Ideas Within the Cultural and Social Context

Identify multiple ways in which cultural, social, and disciplinary backgrounds shape the perspectives of individuals. The following resources are designed to help you recognize and acknowledge ideas within the cultural and social context from which they are derived. 

  • Teaching Assistant Training Program

    The Teaching Assistant Training Program is a hands-on, two-and-a-half- day session taught by current Teaching Assistants (TAs) and designed for new TAs embarking on their teaching careers. Learn about fair grading practices, diversity in the classroom, lecturing, and giving students feedback on written work. Choose from concurrent sessions designed to meet your specific discipline-related teaching needs such as vocal health for lecturers or using small group discussion methods in the classroom for tutorial leaders. Get real-time, hands-on teaching experience in our unique micro-teaching sessions, where you can try out your teaching skills and techniques with a small group of your peers and receive helpful, constructive feedback. At the end of the session, you’ll receive a certificate as evidence of your commitment to the development of your knowledge and skill as a teacher.

  • Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Globalization of Learning

    This online module touches on topics such as inclusive education, student diversity, interculturalizing the curriculum and teaching across cultures in various academic settings.

  • Cross-Cultural Team Communications

    Navigating, contributing and building effective teams may be the single most important skill that spans disciplines and industries in our current and diverse workplaces. In this online module, learn tools and techniques to build your awareness of multicultural team performance, navigate workplace cultural communication, and use effective conversations to deal with conflict in international and multicultural team settings.

  • Future Prof Series

    These interactive seminars for future professors and professionals provide valuable insight into teaching and career-strategies across the disciplines. The workshops in this series are constantly evolving to meet the current interests of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

  • SGPS 9500: The Theory and Practice of University Teaching

    SGPS 9500 is a graduate level credit course on teaching and learning in higher education. The goals of the course are to deepen your understanding of foundational theory and research relevant to university teaching, and to provide an opportunity for engaging in course design and facilitating student engagement. The course begins by exploring how to devise and align learning outcomes, assessments, and active learning activities. Then, over the semester, students have the chance to develop and revise a teaching philosophy statement, receive feedback on short teaching presentations, and create a comprehensive course syllabus. In small groups, students will also develop a webpage and seminar presentation on a pedagogical topic of their choice. SGPS 9500 is an interdisciplinary course, meaning that students will engage deeply with educational theory and practice alongside instructors and peers from across academic disciplines.

  • Wellness Forum and Candid Conversations

    The Wellness Forum features keynote speaker Jennie Massey, Associate Vice-President, Student Experience, Western University. The keynote presentation will be followed by a lunch and graduate stakeholder fair. After lunch, graduate students will break-out into groups for "Candid Conversations", an opportunity to engage in discussion about the graduate student experience.

  • The Blanket Exercise

    The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is an interactive learning experience that teaches the Indigenous rights history we're rarely taught. Blanket Exercise participants take on the roles of Indigenous people in Canada. By engaging on an emotional and intellectual level, the Blanket Exercise effectively educates and increases empathy. See more at https://www.kairosblanketexercise.org/

  • safeTALK

    safeTALK is a half-day alertness training workshop that prepares participants to become a suicide-alert helper. Most people with thoughts of suicide don’t truly want to die but are struggling with the pain in their lives. Through their words and actions, they invite help to stay alive. safeTALK-trained helpers can recognize these invitations and take action by connecting them with life-saving intervention resources, such as caregivers trained in ASIST [Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training]. This training is especially recommended for graduate students who TA or mentor younger students and might find themselves in a situation where they need to support someone feeling suicidal. See more at https://www.livingworks.net/programs/safetalk/