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Are you a graduate student wanting to learn the foundations of teaching and learning in Canada? The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning's Graduate Teaching Program (GTP) allows you to do just that! The program is online and primarily asynchronous so that you can learn about teaching at your own pace.

Who is the Graduate Teaching Program for?

This program is designed for current UM graduate students who are new to teaching or new to teaching in Canada, and who are looking to develop a good foundation of teaching knowledge and practices.

Key features of the program:

  • Fully online (primarily asynchronous with a few synchronous sessions in a few elective modules to consolidate your learning)
  • Flexible for you as you balance all your commitments
  • No fee associated with the program
  • Completion can be done in less than a year
  • Wide range of foundational teaching and learning topics
  • Practical, relevant, and current pedagogically-sound teaching ideas
  • Digital badges are awarded for completing each module
  • Capstone project where you can identify the learning that is most important to you and your goals
  • Certificate option

Registration

Registration for the program is currently closed. Please reach out to graduateteachingprogram@umanitoba.ca if you require more information regarding the program.

Please note that access to the GTP Foundations course material in UM Learn is fully granted upon completion of a pre-program survey.

How it works

The program consists of short modules in key topics with each module online in UM Learn and primarily asynchronous so that you can learn at your own pace.

Take as many modules as you like, and receive a digital badge for each that can be displayed on social media accounts and in your teaching portfolio. 

Certificate Option

For those interested in receiving the certificate for the GTP Foundations program,  the following three requirements must be met:

  1. Complete the four required foundational modules
    • Foundational Teaching Practices
    • Foundational Assessment Practices
    • Teaching Indigenous Students and Content in a Good Way: Foundations
    • Foundational Course Planning
  2. Complete one of the elective modules
    • Developing Your Teaching Identity
    • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Foundations
    • Fundamentals of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
    • Well-Being in Teaching and Learning
  3. Complete the Capstone Project
    • Once the first two requirements are completed, access to the Capstone project is granted.

Foundational modules

Foundational modules can be completed in the order of participants' choosing.

  • Foundational Teaching Practices

    This module is designed to prepare aspiring educators with the essential skills and knowledge necessary for successful teaching in higher education. Key topics include:

    • The multifaceted roles and responsibilities of educators,
    • Essentials of lesson planning, and
    • Creating vibrant, inclusive, and impactful learning environments.

     

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  • Foundational Assessment Practices

    This module is crafted to empower educators with the fundamental skills and insights for implementing impactful assessment strategies in higher education settings. This includes exploring topics such as:

    • Making meaningful connections with our students,
    • Rationales behind various assessment practices,
    • Diverse assessment methodologies, and
    • Principles for constructive feedback needed for learning and growth.

     

  • GTP Foundational Assessment Practices Badge 2
  • Foundational Course Planning

    This module is designed to equip educators with foundational knowledge essential for creating comprehensive, engaging, and effective courses.

    The "Foundational course planning"  module explores the narratives of learners, emphasizing the significance of constructive alignment in building impactful and enriching learning experiences.


     

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  • Teaching Indigenous Students and Content in a Good Way: Foundations

    Education is seen by many Indigenous communities as essential to decolonizing efforts across Turtle Island; as noted by Justice Murray Sinclair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, “education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it”.

    This module will teach you the appropriate terminology to use when talking with Indigenous people or discussing Indigenous content in a Turtle Island context. Learners will take the time to listen to and read about the experiences of Indigenous students in post-secondary institutions and will engage with Indigenous programming on campus.

    Finally, learners will learn about the Four or Five R’s of Indigenous education, a foundational Indigenous pedagogical framework, and consider how to apply these Four or Five R’s to both relationships with students and Indigenous content.


     

  • GTP Teaching Indigenous Students and Content Badge - Drupal

Elective modules

Participants must complete one of the following modules to receive the certificate but can take all the modules if they wish.

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  • Developing Your Teaching Identity

    This module presents the components of the teaching dossier, focusing on the basics of writing a teaching philosophy statement.

    For graduate students, the prospect of finding a teaching position after their studies are complete can be both daunting and exciting. For those wishing to teach at a Canadian university, a teaching dossier documenting personal development and achievements as an educator is an essential document.


     

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  • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Foundations

    This module on incorporating equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in postsecondary teaching and learning provides strategies and techniques to promote inclusive learning environments. It covers a range of topics, including:

    • Understanding diverse student identities,
    • Creating inclusive curriculum,
    • Fostering equitable assessment practices, and
    • Promoting inclusive pedagogical approaches.

    By addressing these issues, the EDI module will empower you to create a more equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students.


     

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  • Fundamentals of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

    This module aims to help you learn about scholarly, evidence-based approaches to teaching and student learning in postsecondary education.  Explore various SoTL topics, such as:

    • Conceptual frameworks,
    • Methodologies, and
    • Practical teaching applications of research findings.

    After completing this course, you will be able to conceptualize an ethically reasoned SoTL inquiry by aligning an educational problem to a research question and other research project components and reflect on and critically evaluate an SoTL inquiry for its impact.  

    The “Fundamentals of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning” module will provide an opportunity for participants to study diverse educational contexts and gain hands-on practice analyzing existing SoTL projects.


     

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  • Well-Being in Teaching and Learning

    Teaching in higher education is a very rewarding profession, but it can also be very demanding.

    • How do we find harmony between our professional and personal lives? How do we prioritize our own well-being?
    • How do we support our students’ well-being?

    The “Well-Being in Teaching and Learning” module uses the PERMA model of well-being (Seligman, 2011) to answer these questions. Pedagogies of kindness, care, compassion, and healing are also highlighted to give you some tools to help you embed well-being in your courses.

    When you have completed this module, you will have the information you need to support your own and your students' well-being and to help you thrive in academia.


     

Foundations Capstone Project

  • The capstone project module is the culmination of your GTP Program journey, aiming to consolidate your knowledge, skills, and practical experiences. Throughout this module, you'll show your skills in planning and assessing constructive teaching methods, exemplifying your readiness to embody inclusive teaching practices.

    This task will ask you to apply your teaching skills in a real-world setting, showcasing your growth as an educator and dedication to fostering decolonization, Indigenization, inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in education.

    Upon completion, you will receive the GTP Foundations certificate and will be better prepared to begin your teaching career equipped with compassion and commitment to help your students have amazing learning journeys.

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Contact us

The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
65 Dafoe Road, Winnipeg, MB
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

204-474-8708
204-474-7514