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X-WR-CALNAME:2026 University of Toronto Teaching and Learning Symposium
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for 2026 University of Toronto Teaching and Learning Symposium
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T093000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204342Z
UID:4951-1778662800-1778664600@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Welcome to TLS2026
DESCRIPTION:President Melanie Woodin welcomes attendees to Signal to Noise: Tuning in to What Matters in Teaching\, the 20th Teaching and Learning Symposium. 
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/welcome-to-tls2026/
LOCATION:Name: McLeod Auditorium (MS 2158)\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T103000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204342Z
UID:4952-1778664600-1778668200@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Mixed signals: A conversation on building productive dialogue in the classroom
DESCRIPTION:Christopher Eisgruber\, Professor of Law\, President of Princeton University\nCharlie Keil\, Professor\, Cinema Studies Institute and Department of History\, Principal of Innis College\nIn an age of deepening political and social divides\, classroom conversations can easily accelerate into problematic territory. How do we create the conditions for students to disagree productively\, and what’s the role of academic freedom and open inquiry in getting there?\nJoin Christopher Eisgruber\, Professor of Law\, President of Princeton University\, and author of the recently published Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right and U of T’s Charlie Keil\, Professor in the Cinema Studies Institute and the Department of History\, Principal of Innis College\, and member of the President’s Teaching Academy for a candid conversation on teaching through the challenges of polarization to help students build a capacity for productive dialogue\, creative disagreement\, and compassionate critical thought.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/mixed-signals-a-conversation-on-building-productive-dialogue-in-the-classroom/
LOCATION:Name: McLeod Auditorium (MS 2158)\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T104500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T114500
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204343Z
UID:4953-1778669100-1778672700@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Teaching Excellence Unplugged with the President's Teaching Academy
DESCRIPTION:Moderator: Jennifer Campbell\, Professor\, Teaching Stream and Associate Chair\, Undergraduate\, Computer Science\, FAS\nPanelists: \nAndy Dicks\, Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Chemistry\, FAS  \nKaren Reid\, Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Computer Science\, FAS \nMaria Assif\, Professor\, Teaching Stream\, English\, UTSC  \nJennifer Murdock\, Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Economics\, FAS\nJoin members of the President’s Teaching Academy (PTA) for an open\, candid conversation about their teaching journeys; what they’ve learned\, what they’ve let go of\, and what they’d tell their first-year selves.\nThe PTA is comprised of winners of the President’s Teaching Award (https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/presidents-teaching-award). 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of this award\, the highest honour for teaching at U of T. 
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/teaching-excellence-unplugged-with-the-presidents-teaching-academy/
LOCATION:Name: McLeod Auditorium (MS 2158)\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T114500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T130000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204343Z
UID:4956-1778672700-1778677200@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Lunch (please select if attending lunch)
DESCRIPTION:Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions (https://tls.utoronto.ca/please-let-us-know/). 
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/lunch-registration-is-required/
LOCATION:Name: Boxed Lunch (to go)\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T140000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204342Z
UID:4954-1778677200-1778680800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:1.6 A Conversation on Teaching with U of T’s Emerging Educators
DESCRIPTION:Moderator: Susan McCahan\, Vice-Provost\, Innovation in Undergraduate Education\nPanelists:\nGwendolyn Eadie\, Assistant Professor\, Astronomy and Astrophysics/Statistical Sciences\, FAS\nCertina Ho\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy/ Psychiatry\, TFoM\nDaniel Newman\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Director of Graduate Writing Support/Department of English\, FAS\nZahra Shakeri\, Assistant Professor\, Institute of Health Policy\, Management & Evaluation\, DLSPH\nNaomi Steenhof\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy \nWhat does exceptional teaching look like at the start of an academic career? Join recipients of the Cheryl Regehr Early Career Teaching Award (ECTA)  (https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-of-toronto-early-career-teaching-award/)for a dynamic conversation on creativity\, commitment and impact in the classroom. Representing diverse disciplines and approaches\, these early career educators will share insights into their teaching practices\, the challenges and opportunities they encounter as they grow as instructors\, and the strategies they use to engage students in meaningful ways. Through candid reflections and practical ideas\, this panel offers fresh perspectives on fostering impactful student learning while navigating the many demands of early academic life.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/1-6-a-conversation-on-teaching-with-u-of-ts-emerging-educators/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management\, Room L1060\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T140000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204343Z
UID:4955-1778677200-1778680800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:1.4 Open Mic Sessions
DESCRIPTION:1.4.1 The Power of Presence: Centering In‑Person Communication in a Digital‑Heavy Era\nAlexandra Motut\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Rotman School of Management  \nFiltering the Noise: Tools\, Trends\, and Tensions        \nI describe how my commitment to in-person\, real-time assessment in a second-year business communications course cuts through the noise of a digital-heavy teaching landscape and helps students understand what matters most in communicating effectively with others.\nIn an era of overwhelming AI-powered tools and asynchronous convenience\, I structure my course around one core principle: students learn communication best when they must communicate in real time\, in person\, with real people. This single strategic commitment underpins every major assessment and helps students tune out digital noise and tune in to authentic human interaction.\nAll major assignments require students to perform\, collaborate\, or connect live. Students deliver small-group presentations in rooms with a TA and five peers\, responding to audience cues and managing real-time dynamics. Each student meets with me individually during office hours—a deliberately analog\, relational assessment—to practice professional one-to-one communication of feedback. A “coffee chat” assignment requires students to conduct a real-world conversation with someone outside the classroom and record it for feedback\, emphasizing real-life conversation skills. Students also record a video presentation live\, in front of a peer and a TA\, reinforcing the embodied nature of the course. Out-of-class practice opportunities include peer-to-peer workshops and coaching appointments at the writing and communications centre.\nBy making presence—not paperwork—the central mode of assessment\, students develop grounded\, practical communication skills that written\, asynchronous tasks cannot capture\, while overall engagement and focus increase. This approach is easily adaptable to other disciplines seeking meaningful\, high-impact learning experiences.\n1.4.2 Indigenization of Higher Education Curriculum – Insights from a collaborative initiative of “One Dish One Spoon” faculty mentorship project\nTanzina Mohsin\, Associate Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Physical and Environmental Sciences\, UTSC \nSustaining Resonance: Lessons\, Insights\, and Impact\nThis session shares lessons and a practical\, transferable model from a completed UTSC faculty mentorship initiative grounded in One Dish\, One Spoon responsibilities and relationship-centered approaches to teaching and learning. The project supported faculty\, librarians\, staff (and some students) in building confidence and competence to integrate Indigenous Knowledges and decolonizing pedagogies into curriculum without tokenism\, by prioritizing relationship\, place\, reciprocity\, and reflective practice.\nAn interdisciplinary team of faculty-librarian convened a sequence of land- and place-based learning circles: one multi-day retreat in a natural setting and several one-day gatherings on/off campus sessions\, each guided by Indigenous Knowledge Keepers\, Elders\, and Indigenous scholars. Across formats\, the same core structure was used: circle-based dialogue\, land-/place-based learning\, guided reflection prompts and peer-supported “translation” of insights into “course” actions. The session focuses on a central theme: improving impact by protecting the signal (relational learning\, cultural safety\, accountable partnership) while reducing the noise (logistics\, honoraria processes\, unsuitable spaces\, communication constraints on protocols).\nAttendees will receive practical “Retreat-to-Course Mapping Ideas” that helps educators move from learning experience → course touchpoints → student activities → reflection/feedback\, alongside a short implementation checklist. The session will also highlight the value of interdisciplinary and library partnership for ethical resource pathways and sustainable curation of teaching resources. Participants will leave with concrete options to adopt the model at different contexts\, a short list of do’s/don’ts for Indigenous relationship-centered engagement\, and options for sustainable scaling  such as recurring retreats\, book club models\, and shared repositories of vetted resources while keeping the principles intact.\n1.4.3 Connection at Scale: Efficient Strategies for Personalized\, Empathic Feedback\nKathleen Yu\, Associate Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Economics\, UTM\nAmplifying the Signal: Connection\, Engagement\, and Civil Discourse          \nIn many classrooms\, students often wonder whether their professors truly see them or care about their individual learning experiences. This session explores a scalable\, relationship‑centered communication strategy that strengthens human connection in large‑enrollment courses by making feedback personal\, timely\, and grounded in care through personalized emails to students after every major assessment.  