Community Report
July 2024 - June 2025
Natasha Kenny, PhD | Executive Director, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning
Photographed by Mike Tan
Derritt Mason, PhD | Acting Senior Director, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning (2024-25)
Photographed by Mike Tan
A welcome from UCalgary's teaching and learning leaders
For a decade, the Taylor Institute has been a place where educators, students, and researchers meet to explore, experiment and grow within the teaching and learning ecosystem at the University of Calgary.
Across the post-secondary sector, teaching and learning are rapidly evolving. In partnership with academic, student and staff colleagues, the Taylor Institute continues to support this transformation by providing scholarship, networks, programs, resources and experiences that help the community navigate and adapt to these changes.
By fostering connection, collaboration, and shared purpose, the Taylor Institute supports the innovation that emerges when people come together. Through the thousands of interactions at programs, workshops and events, the 2024-2025 Community Report explores the momentum that can build and impact what happens when passionate people connect over a shared purpose.
Kicking off 2025, 23 teaching and learning research teams were awarded over $800,000 in funding through the UCalgary Teaching and Learning Grants program. Projects were varied and included research on generative AI, blended and online learning, and educational leadership.
Like educators, students at UCalgary share a deep passion for research. An impressive 187 projects were awarded $1.3 million through the Program for Undergraduate Research Experience, including a generous $250,000 donation from Cenovus Energy to ensure inclusion in undergraduate research. On July 1, 2025, the Experiential Learning portfolio formally moved to its new home within the Office of Signature Learning Experiences.
In April 2025, the Taylor Institute welcomed over 300 delegates (including 192 presenters) to the annual Conference on Post-secondary Learning and Teaching, which featured the theme Reassessing Assessment in Post-secondary Education. This in-person event provided an opportunity to explore emerging conversations related to shifting expectations for educators and students, and how these changes are being navigated alongside new technologies and demands on public institutions.
As teaching and learning continue to evolve, the Taylor Institute remains committed to supporting educators and students in navigating change with curiosity, creativity, and care. We are dedicated to helping the university community advance Indigenous ways of knowing, being, doing, and connecting in academic programs and courses; and expanding on UCalgary’s foundational commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in order to address systemic barriers and ensure that all members of our campus community thrive and excel. We continue to support the wider community of educators with a growing library of academically developed, free-to-access learning modules, guides, and teaching resources.
We hope you will join us in the year ahead as we continue to celebrate teaching and learning here at UCalgary.
Natasha Kenny, PhD
Executive Director, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning
Derritt Mason, PhD
Acting Senior Director, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning (2024-25)
Programs that have an impact
The Taylor Institute’s impact on strengthening teaching and learning expertise continues to reach across internal and external communities. From conferences, courses, workshops, events and communities of practice, the influence of the Taylor Institute within UCalgary campuses and beyond has been notable throughout 2024-25.
Courses and workshops that adapt to trends
From June 2024 - July 2025, 90 research-informed courses and workshops were offered to UCalgary instructors, staff, undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars through responsive programming that target scholarly approaches and emerging topics such as GenAI, curriculum review, assessment, teaching and learning tools, digital pedagogies, to name a few
Connecting educators to scholarly and meaningful professional learning opportunities
82 certificates were issued through the Academic Staff and Postdoctoral Scholar and Graduate Student certificate programs. Each program includes courses that help educators build teaching expertise and apply scholarly approaches to teaching and student learning.
Building confidence, connections and knowledge through micro-credentials
597 digital badges related to teaching and learning in higher education were issued to UCalgary academic staff, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students and support staff. Digital badges are awarded to educators who actively engage in research-informed courses covering emerging topics like course design, assessment, teaching online, digital pedagogies, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and undergraduate research.
Our areas of focus
Teaching and Learning
Fostering innovation in teaching and learning to create incredible student learning experiences and a supportive environment for educators.
