang, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Mathematics, FAS

CTSI provides administrative support for the institution-wide President’s Teaching Award, and the CTSI Director participates in the selection committee and co-chairs the U of T Teaching Academy. We congratulate this year’s winners and welcome them to the University of Toronto Teaching Academy.

2020 PTA Recipients
Aarthi Ashok, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Biological Sciences, UTSC
Jeremy Lopez, Professor, English, FAS
Micah Stickel, Professor, Teaching Stream, Electrical & Computer Engineering, FASE

Since 2003, the Teaching Assistants’ Training Program has awarded the Teaching Excellence Award to TAs across the university. This year’s recipients are:
Virginie Coindre, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), FASE
Marc De Benedetti, Chemical and Physical Sciences, UTM
Nida Mustafa, Interdisciplinary Centre for Health and Society, UTSC
Ryan Persadie, Women and Gender Studies, FAS
Julie Prior, English, FAS
Andrew Wilson, Mathematics, FAS

In 2015, the TATP launched this award for graduate student Course Instructors.
Danielle Tessaro, Human Geography, UTSC

For a complete list of U of T teaching award recipients, please visit the CTSI’s Teaching Awards.

Presented by U of T Alumni Association Awards of Excellence to Carol Rolheiser, Director, CTSI and Professor, Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, OISE in recognition of her many years of service to faculty development and leadership in support of teaching.

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