The session highlights how intentional\, individualized outreach can amplify clarity\, empathy\, and (most importantly) be efficiently accomplished even when hundreds of students are involved. Although this session draws on experiences from a high‑enrollment course\, the strategy can be easily adapted to small- and medium-sized courses as well.\nThe approach centers on acknowledging students’ efforts\, recognizing their progress\, and offering supportive pathways forward after key assessments. It reframes feedback as an opportunity to build trust\, foster dialogue\, and affirm students’ sense of belonging. Students consistently report feeling seen\, supported\, and motivated when they receive personalized communication that meets them where they are\, whether they excelled\, struggled\, or simply made incremental gains. These messages become touchpoints that humanize the learning experience and open doors to deeper conversations about study strategies\, challenges\, and a growth mindset.\nParticipants will consider how this model can be adapted across disciplines\, modalities\, and class sizes to encourage meaningful engagement. The session will also address practical strategies for implementing individualized communication efficiently and sustainably. Ultimately\, this approach demonstrates that even in large classes\, small acts of personalized connection can profoundly shape students’ confidence\, resilience\, and willingness to engage in the shared work of learning.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/1-4-open-mic-sessions/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 147\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T140000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204343Z
UID:4957-1778677200-1778680800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:1.2 Tuning In Sessions
DESCRIPTION:1.2.1 Reflecting through Relationships: A Grounded Theory of Professional Identity Development in Work-Integrated Learning\nAinsley Goldman\, Experiential Learning & Professional Development\, Experiential Learning Educational Developer\, FAS\nAmplifying the Signal: Connection\, Engagement\, and Civil Discourse\nWork-integrated learning (WIL) is regarded as a panacea for incorporating students into the workforce\, but scholars have called for more explicit curriculum and reflection related to professional identity development. Reflection is well-established in WIL curriculum\, predominantly through graded written reflection assignments\, but there is preliminary evidence that assessed reflections can become performative.\nUsing a constructivist grounded theory approach\, this research project explored the question: how is professional identity developed through reflection in WIL curriculum? Data was collected from 20 undergraduate WIL students and three instructors at a large urban university using a combination of semi-structured interviews and discourse analysis of students’ reflection assignments and course syllabi.\nMany students discussed the value of reflection through relationships (signals)\, as they had the opportunity to share ideas with one another while being disconnected from a permanent record they were handing in (noise). Patterns emerged related to their relationships in WIL\, including relationships with classmates\, student colleagues\, co-workers\, supervisors\, and the school and workplace communities at large.\nThis research makes a significant contribution by emphasizing the importance of relationships in WIL. Relationships themselves are crucial\, and it is often through relationships that WIL students are engaging in dialogical reflection. Furthermore\, this research offers a theory of professional identity development through reflection and relationships in WIL that is not linear but contextual.  This theory is very accessible to WIL educators and practitioners\, and specific approaches to theory application will be shared with all participants.\nResearch Track\n1.2.2 Signal over Stress: Designing Flexible Deadlines and Intentional GenAI Use in Large Statistics Courses\nSamantha-Jo Caetano\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Statistical Sciences\, FAS \nEmily Somerset\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Statistical Sciences\, FAS   \nFiltering the Noise: Tools\, Trends\, and Tensions\n \nIn an era shaped by increasing student stress and the rapid uptake of generative AI\, instructors face growing pressures around assessment design\, academic integrity\, and workload sustainability. This session shares the redesign of a large (n≈600) third-year XX course – Surveys\, Sampling and Observational Data – built around structured flexibility in deadlines\, grading-schemes\, and generative-AI policy. Rather than adding more rules in response to complexity\, the redesign amplified learning goals while reducing administrative and policy “noise”.\n \nFlexible course design can be understood as a form of kind pedagogy: it supports student autonomy\, acknowledges that students balance learning with complex lives\, and reduces reactive administrative burden. Across the term\, 97% of students used at least one flexible deadline and 95% appreciated the availability of flexible policies. Self-perceived skill development outcomes were comparable between students who did and did not use flexibility; while those who did not use extended deadlines earned marginally higher grades (differences were not statistically significant).\n \nThe course also incorporated a flexible generative-AI policy allowing use on take-home assessments. Students were required to disclose and reflect on their AI use as part of the rubric. Survey data indicated that 75% used AI tools\, 82% supported the AI policy\, and 98% viewed it as fair. Median assessment grades differed by less than 1% between AI users and non-users.\n \nThis session will explore how structured flexibility and intentional AI integration can sustain academic rigor while reducing stress and focusing attention on what matters most: meaningful student learning.\n \nResearch Track
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/1-2-tuning-in-sessions/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 142\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T140000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204343Z
UID:4959-1778677200-1778680800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:1.3 Tuning In Sessions
DESCRIPTION:1.3.1 Learning from the Development and Evaluation of Better Together: A Longitudinal Hybrid Interprofessional Pressure Injury Prevention and Management Curriculum for Health and Social Care Students\nSharon Gabison\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Physical Therapy\, TFoM\nSustaining Resonance: Lessons\, Insights\, and Impact\nThis session will present the reflections related to the development and evaluation of a longitudinal hybrid interprofessional pressure injury curriculum for health and social care students at the University of Toronto. More specifically\, the objectives of this session are:\n·      To share reflections on the development of a longitudinal hybrid interprofessional pressure injury curriculum for health and social care students.\n·      To share reflection on the evaluation of a longitudinal hybrid interprofessional pressure injury curriculum for health and social are students\n·      To share opportunities for further development and evaluation of longitudinal interprofessional curricula\nAttendees will learn about the motivation and educational theories underpinning the development and evaluation of the longitudinal hybrid curriculum.\nPractice Track\n1.3.2 Junior and Senior Faculty Reflections on Building Experiential Learning That Endures\nHaley Zubyk\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Human Biology Program/Department of Cell and Systems Biology\, FAS\nFranco Taverna\, Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Human Biology Program\, FAS\nSustaining Resonance: Lessons\, Insights\, and Impact\nExperiential learning (EL) is widely recognized as high-impact pedagogy\, yet less attention is given to what it takes to build and sustain EL over time in real courses\, under real constraints\, and within evolving community partnerships. Aligned with Sustaining Resonance: Lessons\, Insights\, and Impact\, this session shares practical lessons from EL development through two complementary perspectives: a junior instructor launching new initiatives and a senior instructor with extensive EL experience.\nWe present concrete insights from implementation\, redesign\, and ongoing adaptation. Rather than highlighting only successes\, we also examine where early approaches fell short\, including mismatched expectations\, partnership strain\, uneven student readiness\, and scope challenges amid competing demands. We then show how these challenges informed meaningful redesign: clearer student onboarding\, stronger reciprocal partnership structures\, closer alignment between student deliverables and partner priorities\, and more realistic definitions of success.\nOur reflective analysis draws on EL scholarship and lived instructional experience across multiple iterations. We argue that sustaining EL depends less on getting the first design “right” and more on responsive pedagogy: relationship-centred planning\, transparent communication\, iterative refinement\, and values-informed decision-making.\nAttendees will leave with transferable tools for sustaining EL in their own contexts\, including practical redesign checkpoints\, strategies for repairing and strengthening partnerships\, approaches for evaluating lasting impact\, and actionable guidance for moving from one-off EL activities to durable\, program-level practice across disciplines.\nPractice Track
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/1-3-tuning-in-sessions/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 151\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T140000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204343Z
UID:4960-1778677200-1778680800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:1.1 Is this good? Supporting learner evaluations of written texts across disciplines and technologies
