This article describes the landscape of teaching assistantships (TAships) in the Mathematics Department of a large, public, research institution. First, we present visualized data describing the terrain for all mathematics graduate students. Second, we focus on three specific journeys in that terrain. We employ an autoethnographical research…

The teaching assistant program at the University of Windsor facilitates opportunities for students to develop leadership capacity, creativity, and pedagogical knowledge. This study explored the skills that student workshop facilitators were developing and/or enhancing, and how these skills might be used outside of teaching-related duties. Data…

This short paper outlines the design and development of a multi-phase, cross-institution Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) program that was conceived by educational developers from five higher educational institutions in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The initiative is grounded in the belief that implementing the ISW program in the Halifax Regional…

Community service learning (CSL) activities in undergraduate programs are associated with improvements in self-efficacy (confidence related to performing a specific task) and academic achievement. This study aimed to understand the impact of a CSL assignment on self-efficacy related to teaching community members about evidence-based nutrition and…

Organic chemistry has its own representational language and as with any language, any barrier with the language makes understanding the message difficult. In this article, we describe the design of an open education resource that empowers students to master this language. We also describe the structure and findings of a pilot study designed to…

Student Services support, including learning skills assistance, can be integral in empowering learners. First-year students are expected to be self-directed in their learning, yet may have neither been challenged nor experienced negative consequences for a lack of perseverance. Academic skills professionals can be partners with teaching faculty in…

During the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Conference 2014, a workshop was held three consecutive times as part of the Pedagogical Speed Dating sessions to introduce experienced college/university faculty and instructional designers to an approach to instructional design that is based on increasing motivation. The purpose of…

In this paper, we use a day-long professional development workshop for higher education faculty conducted in an outdoor setting as the starting point for an examination of the value of such activities. We explore the potential benefits, in terms of learning and holistic well-being, of educational activities designed to provide participants with…

Students often express surprise at their grades on papers. This gap between expectation and achievement may stem in part from lack of facility with revision strategies. How, then, can teachers work with their students to foster more effective revisions? This question in teaching and learning has inspired an interdisciplinary collaboration: one of…

Developed at the University of British Columbia (UBC), UBC Mix creates interdisciplinary learning experiences for students by developing partnerships between existing courses, and between existing courses and other learning opportunities. UBC Mix connects faculty members interested in making their courses more interdisciplinary, and facilitates…

In this article we share the impact of a training program (Positive Space I and Positive Space II) on pre-service teachers' understandings of and abilities to create safe spaces for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgendered and Queering/Questioning (LGBTQ) youth and allies in our teacher-education program and in schools. Research has demonstrated…

In Canadian higher education, students from across the world interact within tight-knit communities, sharing ideas and developing a wealth of soft and disciplinary skills. With many universities playing host to dozens if not hundreds of student groups, the word "leadership" is uttered by students and faculty in hallways, gymnasiums,…

Critical reflection is a highly valued and widely applied learning approach in higher education. There are many benefits associated with engaging in critical reflection, and it is often integrated into the design of graduate level courses on university teaching as a life-long learning strategy to help ensure that learners build their capacity as…

In recognition that student academic misconduct is a complex issue that requires a holistic and institutional approach, this case study explores the impact of an intervention strategy adopted by the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences (comprised of approximately 80 faculty and an average of 3,240 undergraduate students) at Brock University, St.…

The Montana Indian Education for All (IEFA) Act is an unprecedented reform effort 40 years in the making. In this paper we summarize the IEFA professional development opportunities provided to faculty at a land grant university in the western United States while highlighting a faculty member's personal efforts to integrate IEFA in a culturally…