Annual Report
2024
The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
Message from The Centre
About us
Dr. Mark Torchia Vice-Provost | Learning, Analytics, and Academic Infrastructure
Dr. Erica Jung Director | The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
2024 highlights
The Centre continued to provide transformative educational experiences throughout the year.
Broadened UM community engagement
- UM community members participated in workshops, for a total of individual attendances, underscoring the demand for faculty development.
- Our continued expanded support for the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences saw attendees engage in various sessions across UM campuses.
378
126
1,715
364
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 03
2024 highlights
Enhancing our foundational knowledge
The IDEA START Podcast
Curriculum renewals
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 04
Elevating teachingand learning across UM
We continued our work in 2024 to help instructors adapt their methods, materials and assessments to create an optimal learning experience for the university’s diverse student population. The Centre’s foundational and custom workshops fostered teaching excellence and encourage inclusive, equitable environments where students can thrive.
To this end, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and accessibility continued to be priorities.
31
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 05
Elevating teachingand learning across UM
UDL: Fostering optimal learning experiences for all
Teaching Café – Introducing accessibility into the classroom
Knowledge that strengthens our practice
Integrated Accommodations Project
Graduate Teaching Program
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 06
Reconciliation and inclusivity: A foundation for teaching, learning and community building
Reconciliation is foundational to our work. Through faculty development, inclusive course design, onboarding of new staff, ongoing professional learning and performance reviews, we strive to create educational spaces that honour Indigenous perspectives and contribute to meaningful systemic change across the institution.
We are committed to advancing Reconciliation by supporting the integration of Indigenous pedagogies and knowledges into teaching, learning and our everyday practices.
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 07
Reconciliation and inclusivity: A foundation for teaching, learning and community building
Reconciliation Action Plan and activities
In 2023, The Centre introduced its first Reconciliation Action Plan to detail our commitment to valuing relationships, listening to truth, sharing knowledge and creating shared understanding. In 2024 our new Reconciliation Committee began to meet monthly to ensure the actions outlined in the plan are infused into our work.
4 Seasons Reconciliation training
Respecting First Nations data sovereignty
Lunch-and-Learns
Sun Rope collective
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 08
TLC program: Celebrating 10 years of growth and impact
In 2014, the Teaching and Learning Certificate (TLC) program for new faculty was established, enrolling an initial cohort of participants supported by four mentors from The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) and two faculty mentors. Over the past decade, the program has experienced consistent growth, with more than faculty members having participated in the program and faculty members contributing as mentors.
17
200
62
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 09
Supporting experiential learning and entrepreneurship
In 2024, The Centre continued to support innovative experiential learning (EL) and entrepreneurship initiatives that engaged students, staff and faculty across the university. These initiatives emphasized critical reflection, creative problem-solving, interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world impact—cornerstones of experiential education.
Experiential learning highlights
Better Together 2.0: Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 10
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Building connections across disciplines
We build community through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) by creating spaces where educators collaboratively explore, reflect on and generate evidence that enhances learning.
In 2024, SoTL scholars across the university gathered to celebrate our local SoTL community through a luncheon hosted by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic and organized by The Centre. Following a vibrant keynote delivered by the University of Alberta’s Dr. Janice Miller-Young, this event transcended disciplinary boundaries to generate open dialogue and share responsibility for student learning.
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 11
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Building connections across disciplines
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Support Fund recipients
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Support Fund provides opportunities for professors, instructors, and librarians to undertake projects that increase knowledge in pedagogy and learning.
In 2024, funding for six projects of $6,000 and one major project of $25,000 was awarded.
2024 Major Project recipient
Teaching awards
2024 Teaching Scholar recipients
2024 Seed Award recipients
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 12
Looking ahead: A commitment to innovation and inclusivity
Higher education is experiencing the impact of environmental, political and educational changes. As a teaching and learning centre, we are tasked with keeping pace with trends and world events and developing supports and resources that matter.
We are excited to see the Integrated Accommodation Project incorporated into larger, first-year courses. It will allow for a more inclusive design of curriculum and less demand for formal accommodation.
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 13
Looking ahead: A commitment to innovation and inclusivity
GenAI is also a topic that can be heard in conversations across the university in classrooms and labs, office administrative work, and academic units. The Centre will be releasing a series on some of the many ways that genAI can transform how educators carry out the tasks of teaching in higher education. Also, The Centre has acquired virtual reality (VR) equipment that will be used to run two modules on active listening and clear communication. More topics are in development.