DESCRIPTION:Erin Vearncombe\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy (ISUP)\, UTM \nChris Eaton\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream & Associate Director\, Research\, ISUP\, UTM\nSarah Flood\, 3rd-year undergraduate in Sociology; Research Assistant\, ISUP\, UTM\nTalla Enaya\, undergraduate alumna\, UTM; Program Assistant\, Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy\, UTM\nFiltering the Noise: Tools\, Trends\, and Tensions             \nEvaluative judgment refers to the capability to make informed\, defensible decisions about the quality of work (Tai et al.\, 2018). This capability has always been central to academic success and professional practice\, yet it has remained largely implicit in our teaching and learning activities (Eaton et al.\, 2025). Learners are regularly asked to find credible sources\, provide peer feedback\, and revise their work\, but they are rarely taught how to judge quality in these contexts. The increasing influence of generative AI has brought evaluative judgment into sharper focus (Bearman & Ajjawi\, 2023). While GenAI brings noise into our teaching\, it can also filter out pedagogical clatter\, helping us see more clearly which capabilities we need to prioritize.\nThis interactive workshop invites participants to practice evaluative judgment and then design ways to teach it. Through activities including experimentation with a shared genre and collaborative revision using “revision dice\,” participants will experience how judgment becomes visible and debatable when we make criteria explicit. Working individually and in small groups\, participants will surface tacit standards experts use when evaluating work\, identify where evaluative judgment already exists (or could exist) in their courses\, and design concrete teaching interventions suited to their disciplinary contexts. Participants will leave with revised course materials and discipline-specific strategies for scaffolding evaluative judgment\, strengthening a core learning outcome fundamental to thinking and working in our fields. Please note that a personal laptop may be useful for participation in selected research activities.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/1-1-is-this-good-supporting-learner-evaluations-of-written-texts-across-disciplines-and-technologies/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room L1020\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T140000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204343Z
UID:4958-1778677200-1778680800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:1.5 Open Mic Sessions
DESCRIPTION:1.5.1 An Interactive Module to Prepare Nursing Students for Their First Clinical Placement: The transformation of an idea\nMary Ann Fegan\, Associate Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing\nSustaining Resonance: Lessons\, Insights\, and Impact\nNursing students begin clinical practice within a month of entering the program. With a goal to improve students’ preparation for their first clinical placement and help demystify the clinical learning environment\, we reimagined and redesigned our orientation approach. Over the past four years\, what was once a large class discussion with PowerPoint slides transformed into an interactive\, media-rich online clinical orientation module\, with an accompanying student clinical handbook. This new approach is supported by a large group in-person follow-up session.\nDesigned to accommodate varied learning styles and provide meaningful learning\, the module integrates audio\, visual\, and text-based content. Key documents\, policies\, and resources are embedded to give students immediate access to essential information. Reflective prompts and knowledge checks encourage active engagement and help validate learning. Short testimonial clips from senior nursing students offer practical insights\, including how to prepare for a clinical shift and what they wished they had known before starting their first placement. Longer role play videos illustrate the flow of a clinical shift – from initial patient interaction to end of day debriefing – highlighting the support provided by clinical instructors and opportunities to optimize learning throughout the day.\nThis open mic session tells a story of teaching innovation\, reflection\, and adaptation that began with one simple idea. Student feedback\, faculty experiences\, and lessons learned will be shared. Attendees will be encouraged to consider ways they might use a similar strategy to engage learners and can explore the module using a QR code.\n1.5.2 Stop\, Breathe\, Dwell: Assessment Practices That Cut Through Pedagogical Noise\nShelley O’Brien\, Administrative Staff\, Centre for the Study of Pain                          \nFinding the Frequency: Clarity\, Purpose\, and What Matters Most   \nTeaching today operates in time scarcity: students race toward correct answers\, educators rush through packed curricula\, and the noise of competing demands often drowns out learning objectives of deep learning\, critical reflection\, relational engagement. Rather than adding more strategies to an already overwhelming load\, what if we could filter noise by attending differently to what’s already present?                \nI’ll share Stop\, Breathe\, Dwell—three practices that help educators tune in to signal beneath noise\, with primary focus on the “Stop/Dwell pop-up evaluation”: a high-impact assessment technique that produces measurable transformation in student thinking.\nThe Technique: During case-based or problem-based learning\, at the moment students are moving toward solution/diagnosis\, I interrupt with three questions: (1) What assumptions are you making? (2) What tensions do you notice in your thinking? (3) What questions would you now ask? This 5-10 minute disruption forces students to stop (examine their reasoning process)\, breathe (sit with discomfort)\, and dwell (stay with complexity instead of rushing to resolution).\nThe Impact: Results from ~200 interprofessional healthcare students show: 60% demonstrated systems-based thinking (recognizing institutional barriers\, time pressure\, access issues)\, 70% showed interprofessional learning (understanding other professions’ approaches)\, and 80% developed new patient-centered clinical questioning strategies. The interruption creates space for critical reflection that doesn’t emerge in linear case progression.\nThe Framework: These results emerge from operationalizing contemplative pedagogy and feminist new materialist theory as assessment practice and act as concrete techniques that work across disciplines. Beyond the pop-up evaluation\, I’ll share how to use stopping\, breathing\, and dwelling.\nTakeaway: Participants leave understanding how to design strategic interruptions in their own courses.\n1.5.3 Optimizing Instruction in the MD Anatomy Curriculum Using Backward-Design and Students-as-Partners to Design a Pilot Dissection Program\nKristina Lisk\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Division of Anatomy\, Department of Surgery\, TFoM        \nParsa Razeghi\, 2nd year medical student\, TFoM  \nFinding the Frequency: Clarity\, Purpose\, and What Matters Most               \nIn an era of increasingly complex curricula and competing educational priorities\, it is essential to “tune in” to what most meaningfully supports student learning. This presentation describes how the Surgical Approach to Regional Anatomy (SATRA) program was developed using students-as-partners principles and backward curriculum design to create a focused\, high-impact learning experience within constrained curricular space.            \nSATRA was introduced in 2025 as a pilot initiative offering medical students the opportunity to perform faculty‑guided surgical dissections and create reusable teaching specimens for the MD program. While cadaveric learning has diminished due to time\, cost\, and resource limitations\, SATRA was intentionally designed — through direct student collaboration — to amplify what students value most: hands-on clinical contextualization\, deep learning\, and opportunities to meaningfully contribute to their learning community.\nUsing a backward-design approach\, faculty anatomists\, surgical residents\, and student partners jointly identified key learning outcomes related to clerkship readiness\, surgical reasoning\, and peer teaching. Design decisions\, including one dissection per pair\, structuring guided supervision\, and producing teaching specimens\, reduced curricular “noise” and ensured each component supported learning outcomes.\nFindings from the pilot SATRA cohort showed that 82% of participants reported increased interest in musculoskeletal surgery\, and all reported improved anatomic understanding and confidence in peer teaching. This Open Mic session will be present faculty and student perspectives\, and offer transferable insights into co-designing experiential learning opportunities\, optimizing limited resources\, and meaningfully engaging students as collaborators in curriculum development.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/1-5-open-mic-sessions/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 157\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T141500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T151500
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204343Z
UID:4961-1778681700-1778685300@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:2.1 Conversations in Beta: An Interactive Workshop on AI‑Generated Simulations
DESCRIPTION:Michael Cournoyea\, PhD\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education\nTolulola Taiwo-Hanna\, MSW\, RSW\, PhD Candidate\, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work\nJoelleann Forbes\, MSW\, RSW\, Sessional Instructor\, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work\nFiltering the Noise: Tools\, Trends\, and Tensions                    \nEducators across disciplines are increasingly exploring how Large Language Models (LLMs) might support richer forms of experiential learning. One emerging use case is the development of interactive simulations—dynamic\, responsive scenarios that allow students to practice discernment\, apply concepts\, and experiment with different approaches in a low‑stakes environment.\nIn this interactive Jam Session\, we share insights from a classroom pilot in which Copilot generated a conversational mental health scenario for second-year Master of Social Work students. The simulation prompted learners to navigate uncertainty and make contextually sensitive decisions while receiving immediate\, adaptive feedback. Participants will have an opportunity to engage directly with this classroom pilot\, as well as an alternative Copilot-generated simulation\, to experiment with its affordances and limitations.\nThese activities will be followed by a guided discussion on pedagogical design. Together\, we will examine the “signal” and “noise” in LLM adoption: What kinds of learning do LLM-powered simulations genuinely support? How do they complement or complicate existing instructional strategies? Where do ethical concerns—including bias\, emotional impact\, and the transparency of LLM-generated personas—require deliberate safeguards? How do we design LLM-enhanced learning experiences that prioritize equity\, critical thinking\, and deep learning?\nParticipants will then collaboratively explore how LLM-powered simulations might be adapted within their own disciplines\, from clinical cases to conflict resolution exercises. By experimenting\, reflecting\, and co-designing\, attendees will leave with practical strategies and concrete examples for using LLMs to support meaningful\, thoughtfully structured learning experiences that extend beyond novelty and toward deeper engagement.\nParticipants are encouraged to bring their laptop or connected devices to fully participate in the simulation.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/2-1-conversations-in-beta-an-interactive-workshop-on-ai-generated-simulations/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room L1020\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T141500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T151500