Experiential Learning
Developing experiential learning opportunities that are student-focused, inclusive and responsive to changing societal needs.
Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being, Doing, and Connecting
Helping to transform and renew academic courses and programs to centre Indigenous histories, knowledges, protocols, pedagogies, perspectives, and methodologies.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
Advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in our teaching and learning environments to adapt and create programs, practices, and processes that are inclusive and welcoming.
Creating Networks and Communities
Building local, national and international networks and partnerships that strengthen teaching and learning expertise and leadership.
Joelle Tomlinson emcees the Celebration of Teaching at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning in February 2025. The event honours UCalgary Teaching Award recipients.
Teaching and Learning
At UCalgary, we’re creating an environment where both educators and students can flourish. By expanding teaching and learning programming, funding research, recognizing exceptional educators, and building dynamic networks, we foster research informed approaches and innovative practices that continuously enhance the teaching and student learning experience.
"Student learning is at the heart of everything we do,"
Dr. Sandra Davidson, PhD
Provost and Vice-President (academic)
Stories that demonstrate impact
2025 Teaching and Learning Grant program awards more than $800K
More than $800 thousand dollars in project funding was received across 12 academic units and 23 teaching and learning research projects as part of the 2025 Teaching and Learning Grants program. Awarded projects explore timely topics like artificial intelligence, work integrated learning and health equity across a variety of academic disciplines.
One educator on using simulation and role play in the classroom
The Experiential Learning Initiatives Teaching Award recognizes educators who integrate impactful, hands-on learning experiences. Dr. Angelique Jenney, an Associate Professor in Social Work, uses role play and simulations to help students confront uncomfortable conversations, turning discomfort into a powerful tool for growth and teaching that mistakes, while inevitable, are reparable.
Inaugural GenAI Educational Leader in Residence appointed
The Educational Leader in Residence (GenAI) role at the University of Calgary focuses on advancing generative AI practices, standards, and pedagogy within the academic community. Dr. Soroush Sabbaghan has been appointed to this two-year position and will work with educators, students, and staff to integrate AI into teaching in meaningful, responsible ways.
Researchers reframe narrative around online learning with support from Teaching and Learning Grant
With support from a Teaching and Learning Grant, a team of researchers are reshaping the what it means to teach online by building SOCI 315, a required undergraduate course, from the ground up for online delivery. They aim to show that online education, often viewed as lower quality, offers flexibility and accommodates diverse student needs, improving engagement and learning outcomes.
Read more >>
Recognizing exemplary educators at the 10th UCalgary Teaching Awards
Celebrating its 10th year, the UCalgary Teaching Awards recognized 19 outstanding educators across 15 categories at the 2025 Celebration of Teaching event. Recipients were nominated in categories ranging from graduate assistant and faculty teaching to Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being, Doing and Connecting and experiential learning for the impact they've had on the student experience.
Video: Celebrating teaching excellence in our community
2024/25 UCalgary Teaching Award recipients share their wisdom in these reflection videos from the Celebration of Teaching event.
Experiential Learning Transitions to New Office
In late 2024, The University of Calgary announced a new unit that would create a more consistent experience for people accessing learning experiences. With the official launch of the Office of Signature Learning Experiences (OSLE) in summer 2025, Experiential Learning moved from the Taylor Institute into OSLE. All highlights shared in this report capture the impactful work that took place prior to and during this transition.
Experiential Learning
At UCalgary, we’re committed to ensuring all students have meaningful opportunities to access and engage in experiential learning. Through strong collaboration with campus units, we’re making this vision a reality. From labs and classrooms to communities, experiential learning is happening all around us, giving students practical knowledge and skills they can carry with them long after graduation.
"Going into this project, I was excited to discover who I was, I didn’t fully know myself yet. Through this journey, I found my identity. I found my passion.”