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 14
We look forward to the continued work and connections with faculty across the university.
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT
Workshops that matter
The quality and relevance of The Centre’s offerings were validated by workshop attendees: of participants said that the sessions met or exceeded their expectations.
94%
Participating in this program, I felt it was one of the few spaces in academia where I could bring my whole self—as a community health educator, a feminist researcher and someone who works at the intersection of community and global justice. The conversations I had with my mentor weren’t just about technical strategies, but also the ethics and deeper meaning of teaching. That space helped me develop the confidence to embed feminist, Indigenous and community-minded methodologies into my work—and to teach with vulnerability, authenticity and care.
Reflections from the TLC community
A decade into its journey, the TLC program continues to leave a lasting impression on participants and mentors alike.
— Dr. Punam Mehta, TLC Participant
I’ve been involved with TLC since the beginning, and I believe in it more than ever. My experience with the program has been wonderful. The people I’ve mentored have also mentored me—even if they didn’t realize it. We all learn from each other, and that’s been really spectacular in my mind.
— Colleen Plumton, TLC Mentor
Centre staff gathered bi-monthly over the lunch hour to watch Indigenous films or APTN programming, an activity that helps to foster awareness, reflection and engagement and is a meaningful response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
This new project, launched in consultation with Student Accessibility Services (SAS), employed creative methods to make teaching more inclusive.The innovative approach includes:
- Giving students who are supported by SAS the opportunity to have the same educational experience as their peers
- Acknowledging that not all students with impairments have had the diagnoses required to receive SAS support
- Providing access to a more inclusive class environment for students who do not have a disability diagnosis but who experience other barriers to learning related to family, economics, or other personal circumstances.
With the successful completion of the project pilot, the goal is for implementation across all programs and campuses.
The Science of Teaching and Learning team began their training in the First Nations principles of ownership, control access and possession (OCAP®) offered through the First Nations Information Governance Centre. This training helps us to appropriately support faculties in SoTL and other researchers working with First Nations data.
The program's workshops and institutes emphasize foundational principles of teaching and learning, while classroom observations and mentor feedback offer individualized support to foster teaching development. Community-building initiatives, including a holiday luncheon and the annual Teaching Café, further enhance the sense of collegial support among early career faculty. Upon completion of the program, participants are equipped with a comprehensive teaching dossier suitable for promotion and tenure processes, as well as a lasting network of peers committed to effective and reflective teaching practices.
As part of our Reconciliation Action Plan, Centre staff engaged in activities and training to deepen their understanding of decolonization, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. These learnings guide and shape the support and resources we provide in our programming. Read more about the Reconciliation Action Plan.
Centre staff continued to expand their understanding of topics relating to equity, diversity and inclusion. Monthly Sun Rope professional development sessions, initiated in 2020, included a focus on accessibility and disability justice in 2024.As an example, staff participated in a walkability assessment of the Fort Garry campus to help them understand and evaluate the challenges faced by people with physical impairments.
Through this and other activities, Centre staff continued to enhance their understanding of accessibility issues and the roots of disability-related oppression, building foundational knowledge that we can infuse into all our programs and practices. Read more about our 2024 Sun Rope activities.
A monthly series of Universal Design for Learning in Practice workshops were well attended by instructors keen to adapt their teaching to create meaningful genuine learning opportunities for everyone in their classrooms. The sessions included information on disability activism and theory to contextualize the learning.
Attendees were eager to ask questions, apply their learnings with students and collaborate further with The Centre to incorporate UDL into their curriculum. The popular series is ongoing.
Dr. Jason Peeler, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Project title: Improving clinical skills training in the area of musculoskeletal medicine
New required training for all Centre staff is this course on Indigenous histories and the impacts of colonialism. Created by First Nations University in conjunction with community members, Knowledge Keepers and Elders, the online course is another step in efforts to decolonize our practices and reshape the work we do.
We are pleased to share this 2024 annual report with the UM Community. It was an extremely busy and productive year for the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.The Centre’s primary mission of supporting instructors and professors continued to be at the forefront of the entire team’s activities.
The Centre has also continued to support curriculum renewal and development, universal design for instruction, entrepreneurship integration, experiential learning, higher education research, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
The University of Manitoba’s Strategic Plan, Momentum: Leading Change Together, continues to be the anchoring values for all of the Centre’s work.
Thank you for your engagement and support during 2024.