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204343Z
UID:4962-1778681700-1778685300@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:2.3 GenAI and teaching integrity
DESCRIPTION:Meranda Salem\, Sessional Instructor\, PhD\, Electrical and Computer Engineering\, FASE                 \nFiltering the Noise: Tools\, Trends\, and Tensions        \nThe rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools in higher education presents both opportunities and challenges for maintaining teaching and assessment integrity. Rather than viewing GenAI solely as a threat to academic honesty\, this proposal frames it as a pedagogical tool that must be intentionally integrated through evidence-informed course design. Teaching integrity in the GenAI era is supported not by surveillance or detection technologies\, but by transparent expectations\, authentic assessments\, and student accountability.\nThis approach emphasizes clearly defining acceptable and unacceptable uses of GenAI\, aligning AI use with learning goals\, and designing assessments that require students to demonstrate understanding\, reasoning\, and decision-making. Iterative assessment structures\, such as drafts\, design reviews\, reflections\, and oral explanations\, encourage responsible AI use while preserving student ownership of learning. Students are required to disclose how GenAI tools were used and to critically evaluate and validate any AI-generated output.\nBy focusing on process-oriented assessment and professional communication\, this framework promotes ethical engagement with GenAI while maintaining fairness and rigor. It also addresses equity concerns by recognizing differences in access to AI tools and emphasizing learning outcomes over tool proficiency. Ultimately\, this approach supports academic integrity by reinforcing the principle that GenAI should augment\, rather than replace\, student thinking\, thereby preparing learners for responsible professional practice in AI-enabled environments.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/2-3-genai-and-teaching-integrity/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management\, Room L1060\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T141500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T151500
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204344Z
UID:4965-1778681700-1778685300@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:2.6 Open Mic Sessions
DESCRIPTION:2.6.1 Supporting Our Students’ Mental Health: Quercus-based Resources for the Classroom\nLauren Brown\, Victoria College Vic One Hundred instructor\, Health & Wellness\, Division of Student Life \nAllan McKee\, Health Communications & Knowledge Translation Coordinator\, Health & Wellness\, Division of Student Life                                                                 \nSustaining Resonance: Lessons\, Insights\, and Impact\nSupporting our Students’ Mental Health (SOSMH) is a Quercus-based resource hub for faculty and teaching assistants. SOSMH is a response to the increased interest in supporting student mental health and wellbeing. It recognizes that faculty and teaching assistants are often a first point of contact for students who are struggling and equips them with simple\, easy to access information. By embedding this content right into Quercus instructors no longer need to search through multiple websites and resources. Faculty and TAs have full control over how much or how little they’d like to share with students. Resources can be shared 1:1 with students who have indicated a particular need\, or\, with the whole class by embedding slides or scheduling Quercus announcement or using video resources for mindfulness or movement breaks. In this Open Mic session\, I will describe the inspiration\, collaboration\, and iteration process behind the development of SOSMH and share how to implement this in the classroom and online. Participants will be encouraged to make suggestions for additional content and implementation.\n2.6.2 From Summative to Formative: Implementing and Refining Two-Stage Exams in a Large Undergraduate Course\nAlice Gao\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Computer Science\, FAS\nMarina Tawfik\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Computer Science\, FAS        \nSustaining Resonance: Lessons\, Insights\, and Impact\nTimed\, high-stakes assessments are often stressful experiences\, leading students to focus on optimizing grades rather than learning from feedback. Two-stage testing uses a team-based learning approach to turn summative assessments into formative learning experiences (Latulipe et al.\, 2025). In a two-stage test\, students first complete the test individually and then complete the same or a similar test collaboratively with a group of peers. The final test grade reflects performance in both stages\, with the individual component carrying the majority of the weight. This two-stage structure offers multiple benefits\, including preserving individual accountability\, providing immediate feedback\, correcting misconceptions in real time\, reducing anxiety\, and fostering a stronger learning community.\nHowever\, implementing two-stage testing requires careful design. For example\, designing questions for the group stage is particularly challenging\, as they must be sufficiently rigorous\, promote meaningful discussion and remain feasible within the time constraints. Other challenges include deciding on a grading scheme that balances accountability with collaboration and managing logistical details such as timing\, group formation\, room setup\, and coordination. These choices directly shape students’ experience and the pedagogical value of the assessment. \nIn this session\, we share our experience implementing two-stage term tests in an upper-year machine learning course. We first outline our implementation process\, including how we address common design and logistical challenges. Second\, we present student survey feedback from our first iteration\, reflecting on the implementation challenges and describing adjustments made in subsequent iterations. Finally\, we offer recommendations for adapting the format to other disciplines\, class sizes\, and learning environments.\n2.6.3 Mind the Gaps: An online “survival guide” for graduate students\nLori Ross\, Associate Professor\, Dalla Lana School of Public Health               \nSoumyaa Subranamium\, former student        \nAmplifying the Signal: Connection\, Engagement\, and Civil Discourse          \nResearch has indicated that graduate students face disproportionately high rates of poor mental health\, and a variety of strategies and interventions have been introduced on university campuses in an attempt to address this problem. However\, most of this research and the related interventions have approached student mental health through a biomedical lens that centers the mental health symptoms of individual students without attention to the wider social and structural context. Recently\, our team carried out a research project at three Ontario universities to investigate graduate student mental health from a critical disability studies lens\, which instead directs our attention to examine how the structures and processes of graduate education could be disabling for students.\nThrough focus groups and interviews\, we learned from students and faculty how sanism (discrimination associated with one’s mental health status) operates on university campuses in ways that intersect with other experiences of structural oppression such as those associated with race\, class\, and citizenship status through what we call “”the wellness complex””. In addition\, students and faculty shared their strategies for successfully navigating through these oppressive systems.\nIn this Open Mic presentation\, we will share the product of this research: the “”Mind the Gaps”” website\, an online “”survival guide”” developed to share these strategies and related resources with graduate students across Ontario to support them in navigating graduate education. Specifically\, we will provide a brief overview of the guide\, share our process of co-developing it\, and discuss our plans for future dissemination and expansion of this resource. We will also offer suggestions for how faculty might consider using this resource in their own teaching practice.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/2-6-open-mic-sessions/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 157\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T141500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T151500
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204343Z
UID:4966-1778681700-1778685300@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:2.2 It Takes a Village: Fostering Hope and EnvironMental Wellness in the University Classroom through Collaboration
DESCRIPTION:Simon Appolloni\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, School of the Environment           \nOlivia Allen\, Wellness\, Fitness and Recreation Programs Coordinator\, Hart House\nLois Boody\, PhD Candidate\, OISE\, University of Toronto (also Lead TA of ENV100)\nJermane Hall\, Program Coordinator\, Dialogue and Expression\, Hart House\nClara Kim\, Team Lead\, MultiFaith Centre      \nSustaining Resonance: Lessons\, Insights\, and Impact           \nClimate 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. Add to this the zeitgeist of emotions that arise from the dark global realities of war and the rise of unchecked AI\, and it is no surprise that some refer to this cohort as ‘Generation Dread’ (Wray\, 2022 – see section 5 below). Indeed\, research shows that when these emotions are suppressed\, left unaddressed\, or unchanneled\, they can evoke apathy rather than desire and hope\, impeding student learning and generative action.\nConsidering this\, this session responds to two questions: (1) how can we empower students with hope and resilience to thrive in their futures\, and not merely survive? (2) How can collaborations across university organizations and unions support transformative pedagogical practices and enhance student learning?\nAs part of ENVxxx—a first-year environmental studies class of 500 students—a group of faculty\, student\, and staff collaborators from across the university planned an “EnvironMental Wellness Jam\,” an experiential learning event where students engaged with various arts-based\, land-based\, therapeutic\, and reflective activities to help foster hope.\nBased on the success of this collaborative endeavour\, this interactive workshop will replicate the class – in miniature – so that session participants can themselves experience similar evidenced-based activities. A collaborative discussion will follow\, to share and reflect on the theoretical and practical aspects that undergird the pedagogy and activities\, and the benefits and best practices of collaborating across the university.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/2-2-it-takes-a-village-fostering-hope-and-environmental-wellness-in-the-university-classroom-through-collaboration/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 142\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T141500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T151500