Billy “Me” Wijaya
Program for Undergraduate Research Participant | Fourth year Faculty of Arts student
One summer student’s exploration of social media virality
During her summer semester, third-year Communications and Media Studies student Evangeline Dorval explored moral emotions in short-form video content, testing theories of virality on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. Her project, funded by the Program for Undergraduate Research Experiences (PURE), is supervised by Dr. Ali Karimi and culminates in a video essay.
How a student discovered his Vietnamese identity through an undergraduate research project
Supported by the Program for Undergraduate Research Experience, third-year Law and Society student Billy Wijaya explored his Vietnamese heritage abroad. Tracing his family’s migration, he deepened his identity and passion for global impact. “I have the desire to see more of the world...why don’t I see how far I can go?”
Introducing two strategies designed to enhance experiential learning access
Aiming to make experiential learning (EL) more accessible and equitable, a team of UCalgary educators developed and presented a revised EL Framework and the "Small Experiential Learning" (Small EL) program at the international Society for Experiential Education (SEE) conference in 2024 . These initiatives aim to increase student engagement and support UCalgary’s goal for undergraduates to complete two EL activities by 2025.
How Future Skills helped 300 students feel connected
Launched in 2024, the Future Skills Innovation Network (FUSION) offers modules that focus on essential skills like inclusivity, critical thinking, and problem-solving – competencies that Dr. Ayesha Mian Akram was eager to explore in her 300-student class. By integrating the Inclusivity module, she encouraged students to reflect on bias and privilege, fostering deeper personal connections to course material.
Undergraduate research project sparks enthusiasm for Plains archaeology
Fourth-year Faculty of Arts student Sam Judson discovered her passion for archaeology while studying anthropology at UCalgary. Through the Program for Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE), she developed a public engagement project to share Alberta’s rich archaeological history. After an excavation at John Ware’s homestead, Judson plans to pursue a master's in archaeology.
Educators leverage Future Skills program to help students thrive across all aspects of life
Building essential skills like communication, problem-solving, and self-management are a key component of the Future Skills program. Faculty members including Dr. Victoria Fast have found success integrating these modules into their courses, enabling students to apply these skills both in their studies and future careers.
Creating Networks and Communities
Teaching and learning are at the core of any campus, driving the mission of every post-secondary institution. The Taylor Institute is not just a space; it’s a global community dedicated to empowering educators to enhance their expertise and improve student learning. Through strong partnerships with organizations and individuals, we share and build scholarly knowledge, strengthen networks, and create impactful, high-quality programs and events.
Digital teaching and learning communities
Site visitors in the figures below are measured as Active Users rather than page visits. An active user repeatedly uses or engages with the site or app, while a visitor is anyone who simply lands on it, even once.
“Like everybody at these community events, I do this work because I’m here to support students. A project like this helps me to help them, and to reflect on and improve my own teaching.”
Dr. Bronwyn Chorlton, PhD
Assistant Professor, Schulich School of Engineering | Teaching and Learning Grant project partner
Leading assessment with kindness creates a holistic approach
As the keynote speaker at the 2025 Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching, Dr. Cate Denial challenges traditional approaches to assessment in higher education with an increased focus on compassion. By shifting toward kindness and empathy, she proposes a more holistic, inclusive model that considers the full scope of a student’s learning journey.
Events showcase how the teaching and learning community is transforming higher education
In partnership with Mount Royal University, the first annual Bridging the Bow: YYC SoTL Network featured eight workshops on SoTL topics such as research methods and student success. The event concluded with a Toast to the 2025 Teaching and Learning Grant Recipients, celebrating 23 funded projects. A total of 80 attendees participated in both events.
UCalgary scholars reimagine assessment of student learning at 2025 conference
Keynote panelists Adil Arshad, Barbara Brown and Natsha Kenny from the UCalgary Assessment Principles Group discuss the development of assessment principles at this year’s conference, highlighting challenges, successes, and key lessons learned. They explore how emerging technologies, such as AI, are reshaping assessment, and invite attendees to engage in discussions on the evolving purpose and practices of assessment.
