Dal Events

Summer SoTL Retreat 2026

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Monday, July 27
9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Killam Library, Room B400 and online
Link to register for the event

Join us for a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) retreat designed to help you move your SoTL project forward in a supportive and collaborative environment. Whether you're just getting started or deep into your writing, this retreat offers structured time for reflection, goal setting, focused work, and peer feedback. Connect with fellow educators, share your progress, and leave with renewed momentum and clear next steps. Come ready to reflect, write, analyze... and make progress on your SoTL journey!

The A’s to Z’s of Teaching Gen Z

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Wednesday, August 12, 2026
10:30–11:30 a.m. (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Online via Microsoft Teams

Link to register for the event

“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” – John Dewey, American education reformer

Back by popular demand: Gen Z in the Classroom! Have you recently found yourself saying “Back in my day, students used to be like…” or “I just don’t understand students anymore!”? Generation Z is the largest cohort demographic on university campuses today. More than any other generation, this group of students has faced lightning-speed changes in society, and have been heavily “shaped by the advancement of technology, issues of violence, a volatile economy, and social justice movements” (Seemiller & Grace, 2017). As a part of the Resilient Classroom Series, this session will help you adapt your teaching to better align with Gen Z’s unique motivations, goals, skillsets, and social concerns. In this online session, you will learn:

Common characteristics and learning preferences of Gen Z students.
Strategies to adapt your course design and assessments to better support and teach Gen Z students.

To help you take what you learn from this session to your classroom, we will collectively brainstorm strategies to use in the Gen Z classroom. In addition, you will develop a preliminary plan for how you can adapt one student assessment or course design aspect to better suit your Gen Z students.

Facilitator

Daniella Sieukaran (she/her)
Senior Educational Developer (Program Development)

Creating an accessible and optimal learning environment is paramount for the CLT: please email us at clt@dal.ca to let us know if you anticipate any barriers we will need to remove in the learning environment, or if there is anything in particular you feel we should know that will best facilitate your learning experience. The information you share will be kept confidential and only shared with the session facilitators.

If you have any questions please email clt@dal.ca.

Sharpen Your Syllabus

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Wednesday, August 12, 2026
1–2:30 p.m. (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Location: In-person, TBD

Link to register for the event

Stumped by syllabus structuring? Whether you are creating a new syllabus or updating an existing one, this in-person session will help you:

Confirm you are including all required elements according to Dalhousie’s Course Syllabus Policy.
Use section-by-section guidance, resources, and tools to transform your syllabus into a concise and organized document that will be worth your students reading and revisiting.

You will also participate in a syllabus swap to exchange syllabus feedback with a peer. Participants are kindly asked to bring one paper copy of a syllabus that you are looking to gather feedback on. If you do not have one, a sample syllabus will be provided by the facilitator.

Resources and support

Course Syllabus Resources [login required]
Syllabus Support for Instructors [login required]

Facilitator

Daniella Sieukaran (she/her)
Senior Educational Developer (Program Development)

Please note that the B400 classroom is in the basement of the Killam Library. We are aware of, and apologize for, the accessibility barriers associated with this room. If you require the use of an elevator to reach this room, one of the CLT staff will have to access the elevator with you, using their key card. Please let us know in advance so that we can facilitate a smooth and timely transition to the basement.

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

If you have any questions please email clt@dal.ca.

Constructing Effective Rubrics

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Thursday, August 13, 2026
1:30–3 p.m. (UTC-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Killam Library, Room B400

Link to register for the event

Want to spend LESS time grading and providing feedback? Grading using rubrics has many benefits such as reducing grading time for instructors, and providing clear and consistent expectations to students. In this in-person workshop, you will:

Learn the purpose and principles underlying grading using rubrics.

Be introduced to different types of rubrics, the components that make up a rubric, appropriate language to use for rubrics, and the step-by-step process for constructing effective rubrics.

Participate in a rubric swap! Exchange rubric feedback with a peer. Workshop participants are kindly asked to bring one paper copy of a rubric that you are looking to gather feedback on. If you do not have one, a sample rubric will be provided by the workshop facilitator.

Facilitator

Daniella Sieukaran (she/her)
Senior Educational Developer (Program Development)

We also ask that participants be respectful of those with significant allergies and avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, cologne, and highly scented hairspray, soaps, lotions, and shampoos.

If you have any questions please email clt@dal.ca.