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204344Z
UID:4963-1778681700-1778685300@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:2.4 Tuning In Sessions
DESCRIPTION:2.4.1 A framework for balancing equity\, pedagogy\, and management of a multi-section course\nLindsey Shorser\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Mathematics and Computer Science\, FAS\nFiltering the Noise: Tools\, Trends\, and Tensions\nBuilding 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 anyone running an undergraduate course. The three-role framework for conceptualizing course coordination provides a way to cut through the noise\, balance priorities\, and improve intentionality as opposed to making reactive decisions.\nThe development of this three-role framework was the result of a systematic reflection on the tasks required to coordinate a first-year multi-section math course. The responsibilities of a course coordinator can be divided into three coherent roles\, each with its own tasks\, priorities\, and motivations — the Educator\, the Communicator\, and the Manager. The intention behind this conceptualization is to ensure pedagogically sound and equitable experiences for all students while effectively managing course resources.\nIn this talk\, we will explore the framework’s roles\, the conflicting motivations of each\, and the resulting benefits to time-management and intentional decision-making when using this framework.\nPractice Track\n2.4.2 Teaching Judgment Through Examples: Communication\, Critical Thinking\, and Civil Discourse in AI-Rich Learning Environments\nWilliam Ju\, Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Cell and Systems Biology/Human Biology Program\, FAS Julia Gallucci\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, FIS\nAmplifying the Signal: Connection\, Engagement\, and Civil Discourse\nIn AI-rich learning environments\, students regularly encounter fluent explanations and arguments\, yet often struggle to evaluate their quality effectively. When expectations for reasoning and evidence are implicit\, discussion can drift toward surface agreement\, defensiveness\, or disengagement\, thus amplifying instructional noise rather than true learning.\nThis session shares a communication-focused teaching practice that uses short examples to teach judgment through discussion\, positioning critical thinking and discourse as learnable skills. Implemented in large second- and third-year undergraduate courses\, the practice centers on examining\, comparing\, and deconstructing brief responses (i.e. AI-generated\, novice\, as well as instructor-curated explanations) during lectures or tutorials. Rather than using AI for producing answers\, students practice articulating what makes an explanation strong or weak\, which criteria they are using\, and how evidence supports claims.\nStructured discussion prompts guide students to justify judgments\, respond to alternative interpretations\, and revise their thinking respectfully. These activities make disciplinary standards explicit and give students shared language for critique\, supporting evidence-based\, civil discourse even when disagreement is present. Artificial intelligence is treated as contextual rather than instructional: it serves as one source of examples\, not as the sole tool that students should be using as a form of fluency/proficiency.\nEarly reflections suggest that teaching judgment through example-based discussion amplifies instructional signal by clarifying standards for reasoning\, strengthening critical thinking\, and improving the quality of academic dialogue without adding assignments or complexity.\nPractice Track
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/2-4-tuning-in-sessions/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 147\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T141500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T151500
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204344Z
UID:4964-1778681700-1778685300@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:2.5 Open Mic Sessions
DESCRIPTION:2.5.1 About binomial theorem I am teeming with a lot of news: oral tests in a first-year math class\nShai Cohen\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, ISTEP\, FASE                                            \nFinding the Frequency: Clarity\, Purpose\, and What Matters Most   \nIn 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 to the course.  Fully customizable (due to the grading system)\, this test allows students to go back to the weakest elements of their studies and have an opportunity to raise their marks by showing their ability in these attributes.  This talk will discuss the overall procedure and some of the preliminary observations about the successes and failures – the students’ and the instructor’s – of this experiment.       \n2.5.2 Use of OneNote Class Notebook as a Combined Electronic Laboratory Notebook and Content Delivery Tool\nAhlia Khan-Trottier\, Associate Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Biochemistry\, TFoM \nCalvin Watts\, 4th year FAS student\, Biochemistry & Immunology Majors programs\nFiltering the Noise: Tools\, Trends\, and Tensions \nPrompted by the COVID-19 pandemic which forced many aspects of laboratory course delivery to become virtual or digitized\, the OneNote Class Notebook (ONCN) was implemented in an introductory-level laboratory course. Though not designed as an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN)\, per se\, the ONCN has many useful features that are well suited for use in a laboratory course and overcomes many barriers including cost\, accessibility\, student reception\, and lack of teaching-appropriate features which have discouraged instructors from adopting ELNs in their undergraduate courses. This workshop will describe the features and uses of the ONCN\, the experiences and benefits from both the teacher and student perspectives\, and considerations for implementation by instructors in other courses and disciplines.\n2.5.3 Assessing students at regular checkpoints at scale    \nPaul He\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Computer Science\, FAS\nSadia Sharmin\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Computer Science\, FAS        \nSustaining Resonance: Lessons\, Insights\, and Impact\nThis session discusses our experience with “checkpoint quizzes”—a formative assessment strategy designed to help students self-regulate\, monitor their learning\, and get support well before high stakes evaluations. Checkpoint quizzes are short\, low stakes assessments delivered regularly during our courses’ tutorials. By focusing on recently taught concepts and weighing only a small portion of the course grade\, these quizzes give students frequent opportunities to gauge their understanding without the pressure associated with midterms.\nA key feature of this model is its emphasis on accessibility and inclusion. Students are given ample time to complete each quiz and are offered a structured retake mechanism\, ensuring that a single attempt does not determine their success. When students continue to struggle after a retake\, an oral exam intervention provides personalized support and helps staff connect students with additional resources.\nBeginning in the 2025–2026 academic year\, we introduced automated testing for programming-based quizzes. This change provides students with near instant feedback while dramatically reducing the grading load for instructors and teaching assistants. Early indicators show that the shift to automated assessment has preserved the benefits of the oral exam intervention\, with retake patterns comparable to previous years despite significant workload reductions.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/2-5-open-mic-sessions/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 151\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T163000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204344Z
UID:4967-1778686200-1778689800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:3.5 Tuning In Sessions
DESCRIPTION:3.5.1 Evaluating the use of infographic instruction in undergraduate science classes\nNaomi Levy-Strumpf\, Assistant Professor Teaching Stream\, Department of Cell & Systems Biology\, Human Biology Program\, FAS\nFiltering the Noise: Tools\, Trends\, and Tensions\nUniversity 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.\nVisual information is often processed more quickly and efficiently than written or verbal content\, and most learners use visual methods either exclusively or in combination with other modalities. Within science education\, infographics — visual presentations that may incorporate figures\, graphs\, illustrations\, and minimal text — offer a compelling tool for conveying complex information clearly and concisely.\nEvidence supports the effectiveness of infographics beyond simple preference. In one study\, participants exposed to infographic over a five-week period performed significantly better on comprehension and recall assessments than those receiving text-only materials\, responding correctly 1.5 times more often. Infographics have also been shown to support skill acquisition\, competency development\, and student motivation\, while their clarity and organization may foster greater confidence and self-efficacy.\nYet\, student perceptions of infographics as instructional tools remain underexplored. This presentation shares findings from a study conducted in undergraduate biology classrooms\, addressing two key questions:\n• How effective and useful are infographics as instructional tools?\n• What do students value in infographics compared to written instructions?\nInstructors will be invited to reflect on how infographics might complement written instructions in their disciplines and share relevant experiences with the group.\nResearch Track\n3.5.2 Tuning into Language Ideologies: A Case Study of Game-Based Collaborative Inquiry in Multilingual Education\nJade Kim\, Instructor\, New College\, FAS\nKathy Zhou\nSustaining Resonance: Lessons\, Insights\, and Impact\nGame-based learning (GBL) is an innovative pedagogical approach characterized by artificial conflict and rules-based structures (Plass et al.\, 2016). While previous research has examined GBL’s impact on self-reflection (Taub et al.\, 2020)\, collaboration and competition (Ke\, 2020)\, and identity (Tam & Pawar\, 2020)\, its application in language education\, particularly for exploring social justice issues\, remain in its infancy (Yilmaz & Sogut\, 2022). Drawing on a design-based research (DBR) framework\, this case study (Yin\, 2018) was conducted in a first-year undergraduate course on multilingualism. The study integrates the Knowledge\, Community and Inquiry (KCI) model (Slotta\, 2013) and knowledge building framework (Scardamalia & Bereiter\, 2006) to investigate 1) the redesign and implementation of a hybrid dystopian game\, The Fall of Artica: A way Back Home (FoA); and 2) how this game-based context supports students’ collaborative inquiry into language ideologies and systemic hierarchies.\nData were collected through audio-recordings of classroom interactions\, end-of-course surveys\, and semi-structured interviews\, and were analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke\, 2006). Findings indicate that the social conflicts in the game\, such as systemic power hierarchies and language dominance\, functioned as a safe space for students to critically examine real-world inequities. Rather than positioning game-based learning simply as a tool for mere entertainment\, the hybrid game context was intentionally embedded in the curriculum to facilitate collaborative knowledge building. Moving beyond passive learning processes that may introduce ‘noise’\, this study demonstrates how GBL can transform learning into a meaningful ‘signal’\, promoting collaborative meaning making around social justice issues in language education.\nResearch Track
