Progressing Your Program’s AI Strategy
We have been in a reactive phase of responding to AI where our focus has been on which uses of AI to permit in assessments. Now, two other areas need attention so we can shift into being proactive.
USask Community Plays Major Role in Creation of OER
As USask celebrates ten years since the first adoption of an open textbook in a large class, instructors and students continue to create OER for use at USask and beyond.
Embracing Authentic Assessment in Higher Education
Authentic assessment in higher ed reveals critical challenges: power dynamics, cognitive overload, mentor training gaps, and ethical risks. Thoughtful design can balance these issues, enriching real-world learning and career readiness.
Determining Levels of Acceptable GenAI Use
Use a framework to decide what level of GenAI use to permit in your course.
How to talk with students about suspected academic misconduct
Discover ways to approach conversations with individuals or the whole class when academic misconduct is suspected.
Reconciliation and Education
Using Indigenous knowledge to examine personal disposition can begin the conversation around Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation.
Canvas New Analytics
Learn how to use Canvas New Analytics to see how students are doing in your course
The 10-year anniversary of OER at USask brings celebrations and opportunities!
The 2024-25 academic year marks an important milestone for USask.
Student Volunteer Experience to Credit-Earning Experiential Learning Course
Transform volunteer work into academic credit! Discover how USask is turning student experiences into valuable, credit-earning opportunities through innovative experiential learning course.
Ask, Find Out, Act: The Benefits of Inquiry-based Learning
Inquiry-based learning sparks curiosity by encouraging students to ask questions, explore answers, and actively engage with content, leading to deeper understanding and meaningful learning experiences. Read this excerpt of a blogpost by Dr. Lee Beavington at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), reposted with permission.
Inclusive Teaching Strategies: Reflecting on Your Practice
Instructional strategy
What is Formative Assessment?
Difficult Dialogues in the Classroom
It is important that instructors offer students opportunities to have difficult dialogues within the classroom and for instructors to guide them through in constructive ways.
High quality, respectful classroom dialogue
High-quality, respectful classroom dialogue can enhance student learning and understanding. How can you create an open, healthy, and inclusive learning environment?
Improve your SLEQ response rates
Learn tips and support available to improve student responses to SLEQ
Identifying Plagiarism
Learn about some common indicators of plagiarism while also noting other possible explanations.
To be what the world needs, we need to bring the world into the classroom
Bring global perspectives into your classroom! Learn how integrating diverse viewpoints can enrich learning and prepare students for a connected world.
Constructive Alignment
Applying the principles of constructive alignment helps you design your course and learning experiences purposefully.
Exploring the Campus as a Living Lab: A Pathway to Innovation and Engagement
Experience USask’s innovative “Campus as a Living Lab” project, where campus becomes a dynamic space for sustainability education and hands-on learning. Join us in shaping a sustainable future!
SLEQ
Student Learning Experience Questionnaire
Bringing Theory to Life Through International Experiential Learning
Discover how international experiential learning bridges theory and practice, offering students immersive experiences that enrich their education and global understanding. Dive into real-world learning!
Elevating mentorship in higher education: The key to effective preceptor development
Discover the transformative impact of mentorship in higher education. Learn how effective preceptor development is key to nurturing future leaders and fostering academic excellence.
The Life-Giving Role of Field Work in Biology Courses
Explore how hands-on fieldwork in biology courses breathes life into learning, fostering deeper understanding and engagement with the natural world. Discover the transformative power of outdoor education!
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Classroom
Discover GMCTL’s EDI Flower, a resource to help you cultivate a learning environment where all students thrive. Explore essential competencies from positionality to assessment, designed to enhance your teaching and foster equity, diversity, and inclusion in your classroom.
Expectations for Teaching Assistants
The job of a Teaching Assistant (TA) is both demanding and rewarding.
Gamifying Learning Experiences
Discover how gamification can transform your teaching! Learn strategies to engage students and enhance learning through game-like experiences.
Embedding Research, Artistic, and Scholarly Skills: A Step-by-Step Guide for Classroom Success
Elevate classroom success with this guide on embedding research, artistic, and scholarly skills. Gain practical steps to enhance student learning and engagement.
Adding Experiential Learning to an Introductory Course
Boost engagement and learning by integrating experiential activities into introductory courses. Learn how practical experiences enhance academic understanding.
Reflective Journaling: How instructor feedback helps students improve
Enhance student growth with instructor feedback in reflective journaling. Learn how targeted comments can improve student writing and critical thinking skills.
Inbox Assignment
Transform your teaching with Inbox Assignments! Engage students and boost learning outcomes through real-world email scenarios. Explore this innovative approach now.
Canvas New Quizzes: Frequently Asked Questions
If you are creating a quiz in Canvas, we recommend you use the New Quizzes engine instead of Classic Quizzes. Got questions? Take a look through this FAQ.
Differences between Canvas Classic and New Quizzes
This article offers a summary of the differences between New Quizzes (now available in Canvas) and Classic Quizzes.
8 Reasons to Be Excited About Canvas New Quizzes
Canvas has a new quiz engine. Here are 8 reasons why you might be excited about making the move to New Quizzes!
Relationship: Supporting Indigenous Student Success
Higher education has a responsibility to address the lived reality for Indigenous learners. Educators can look to build authentic relationships with learners and manage learning outcomes.
Indigenization and Assessment - Rethinking Traditional Practice
Examining assessment practices to determine the impact on Indigenous student success will provide opportunity for an enhancement of practice and improved outcomes.
Syllabus Generator Offers Ease and Support When Creating Your Syllabi
To assist you in writing or revising your syllabus, the USask Syllabus Generator Tool can be accessed directly through Canvas. This tool includes all required sections, the recommended sections and sample language.