Dr. Mark Torchia, Vice-Provost, Learning, Analytics, and Academic Infrastructure
Marnie Kramer, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Project title: Exploring threshold concept integration supported by flipped mastery learning to address troublesome knowledge in an evidence-informed practice course Wan Wang, Faculty of Arts
Project title: Fear not this GenAI: Teaching proper use of ChatGPT to facilitate learning in a student-centred project
This program is designed for current UM graduate students who are new to teaching or new to teaching in Canada, and who are looking to develop a good foundation of teaching knowledge and practices. Strengthening graduate student teaching skills is one way The Centre is helping build an exceptional student experience at UM. In 2024, a redesigned GTP program introduced the benefits of micro-credentialling, where students earn a badge for each module they complete. This approach makes it easier for students to start and complete the program while respecting the demands of their graduate work.
Forty-one students completed one or more of the seven modules in 2024, earning 184 badges.
The second annual Better Together learning event in November 2024 brought together nearly 50 participants from 11 faculties in a non-competitive design sprint to solve real challenges facing the university.
Three UM mentors helped the student teams explore the concepts of design thinking and embrace a broader view of entrepreneurship – one that focuses on creative thinking to solve problems and make an impact.
Working over two days, the teams created three-minute video pitches tackling campus challenges, such as how to help newcomers navigate the UM experience and how to build resilience within the UM community to reduce climate anxiety.
Several participants from 2023’s inaugural event returned with new recruits in 2024 because they enjoyed the event’s non-competitive and refreshing learning approach.
The EL Institute returned with a refreshed focus on assessment in experiential learning, facilitated by Meaghan Ewharekuko and Gerardo Villagran Becerra. Participants explored assessment strategies beyond exams and reports, with several requesting a future offering due to the session’s relevance and value.
We also hosted the Competencies Framework Workshop, where faculty developed learning activities rooted in backward design and competency alignment, and Keep Calm and Call the Nurse, which trained clinical nursing educators to foster reflective practice among students. These sessions expanded our support for new disciplines and advanced professional learning for instructors and educators.
Another point of pride was the growing EL Community of Practice, where faculty across UM come together to share, learn and co-develop experiential approaches. A former participant now helps lead this initiative—demonstrating the capacity-building impact of this community.
Olive Beatrice Stanton Award for Excellence in Teaching
Dr. Sarah Cooper, Department of City Planning, Faculty of Architecture, was the 2024 recipient of this award, which recognizes an outstanding UM educator who has demonstrated continuing teaching excellence and who has made contributions to advancing teaching and learning at UM.
Dr. Cooper joined UM in 2018 and is a leader in her faculty. Her city planning students give her glowing reviews, as she helps train them to be well-rounded, engaged, empathetic and inspired members of their communities and profession.
She is committed to community-based practice, and her teaching is deeply rooted in a respectful, place-based understanding of Indigenous cultures and methodologies. Cooper’s colleagues commend her for seizing every opportunity to be transformative, leading by example with her commitment to embedding social justice and Reconciliation into the culture of the faculty.
The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning continues its mission to support teaching and learning at the University of Manitoba. The 2024 annual report highlights the collective impact of our programs and services, and showcases key moments of growth and reflection through the work we do with faculty and students.
As a mature teaching and learning centre, we are committed to supporting faculty members, instructors, and graduate students in their teaching and learning journey. The Centre provides resources and supports through online resources, consultations, workshops, and more. We continue our journey of decolonizing our practices and lens, in an effort to create a more inclusive environment for everyone who engages with or comes across The Centre in their work.
Thank you for your interest and engagement with The Centre in 2024.
Dr. Erica Jung, Director, The Centre for the Advacement of Teaching and Learning
The Centre was a co-creator of the IDEA START Podcast, a new monthly conversation with leaders and entrepreneurs exploring all things creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Hosts Rajeev Koyal, the Program Manager for IDEA START, and Janine Carmichael, The Centre’s Faculty Specialist for Entrepreneurship, engaged with a range of experts to share insights and inspired stories. Season 1 highlights included strategies for protecting and advancing intellectual property and examples of how virtual reality is being used to reimagine faculty development.
The Centre is engaged in curriculum renewals across faculties and colleges. Centre staff offer custom support and guidance at each stage of these renewals, from early consultation, visioning, facilitating retreats, program evaluation and more.