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/3-5-tuning-in-sessions/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 157\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T163000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204344Z
UID:4968-1778686200-1778689800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:3.3 GenAI-Sensitive Assignment Design: Pedagogical Reflections for Human-Centred Teaching and Learning
DESCRIPTION:Marci Prescott-Brown\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, New College Writing Centre\, New College\, FAS       \nPaola Bohórquez\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Woodsworth College\nFinding the Frequency: Clarity\, Purpose\, and What Matters Most               \nAs 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 critical reading\, writing\, and research skills. It requires\, as this CFP notes\, “amplify the signals that foster deep learning\, equity\, and engagement\,” while refusing the “noise”—the “overwhelm” or “mislead” hype around GenAI that can lead to misaligned or counterproductive teaching practices.\nInformed by Writing Studies and grounded in current observations of assignment-design\, this in person or hybrid Jam session will facilitate an interactive exploration of crucial aspects of student learning that may be missed or obscured when Gen-AI is framed exclusively as an Academic Integrity challenge. We argue that broadening the frame to position writing as a technology for learning enables the development of process centred\, student centred\, and context responsive pedagogical approaches to GenAI in the classroom.\nThrough a review of sample assignments\, we will introduce adaptable strategies and discipline specific considerations. Whether an instructor has begun integrating GenAI or has avoided it entirely\, this session offers practical guidance for clarifying pedagogical purpose\, centring student learning\, and making deliberate\, values aligned choices in a rapidly shifting educational landscape. In doing so\, this session directly supports the aims of the Finding the Frequency: Clarity\, Purpose\, and What Matters Most stream.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/3-3-genai-sensitive-assignment-design-pedagogical-reflections-for-human-centred-teaching-and-learning/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 142\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T163000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204344Z
UID:4970-1778686200-1778689800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:3.2 Teaching with Claude: Lessons from a Cross-Disciplinary Pilot
DESCRIPTION:Teaching with Claude: Lessons from a Cross-Disciplinary Pilot\nDarius Ornston\, Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy speaking on behalf of Wilson Prichard\, Professor\, Teaching Stream  \nWill Heikoop\, Digital Learning Innovation & Engagement speaking on behalf of Aaron Wheeler\, Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Chemistry\, FAS  \nPhanikiran Radhakrishnan\, Associate Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Management\, UTSC  \nJaqueline Whyte Appleby\, Associate Director\, Scholars Portal\nSophia Bello\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, French\, FAS\nSam Maglio\, Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Management\, UTSC \nFiltering the Noise: Tools\, Trends\, and Tensions                    \nGenerative AI tools are rapidly reshaping conversations about teaching and learning—but amidst the excitement and concern\, it can be difficult to determine what meaningfully supports student learning and what simply adds noise. This interactive 60-minute workshop shares lessons from U of T’s Claude for Education pilot\, in which instructors across disciplines experimented with AI in their courses.\nPilot participants explored diverse applications\, including AI-supported course chatbots and tutors\, structured assignment integration\, and guided student use of Claude for research\, drafting\, and feedback. In this session\, instructors will briefly share their approaches\, what worked\, what didn’t\, and what surprised them. Together\, we will surface concrete signals: design choices that enhanced engagement\, clarified expectations\, supported equity\, or deepened learning. We will also reflect on challenges\, unintended consequences\, and areas where AI created distraction or complexity.\nThrough rapid sharing and facilitated discussion\, participants will leave with practical insights\, emerging design patterns\, and critical questions to inform their own experimentation. Grounded in classroom experience rather than hype\, this session invites attendees to tune in to what truly matters when integrating AI into teaching practice.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/3-2-teaching-with-claude-lessons-from-a-cross-disciplinary-pilot/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management\, Room L1060\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T163000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204344Z
UID:4971-1778686200-1778689800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:3.1 Teaching in Trying Times: A Sounding Board for Pedagogies of Care
DESCRIPTION:Jennifer Orpana\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Faculty of Information       \nSilvia Vong\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Faculty of Information   \nAmplifying the Signal: Connection\, Engagement\, and Civil Discourse          \nThe 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 engage in pedagogies of care to acknowledge their affective experiences with learning. Julé (2019) identifies the need to acknowledge feelings through pedagogies of care (e.g.\, compassion) while building strength and persistence in navigating difficult topics. It moves students from feelings of hopelessness to empowerment. \nThis workshop will review different approaches to pedagogies of care by two different facilitators from two different but intersecting fields in professional education. This workshop is designed to be a sounding board for participants as pedagogies of care are expressed and practiced differently depending on the size of the class\, positionality of the teacher\, and discipline or field. Sounding boards reflect and amplify sound waves and much like that\, this workshop provides time and space for discussion to sound out practices rooted in pedagogies of care.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/3-1-teaching-in-trying-times-a-sounding-board-for-pedagogies-of-care/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room L1020\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T163000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204344Z
UID:4969-1778686200-1778689800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:3.4 Tuning In Sessions
DESCRIPTION:3.4.1 Competency-based learning and radical student agency in first year calculus courses\nMicheal Pawliuk\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Mathematical and Computational Sciences\, UTM\nEric Hart\, Sessional Instructor\, Computer and Mathematical Sciences\, UTSC\nJanelle Resch (co-author)\, Sessional Instructor\, Mathematical and Computational Sciences\, UTM\nFinding the Frequency: Clarity\, Purpose\, and What Matters Most\nIf 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 this presentation\, we examine a radical redesign of MAT135 Calculus 1 (offered in the second term) that pairs repeated test-taking with a dynamic\, student-responsive classroom model\, and we present evidence on how students navigated this structure and what it reveals about learning\, pacing\, and course design.\nWe have implemented two versions of a competency-based (sometimes called “mastery-based”) learning model across two campuses\, which use radical approaches to both in-class learning and iterative assessment. Class time is dynamic\, and students choose on a daily basis what they want to learn\, and in what form (lectures\, group work\, problem solving). Tests can be taken multiple times until a prescribed level of expertise is achieved.\nOur aim was to increase student agency and confidence\, while providing clearer\, more transparent expectations for success.\nWe will present both quantitative and qualitative evidence of how students experienced and navigated these courses\, and how those findings inform our future course design. In particular\, we draw conclusions consistent with the neuroscience of learning: that test performance decays over time. We also conclude that the large quantity of material in the courses makes it unrealistic for most students to learn in a single term.\nPractice Track\n3.4.2 Cultivating Relational Competence: Teaching Behaviour Change Through Trauma Informed Pedagogy in Graduate Dietetics Training\nMaria Ricupero\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Nutrition and Dietetics\, DLSPH\nEric Ng\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Nutrition and Dietetics\, DLSPH\nFinding the Frequency: Clarity\, Purpose\, and What Matters Most\nMaster’s level dietetic students are expected to navigate complex clinical guidelines learned in classrooms\, ethics of health professional practice\, and practicum experiences with real clients under the supervision of dietitian preceptors in health care settings — these demands can be overwhelming and often contribute to imposter syndrome during clinical encounters.\nDespite some undergraduate exposure to behaviour-change counselling\, many graduate students continue to report difficulty navigating emotionally charged client interactions that extend beyond technical clinical nutrition interventions.\nThis 30-minute presentation describes how an identified curricular gap in a graduate course focused on behavioural counselling led to the integration of a trauma informed practice (TIP) framework and a complementary trauma informed pedagogical approach. The course now models core TIP principles—safety\, predictability\, trust\, and relational connection—while explicitly teaching students how these principles inform effective behaviour counselling practice. By “teaching through doing\,” students both experience and learn how to apply trauma informed approaches that they will later use in clinical settings. This session highlights TIP as an essential framework that benefits learners\, clients\, and health care organizations alike.\nPractice Track