Equitable and alternative assessment is possible across disciplines
Alternative assessments can break down barriers to student success, ensuring all students have a fair chance to demonstrate their learning. In her keynote at the Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching, Dr. Eliana El Khoury discusses how these tools challenge misconceptions around reliability and offer practical examples for educators.
Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being, Doing and Connecting
At UCalgary, working with partners to advance the recommendations from ii’ taa’poh’to’p’ is central to our teaching and learning approaches. The TI is dedicated to supporting educators and affirming Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being, Doing, and Connecting in our processes, programs, and offerings.
“By grounding the students in a traditional way, I am working in reciprocity. I am sharing my knowledge to ensure that this knowledge continues on to the future generations”
Knowledge Keeper Shelly Eli
Elder in Residence: INDG415, Indigenous Ethics and Protocol
Local Indigenous teaching resources vetted by the community and at your fingertips
Books to Build On: Indigenous Literatures for Learning offers over 350 Indigenous stories and resources to help educators integrate local knowledge into classrooms. Supported by a Teaching and Learning Grant, the project, led by Dr. Aubrey Hanson and Dr. Erin Spring, provides lesson plans, videos, and community-reviewed content.
2025 Indigenous Curriculum Grant recipients announced
2025 Indigenous Curriculum Grant recipients gathered for a pipe ceremony where six new grants were awarded, two ongoing projects discussed, and four completed projects shared. Guided by Elders Reg and Rose Crowshoe, the event emphasized the significance of transforming curriculum with Indigenous perspectives and knowledge.
Students in a unique work-integrated learning class raise tipi together to begin the term
In a unique course blending Indigenous teachings, students from the Faculty of Arts began their term by raising a tipi. Guided by Amskapi Piikani ceremonialist Dustin Walter and Knowledge Keeper Shelli Eli, the activity emphasized relationality, community, and ethical protocols, creating a powerful foundation for the semester.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
EDIA plays a vital role in our work at UCalgary. The TI is committed to creating opportunities that help educators, staff and students address systemic barriers and create accessible spaces that foster belonging, understanding, and inclusive excellence.
Videos: Stories of neurodiversity on our campus
Hear Rochelle and Aliya's stories and reflections on what it means to be neurodiverse and how it contributes to their work at UCalgary.
“Through conversations about the history of gender health research, we can share knowledge and classroom practices that engage the diversity of our campus community.”
Dr. Derritt Mason, PhD
Former Acting Senior Director of the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning
UCalgary student explores queer Czech identity through research
Míša Štorková’s undergraduate research project explored the intersection of their queer and Czech identities. Drawing on Czech queer history and family textile traditions, their work challenges cultural norms. The project culminated in their first solo art show and inspired future research on accessibility within the visual arts.
At the heart of change: Reflecting on the role of EDIA in higher education
EDI work isn’t about checking boxes or implementing quick fixes; it’s about fostering systemic change.” Reflecting on two years as the EDI Director at Werklund School of Education, Soroush Sabbaghan discusses how collaboration, persistence, and transformation have shaped his work in creating inclusive education.
International scholar joins discussion at Teaching and Learning Trans History event
Framing Agnes (2022) explores trans history through reenactments of 1960s gender health interviews. Featuring Dr. Jules Gill-Peterson, the film sheds light on Agnes, a transgender pioneer in gender research. Hosted by the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, the screening sparked discussions on teaching trans history and engaging with gender diversity in classrooms.
UCalgary neurodiversity initiative launches Tactile Toolkits
UCalgary’s Neurodiversity Initiative distributed over 1000 tactile tool-kits to 15 different student-facing offices across campus. These tools, sometimes called "fidgets" or "stims," help people focus and self-regulate. This is especially true for neurodivergent people. These tool-kits were made possible through generous donations from the Sinneave Family Foundation and printed in partnership with the Schulich School of Engineering.
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