Programming & Communications

2021-2022 Annual Report

Promoting and nurturing the thriving culture of teaching and learning across U of T is at the heart of the work of the Programming & Communications (P&C) team. From designing and coordinating a range of educational development opportunities for instructors, to showcasing pedagogical best practices and resources, the P&C team understands the importance of making teaching and learning visible and fostering community across all corners of the University. Learn more about the team’s work in Intersections.

Glossary of Abbrievations

ACT: Academic and Collaborative Technology
ACUE: Association of College and University Educators
ALC: Active Learning Classroom
AODA: Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
CE: Course Evaluations team
DLI: Digital Learning Innovation
E&A: Evaluation and Assessment team
FAS: Faculty of Arts & Science
FASE: Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
IRDG: Institutional Research & Data Governance Office
ITS: Information Technology Services
KPE: Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education
OISE: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
OVPIUE: Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education
P&C: Programming and Communication team
SGS: School of Graduate Studies
SoTL: Scholarship of Teaching & Learning
TATP: Teaching Assistants’ Training Program
TFM: Temerty Faculty of Medicine
TLT: Teaching, Learning and Technology team
TRC: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
UTM: University of Toronto Mississauga
UTSC: University of Toronto Scarborough

We partnered with CTSI to deliver a 3-part series on Academic Resilience for faculty at U of T. Through this collaboration we brought together our experience with student learning and CTSI’s deep understanding of pedagogy and teaching to create a unique and engaging series. CTSI has made for a wonderful partner and has allowed us to broaden the reach of our work by connecting us directly with faculty members. We have since made many partnerships with faculty, enabling us to speak directly to students in the classroom and support their learning

I've participated in many CTSI events during my ten years at UofT, and have always been incredibly impressed by the professionalism and dedication of everyone involved. But leading a session at CTSI was a new experience as it gave me the opportunity to see the amazing behind-the-scenes work that goes into each CTSI event. I was very grateful to engage with colleagues from across the university about work that I care deeply about and to form new connections. Completing the ACUE certification in Effective University Instruction through CTSI spurred many of the pedagogical interventions I discussed in my session, and helped me build up a reflective practice that I am proud to share with colleagues.

Programming & Communication Highlights

New website: CTSI’s new website launched in June 2022 with an integrated educational technology resource library, enhanced search capability, streamlined information architecture, and a modern look and feel.

Consultation project: Using CTSI’s custom registration management software, EVE, CTSI revamped and improved consultation requests by streamlining request processes, improving data collection and supporting the yearly reporting process.

ACUE programming: A new lunch time series, facilitated by recent graduates of the Certificate in Effective University Instruction (offered by CTSI in partnership with the Association of College and University Educators), drew on these instructors’ practical and evidence-informed teaching expertise and created more opportunities for educational leadership amongst faculty.

For the past couple of years, I have had the privilege to participate in many CTSI events around academic resilience, student and faculty mental health support, EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Access), and SoTL scholarship. As a U of T Teaching Fellow, I was equally honoured to attend the weekly CTSI staff meetings and be one of the reviewers of the 2022 Teaching and Learning Symposium. Thanks to the generosity, expertise and kindness of the CTSI team, I have found these experiences transformative in ways that exceeded my expectations. They have helped me design, strategize and implement some of my educational projects, grow my knowledge base in SoTL and EDIA scholarships, expand my tri-campus network, and reflect on my strengths, gaps, and priorities as a teacher, scholar and educational leader.

2022 Teaching and Learning Symposium

# of Participants: 352

# of Concurrent Sessions: 24
(Plus 3 Design Thinking Workshops)

Rated Excellent (scale of 1-5) by 78% of survey respondents

I am forever grateful to CTSI for my professional development over the years. When I joined the HMB program back in 2016, I had no formal pedagogical training. The workshops & courses offered at CTSI were key for my success as an instructor. I became much more aware and intentional in my course design and felt fully supported as an instructor.

A program that resonated with me recently is the academic resilience series. The first workshop in the series: “Exploring Academic Resilience: Research and Student Experiences” not only stimulated reflection on how I can further support academic resilience through the curriculum, but also prompted me to strategically place an academic resilience workshop in our large genetics course HMB265H1 (~1000 students). I invited Kate Bowers & Rahul Bhat to share proven and effective learning strategies to help students positively adapt to adversity and bounce back from setbacks. Based on the feedback received from students, the workshop inspired them to work effectively, helped them find rhythm for learning and had a positive impact on their learning in this course as well as going forward. This is one of many examples of the impact CTSI had on my teaching practices and student learning.

We are thankful to have had the opportunity to share our work with CTSI and instructors. We are also glad to have been able to address a number of faculty questions around accommodations and best practices for navigating these requests in the classroom in a Creating Equitable Classrooms roundtable discussion. This proactive work helps provide the necessary level playing field for our students.