12
12
This monthly professional development gathering brings together Centre colleagues to talk about decolonization, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. The collective is a safe place to ask questions, explore complex and uncomfortable topics with curiosity and compassion, and share actionable ideas.
Our 2024 focus was on cultural competence, the future of education, accessibility, ableism and disablement in higher education, the legacy of residential schools in post-secondary contexts, the Seven Sacred Teachings, and creating personal reconciliation action plans.
The Centre also played a critical role in supporting the 2024 Seed and Major Support Fund recipients throughout 2024. In particular, Xinli Wang, from the Department of Mathematics in the Faculty of Science received the SoTL Teaching Scholar award with the support of Dr. Brenda M. Stoesz, Research Lead – Science of Teaching and Learning, to explore the use of generative AI in supporting students’ learning of math proofs.
Read more about the 2024 Seed and Major Support Fund recipients
Learn more about Xinli Wang, SoTL Teaching Scholar recipient
The desire and need to implement accessible course design principles increases each year. Accessibility is many-layered, and knowing where to start as an instructor and in what direction to go can seem overwhelming.
At the 2024 Teaching Café, hosted by The Centre as part of the TLC program, four UM panelists presented basic concepts of accessibility and shared thoughtful approaches for examining teaching practices, student-teacher interactions and power structures.
Tina Chen, Vice-Provost (Equity); Carolyn Christie, Student Accessibility Services Director; Dr. Stephanie Hladik, Assistant Professor, Centre for Engineering Professional Practice and Engineering Education; and Johnathan Bevan, Educational Developer with The Centre, gave attendees helpful examples of how a combination of small, cumulative actions and strategic planning can bring about positive change.
Kamni Gill and Frits van Loon, Faculty of Architecture
Project title: Seeing shades of blue: Stimulating a hydrological imagination in undergraduate landscape architecture students through experiential learning Yuhao Lu and Frits van Loon, Faculty of Architecture
Project title: Landscape Pattern Cards (LaPAC): Develop a catalogue of spatial patterns and vocabulary for landscape architectural students Olesya Fedoryak, Faculty of Science Project title: Enhancing student engagement and learning in large general chemistry courses Madison Wright, Faculty of Science Project title: Culturing your pet bacteria together: Integrating collaboration into a first- year microbiology laboratory course project Xihui Liang, Price Faculty of Engineering Project title: Enhancing understanding of mechanics of materials through hands-on finite element analysis Jennifer Hedges, Faculty of Social Work Project title: Required readings: Moving beyond compliance to reading engagement for transformative learning in social work education
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Transcript
Annual Report
2024
The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
Message from The Centre
About us
Dr. Mark Torchia Vice-Provost | Learning, Analytics, and Academic Infrastructure
Dr. Erica Jung Director | The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
2024 highlights
The Centre continued to provide transformative educational experiences throughout the year.
Broadened UM community engagement
378
126
1,715
364
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 03
2024 highlights
Enhancing our foundational knowledge
The IDEA START Podcast
Curriculum renewals
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 04
Elevating teachingand learning across UM
We continued our work in 2024 to help instructors adapt their methods, materials and assessments to create an optimal learning experience for the university’s diverse student population. The Centre’s foundational and custom workshops fostered teaching excellence and encourage inclusive, equitable environments where students can thrive. To this end, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and accessibility continued to be priorities.
31
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 05
Elevating teachingand learning across UM
UDL: Fostering optimal learning experiences for all
Teaching Café – Introducing accessibility into the classroom
Knowledge that strengthens our practice
Integrated Accommodations Project
Graduate Teaching Program
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 06
Reconciliation and inclusivity: A foundation for teaching, learning and community building
Reconciliation is foundational to our work. Through faculty development, inclusive course design, onboarding of new staff, ongoing professional learning and performance reviews, we strive to create educational spaces that honour Indigenous perspectives and contribute to meaningful systemic change across the institution. We are committed to advancing Reconciliation by supporting the integration of Indigenous pedagogies and knowledges into teaching, learning and our everyday practices.
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 07
Reconciliation and inclusivity: A foundation for teaching, learning and community building
Reconciliation Action Plan and activities
In 2023, The Centre introduced its first Reconciliation Action Plan to detail our commitment to valuing relationships, listening to truth, sharing knowledge and creating shared understanding. In 2024 our new Reconciliation Committee began to meet monthly to ensure the actions outlined in the plan are infused into our work.
