Teaching Assistants' Training Program

Description

CTSI Teaching Studio, Room 4034

Please note that these sessions are for Course Instructor Job training only and cannot be counted towards either the Teaching Fundamentals or Advanced University Teaching Preparation Certificates.

 

SESSION A – 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM – Effective Course and Syllabus Design

This workshop introduces course instructors to the fundamentals of planning a course and designing a syllabus at the University of Toronto. We outline the elements of effective outcomes, and demonstrate how these outcomes can be used as the building blocks for the course, individual lectures, and assessments. The importance of course planning for developing engaging lectures is also discussed. We subsequently examine the elements of syllabus design and identify the components of a clear and meaningful syllabus based on the goals of your course. Attendees of this session receive useful take-away resources and guidelines, as well as concrete feedback on their own syllabus, and they leave with the tools they need to develop and/or fine-tune their course.

*** We ask that participants bring a copy of their own syllabus or of a syllabus from a similar course in their disciplinary area for review and discussion. Please seek permission from the author of any documents which are not your own that you would like to use in this workshop. Participants who arrive without a syllabus may not be permitted to participate in this session.

 

SESSION B – 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM – Assessment and Learning Activities: How to Bring the Best Out of Your Students

What types of assessments (e.g., assignments, projects, and tests) and learning activities (e.g., discussions, one-minute papers) should you use in your course?  How can they be effectively integrated? In this session, we explore different types of assessments, discuss strategies for building them effectively, and consider how and when to integrate them into your course. We also examine best practices for incorporating active learning into your course, with the goal of creating engaging lectures that prepare your students to succeed. Participants leave this session with practical experience creating the different components of an assessment, and useful resources on assessment design. 

 *** We ask that participants bring a paper copy of one of their own assessments or assignments (or an assessment from a similar course in their discipline) for review and discussion. Examples of an appropriate document to bring include: an essay or lab assignment handout. No tests please! Please seek permission from the author of any assessments which are not your own that you would like to use in this workshop. Participants who arrive without an assessment document may not be permitted to participate in this workshop.

 

SESSION C – 2:45 PM – 4:45 PM – Course Administration for First Time Course Instructors

This session introduces course instructors (CIs) to the basic elements involved in teaching a course specifically at the University of Toronto. We cover a variety of administrative and logistical details that arise throughout the life cycle of a course, ranging from what needs to be in place before a course begins (e.g. the course website, ordering texts) to important dates that arise during and after the term (e.g. drop dates, administrative dates, posting of final grades, closing of course website). Participants are also introduced to the EdTech tools available to them, and will have the opportunity to ask questions about their Quercus course pages. Participants leave with a clear view of what a typical course timeline looks like in terms of its administration, and a checklist of steps they need to take to prepare for teaching their first course.