Term-by-term resources for educators
Preparing for the term
As the new term approaches, this is the time to revisit learning outcomes and assessment plans, ensure technology and D2L Brightspace shells are set up and accessible, and think proactively about supporting all learners. It's also an opportunity to embed generative AI expectations, academic integrity and Indigenous ways of knowing into course structure from the start.
New Term, New Context: 6 Key Considerations
This quick read focuses on important questions to ask yourself in the weeks before classes begin. It highlights actionable steps for establishing classroom norms, setting up D2L BrightSpace, integrating technology and emphasizing student wellness.
STRIVE: Emerging Considerations When Designing Assessment for AI Use
The UCalgary-created framework for setting transparent, equitable AI expectations in assessments guides instructors through ensuring student trust, responsibility, integrity, value and equity when deciding how and whether to integrate generative AI into assessed work.
Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education
This self-paced module introduces practical UDL strategies for accessible, inclusive course design through topics such as reducing barriers in materials, offering flexible engagement and assessment options and applying UDL without needing to fully redesign your course.
Foundations of Course Design
This modularized, self-paced workbook covers writing measurable outcomes, aligning assessments to learning goals and sequencing content for cumulative skill-building to help instructors build a coherent, purposeful course structure before the term begins.
Campus Tools: D2L Brightspace, Zoom, Top Hat & YuJa
UCalgary's central hub for core learning platforms provides how-to guides and information about D2L shell setup, tool configuration and enrollment management
Indigenous Ways of Knowing Course Design
This practical resource provides starting points for meaningfully integrating Indigenous Ways of Knowing into course design, with guidance on relational approaches and connecting with supports grounded in UCalgary’s ii’taa’poh’to’p strategy.
Further reading
Boman, J., Lindsay, B., Bernier, E., & Boyce, M. A. (2025). Fostering student wellbeing in the postsecondary teaching and learning environment. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 49(2), 230–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2024.2447852
A Canadian mixed-methods study identifying seven factors that contribute to student wellbeing, including instructor care and course design directly relevant to pre-term decisions about workload, flexibility, and resource communication.
Moriña, A., Carballo, R., & Doménech, A. (2025). Transforming higher education: a systematic review of faculty training in UDL and its benefits. Teaching in Higher Education, 30(7), 1722–1739. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2025.2465994
A systematic review of 20 studies finding that targeted UDL faculty training increases teaching competence and improves accessibility, engagement, and academic outcomes for all students, including those with disabilities. Taylor & Francis Online
Rifan, N. M., & Latif, A. A. (2025). Constructive alignment as a framework for enhancing motivation and higher order-thinking in science classrooms: A systematic synthesis. International Journal of Research and innovation in Social Science, 8078- 8086. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.903SEDU0605.
A 2025 systematic synthesis covering how aligning outcomes, pedagogy, and authentic assessment fosters student motivation and higher-order thinking a useful evidence base for pre-term course planning decisions.
The First Day of Classes
Your course is designed, your course outline is approved and the first day of classes is upon you. Your attention on this first day will likely be focused on getting to know your new students, ensuring you clarify key components of the course outline, and establishing course and classroom expectations. These resources are designed to help you prepare for this first day and set the tone for the term ahead.
Community before Content: A Pedagogy of Kindness and Human-Centred Design Approach
This online resource provides numerous practical strategies for educators interested in creating a welcoming, student-centred, and community-based classroom.
New Term, New Context: Six Key Considerations
This resource offers strategies and resources to help you start the term on the right foot, including practical tips for the first day of classes.
Strategies for Facilitating Collaborative Activities
Organized around common challenges instructors face during collaborative classroom activities, this webpage provides a series of helpful tips for setting a strong foundation for collaboration in your classroom that you can build from day one.
Strategies for Promoting Positive Learning Environments
While supportive of your work throughout the term, this resource provides pragmatic strategies for promoting a positive learning environment from the first day of class onward.
Using a Digital Welcome Note to Promote Inclusive Learning Experiences
This quick read leads you through the creation of a digital welcome note—one way of establishing teaching presence and orienting your students to the course beyond the course outline. Designed for blended and online learning environments, the digital welcome note can also be a helpful, inclusive addition to an in-person course.
Four Practices to Boost your Resiliency
This short article covers four practices you can embed in your course from day one that support your mental health as an instructor, as well as set an example for your students. UCalgary Wellness Services and the Office of Institutional Commitments provide a wealth of additional resources focused on student wellbeing that can be integrated as early as the first day of class.
