Teaching Policies & Advice

Overview

In the Faculty of Education, *3 credit courses target 39 hours of total instruction. The instruction time does not include or factor in estimates for individual study, readings, projects, exams, or other work expectations outside the classroom and are not calculated. Total instructional hours are based on the Academic Regulations, as stated in the University Calendar, and calculated as 3 hours of lecture/contact time per week during a 13-week term (excluding reading week and the exam period).

Scheduling

Every academic year, total instructional hours are reviewed by the University’s central scheduling unit, Examinations and Timetabling (ETT) and the Scheduling and Program Support team. Factors that might constrain a course from fulfilling the target of 39 hours include, but are not limited to:

• • • term start and end dates determined by the Exam and Timetabling Office (ETT)

    • the timing of statutory holidays and days of observance: Labour Day,  National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, National Indigenous Peoples Day, and Heritage Day

In instances when total instructional hours are too low, the Scheduling and Program Support (SPS) team will consult with the Associate Dean, Academic and Student Experience to determine an appropriate resolution, which might include the scheduling of additional synchronous or asynchronous instructional hours. For any questions or inquiries regarding scheduling, please contact edusched@ualberta.ca.

In-Person and Online Synchronous

The Academic Regulations for total instructional hours are typically satisfied with one of the following meeting patterns when teaching in-person, online synchronous, or in a hyflex delivery mode. Hybrid classes may have one of these meeting patterns or a more complex instructional hour distribution, depending on the combination of in-class and online activities.

If course offerings are scheduled with a different number of classes, or for a different duration of time per class, instructors are encouraged to review their calculations, which may include consultation with the subject area coordinator or program lead, to ensure the target of 39 hours of total instruction is satisfied.

Blended Course Delivery Mode

Courses with a blend of synchronous and asynchronous delivery will be asked to provide a comment to be included in the Class Notes and Restrictions to inform students how the 3 hours of instruction per week will be accomplished. To ensure consistent language across the faculty, instructors may use one of the templates provided:

This course will consist of ____ hour(s) of online synchronous instruction and ____ hour(s) of asynchronous online activity each week. OR

This course will consist of ____ hour(s) of in-person synchronous instruction and ____ hour(s) of asynchronous online activity each week.

Asynchronous Delivery Mode

Instructors are encouraged to consider contacting the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) to explore opportunities and strategies to support student success and communicate the expectations of workload in an asynchronous environment where students work independently on their own time and in their own place. Instructors might find this resource from CTL, How Much Should I Assign? to be a helpful starting document to guide their planning and practice.

Instructor Absence

In the instance of a planned absence (e.g., conference; medical appointment, etc.), meaningful learning activities should be arranged to fulfill the total hours of instruction. Activities may include, and are not limited to:

• • • a guest lecturer/speaker

    • an online module, activity or presentation

    • a formative assessment task

During the first week of class, include a thorough overview of the course outline during class time. Identify assignments, dates, policy for late assignments and the grading system used. Do not assume that students will read this independently. 

Students are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their registration. The appearance of a student’s name on BearTracks indicates confirmation of registration in the course section. A student whose name does not appear on BearTracks is advised to contact Education Student Services (ESS) through the Student Service Portal or email educinfo@ualberta.ca to confirm their registration status. A student who does not have a confirmed registration in a course section is not permitted to attend. Please do not allow students to sit in classes if they have not registered for the course and please do not tell students that you are willing to add another student. Individual instructors cannot make decisions about student enrollment.

Please refer all undergraduate student registration requests (including switching sections) to Education Student Services (ESS) through the Student Service Portal or email educinfo@ualberta.ca. Do not promise students that they can join your class as there may be waiting lists and other constraints.

Instructors should announce how the University defines plagiarism, cheating, misrepresentation of facts and participation in an offense and explicitly point out the statement that you have included in the course outline. Check the course outline templates at the Course Outline Templates website. It is advised that you also include a statement about expectations around Academic Integrity in each of your assignment documents.

At the outset of your course, you are also strongly encouraged to invite a discussion among your students about academic integrity, what it is, and why it is important. The Student Success and Experience website has some excellent materials, including video clips, to foster discussion (see Academic Integrity). Opening such a discussion helps the students understand the importance of integrity within an academic and professional community and lets them know you are serious about ensuring academic integrity in your course. You should also refer the students to the resources on the Student Success and Experience website and encourage them to consult with you if they have any questions or concerns.

With the increasing availability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, instructors are encouraged to understand how students can access and use these tools to support their learning. The university’s Centre for Teaching and Learning has developed some resources for instructors to consider, especially in planning for evaluation items (assignments and exams). Visit their website: Teaching in the Context of Artificial Intelligence. 

Personal information such as name, address, telephone numbers, email addresses and personal identification can be shared only with student consent. You can report personal information to the Undergraduate Coordinator or Associate Dean (Academic & Student Experience) if you have concerns about a student’s professional conduct and/or well-being. The Undergraduate Coordinator and/or the Associate Dean (Academic & Student Experience) will assist you in accessing university resources to address your concerns.

Instructors are under no obligation to admit visitors, including the children of students in the class. Any class is a learning community that can be disrupted by the presence of outsiders. Give permission for visitors only after careful thought to the requests and when advance notice of such requests is given. Do not give permission at the door of your classroom. We suggest that you talk with your students before giving permission for visitors to come into your class. Do not allow graduate students to sit in on a class. The appropriate route for these requests is through auditing registration. 

There are many good reasons to group students to work on assignments and classroom projects. However, working together can prove to be stressful and can promote feelings of inequity, freeloading, and even bullying. The issues for students are compounded when they are working in several different groups on graded assignments throughout the term and when the group assignments comprise a large percentage of their overall grade. Students occasionally appeal marks when they feel that the requirements of group work have unfairly hampered their grade. Monitor groups carefully and recognize that you may be called upon to facilitate positive group dynamics to ensure that individual student achievement is fairly reflected in the grade. Instructors must also ensure that all students are graded fairly in accordance with their individual achievement.

Instructors who are planning field trips or other off-campus activities for students must reach out to the Risk Management team before finalizing their plans. The Risk Management team will help to identify potential risks and provide guidance to ensure a safe and successful experience for everyone involved. Depending on the nature of the trip, students may need to sign waivers or other types of forms to ensure proper risk mitigation. Additional information on waivers can be found on the Risk Management and Insurance website. For activities that involve overnight or longer-term work away from campus, please engage the Field Research Office. 

If you are planning an off-campus activity, please fill out the University of Alberta waiver request form to start the process of determining if you need a waiver. For questions or assistance, please contact Risk Management at insurance.risk@ualberta.ca.