Community Report
July 2023 - June 2024
A welcome from UCalgary's teaching and learning leaders
Teaching and learning are a part of everything we do at the Taylor Institute, and this includes creating significant experiences and opportunities for both students and educators. The Taylor Institute is proud to connect and collaborate with the many teaching and learning experts across campus through our innovative programs, spaces, and resources.
In 2023, the Taylor Institute connected with thousands of graduate and undergraduate students, in addition to academic and non-academic staff, through more than 200 educational programs. We strive to provide transformative learning experiences that enrich the incredible research that takes place across campus. It is fulfilling to see this materialize through badge and certificate programs, along with tailored workshops for a variety of campus community members.
The brightest accomplishments from this past year are when we have been able to directly support the UCalgary community with their goals and connect with local and national colleagues to share ideas. A record number of applicants submitted proposals to receive teaching and learning grants, which led to over $1 million being shared across 12 units and three research streams. The TI also continues to be a hub for peer-to-peer learning through numerous digital sessions and presentations showcased at the 2024 Conference for Post-Secondary Learning and Teaching, a hybrid conference that welcomed 378 attendees from universities across Canada. The conference theme was “Courageous Practices: Equity, Diversity and Belonging in Postsecondary Education”. Our keynote speakers included anti-racist educator and international consultant Enid Lee; Director of Western University's Centre for Teaching and Learning, Aisha Haque; and UCalgary's Gregor Wolbring, all of whom spoke on critical, timely issues related to equity, anti-racism, disability and accessibility.
We remain committed to sparking curiosity and fostering innovation in meaningful ways while integrating Indigenous perspectives and equity, diversity and inclusion into TI programs. We hope you’ll join us in the year ahead as we continue to celebrate teaching and learning here at UCalgary.
Wendy Benoit, PhD
Interim Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning)
Derritt Mason, PhD
Acting Senior Director, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning
Photographed by Mike Tan
Photographed by Mike Tan
Our Impact
Since 2023, we’ve seen incredible activity in teaching and learning across UCalgary. From experiential learning opportunities to programs and digital badges, to international conferences, our impact continues to expand.
Our areas of focus
Teaching and Learning
Since 2023, we have continued to expand our programming, events, and opportunities for educators to create a learning environment at UCalgary where students and educators thrive. From recognizing outstanding educators across campus, to funding teaching and learning research, to building networks and communities, to sparking new ideas in the scholarship and practices of teaching and learning, we have enriched teaching for students and educators across the University of Calgary.
No matter what role we fulfill at the University of Calgary, it is our job to spark curiosity, fuel discovery and encourage critical thinking.
Dr. Ed McCauley, PhD, FRSC
University of Calgary president and vice-chancellor
3M National Teaching Fellow Serge Chalhoub shares his advice
Chalhoub is an associate professor (teaching) in the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) and one of the 2024 3M National Teaching Fellowship Award recipients. He is one of 10 nationally — and one of two at the University of Calgary — awarded this year. The fellowship honours exceptional contributions to teaching and learning at the post-secondary level.
How kinesiology duo's walks on campus led to an award-winning idea
New to the Faculty of Kinesiology, Dr. Cari Din, PhD, and Dr. Martin MacInnis, PhD, bonded over a shared interest in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Now, five years later, they are one of five teams in Canada to receive a D2L Innovation Award in Teaching and Learning.
The Flanagan Foundation: Advancing Blended and Online Learning final report
The Flanagan Foundation Initiative at the University of Calgary has set a new standard for blended and online learning, emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and student-centered approaches. Created as part of the initiative, the Three Questions about Teaching and Learning podcast and the Innovator/Educator video series are important companions to the report, as they explore the importance of creativity and innovation in higher education and how this work will continue to shape future-focused teaching and learning, both at the University of Calgary and beyond.
Read more >>
2024 Teaching and Learning Grants awards over $1M
In 2024, a record number of applicants submitted proposals that explore timely teaching and learning topics such as equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA), mental health, sustainability, experiential learning and more. Overall, 36 projects received up to $45,000 in funds across 12 units and three research streams for a total of over $1 million awarded.
Honouring educators at the 2023 Celebration of Teaching
Each year, the University of Calgary Teaching Awards recognize the efforts of educators whose curiosity, ambition and leadership has enriched student learning. Recipients are nominated by their peers across 15 award categories that honour outstanding work in scholarship and education, and celebrated at the Celebration of Teaching event.
Undergrad storytellers create rich German-language children’s books
Awarded $10,000 from the Development and Innovation funding stream, By Learners for Learners: Level-Appropriate Children's Literature for Bilingual German Primary Education creates open-access learning resources for primary-school educators by enriching stories written in German by UCalgary undergraduates with professional illustrations and layout design.