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/3-4-tuning-in-sessions/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 151\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260513T163000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260422T135304Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204344Z
UID:5058-1778686200-1778689800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:3.6 Neurodivergent at University: A Documentary Short Pre-Screening
DESCRIPTION:Julia Allworth\, Manager\, Innovation Hub\nIrene Sullivan\, Neurological Team Lead\, Accessibility Services\nAn inside look at the lives of five neurodivergent students at U of T\nThis 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 inspire conversations about more inclusive practices that support diverse students.\nFollowing the screening\, there will be a design thinking activity to brainstorm different ways to consider the needs of neurodivergent students in classrooms and in curriculum development. We hope that the personal stories of students in the documentary short and the conversations that follow will open doors for new ideas for inclusive classrooms.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/3-6-neurodivergent-at-university-a-documentary-short-pre-screening/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 147\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T100000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204345Z
UID:4972-1778749200-1778752800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:4.1 Tuning In to Graduate Student Professional Development
DESCRIPTION:Lisa Aikman\, Educational Developer\, Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars Centre for Teaching and Learning\, UTSC\nAlli Diskin\, Programs Coordinator\, Teaching Assistants’ Training Program\, CTSI\nAndrea Graham\, Graduate Programs Team Lead\, Centre for Learning Strategy Support\, Student Life\nJoel Rodgers\, Coordinator\, Graduate Student Professional Development\, FAS\nFinding the Frequency: Clarity\, Purpose\, and What Matters Most    \nGraduate 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 and professional roles.\nThis Jam Session invites colleagues into a roundtable conversation that begins with short opening reflections from a small panel who work closely with graduate students across U of T’s three campuses. These reflections set the stage for an open discussion about the conditions that support or hinder graduate student professional development\, the kinds of messages graduate students receive about what matters\, and the places where signal and noise shape their experiences.\nThe conversation centers the knowledge and experiences of participants. Broad questions guide the discussion\, encouraging comparison across units\, sharing of effective practices\, and candid exploration of challenges related to mentorship\, communication\, workload\, role expectations\, and local departmental cultures. As participants speak with one another and with the panel\, themes and insights emerge organically.\nParticipants will leave with a clearer sense of the supports that make the most difference in graduate student professional development\, a better understanding of the pressures and obstacles that complicate it\, and a short set of ideas or questions they can bring back to their own departments.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/4-1-tuning-in-to-graduate-student-professional-development/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management\, Room L1060\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T100000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204345Z
UID:4973-1778749200-1778752800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:4.2 Cultivating Hope Through Critically Informed Contemplative Pedagogy
DESCRIPTION:Jasjit Sangha\, Educational Developer\, Centre for Teaching and Learning\, UTSC\nPaulina Rousseau\, Liaison Librarian\, UTSC\nKathleen Scheaffer\, Strategic Initiatives and Liaison Librarian\, UTM            \nAmplifying the Signal: Connection\, Engagement\, and Civil Discourse          \nIncreasingly\, higher education within Canada is facing shrinking resources and simultaneously educators are being challenged to engage larger class sizes with more diverse and complex needs\, including the disruptions from AI. In response\, the book “Hope Circuits”\, Ridell (2024) invites us to reimagine the university to create campuses that are more inclusive\, more human centered\, less hierarchical\, and more responsive to the needs of students and the context within and beyond the classroom. To achieve this\, contemplative pedagogy\, a critically informed and accessible teaching strategy that is rooted in Eastern wisdom and practice\, is being leveraged to cultivate hope\, focus\, and resilience. Through a variety of contemplative practices\, which explore several tools and strategies\, staff\, faculty\, librarians\, and students can begin to build aptitudes to help them stay grounded amid challenging situations\, build a community of belonging\, and reduce their stress and anxiety related to AI\, world events\, and ongoing uncertainty.\nThis interactive workshop will focus on contemplative pedagogy for deepened focus\, self-awareness\, intra and interpersonal relationships\, self-management\, empathy\, and compassion that can be used by faculty\, librarians\, and staff in teaching and learning spaces (Kaplan\, Review\, H. B.\, Eurich\, T.\, Goleman\, D.\, & David\, S.\, 2019). We will draw on neuroscience\, Buddhist traditions\, eastern spirituality and secular practices\, as well as empirical research to demonstrate the history and impact of contemplative pedagogies on higher education. We will also draw from our experience holding a day long symposium for faculty\, librarians and staff on this topic of “Cultivating Hope Through Critically Informed Contemplative Pedagogy” in the spring of 2026 at UTSC.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/4-2-cultivating-hope-through-critically-informed-contemplative-pedagogy/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 142\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T100000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204345Z
UID:4974-1778749200-1778752800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:4.4 In Conversation with the Graduate Student Course Instructors
DESCRIPTION:Moderator: Cristina D’Amico\, Educational Developer\, Graduate Student Development & TA Training\, CTSI\nPanelists: \nMoaz Shoura\, TATP Course Instructor Coordinator\, Department of Psychology\, UTSC\nLuke Volk\, Department of Mathematics\, FAS\nCarlie Manners\, Department of History\, FAS\nDonald McCarthy\, Department of Classics\, FAS\nIn 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 TATP to the top graduate student course instructors across the University of Toronto campuses. The panelists will join us to reflect on their teaching experience and share with us their top strategies for engaging\, supporting\, and motivating their students. Panelists will also reflect on their journeys of becoming effective educators and designing transformative teaching strategies. The roundtable will conclude with a live Q&A\, giving participants an opportunity to ask questions.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/4-4-in-conversation-with-the-graduate-student-course-instructors/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 151\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T100000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130528Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204345Z
UID:4975-1778749200-1778752800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:4.5 What's Cooking in the AI Kitchen?
DESCRIPTION:The university’s AI Task Force report (Toward an AI-Ready University (https://ai.utoronto.ca/u-of-t-ai-task-force/report)) called for a proactive approach to AI adoption: one that prioritizes literacy\, ethical use\, and accessible\, human-centred tools. The AI Kitchen (AIK) is a core recommendation for delivering on that vision\, providing the ingredients\, appliances\, and guidance for faculty\, staff\, and librarians who choose to bring AI into their work. \nIn this session\, members of the AIK team will share what they’re learning as they build out these supports\, including where the clearest needs are emerging. There will be time for conversation and questions\, so come ready to surface your own challenges and help shape what the AI Kitchen develops next.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/4-5-whats-in-the-ai-kitchen/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room L1020\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T100000
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130528Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204345Z
UID:4976-1778749200-1778752800@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:4.3 Tuning In Sessions
DESCRIPTION:4.3.1 AmplifyingSupport: A Low-Stakes Infographic Activity to Help Students Navigate SocialSupports and Connect Emotional Topics to Community Resources\nOdilia Yim\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Psychology\, FAS\nAmplifying the Signal: Connection\, Engagement\, and Civil Discourse\nIn undergraduate courses that address sensitive and emotionally-charged interpersonal topics\, students often struggle to distinguish the core learning “signal” from the emotional and cognitive “noise” these themes can evoke. This session shares insights from implementing a new low-stakes “Community Resources Infographic” activity designed to help students translate abstract course concepts into real\, actionable forms of support.\nIn the activity\, students in an upper-level undergraduate course select a course concept from one of the weekly themes related to interpersonal dynamics and create an infographic highlighting relevant campus or local community services. They may work individually or in small groups\, and they share their creations through online discussion spaces or informally in class presentations. This practice aimed to reduce emotional overload by foregrounding agency\, interpersonal connection\, and social support; increase clarity by asking students to focus on one concept at a time and enhance engagement through creative\, collaborative knowledge translation. Student reflections revealed that creating infographics helped them better understand the course material\, recognize the breadth of local supports and resources\, and feel more empowered should they encounter sensitive or distressing topics. This Tuning In session will describe the motivation for the activity\, its design\, early student feedback\, and key reflections about how such innovative\, community-oriented assignments can amplify clarity and connection for learners.\nParticipants will be invited to experience a brief version of the exercise and reflect on how similar low-stakes\, flexible tasks might support their own students\, particularly in courses involving the discussion of content which may be linked to negative personal or interpersonal experiences. The session foregrounds inclusive design\, accessible communication\, and meaningful engagement as core pedagogical signals.