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Teaching Tips of the Week: Reducing the Workload

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Posted on December 2, 2020

The Virtual Learning Task Force has published its report and compiled a list of Teaching Recommendations for winter term 2021. As you prepare your course for winter term, you may consider making some of these changes to help address common challenges identified by students and instructors.  

Over the coming weeks we will share a few “Teaching Tips of the Week” as a helpful reminder of the teaching recommendations and to direct you to additional resources and supports.  

Teaching Tips of the Week #1: Reducing the workload

To reduce the load for yourself and your students, consider these ideas: 

  • Be flexible with due dates and late submission policies 
  • End lectures and tutorials on time or earlier 
  • Consider scaling back course content to focus only on learning outcomes 
  • Build in a “Catch-up” or “Buffer” week during the term  
  • Record/host shorter lectures 
  • Reduce the number of assessments assigned 
  • Ensure time commitments for course tasks are equal to or less than normally expected 
  • Consider using open educational resources instead of creating new content 

Looking for additional resources? Join the MacPherson Institute for: 

  • Drop-in session: “Lightening the Load: Finding & Using Openly-Licensed Content in your Course” 
    Date: Wed., Dec. 9 
    Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm
    More information + Register
  • Drop-in session: “Course Clinic: Reassess, Reduce, Reimagine – Considerations for Re-Loading your Course Content” 
    Date: Thurs., Dec 10 
    Time: 10:30am – 11:30am
    More information + Register
Teaching Tips, Updates

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