The following three workshops (or learning opportunities) are ongoing and self-directed: you can begin any of them at any time and proceed at your own pace. To enroll, go to your homepage in LEARN and click "Self-Registration" on the top navigation bar. Then, search for one of the three titles below and select it.
Independent Blended Course Design
In this LEARN short course, participants will be guided through the development of a blended course using a learner-centered backwards design approach. Participants will complete a series of online modules designed to help instructors prepare a blended course. The course emphasizes integrating modalities, managing workload, and ensuring there is a clearly laid out pathway for students through the course. A workbook is provided to help capture work and provide direction as participants move through the design and development process.
Supporting Student Mental Health
Situations related to student mental health may arise in academic courses, and in many cases, instructors may be the first to notice. The Supporting Student Mental Health module for instructors is a self-paced, independent experience that will explore how to proactively support student mental health in your class and how to respond to mental health problems that come to your attention. We will consider implications for both in-person and online classes.
By the end of the module, you will develop a toolkit that includes:
- strategies for supporting students in your role as an instructor;
- relevant support networks and resources within the University; and,
- a self-care action plan to take care of your own mental health.
Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Methods
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Methods course provides a self-paced, independent approach to learning about the most commonly used research methods in SoTL. The course is available by clicking on “Self-Registration” on the top navigation bar of your LEARN homepage and selecting “SoTL Methods” from the list of available courses.
The course comprises five units:
- Unit 1 – Introduction to SoTL
- Unit 2 – Finding the appropriate research method for your SoTL project
- Unit 3 – Methodological approaches to conducting teaching and learning research
- Unit 4 – Software options
- Unit 5 – Conclusions
Each unit shares information, literature, resources, and examples of how you might consider conducting this research. Access as much or as little as you need, and check in with the course authors as you progress through the material to follow-up and plan your next steps with your SoTL project.