4 Seasons Reconciliation training
Respecting First Nations data sovereignty
Lunch-and-Learns
Sun Rope collective
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 08
TLC program: Celebrating 10 years of growth and impact
In 2014, the Teaching and Learning Certificate (TLC) program for new faculty was established, enrolling an initial cohort of participants supported by four mentors from The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) and two faculty mentors. Over the past decade, the program has experienced consistent growth, with more than faculty members having participated in the program and faculty members contributing as mentors.
17
200
62
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 09
Supporting experiential learning and entrepreneurship
In 2024, The Centre continued to support innovative experiential learning (EL) and entrepreneurship initiatives that engaged students, staff and faculty across the university. These initiatives emphasized critical reflection, creative problem-solving, interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world impact—cornerstones of experiential education.
Experiential learning highlights
Better Together 2.0: Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 10
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Building connections across disciplines
We build community through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) by creating spaces where educators collaboratively explore, reflect on and generate evidence that enhances learning.
In 2024, SoTL scholars across the university gathered to celebrate our local SoTL community through a luncheon hosted by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic and organized by The Centre. Following a vibrant keynote delivered by the University of Alberta’s Dr. Janice Miller-Young, this event transcended disciplinary boundaries to generate open dialogue and share responsibility for student learning.
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 11
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Building connections across disciplines
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Support Fund recipients
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Support Fund provides opportunities for professors, instructors, and librarians to undertake projects that increase knowledge in pedagogy and learning. In 2024, funding for six projects of $6,000 and one major project of $25,000 was awarded.
2024 Major Project recipient
Teaching awards
2024 Teaching Scholar recipients
2024 Seed Award recipients
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 12
Looking ahead: A commitment to innovation and inclusivity
Higher education is experiencing the impact of environmental, political and educational changes. As a teaching and learning centre, we are tasked with keeping pace with trends and world events and developing supports and resources that matter. We are excited to see the Integrated Accommodation Project incorporated into larger, first-year courses. It will allow for a more inclusive design of curriculum and less demand for formal accommodation.
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 13
Looking ahead: A commitment to innovation and inclusivity
GenAI is also a topic that can be heard in conversations across the university in classrooms and labs, office administrative work, and academic units. The Centre will be releasing a series on some of the many ways that genAI can transform how educators carry out the tasks of teaching in higher education. Also, The Centre has acquired virtual reality (VR) equipment that will be used to run two modules on active listening and clear communication. More topics are in development.
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT 14
We look forward to the continued work and connections with faculty across the university.
A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND IMPACT
Workshops that matter
The quality and relevance of The Centre’s offerings were validated by workshop attendees: of participants said that the sessions met or exceeded their expectations.
94%
Participating in this program, I felt it was one of the few spaces in academia where I could bring my whole self—as a community health educator, a feminist researcher and someone who works at the intersection of community and global justice. The conversations I had with my mentor weren’t just about technical strategies, but also the ethics and deeper meaning of teaching. That space helped me develop the confidence to embed feminist, Indigenous and community-minded methodologies into my work—and to teach with vulnerability, authenticity and care.
Reflections from the TLC community
A decade into its journey, the TLC program continues to leave a lasting impression on participants and mentors alike.
— Dr. Punam Mehta, TLC Participant
I’ve been involved with TLC since the beginning, and I believe in it more than ever. My experience with the program has been wonderful. The people I’ve mentored have also mentored me—even if they didn’t realize it. We all learn from each other, and that’s been really spectacular in my mind.
— Colleen Plumton, TLC Mentor
Centre staff gathered bi-monthly over the lunch hour to watch Indigenous films or APTN programming, an activity that helps to foster awareness, reflection and engagement and is a meaningful response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
This new project, launched in consultation with Student Accessibility Services (SAS), employed creative methods to make teaching more inclusive.The innovative approach includes:
With the successful completion of the project pilot, the goal is for implementation across all programs and campuses.
The Science of Teaching and Learning team began their training in the First Nations principles of ownership, control access and possession (OCAP®) offered through the First Nations Information Governance Centre. This training helps us to appropriately support faculties in SoTL and other researchers working with First Nations data.
The program's workshops and institutes emphasize foundational principles of teaching and learning, while classroom observations and mentor feedback offer individualized support to foster teaching development. Community-building initiatives, including a holiday luncheon and the annual Teaching Café, further enhance the sense of collegial support among early career faculty. Upon completion of the program, participants are equipped with a comprehensive teaching dossier suitable for promotion and tenure processes, as well as a lasting network of peers committed to effective and reflective teaching practices.