Further reading
Lang, James M. “How to Teach a Good First Day of Class: Advice Guide.” Chronicle of Higher Education, https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-to-teach-a-good-first-day-of-class/
Adelaide University. (2026, Jan. 20). “Strategies to promote belonging from the first day of term – and beyond.” Times Higher Education, https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/strategies-promote-belonging-first-day-term-and-beyond
The Middle of the Term
In the middle of the term, it’s a good time to revisit classroom climate and progress and to think about small teaching refinements to help students achieve the learning outcomes more easily. Additionally, as assessments are coming in, you may be thinking about how you can use feedback to nudge your students’ learning and what extra activities might help as well. To do these things effectively, you may want to directly solicit feedback from your class in a form you can use practically and immediately.
Focus on Formative Feedback for Teaching Development
A 30-page guide that shares the Curiosity, Ask, Receive, Reflect, Ac (CARRA) model, which can help you to focus on the types of feedback you would like to receive on your teaching and how to develop strategies to integrate that feedback into your practice.
Consistent and Effective Grading
This quick read provides strategies to help ensure your grading is efficient and fair. In addition to course design considerations, this resource includes practical strategies to support your teaching team and be efficient with providing feedback as you take in mid-semester assignments and exams.
Test Anxiety: Instructional approaches to support students
This self-paced learning module of six lessons, which takes about 4 hours in total, helps instructors better understand test anxiety and develop strategies and techniques that allow students to approach assessments with a growth mindset.
Class Representatives: A Formative Feedback Strategy for Teaching Development
This short article describes how Class Representatives can be a helpful strategy to get feedback, especially in large classes, to enhance your teaching practice. It has a companion piece on how to select Class Representatives titled: How to Set Up a Class Representative Program in Your Classroom.
Academic Integrity in Large Classes
This short guide outlines 12 practical strategies to help strengthen academic integrity in your class. It includes strategies for preparing your class as well as steps you can take mid-semester.
A Resource for Mid-Semester Feedback
This short guide walks you through how to create and make the most of a mid-semester “pulse check” survey.
Further Reading
Conway, A. (November 22, 2022). Recovering student engagement at mid-course time. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/recovering-student-engagement-at-mid-course-time/
Homan, L. (March 7, 2014). Reinventing your teaching mid-semester: 5 really tiny things you could do tomorrow. GradHacker. https://www.gradhacker.org/reinventing-your-teaching-mid-semester-5-really-tiny-things-you-could-do-tomorrow/
The End of the Term
As the term is wrapping up, you may find yourself swamped with the immediacy of grading and the associated ‘paperwork.’ Once that is finished, though, it’s a great time to take a few minutes to step back and ask yourself some important questions:
- What have you learned this term? how might you document it?
- What went well this term, and how can you build upon it?
- What didn’t go as well as you had hoped, and what small, meaningful changes can you make?
- What next steps you will take as you continue to develop your teaching practice?
Consistent and Effective Grading
On this webpage, you will find practical strategies for managing end-of-term grading including how to use rubrics, provide feedback more efficiently, set up grading schedules with TAs, and reminders of important academic integrity policies and resources.
Releasing Final Grades in D2L (Optional) and PeopleSoft (Official)
This step-by-step eLearn guide walks you through how to calculate and release unofficial final grades in D2L Brightspace, export to Excel, and submit official letter grades to PeopleSoft's Faculty Centre.
Making Sense of Student Feedback
We all receive student feedback data, but it can be hard to know what to do with it! This online guide to interpreting UCalgary's end-of-term UCES data covers how to read quantitative ratings and qualitative comments, identify patterns, and use feedback to inform future course design and teaching practice.
Developing Your Teaching Dossier
While the term is still fresh in your mind, this is a great time to reflect on your successes and areas for ongoing growth. Follow this learning module to learn how to articulate your teaching philosophy, document your teaching journey, and provide evidence of success and progress.
Once you’ve reflected on your professional growth and development, consider taking a Taylor Institute workshop or course based on your current teaching interests and goals.
Further Reading
Teaching Philosophies and Teaching Dossiers Guide A thorough TI Guide for documenting teaching growth at the end of term — walks instructors through building a teaching philosophy statement and dossier, incorporating EDI, Indigenous Ways of Knowing, and evidence of effectiveness.
Berdahl, L. (2024). Practical strategies to end your courses on a high note. University Affairs.
Begin again better with end-of term reflections. University of Nebraska-Lincoln