Virtual practicum project delivers long-distance value to small Alberta town
Undergraduate students from the faculties of Social Work and Nursing are part of an innovative pilot project. For their practicum placements, the setting is entirely virtual. The students are working remotely with the local Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) agency in Beaverlodge, a town of about 2,500 residents located a five-hour drive northwest of Edmonton.
Engineering prof finds value in teaching and learning certificate
Pereira came to UCalgary in 2021, joining the campus from previous roles at Nottingham University and the University of Alberta. At each institution, he completed a university teaching certificate, giving him a unique insight into teaching approaches and views across multiple universities. When he got settled at UCalgary, he searched through the TI’s website to find a similar offering here.
Experiential Learning
UCalgary has a bold vision for every student to engage in at least one experiential learning opportunity in their time with us—and through our work, we collaborate with units across campus to help make it a reality. Experiential learning is happening across our campuses, in labs, communities, and classrooms and lecture halls, helping students gain hands-on skills they can take with them for life.
“With research, you honestly have to go into it without certain expectations because it’s always changing and, in my experience, that’s a good thing.”
Nick Basilio | Program for Undergraduate Research Participant
Second-year Faculty of Kinesiology student
Looking back on a year of exceptional undergraduate research experiences
In 2023, over 350 students were awarded more than $3.5 million in awards to research a huge variety of topics that sparked their interests. From bringing Shakespeare’s plays to the big screen, to the minutiae of AI coding, the experience sees students contributing in real ways to research at UCalgary and beyond.
How a summer research project helped an undergrad heal
Basilio’s research project centred on his experiences as a queer, racialized athlete growing up in a small town in Saskatchewan. Through reflections on his own experience and looking at current gaps in literature, Basilio discovered there’s a long way to go in exploring the intersections of sexuality and race in sport.
Cenovus advances inclusion at UCalgary
Delivered through the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, UCalgary’s PURE Program is now supported by Cenovus Energy, with a focus on advancing opportunities for equity-deserving groups. Jasmine El-Hacha, a fifth-year undergraduate student at the Werklund School of Education, says she can’t overstate the game-changing impact of such programming on her education and career trajectory.
Student finds her passion in an unexpected place: UCalgary summer program
The Summer Studentship Program was conceived as a way for students to immerse themselves in both the data science and health informatics fields through experiential learning, with hopes of inspiring participants to pursue a related career. Megan Harmon outlines how her time in the program influenced her education and professional path forward.
Assignment in team collaboration was both frustrating and inspiring for communications major
A blended course for senior level engineering and communications undergraduates “was one of the most influential and frustrating classes I have ever had to take in my life,” says communications student Bray Jamieson. “We spend so much time grounded in theory, we don’t get the chance to engage in theoretical experiential learning, especially making things ourselves and building with our hands. It broke the mould.”
And it was incredibly uncomfortable.
Creating Networks and Communities
Teaching and learning are the bedrock of a campus—it’s fundamental to the work of a postsecondary institution. The Taylor Institute is more than a building; it’s a community that stretches around the world, to help educators develop expertise, grow their skills, and make student learning even better. We have forged strong relationships with organizations and individuals alike to create programming and events that are both pertinent and impactful.
When I think about who I am the first word that comes to my mind is “teacher.” I would not identify the way I do without the amazing community of educators at UCalgary, and at the Taylor Institute, who have inspired me to take risks and keep on reminding me that teaching begins when I listen to students.
Maria Victoria Guglietti
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Arts | Academic Lead, Undergraduate Research, Taylor Institute
What does a courageous practice look like? A Q-and-A with Enid Lee
Enid Lee is an anti-racist professional development specialist, writer, and community builder and the keynote speaker at the Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching. She consults internationally on equitable education with particular emphasis on race, language and culture and their roles in education. Enid explores the conference theme, Courageous Practices: Equity, Diversity and Belonging in Postsecondary Education, in this Q&A.
Hundreds attend Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching
On April 24, the University of Calgary Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching held an in-person pre-conference event at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning that welcomed over 175 people with 3 keynote dialogues and 12 90-minute workshops. The pre-conference was followed by two virtual days of proceedings that welcomed more than 350 attendees from around the world.
Courageous practice comes with fierce compassion and empathy
Dr. Fouzia Usman, PhD reflects on Courageous Practices, the theme of the 2024 Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching. She is an educational development consultant with the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning at the University of Calgary. In her role, she works to advance equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, including anti-oppression pedagogical practices, across the university’s teaching and learning communities.
Creative technologies exhibit shows anti-racist world through newcomer-youth eyes
This exhibit, which takes place Dec. 17 at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, will present computer simulations, murals, documentaries and short films, including stop-motion and other animation. Since the previous show in March, the youths, in collaboration with graduate students, also built and grew a community garden over the summer and a film on this will also be shown.
Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being, Doing and Connecting
UCalgary’s commitment to advancing the recommendations from ii’ taa’poh’to’p’ related to teaching and learning are fundamental to our work. We have worked diligently to centre Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being, Doing and Connecting in our processes, programs and offerings, to ensure the wisdom from generations before are part of how we move forward together.
I often get my mom to come into the class and talk about her experiences in residential school, and the students' feedback is always that it’s very different when you’re reading it in a book, to when you’re talking to someone who has experienced it — It connects them to this part of history that isn’t really history.
Chantal Large
Instructor, Faculty of Social Work and recipient of the Indigenous Ways of Knowing Teaching Award
Experiential Learning Framework: The Land and the A.I.R.
In Canada, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission highlights our roles as educators to reflect Indigenous cultures and knowledges in post-secondary teaching and learning. Developing an inclusive definition of experiential learning in consultation with Indigenous scholars is essential. This newly revised experiential learning framework represents a living document shaped by ongoing dialogue and input from the campus community, reflecting our commitment to Indigenous reconciliation and holistic education.
Chantel Large shares how Indigenous knowledge has shaped her teaching
Large is the 2023 recipient of the University of Calgary Teaching Award for Indigenous Ways of Knowing, an institutional award launched in 2022. It recognizes an individual or group who has advanced Indigenous Ways of Knowing, and supported truth and reconciliation, decolonization, Indigenous engagement and transformation in an academic course or program.
Pipe ceremony accepts new Indigenous curriculum grant recipients for their work
Launched in 2022, the Indigenous Curriculum Grants provide up to $10,000 for initiatives that advance Indigenous engagement and Indigenous perspectives in academic courses and projects. The pipe ceremony is the oral way of asking for project support, as each recipient kneels in the circle and shares what they intend to do and what support they need for their project.
How can you do ‘brave work’? A Q-and-A with Jennifer MacDonald and Jennifer Markides
During the Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching, Dr. Jennifer MacDonald, PhD, University of Regina, and Dr. Jennifer Markides, PhD, University of Calgary, explore the idea of ‘brave work’. As two scholars positioned differently within the intricacies of truth, reconciliation, and decolonization, their nearly 10 years of sustained dialogue addresses the complexities of these topics in relation to our teaching and learning.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
EDIA is a critical element of our work, ensuring that our offerings, and student learning in general at UCalgary, acknowledge systemic challenges faced by equity deserving groups and how educators can move towards inclusive and equitable teaching practices. By centering the experiences and voices of BIPOC students and educators, we can build more inclusive spaces that promote belonging, understanding and challenge the systemic issues in academic environments.
I try to bring perspectives from various sides of an issue and those perspectives are often human experiences of various historical or contemporary events, and through that, I create a sense of empathy in students.
Dr. Safaneh Mohaghegh Neyshabouri, PhD
Assistant professor, Faculty of Arts and recipient of the Teaching Award for Inclusive Excellence
Beyond the binary: Piecing together research on gender diversity
During her participation in the Program for Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE), Lui started research on the experiences of gender diverse immigrant youth and identity development. They quickly realized there were big gaps in the research. "I noticed that it was something that seemed to be not as represented and I cared a lot about that."
‘Empathy activism’ and how 1 educator is creating more inclusive teaching spaces
The award, launched in 2023, recognizes the teaching excellence of an individual educator in creating inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible initiatives within their classroom, course, or other learning environments. Mohaghegh Neyshabouri’s courses in the School for Languages, Linguistics, Literatures and Cultures (SLLLC) and Gender and Sexuality Studies cover sensitive topics that often have a direct tie to things happening in the world.
Gregor Wolbring explores anti-disablism and teaching at the 2024 conference
Dr. Gregor Wolbring, PhD, is a professor in the Cumming School of Medicine’s Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies program and the academic director (disability and accessibility) with the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. He shares his expertise in his talk, Equity, Diversity and Belonging in Post-secondary Education: The issue of Anti-Disablism and Attitudinal Accessibility in this Q&A and at the event.
For those in the neurodiversity movement the key to systems change is solidarity
In fall 2023, Dr. Kristen Gillespie-Lynch, PhD, spoke at The Power of Neurodiversity in the Workplace: A Dialogue, an event hosted by the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Initiative for Neurodiverse Students at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, in partnership with The Sinneave Family Foundation.
How to build a neurodiversity-inclusive campus
UCalgary’s partnership with The Sinneave Family Foundation is helping students thrive through the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) for Neurodiverse Students program. “One of our key guiding principles is to work with students as partners to ensure that lived experiences are reflected in the work we are doing,” explains WIL Associate Director Greta Heathcote. “What we are hearing from students is that our partnership work and including them in the process right from the start is inspiring, empowering, and helps to grow a neuro-affirming community and culture on campus.”