Welcome

The Centre for Teaching Excellence collaborates with individuals, academic departments, and academic support units to foster capacity and community around teaching and to promote an institutional culture that values effective teaching and meaningful learning.

“Staff members of CTE are very highly respected among educational developers in Canada, as well as around the world. Their work is scholarly, grounded in current research on teaching and learning, innovative and carefully designed. CTE is one of the teaching centres we look to as an outstanding centre that models excellence in educational development.” — Feedback received via a "reputation survey" that CTE conducted as part of its 2017 External Review.

News

Nov. 22, 20182019 Teaching and Learning Conference Call for Proposals Now Open!
The Call for Proposals for the 2019 University of Waterloo Teaching and Learning Conference is now open!

Our 2019 conference theme is “Teaching and Designing for Diverse Learners”. We invite you to submit proposals for presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and poster presentations that share your practices and research related to inclusive education.

The deadline for proposals is January 23, 2019.
Nov. 16, 2018CTE Director chosen as President Elect of the POD Network in Higher Education
The Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education has just announced that Donna Ellis, Director of Waterloo’s Centre for Teaching Excellence, has been selected as POD’s next President Elect. Donna’s three-year term, which will begin in March 2019, is a capstone to her long history of involvement with POD: since 1996, she has participated in 21 POD Annual Conferences, twice served on its Board of Directors, co-chaired its Annual Conference, served as a facilitator for POD-sponsored workshops for new educational developers, chaired the Finance Committee, and led awards committees for many years. Regarding this new role, Donna comments that she is “extremely excited about having this opportunity to serve a professional association that has been so influential and important to me for more than two decades.” CTE staff members are extremely proud that their Director has achieved this important role.

The POD Network has been advancing the research and practice of educational development in higher education since 1976. It is the largest and oldest educational development organization in the world. Its nearly 1400 members come from the United States, Canada, and 23 other countries. Donna is the second Canadian to serve at this level with the POD Network.
Oct. 23, 2018CTE releases new Accessibility in Teaching resource
According to the June 2018 Canadian University Survey Consortium survey of graduating students, 22% of graduating students in Canada self-identify as having a disability. It is interesting to note that, among those with a disability, 36% require accommodation.

The Centre for Teaching Excellence is pleased to share its new resource: Accessibility in Teaching. Aligning with the University of Waterloo’s commitment to barrier-free accessibility for persons with disabilities, this webpage provides practical resources for designing and implementing accessible instruction. Accessible instructional practices aim to address the diverse needs of learners.