August Newsletter

Top Stories This Month

Support for the Fall Term

If you're getting ready to teach a course this fall, remember that we have a variety of support available to help, including: 

• Classroom orientations: Familiarize yourself with the classroom you will be teaching in by booking an orientation. You can also use the room search tool on our website to find information on the technology available and a 360-degree image of the space.
• Classroom support: Our Learning Spaces team provides urgent, just-in-time support for classroom technologies in the general pool. If your class is in session and you require immediate assistance, call extension 3815 from the classroom phone, or 613-520-3815 from your mobile phone.
• One-on-one consultations: If you want to discuss any facet of your course, please complete our course consultation request form. We can provide pedagogical and educational technology support, from helping you develop a course communication plan to providing guidance on selecting and using educational technology tools.
• Just-in-time phone support: If you need to talk to someone quickly, we also offer telephone support (613-520-2344) during business hours (Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m.).  

Assessment Design, Academic Integrity, and Generative AI

Looking for practical ways to strengthen assessment design in the age of generative AI? Our new assessment design resource (pdf, 153KB) offers a review checklist, key design principles, examples of assessment adjustments, and guidance for communicating AI expectations to students. It is designed to help instructors make learning more visible, support academic integrity, and build confidence in the evidence of student learning generated through assessment.

TLS colleagues can also work with you to review and revise assignments, redesign rubrics, clarify AI expectations, and develop assessment strategies tailored to your learning outcomes, discipline, and course context. Read the full resource here (pdf, 153KB).

Register for Our Fall Certificate Programs

Registration for our fall certificate programs is now open. Take advantage of this opportunity to enhance your teaching skills and connect with colleagues. 

Certificate in University Teaching: If you hold an instructional-focused position and a recent, current or upcoming teaching assignment at Carleton, you can apply to our Certificate in University Teaching. This 10-week, in-person program is designed to help you further develop your understanding of and skills in teaching and learning. The fall cohort will run on Tuesdays from 1 to 4 p.m., starting Sept. 22 and ending Dec. 1 (excluding reading week). Registration closes Sept. 8. Learn more and register here.  

Preparing to Teach: If you are an upper-year doctoral student or postdoctoral fellow with little or no experience designing courses of your own, you can apply to our Preparing to Teach certificate. This 10-week, in-person program prepares participants to design and teach undergraduate courses. The fall cohort will run on Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m., starting Sept. 17 and ending Nov. 26 (excluding reading week). Registration closes Sept. 3. Learn more and register here. 

In addition to our certificate programs, we've got a wide variety of workshops planned this fall to support your professional development. Browse through our offerings and register here.  

Join the Revamped Course Design Fundamentals Program

If you’re looking for ways to make the process of designing aligned courses easier and more systematic, our refreshed Course Design Fundamentals (CDF) program can help!

Fully re-designed for maximum accessibility, CDF is a voluntary, online, self-paced program made up of six modules for Carleton instructors who want to strengthen their course design strategies, regardless of teaching experience, modality or class size. Over the course of the program, participants have opportunities to engage with module facilitators, receive individualized feedback on activity submissions, contribute to discussion forums and view posts shared by colleagues. Register via Brightspace to access the full program. 

Course Outline Information and Requirements for 2026-27

The Provost and Vice-President (Academic) recently shared some valuable information about course outlines and requirements for the upcoming fall and winter terms, including details about academic accommodations, costs of educational material, GenAI, important dates, exam information and class transition time. Read the full message here. 

CUEL-EF Recipients Announced!

Teaching and Learning Services is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026-27 Carleton University Experiential Learning Equipment Fund (CUEL-EF). This year’s funded projects will enhance experiential learning across the university through investments in emerging technologies and digital creativity, advanced STEM learning environments, environmental and field-based learning, and inclusion-focused teaching resources. Together, these initiatives will create new opportunities for students to engage in hands-on, authentic learning experiences across a wide range of disciplines.

Learn more about the recipients and funded projects here.

AI in Teaching and Learning: Intrinsic Motivation

We’ve launched a semi-regular feature to keep you informed about how artificial intelligence (AI)—especially generative AI (GenAI)—is shaping teaching and learning at Carleton and beyond. We started with our four-pronged approach to developing an AI strategy for your course. To compliment this advice, we’ve been unpacking four interconnected elements of sustainable teaching practices. This month, we turn our attention to the final layer: Intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation is often described as a learner’s internal desire to engage in an activity because it is interesting, meaningful or personally valuable. While motivation is sometimes treated as something students either have or do not have, learning environments play a significant role in shaping motivation.

This is where the previous layers of the model come together. Relationship-rich environments help students feel connected and supported. Scaffolded experiences build competence and confidence over time. Productive failure creates opportunities for challenge, growth and mastery. Together, these conditions help cultivate intrinsic motivation by supporting learners’ needs for belonging, competence and autonomy.

Today, intrinsic motivation may be one of our most important design considerations. Read more.

Reminder: Scantron Services and Assign2

Over the past year, we piloted Assign2, a grading workflow tool that includes the ability to process multiple-choice assessments. The pilot was informative and highlighted many strengths of the platform, but also identified several areas that need refinement. While we continue to work towards making these refinements, our multiple-choice Scantron processing services will continue unchanged until spring 2027.

In the meantime, we continue to encourage instructors to use Assign2 for its grading workflow functionality. Instructors using Assign2 as a grading workflow tool in large and midsize classrooms regularly report more reliable and efficient grading. Assign2 is also becoming a fully supported enterprise tool available to all instructors and teaching support staff. More information on Assign2 and our support for the tool will be coming soon. 

More News

• New and Improved Incentive Program for Fall 2026: The CSAS Incentive Program has been refreshed to make participation easier for instructors and students. Instructors can choose from workshops, one-on-one support or a combined option, with new attendance verification options, including workshop participation reports. The updated Instructor Hub provides streamlined resources, reporting tools and communication materials to support implementation throughout the term. Register your course today.

Upcoming Events and Workshops

• Contract Instructor Orientation, August 18, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Start the Term Strong: Working Effectively with Teaching Assistants, Sept. 2, 1 to 3 p.m.
• Creating Your Teaching Statement and Dossier, Sept. 23, 1 to 3 p.m. 
• Collaborative Pedagogical Consultation: Project-Based Learning and Group Work, Oct. 6, 10 to 11 a.m.
• Designing Grading Rubrics, Oct. 7, 1 to 3 p.m.
• Digital Storytelling as Authentic Assessment, Oct. 8, 2:30 to 4 p.m.
• Assign2 for Written Assessments, Oct. 14, 10 to 11 a.m.
• Elevating Teaching with Wooclap, Oct. 22, 2:30 to 4 p.m.
• Prompt-A-Thon, Oct. 26, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sustainable Teaching in Science: Practical Strategies for Teaching Through Disruption, Oct. 28, 9:30 a.m. to noon

We also host drop-in sessions every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the Future Learning Lab (room 483) from 10 a.m. to noon to help you with your course needs. Bring your laptop and any teaching-related questions you have.

Missed an event? Watch recorded sessions on our Mediaspace channel.

Teaching and Learning Services
[email protected], 613-520-2344
410 Dunton Tower
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6

Need help? Request a one-on-one consultation.