When a student enrolls at the U of A, they come to us as a whole person with diverse physical, social, ethical and emotional needs. They bring their values, goals, lived experiences, social locations and access needs. They are a diverse group, hailing from every corner of the world, but they also come to us with shared aspirations for their learning experience. They choose the University of Alberta to build their knowledge, explore new ideas, expand their professional opportunities, prepare for their futures, build relationships and realize their personal goals.
As a leader and educator in the U of A’s teaching and learning communities, I believe our shared responsibility is to provide exceptional student learning experiences. Every student who chooses the University of Alberta is on a journey, and they have chosen us to guide them on this path.
The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) supports students’ learning and institutional commitments by connecting excellent teaching and people. We seek to empower and inspire scholarly approaches to teaching and learning. At the heart of CTL's mission lies the belief that effective teaching practices positively impact the lives and learning experiences of the more than 40,000 undergraduate and 8,500 graduate students who choose the U of A as the next step toward their personal and professional goals. We pursue this mission to meet our commitment to preparing students to be “creative, collaborative and confident global citizens who are inspired to make their mark on the world” (Shape: A Strategic Plan of Impact, 2023-33).
Each spring, the CTL hosts its flagship event, the Festival of Teaching and Learning (FoTL). FoTL aims to help drive a culture of teaching at the U of A by bringing together people with the opportunity to develop their teaching praxis and engage in conversations about inventive and innovative teaching techniques across our campuses.
FoTL 2024, which will be held on May 7-9, will be familiar to our campus communities in many ways. We will celebrate teaching and learning, share stories, explore ideas and embody diverse pedagogies, perspectives and intersections within post-secondary education.
The festival also departs from previous experiences to meet the evolving needs of our university campus communities. It will offer in-person, online and hybrid discussions and multimodal opportunities to share, engage and connect. The FoTL 2024 will take a multifaceted approach to celebrating and exploring teaching and learning. For the first time in the festival’s history, President Flanagan will officially launch the event, and Deputy Provost Kathryn Todd will announce the Awards for Teaching Excellence winners.
Recognizing that teaching and learning occur in multiple spaces, places and dimensions in our work at the U of A, FoTL 2024 showcases sixty presenters from every corner of the university, bringing diverse disciplinary backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Over the 26 sessions, presenters will address topics ranging from Generative AI and how to ask powerful open questions to inclusive approaches to experiential learning and teaching and learning with ADHD.
Attendees can also expect to see new session formats. Spark TALKS (Teaching and Learning Knowledge Sharing) and workshops will focus on helping participants implement new ideas and skills into their teaching. These additions offer presenters and attendees different ways of engaging with FoTL while complementing the interactive papers, panel discussions and “choose your own adventure” sessions for which the festival is known.
Exploring the theme of Transforming Teaching and Learning Through Intersectional Equity and Connection, FoTL 2024 acknowledges and embodies the tapestry of approaches to teaching and learning at the U of A while confronting the complexities of postsecondary education. It acknowledges our commitments to Truth and Reconciliation and the diverse identities and experiences that students and educators bring to the learning environment. It emphasizes the imperative to address systemic barriers and uphold the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.
To set the stage for these conversations, CTL welcomes Joanne Weber, the first Canadian research chair in Deaf Education, as the opening keynote speaker. Drawing from personal experience as a deaf scholar and her research on applying aesthetic pragmatism to pedagogy and curriculum, Joanne will explore how we can design teaching and learning experiences that support accessibility as a shared space rather than meeting individual needs.
The festival will close with Lindsay Brant, associate director of Indigenous Curriculum Development and adjunct assistant professor at Queens University. Lindsay (Kawennenhá:wi) will share stories about how she developed her critical pedagogical framework, Pedagogy of Peace, and how the framework became central to her teaching and learning praxis. In addition, she will share the ways this framework is used by her and other peaceful pedagogues to transform the educational landscape through love, care, connection, peace and relationality. As part of her talk, Lindsay will invite participants to imagine decolonial futures — the possibilities and hope that Indigenous ontologies, pedagogies and methodologies can transform places and spaces of learning and educational leadership.
FoTL 2024 is a place for all those who support students’ learning experiences and the university’s teaching mission. Together, we will engage in conversations focused on practical classroom approaches grounded in evidence-based practices. I invite you to be inspired and immerse yourself in these conversations, empowering you to reflect on and grow in your teaching practice.
Register and join the conversation at FoTL 2024, May 7-9.