As part of our Reconciliation Action Plan, Centre staff engaged in activities and training to deepen their understanding of decolonization, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. These learnings guide and shape the support and resources we provide in our programming. Read more about the Reconciliation Action Plan.
Centre staff continued to expand their understanding of topics relating to equity, diversity and inclusion. Monthly Sun Rope professional development sessions, initiated in 2020, included a focus on accessibility and disability justice in 2024.As an example, staff participated in a walkability assessment of the Fort Garry campus to help them understand and evaluate the challenges faced by people with physical impairments. Through this and other activities, Centre staff continued to enhance their understanding of accessibility issues and the roots of disability-related oppression, building foundational knowledge that we can infuse into all our programs and practices. Read more about our 2024 Sun Rope activities.
A monthly series of Universal Design for Learning in Practice workshops were well attended by instructors keen to adapt their teaching to create meaningful genuine learning opportunities for everyone in their classrooms. The sessions included information on disability activism and theory to contextualize the learning. Attendees were eager to ask questions, apply their learnings with students and collaborate further with The Centre to incorporate UDL into their curriculum. The popular series is ongoing.
Dr. Jason Peeler, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Project title: Improving clinical skills training in the area of musculoskeletal medicine
New required training for all Centre staff is this course on Indigenous histories and the impacts of colonialism. Created by First Nations University in conjunction with community members, Knowledge Keepers and Elders, the online course is another step in efforts to decolonize our practices and reshape the work we do.
We are pleased to share this 2024 annual report with the UM Community. It was an extremely busy and productive year for the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.The Centre’s primary mission of supporting instructors and professors continued to be at the forefront of the entire team’s activities. The Centre has also continued to support curriculum renewal and development, universal design for instruction, entrepreneurship integration, experiential learning, higher education research, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. The University of Manitoba’s Strategic Plan, Momentum: Leading Change Together, continues to be the anchoring values for all of the Centre’s work. Thank you for your engagement and support during 2024.
Dr. Mark Torchia, Vice-Provost, Learning, Analytics, and Academic Infrastructure
Marnie Kramer, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Project title: Exploring threshold concept integration supported by flipped mastery learning to address troublesome knowledge in an evidence-informed practice course Wan Wang, Faculty of Arts Project title: Fear not this GenAI: Teaching proper use of ChatGPT to facilitate learning in a student-centred project
This program is designed for current UM graduate students who are new to teaching or new to teaching in Canada, and who are looking to develop a good foundation of teaching knowledge and practices. Strengthening graduate student teaching skills is one way The Centre is helping build an exceptional student experience at UM. In 2024, a redesigned GTP program introduced the benefits of micro-credentialling, where students earn a badge for each module they complete. This approach makes it easier for students to start and complete the program while respecting the demands of their graduate work. Forty-one students completed one or more of the seven modules in 2024, earning 184 badges.
The second annual Better Together learning event in November 2024 brought together nearly 50 participants from 11 faculties in a non-competitive design sprint to solve real challenges facing the university. Three UM mentors helped the student teams explore the concepts of design thinking and embrace a broader view of entrepreneurship – one that focuses on creative thinking to solve problems and make an impact. Working over two days, the teams created three-minute video pitches tackling campus challenges, such as how to help newcomers navigate the UM experience and how to build resilience within the UM community to reduce climate anxiety. Several participants from 2023’s inaugural event returned with new recruits in 2024 because they enjoyed the event’s non-competitive and refreshing learning approach.
The EL Institute returned with a refreshed focus on assessment in experiential learning, facilitated by Meaghan Ewharekuko and Gerardo Villagran Becerra. Participants explored assessment strategies beyond exams and reports, with several requesting a future offering due to the session’s relevance and value. We also hosted the Competencies Framework Workshop, where faculty developed learning activities rooted in backward design and competency alignment, and Keep Calm and Call the Nurse, which trained clinical nursing educators to foster reflective practice among students. These sessions expanded our support for new disciplines and advanced professional learning for instructors and educators. Another point of pride was the growing EL Community of Practice, where faculty across UM come together to share, learn and co-develop experiential approaches. A former participant now helps lead this initiative—demonstrating the capacity-building impact of this community.
