Learning and Innovative Teaching Committee (LIT) COMMITTEE

Learning and Innovative Teaching (LIT) committee

The Learning and Innovative Teaching Committee encourages a dynamic and collaborative teaching culture at Ted Rogers School by discovering, sharing and communicating best practices in teaching along with promoting innovative teaching and pedagogy. This committee is LIT!

TRSM Learning and Innovative Teaching (LIT award)

The Learning and Innovative Teaching (LIT) awards recognize our innovative teachers and serve as a building block for higher-level teaching awards and recognitions. Awards are given out on an annual basis and faculty are encouraged to apply for the award when nominations open in early May. A total of three (3) awards are granted. One (1) award is granted to a tenure-stream Toronto Metropolitan University Faculty Association (TFA) member and the other two (2) awards are granted to any tenured, tenure-stream or LTF TFA member or CUPE 1 member. Award recipients each receive a monetary award of $750 and a certificate of recognition, which is presented at the annual TRSM Faculty and Staff Awards Celebration.

What do we mean by innovative teaching?

Innovative teaching is the process of proactively introducing new teaching strategies and methods into the classroom (which could include but are not limited to, instructional strategies aimed at increasing student engagement, developing creativity, encouraging collaboration, and deepening understanding through the use of real-world issues). The purpose of introducing these new teaching strategies and methods is to improve academic outcomes for students. The introduction of innovative teaching strategies is informed by evidence of a gap or an opportunity for improvement in student academic outcomes in the classroom.

Innovative teaching does not mean it has to be a teaching strategy/ technique/ practice that has never been used before, but rather one that has not been used before in the current course/classroom.

A rubric outlining the evaluation criteria for the LIT Awards can be found here.

For those who are interested, you are encouraged to reach out to Jacky Deng (jackydeng@torontomu.ca) from the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) for support in developing teaching strategies to implement in the classroom.

Nominations for this year’s LIT Awards will open in May 2025.

If you have any questions about the LIT Awards, please contact Marshall Smith (marshall.smith@torontomu.ca).

LIT Subcommittee Presentations

Over the past year, the Learning and Innovative Teaching (LIT) Committee has been actively working to enhance the teaching and learning experience at the Ted Rogers School of Management. The committee identified several key priorities and formed working groups to address these priorities. This past spring, they presented their findings to the LIT Committee, and we are now pleased to share these insights with the broader TRSM community.

Student Attendance

The presentation discusses the importance of class attendance, highlighting its strong correlation with academic success, and identifies multiple causes of low attendance at TRSM, such as a lack of perceived value, scheduling conflicts, and decreased engagement due to COVID-19. Strategies for improving student attendance are also covered in the presentation.

Generative AI

This presentation discusses the results of a faculty survey on the use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in teaching and assessment, highlighting mixed experimentation, a general comfort with GAI for writing and brainstorming, and skepticism about GAI detection tools. It emphasizes the need for targeted professional development and better messaging about available resources, particularly regarding administrative assistance and the integration of Google’s AI tools. Practical classroom examples demonstrate innovative uses of GAI, such as enhancing discussion boards, simplifying complex assignments, and assisting with basic research tasks.

Group Work Projects

This presentation outlines strategies to enhance group work projects for improving students' presentation and teamwork skills. Key approaches include clear group formation and management practices, mixed assessment methods, and leveraging technology and support systems. These enhancements aim to ensure fair evaluation, reduce academic misconduct, and better prepare students for real-world challenges.

Toolkit of Best Practices for Innovative Teaching Techniques

This presentation aims to develop a toolkit of best practices focused on using technology and innovative techniques to enhance student engagement and streamline the teaching process. The presentation highlights various strategies for improving efficiency in large classes, such as using Intelligent Agents to automate outreach, setting conditions in D2L for customized content delivery, and utilizing tools like Zoom and Windows automatic transcription for better accessibility and grading efficiency. Additionally, it includes examples and best practices from other institutions and provides links to further resources and detailed documents.

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