Comparing two online quizzes: Formative Assessment
This post aims to compare the design of two online quizzes to determine how each design impacts student learning.
Assessing student participation and attendance
Learn what the research says about grading attendance and get tips for how to grade participation in your class.
An Outcomes-Based Practice Continuum
This article will discuss a continuum of outcomes-based practices including referencing outcomes, assessing outcomes, and reporting student achievement on outcomes.
Defining Authentic Assessment
Authentic assessment emphasizes real-world application of skills and knowledge. Learn how it enhances student engagement and aligns with meaningful learning outcomes.
Increasing Voice and Choice in the Classroom
Boost engagement in your classroom! Discover strategies to amplify student voice and choice, making learning more personalized and empowering for all.
Assessing Outcomes versus Grading Assignments
Shift your focus from grading tasks to assessing outcomes. Learn how this approach fosters deeper learning and provides a more meaningful evaluation of student progress.
Experiential Learning - Top 5 Resources
If you’re wondering how to enhance your experiential learning practices and make meaningful connections with learners’ knowledge and experiences, here are five valuable resources to support experiential learning. Discover rubrics, learning modules, reflection models, and prompting questions.
How do you know when you need Experiential Learning?
Identify when your teaching can benefit from experiential learning to boost student engagement with practical, real-world applications.
Give Efficient Feedback
Learn the most important things to give feedback about in your classes, and how to make feedback highly efficient.
Keep it active with classroom polling
Learning technologies like Poll Everywhere can help keep your class active and engaging.
Creating Efficiencies: Grading Discussions in Canvas
Strategies to assist you and your students to have a better experience using Canvas Discussions for learning.
Grading Reflection
Reflect on grading practices to enhance student learning and equity. Discover how thoughtful assessment can drive better educational outcomes. How can you determine if someone’s reflection is good enough, and how can you signal that to students so they reflect well and understand the feedback and grades they receive?
You May Have Too Much Content, But What Should You Take Out?
The key is thinking about the essential ideas of the course and what skills and knowledge students require to really learn them.
Administering Written Exams via Canvas
Canvas can be used for replicating a “take-home” style of exam in a digital setting. Learn when to use this approach, and how to set it up for a smooth launch at exam time.
Collaboration technical tools
Tips for how to have students work together using technology.
USask spaces that flex with the type of learning
Flexible classrooms have three key characteristics and are effectively across all parts of the learning process including receiving information, practicing, and getting feedback.
Using Your Syllabus to Set the Tone for Class
Class syllabi are often the first look that students get of a class. Instructors can use it to map out the course, provide valuable information, and set the tone for the rest of the term.
Easy ways to make your course more accessible
Make simple changes that make it easier for all students, not just your most advantaged students, to have an equitable opportunity to succeed in your course.
Using Oral Assessments to Collect Evidence of Learning
Boost learning engagement with oral assessments! Discover how this dynamic approach can provide richer evidence of student understanding and mastery.
Managing and Facilitating Discussions in Canvas
Once you’ve settled on the why and how of discussions in your course and have set up the initial discussion and guidelines for posting, let students know your plan for how you will be moderating the posts.
Utilizing Peer Feedback in Canvas
Encouraging students to do peer-reviews on Canvas for higher quality work.
Using Authentic Assessment to Integrate Current Events Into Courses
Using authentic assessments to look at current events through the lens of your discipline can increase student engagement and reduce issues around academic integrity. Such assessments provide students opportunities to apply what they've learned in a context similar to how they'll use that knowledge beyond their university years.
How to Make an Effective Rubric
Resources to help you create and develop a useful rubric.
Online Sharing Circle
This article was shared by Dr. Rose Roberts during the pandemic and our need for remote instruction and remote workplaces to share how we might create community by modelling the Indigenous practice of a Sharing Circle. The purpose, process, roles and responsibilities can be easily transferred to our current classrooms and workplaces today as a way to create and build online community.
Sequencing an Outcome
Align your course with clear goals! Learn how to sequence learning outcomes effectively to enhance student success and engagement.
Leveraging Peer Feedback in an Online Environment
This article explores how peer feedback enhances learning and provides learners with an opportunity to share their work and hear from peers the strengths and areas for improvement.
Land Acknowledgements: A reflection 5-years after the TRC Report
In April 2020, Stryker Calvez and Rose Roberts reflected on the practice of land acknowledgements and the intention behind it.
Student Voice and Choice: Co-Creating Choice Boards
Co-creating a list of potential assessments with students is a great opportunity to increase student voice and choice. Students who choose assessments that are personally relevant are more likely to be motivated, engaged, and take ownership of their learning.
Defining Competencies and Outcomes
Improve your course clarity with competencies and outcomes. Learn how to break down complex skills into measurable parts for better student understanding and success.
From Modelling to Designing Intercultural Curricula
Intercultural curricula can enrich learning. Discover practical steps and strategies to effectively design inclusive and diverse educational programs.
Building Broad Minds: Active learning strategies for large classrooms
This article explores the benefits of active learning through encountering diverse ideas, thinking deeply about them, and integrating those ideas into our own worldviews and cognitive frameworks.
Getting More Active (and getting more learning)
Easy changes to make your course more active
It’s All About Your Outcomes
Clear, actionable outcomes are the backbone of effective teaching. Ensure your objectives drive student success and align with your educational goals.
Indigenizing Academia
by Stryker Calvez
Course Learning Outcomes or Course Learning Objectives?
Clarify the difference between course learning outcomes and objectives. Understand their impact on student engagement and success. Find out how to enhance your course design!