Olive Beatrice Stanton Award for Excellence in Teaching Dr. Sarah Cooper, Department of City Planning, Faculty of Architecture, was the 2024 recipient of this award, which recognizes an outstanding UM educator who has demonstrated continuing teaching excellence and who has made contributions to advancing teaching and learning at UM. Dr. Cooper joined UM in 2018 and is a leader in her faculty. Her city planning students give her glowing reviews, as she helps train them to be well-rounded, engaged, empathetic and inspired members of their communities and profession. She is committed to community-based practice, and her teaching is deeply rooted in a respectful, place-based understanding of Indigenous cultures and methodologies. Cooper’s colleagues commend her for seizing every opportunity to be transformative, leading by example with her commitment to embedding social justice and Reconciliation into the culture of the faculty.
The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning continues its mission to support teaching and learning at the University of Manitoba. The 2024 annual report highlights the collective impact of our programs and services, and showcases key moments of growth and reflection through the work we do with faculty and students. As a mature teaching and learning centre, we are committed to supporting faculty members, instructors, and graduate students in their teaching and learning journey. The Centre provides resources and supports through online resources, consultations, workshops, and more. We continue our journey of decolonizing our practices and lens, in an effort to create a more inclusive environment for everyone who engages with or comes across The Centre in their work. Thank you for your interest and engagement with The Centre in 2024.
Dr. Erica Jung, Director, The Centre for the Advacement of Teaching and Learning
The Centre was a co-creator of the IDEA START Podcast, a new monthly conversation with leaders and entrepreneurs exploring all things creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. Hosts Rajeev Koyal, the Program Manager for IDEA START, and Janine Carmichael, The Centre’s Faculty Specialist for Entrepreneurship, engaged with a range of experts to share insights and inspired stories. Season 1 highlights included strategies for protecting and advancing intellectual property and examples of how virtual reality is being used to reimagine faculty development.
The Centre is engaged in curriculum renewals across faculties and colleges. Centre staff offer custom support and guidance at each stage of these renewals, from early consultation, visioning, facilitating retreats, program evaluation and more.
12
12
This monthly professional development gathering brings together Centre colleagues to talk about decolonization, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. The collective is a safe place to ask questions, explore complex and uncomfortable topics with curiosity and compassion, and share actionable ideas. Our 2024 focus was on cultural competence, the future of education, accessibility, ableism and disablement in higher education, the legacy of residential schools in post-secondary contexts, the Seven Sacred Teachings, and creating personal reconciliation action plans.
The Centre also played a critical role in supporting the 2024 Seed and Major Support Fund recipients throughout 2024. In particular, Xinli Wang, from the Department of Mathematics in the Faculty of Science received the SoTL Teaching Scholar award with the support of Dr. Brenda M. Stoesz, Research Lead – Science of Teaching and Learning, to explore the use of generative AI in supporting students’ learning of math proofs.
Read more about the 2024 Seed and Major Support Fund recipients
Learn more about Xinli Wang, SoTL Teaching Scholar recipient
The desire and need to implement accessible course design principles increases each year. Accessibility is many-layered, and knowing where to start as an instructor and in what direction to go can seem overwhelming. At the 2024 Teaching Café, hosted by The Centre as part of the TLC program, four UM panelists presented basic concepts of accessibility and shared thoughtful approaches for examining teaching practices, student-teacher interactions and power structures. Tina Chen, Vice-Provost (Equity); Carolyn Christie, Student Accessibility Services Director; Dr. Stephanie Hladik, Assistant Professor, Centre for Engineering Professional Practice and Engineering Education; and Johnathan Bevan, Educational Developer with The Centre, gave attendees helpful examples of how a combination of small, cumulative actions and strategic planning can bring about positive change.
Kamni Gill and Frits van Loon, Faculty of Architecture Project title: Seeing shades of blue: Stimulating a hydrological imagination in undergraduate landscape architecture students through experiential learning Yuhao Lu and Frits van Loon, Faculty of Architecture Project title: Landscape Pattern Cards (LaPAC): Develop a catalogue of spatial patterns and vocabulary for landscape architectural students Olesya Fedoryak, Faculty of Science Project title: Enhancing student engagement and learning in large general chemistry courses Madison Wright, Faculty of Science Project title: Culturing your pet bacteria together: Integrating collaboration into a first- year microbiology laboratory course project Xihui Liang, Price Faculty of Engineering Project title: Enhancing understanding of mechanics of materials through hands-on finite element analysis Jennifer Hedges, Faculty of Social Work Project title: Required readings: Moving beyond compliance to reading engagement for transformative learning in social work education