The Teaching and Learning Networks program grew out of the Communities of Practice (CoP) program that the Centre for Leadership in Learning initiated in 2009.
Informed by What If Grassroots Don’t Take Root?: Reflections on Cultivating Communities of Practice by Oliver & Watson (2017), the Teaching and Learning Networks program provides support and structure to educators who are looking to develop their knowledge and skills in a particular area.
How does it work?
- TLNs meet up to 4 times in an academic year
- Meetings take place in an informal setting
- Instructor Co-Chairs set annual goals to drive collaborative professional development
- MacPherson staff member attends meetings to support progress towards annual goals
What networks are there?
Accessibility and Equity
This TLN will work together to gather and share success stories, challenges and sources of support related to accessibility and equity topics such as: AODA, MSAFs, and equity in group work and class participation. Participants in this TLN will collaborate on the development of a list of tangible steps that instructors (faculty, staff and IAs) can implement to make their courses more accessible and equitable, as well as sharing discussions back to their departments and/or groups for further feedback.
Experiential Learning
This TLN offers a series of workshops to help educators develop knowledge and skills related to developing, implementing and assessing an experiential learning initiative. The following sessions are available for the 2019/2020 academic year:
- October 24 Integrating Experiential Education into your Course
- November 14 Reflection Development and Assessment
- January 23 Partnership Brokering and Tools
- Date TBD Collaborative Solutions Workshop
Participants in this TLN session must register in advance for sessions.
Register now
Incorporating Technology into your Teaching
This TLN will provide educators with pedagogical, administrative, and practical education and information about educational technologies such as: Microsoft 365, One-Button Studio, Kaltura, Lightboard, Pressbooks, AR/VR, Crowdmark, Echo365 and more. Sessions will offer participants the opportunity to learn from a speaker with direct experience with the technology.
Level 1 Educators
This TLN will collaborate on the development of teaching resources to assist Level 1 educators in engaging students as active partners in teaching and learning practices. Participants will strive to develop solutions to the challenges related to Level 1 teaching such as: MSAFs, reductions and limitations in resources, enrollment increases, safety, lecture management issues, and more. Sessions will offer participants the opportunity to learn from guest speakers about innovative programming approaches from Ontario and around the world.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Scholars
This TLN will provide opportunities for SoTL Scholars to share knowledge and experiences within an informal space. The goal of this network is to build SoTL capacity, exchange ideas, create a repository of resources, and to develop meaningful partnerships amongst educators.
Student Engagement
This TLN will create connections with other Teaching and Learning Networks to encourage collaboration. Sessions will include workshop events to promote hands-on experience with student engagement strategies and will offer participants the opportunity to learn from guest speakers about various student engagement topics.