\nPractice Track\n4.3.2 Beyond Apprenticeship in Undergraduate Economics: K.R.L a Co-Authored Research Lab Model for Experiential Learning and Scholarly Dialogue\nNazanin Khazra\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Economics\, FAS\nAmplifying the Signal: Connection\, Engagement\, and Civil Discourse\nThis session presents and analyzes a novel undergraduate research lab model in economics (K.R.L for Applied Economics and Data Science) designed to strengthen human connection\, engagement\, and inclusive dialogue through sustained collaborative research. Bridging traditional faculty-led apprenticeships and course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs)\, the lab positions undergraduates not as task executors but as junior research colleagues working toward co-authored scholarly outputs.\nOperating without external funding\, the model relies on weekly collaborative meetings that create compressed experiential learning cycles\, peer scaffolding through domain specialization\, and selection based on research disposition rather than prior achievement. These structures intentionally cultivate trust\, belonging\, and active participation\, supporting civil discourse\, feedback-rich learning\, and training on real world research. Students further develop communication and research identity by presenting ongoing work in a monthly open seminar for undergraduates promoting inclusive dialogue and community-wide engagement.\nDrawing on qualitative evidence from seven RAs over one year\, the session demonstrates how this model amplifies clarity\, empathy\, and inclusion while accelerating learning and producing authentic scholarship. The session contributes to social sciences education by offering a scalable\, accessible\, and relational approach to undergraduate research that strengthens connection\, engagement\, and meaningful academic conversation in both formal and open learning spaces.\nPractice Track
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/4-3-tuning-in-sessions/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 147\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T111500
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130528Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204345Z
UID:4977-1778753700-1778757300@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:5.1 Assignment Makeover: Designing for AI Literacy\, Not AI Avoidance
DESCRIPTION:Safieh Moghaddam\, Associate Professor\, Language Studies\, Centre for Teaching and Learning\nDina Soliman\, Educational Developer\, Digital Pedagogies                                                    \nFiltering the Noise: Tools\, Trends\, and Tensions        \nGenerative AI can introduce “noise” into assessment: polished text that masks learning\, unclear authorship\, overconfident claims supported by weak or fabricated evidence\, and tasks that inadvertently reward fluency over intended learning outcomes. This interactive workshop supports instructors in redesigning one existing assignment so the “signal” (reasoning\, evidence use\, and decision-making) becomes visible and assessable\, whether or not students use GenAI.\nThe session opens with a brief “noise map” activity: participants identify where GenAI most interferes with assignment effectiveness (e.g.\, product-over-process\, unclear contribution\, unverifiable claims\, misalignment with outcomes\, equity/hidden advantages). Results are surfaced quickly (e.g.\, via polls) to identify shared pain points.\nNext\, the facilitator demonstrates a brief before/after assignment makeover. The “before” version highlights where AI noise can creep in (broad designs\, vague expectations for evidence\, no process visibility). The “after” version shows how three design moves reduce noise and amplify the signal: visible thinking (students show reasoning and choices)\, verification/evidence (students substantiate and check claims)\, and a brief process note (students document decisions and tool use\, if any).\nParticipants then complete an Assignment Makeover Lab\, using a guided template to revise their own assignment (or a provided sample). In peer consult pairs or small groups\, they refine drafts using a short checklist and add one transparent AI-use pathway (AI as a brainstorming partner\, critic/editor\, or comparator). Participants leave with a concrete\, implementable draft assignment design.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/5-1-assignment-makeover-designing-for-ai-literacy-not-ai-avoidance/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room L1020\nAddress:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T111500
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130528Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204345Z
UID:4978-1778753700-1778757300@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:5.2 Finding the Signal through Story: Arts-Based Practices for Metacognitive Sense-Making at the Intersection of Career and Academic Learning
DESCRIPTION:Nicole Birch-Bayley\, Educational Developer\, Career Exploration & Education                    \nKelci Archibald\, Lead Coordinator\, Career Education\, Career Exploration & Education               \nAmplifying the Signal: Connection\, Engagement\, and Civil Discourse    \nPostsecondary students are asked to make sense of both their academic learning and career futures in environments saturated with competing priorities. In career education\, noise often takes the form of grim labour‑market statistics\, anxieties about AI\, climate change\, and skills gaps\, and prescriptive narratives emphasizing outcomes over process. Academic learning is similarly noisy with performance pressures\, unclear expectations\, and accelerated timelines that leave little space to connect learning across contexts. When career and academic learning remain siloed\, students are left to navigate complexity in both domains without a shared framework for sense‑making.\nRecent scholarship (Bailey & Belfield\, 2019; Bridgstock\, Grant-Imaru\, & McAlpine\, 2019; Sari Camadan\, & Özmen\, 2025) shows how integrating career and academic learning can support students’ metacognitive development\, which in turn enhances student confidence\, clarity\, and motivation. This workshop shares an arts‑based approach that treats metacognitive development as the signal that bridges academic and career contexts\, helping students notice patterns\, interpret experience\, and discern what matters amid competing demands.\nParticipants will engage in a series of short\, low‑stakes arts‑based activities (collage\, creative micro-writing\, crafting) that move from surfacing complexity to constructing meaning. Through these activities\, participants externalize sources of “noise\,” observe key metacognitive moves\, and make tangible the threads that support coherence across academic and career learning contexts. Each activity is followed by brief guided reflection that explicitly connects the creative process to metacognitive strategies such as noticing\, choosing\, connecting\, prioritizing\, and interpreting. Drawing on experiences from students and career educators\, the session will share how these practices support engagement\, reduce anxiety\, and create meaningful connections across learning contexts\, while highlighting inclusive\, adaptable\, and low‑lift applications for curricular and co‑curricular integration. The session positions arts‑based practice as a dynamic way to help students develop metacognitive strategies to connect academic and career learning\, navigate uncertainty\, and make intentional choices for their personal and professional trajectories.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/5-2-finding-the-signal-through-story-arts-based-practices-for-metacognitive-sense-making-at-the-intersection-of-career-and-academic-learning/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 147\nAddress:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T101500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260514T111500
DTSTAMP:20260507T195527
CREATED:20260415T130528Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T204345Z
UID:4979-1778753700-1778757300@tls.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:5.3 Tuning into Threshold Concepts: Reflective Practices for Identifying Threshold Concepts
DESCRIPTION:Chris Eaton\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, Institute for Scholarship in University Pedagogy (ISUP)\, UTM                                                  \nClaire Gouveia\, PhD candidate\, OISE\nSheliza Ibrahim\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching Stream\, ISUP\, UTM\nKathleen Scheaffer\, Librarian\, UTM\nJoanna Szurmak\, Librarian\, UTM\nMichelle Troberg\, Associate Professor\, Teaching Stream\, DLS\, UTM\nFinding the Frequency: Clarity\, Purpose\, and What Matters Most   \nAs learners\, we have experienced moments in which we tuned into a previously difficult concept as it resolved into a clear and resonant signal. Such moments took us from a noisy liminal state into a place of conceptual clarity. As instructors\, many of us are trying to help our own students pass those “threshold” moments in our classrooms. As Timmermans and Meyer (2019) noted\, however\, this is far from a straightforward process. Today’s jam session is designed to help teachers facilitate these moments of clarity for learners.\nThe idea of threshold concepts (TCs) was first proposed by Meyer and Land (2003) to characterize conceptual gateways leading to new ways of understanding core concepts in a discipline. They have since been applied across disciplines\, including computer programming (Kallia\, 2020)\, literary studies (Corrigan\, 2019)\, and writing pedagogy (Adler-Kassner & Wardle\, 2015). TCs have been characterized as initially troublesome to grasp\, but ultimately transformative\, irreversible\, and crucial for further learning and full academic participation (Cousin\, 2008; Meyer & Land\, 2005). Threshold concepts have also proven useful because they lend themselves to catalyzing cross-disciplinary scholarship areas such as metacognitive skills development and critical thinking (McLean\, 2009).\nIn today’s workshop\, we will introduce\, scaffold\, and apply reflective practices that lead to the identification of threshold concepts (TCs) within and across disciplines. We will start with an introduction to TC scholarship drawing principally on Meyer and Land (2003) and several other recent applications\, followed by an opportunity to complete a guided individual reflection facilitating TC awareness through a Decoding the Disciplines framework to approaching threshold concepts following Middendorf & Pace (2004). The workshop will conclude with a group debrief focused on both the process and the outcomes.
URL:https://tls.utoronto.ca/event/5-3-tuning-into-threshold-concepts-reflective-practices-for-identifying-threshold-concepts/
LOCATION:Name: Rotman School of Management Room 142\nAddress:
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