50 Teaching and Learning OER

High Quality Online Courses

High Quality Online Courses supports educators in improving course design and delivery for post-secondary learners.

Includes: Interactive activities, videos, examples, key takeaways, and key questions.

Accessible Digital Content Creation

This Pressbook contains open-access text, image, and video-based training modules for creating accessible content within digital environments. This includes using content authoring programs such as the Microsoft Office 365 suite and Pressbooks platforms.

Includes: Videos, and self-assessment checkpoints.

Beyond the Exam: Alternative Online Assessments Toolkit

This resource was created to help reduce barriers educators experience in creating and adopting alternative assessment strategies. The toolkit contains a bank of exemplars, resources and instructions as well as a space for users to share back adapted or newly-designed assessment approaches that have proven successful for their learners and context. Available in French and English.

Includes: Student work examples.

A Comprehensive Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning

A collection of three UDL workbooks to improve teaching and learning in the classroom.

Includes: Sample assessments, case studies, and reflective questions.

Arrival Activities

This resource explores what arrival activities are and suggests ways to use them.

Includes: Powerpoint slide deck that can be modified. 

A Guide To Making Open Textbooks With Students

A handbook for faculty interested in practicing open pedagogy by involving students in the making of open textbooks, ancillary materials, or other Open Educational Resources.

Includes: Case studies, key takeaways, and sample assignments. 

Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum

Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum supports educators to support students within and beyond education. The content and resources on the website were designed to foster inclusive post-secondary education through explicit skill development. These skills can help learners succeed in their academic journey while supporting their mental health.

Attribution-non commercial no derivatives (4.0). 

Includes: Modules, strategies to share with students, tips for course design and delivery, and activities to do with students.

Student Papers and Academic Research Kit (SPARK)

A guide to successful academic papers that helps students focus on research, writing, and learning through different modules. The modules are organized into getting started, exploring, and putting it together for students to access relevant supports. 

Includes: Examples, templates, videos, and checklists.

Teamwork Skills for Undergraduate Students

The Rotman Commerce Centre for Professional Skills’ Teamwork Skills for Undergraduate Students course offers much-needed training for students in developing their teamwork skills for course projects. The course is divided into 2 parts. Part 1 is aimed at first- or second-year undergraduates with limited teamwork experience. Part 2 is aimed at more experienced undergraduate teams. Each part contains 4 flexible, adaptable learning modules that explore different aspects of teamwork skills in an undergraduate context, using case scenarios, examples, and branching scenarios based on commonly encountered issues.

Includes: Handouts, videos (with transcripts), and instructor guide.

Engineering Reflection Guidebook

This Engineering Reflection Guidebook is intended to expand experiential learning course offerings through a series of interactive modules for students as well as instructional teams. The developed resource includes two interactive modules: one for training undergraduate students on writing a reflection based on the “What? So what? Now what?” model, and another to guide instructional teams in evaluating and providing feedback on a reflection essay. This book also provides an instructor toolkit to help teaching teams create their own reflection assignments based on the learning outcomes of their courses.

Includes: Videos, short assessments, writing activities, examples, and instructor resources (PPT slide deck and instructor reflection toolkit).

Indigenous Teaching and Learning Resources 

Western University’s The Indigenous Teaching and Learning Series is a unique online education series geared toward university instructors with the goal to increase their understanding of the colonial roots of the academy, the movement to transform universities to be more inclusive of Indigenous peoples, and to inspire them to move toward decolonizing their pedagogies.

Indigenous Learning Bundles aim to collaboratively advance the respectful inclusion of Indigenous ways of knowing in the university classroom.

A guide for working with Indigenous students and land acknowledgement guides are amongst other available educational resources.

Includes: Videos, learning guides, reflection questions, curriculum, podcasts, case studies, and activities.

In Their Moccasins

In Their Moccasins is a serious game with quizzes and narrative branching (choose your own adventure style) elements. It is designed to build the capacity for empathy for Indigenous students’ lived realities. Many Canadians want to think of Indigenous issues as a thing of the past (forget), yet the horrors of colonization continue to have an impact Indigenous students display a great deal of resilience in navigating their day-to-day lives; However, we need to move away from placing the expectation of resilience on the individual, and towards societal change. That starts with education. This game, designed by Indigenous students, will be a helpful tool for educators and folx looking to build their Indigenous knowledge skill set.

Includes: Interactive activities, videos, aftercare toolkit, and instructor resources.

Hidden Curriculum in the Geosciences Graduate Course

The curriculum in graduate school is an iceberg. Much of graduate education is focused on tangible and formal skill development surrounding research and teaching. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg. This course focuses on the informal “hidden curriculum” in graduate school that can complement formal student learning to help individuals lead successful research careers. 

Includes: Readings, and instructor resources (syllabus, lecture slides, and lesson plans). 

Strategic Assessment of Institutional Learning

This handbook describes an action research process for assessing student learning outcomes using faculty-led communities of practice.

Includes: Step-by-step guide with resources, activities, and templates.