2.4.1 A framework for balancing equity, pedagogy, and management of a multi-section course Lindsey Shorser, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Mathematics and Computer Science, FAS Filtering the Noise: Tools, Trends, and Tensions Building on the theme for this year's symposium, the signal to noise ratio of things a course coordinator *could* be doing and the things they *should* be doing can easily lead to burnout. In this talk, I will present a conceptual tool for focusing on one aspect of a course at a time, once perspective at a time, and one subset of a "to do" list at a time for [...]

2.5.1 About binomial theorem I am teeming with a lot of news: oral tests in a first-year math class Shai Cohen, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, ISTEP, FASE                                             Finding the Frequency: Clarity, Purpose, and What Matters Most    In trying to focus on the most important elements of the pedagogy, a remedial calculus class has used many unusual elements - competency-based grading, weekly quizzes instead of a single midterm, team assignments, etc.  This year, we have added a 15-minute oral test [...]

2.6.1 Supporting Our Students' Mental Health: Quercus-based Resources for the Classroom Lauren Brown, Victoria College Vic One Hundred instructor, Health & Wellness, Division of Student Life  Allan McKee, Health Communications & Knowledge Translation Coordinator, Health & Wellness, Division of Student Life                                                                  Sustaining Resonance: Lessons, Insights, and Impact Supporting our Students' Mental Health (SOSMH) is a Quercus-based resource hub for faculty and teaching assistants. SOSMH is a response to the [...]

Simon Appolloni, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, School of the Environment            Olivia Allen, Wellness, Fitness and Recreation Programs Coordinator, Hart House Lois Boody, PhD Candidate, OISE, University of Toronto (also Lead TA of ENV100) Jermane Hall, Program Coordinator, Dialogue and Expression, Hart House Clara Kim, Team Lead, MultiFaith Centre       Sustaining Resonance: Lessons, Insights, and Impact            Climate anxiety and related emotions are increasingly manifest among university students. Students learning about the state of the environment encounter difficult statistics that cannot easily be grasped, generating feelings of powerlessness, fear, anxiety or grief. [...]

3.5.1 Evaluating the use of infographic instruction in undergraduate science classes Naomi Levy-Strumpf, Assistant Professor Teaching Stream, Department of Cell & Systems Biology, Human Biology Program, FAS Filtering the Noise: Tools, Trends, and Tensions University education is increasingly embracing multimodal pedagogy, integrating visual, written, and other communication strategies to meet the diverse needs of today's students. Research shows that student preferences for learning have shifted in recent decades, with a growing demand for concise, visually engaging resources, a trend driven by the volume of information students encounter and the deepening integration of technology in educational settings. Visual information is often processed [...]

Marci Prescott-Brown, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, New College Writing Centre, New College, FAS        Paola Bohórquez, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Woodsworth College Finding the Frequency: Clarity, Purpose, and What Matters Most                As Writing Centre Directors at UTSG (one a new contributor and one returning), we are uniquely positioned to observe first-hand how course instructors across disciplines are rethinking assignment design to navigate the impacts of Gen-AI on student learning. It is a delicate dance that requires us to assess the risks and potential affordances of AI tools without compromising the development of [...]

3.4.1 Competency-based learning and radical student agency in first year calculus courses Micheal Pawliuk, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Mathematical and Computational Sciences, UTM Eric Hart, Sessional Instructor, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, UTSC Janelle Resch (co-author), Sessional Instructor, Mathematical and Computational Sciences, UTM Finding the Frequency: Clarity, Purpose, and What Matters Most If test scores are the primary “signal” students use to gauge their progress in a first-year large first-year math course at U of T, what happens when we deliberately amplify that signal by allowing students to retake assessments until they demonstrate competency, and by making expectations explicit and iterative? In [...]

Teaching with Claude: Lessons from a Cross-Disciplinary Pilot Darius Ornston, Professor, Teaching Stream, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy speaking on behalf of Wilson Prichard, Professor, Teaching Stream   Will Heikoop, Digital Learning Innovation & Engagement speaking on behalf of Aaron Wheeler, Professor, Teaching Stream, Chemistry, FAS   Phanikiran Radhakrishnan, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Management, UTSC   Jaqueline Whyte Appleby, Associate Director, Scholars Portal Sophia Bello, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, French, FAS Sam Maglio, Professor, Teaching Stream, Management, UTSC  Filtering the Noise: Tools, Trends, and Tensions                     Generative AI tools are rapidly reshaping conversations [...]

Jennifer Orpana, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Faculty of Information        Silvia Vong, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Faculty of Information    Amplifying the Signal: Connection, Engagement, and Civil Discourse           The ever-shifting socio-political landscape means that students are hearing or engaged in difficult conversations in and out of the classroom. For most disciplines, local and world events are connected to the knowledge and practices in the field, and this is even more pronounced for professional programs with responsibilities related to equity work. Emotions are a part of educating the whole student and thus, it is important to [...]

Julia Allworth, Manager, Innovation Hub Irene Sullivan, Neurological Team Lead, Accessibility Services An inside look at the lives of five neurodivergent students at U of T This session features an exclusive early screening of a new documentary short produced by the Innovation Hub in partnership with Accessibility Services. The 25-minute documentary features five neurodivergent students who share their different experiences at U of T.  Students share their stories through on-camera interviews, video diaries, voiceovers, and vlogs of their day-to-day lives. Throughout the documentary, student provide commentary about their unique university journeys. By highlighting the experiences of neurodivergent students, we aim to [...]

Moderator: Cristina D'Amico, Educational Developer, Graduate Student Development & TA Training, CTSI Panelists:  Moaz Shoura, TATP Course Instructor Coordinator, Department of Psychology, UTSC Luke Volk, Department of Mathematics, FAS Carlie Manners, Department of History, FAS Donald McCarthy, Department of Classics, FAS In this roundtable session, we will engage in conversation with graduate student course instructors at the University of Toronto’s and hear their approach to teaching challenges and building learning communities. Panelists include the Course Instructor Coordinator at the Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP) and shortlisted candidates for the Course Instructor Teaching Excellence Award (https://tatp.utoronto.ca/awards/ci-award/), which is given annually by the [...]

Lisa Aikman, Educational Developer, Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars Centre for Teaching and Learning, UTSC Alli Diskin, Programs Coordinator, Teaching Assistants' Training Program, CTSI Andrea Graham, Graduate Programs Team Lead, Centre for Learning Strategy Support, Student Life Joel Rodgers, Coordinator, Graduate Student Professional Development, FAS Finding the Frequency: Clarity, Purpose, and What Matters Most     Graduate student professional development is central to shaping thoughtful, confident, and well supported emerging scholars and professionals. Across the university, however, faculty and staff rarely have opportunities to reflect together on how departmental cultures, supervisory relationships, and institutional structures influence graduate students’ growth in their academic [...]