Conestoga.on.ca

Home  >  Effective Teaching  >  Lesson & Course Planning

Category: Lesson & Course Planning

Prepare clear and organized learning programming from start to finish.

August 20, 2025

Why Social-Emotional Learning Matters in Post-Secondary Education 

Reading Time: 7 minutesSocial-Emotional Learning has always been an important part of both formal and “hidden” curriculums from pre-school through post secondary studies. Lately, however, as we grapple with questions about what distinguishes humans from generative AI tools, social-emotional learning (sometimes referred to as “soft skills”) has been front and centre in these conversations.   What is becoming increasingly clear for post-secondary graduates is...
Categories Effective Teaching/Learning & AI/Lesson & Course Planning/Reflective Practice Comment: 1
July 10, 2025

Teaching Critical Thinking   

Reading Time: 8 minutesCritical thinking has long been a foundational skill in post-secondary education, but in the 21st century—particularly in the age of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)—it has been getting even more press than usual. Some have mused that our human ability to think critically is a key feature that distinguishes us from Large Language Models, and that GenAI use can undermine our reflexive capabilities and...
Categories Effective Teaching/Lesson & Course Planning/Student Engagement & Communication/Teaching for Learning Comments: 0
June 18, 2025

Lights, Camera, Learn! Best Practices For Sharing Videos During Class  

Reading Time: 6 minutesLet’s be honest—lecturing for 60 or 90 minutes straight is tough on students and faculty alike. Research shows that student attention begins to drop after about 20 minutes of passive listening (Bradbury, 2016). That’s why integrating active learning strategies is so important—and one of the most effective tools in your teaching toolkit is video.  Whether it’s a short documentary clip,...
Categories Accessible Teaching/Effective Teaching/Lesson & Course Planning/Student Engagement & Communication Comments: 0
June 11, 2025

Craig Stephenson Reimagines Police Education With Student Recognition and Open Dialogue

Reading Time: 4 minutesCraig Stephenson, a recovering lawyer, brings a unique blend of academic training in the social sciences and law, combined with extensive teaching and curriculum development experience at the college and university levels to his role as a professor in and Coordinator for the Police Foundations program at Conestoga College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science with a...
Categories Effective Teaching/Faculty Stories/Lesson & Course Planning/Student Engagement & Communication Comments: 0
March 26, 2025

Taking/ Handing Over a Course Mid-Semester 

Reading Time: 5 minutesThere are numerous reasons why a faculty member might take over a course from a colleague mid-semester.  In some cases, there might be medical issues, personal emergencies, or professional changes that arise. Most commonly, however, these transitions are planned ahead of time– where one faculty member is contracted to teach the first 7 weeks of a semester before going on...
Categories Effective Teaching/Lesson & Course Planning Comments: 0
February 25, 2025

Scaffolding: An Overview

Reading Time: 6 minutesBy Dr. Ada Sharpe, Dr. David Baidoo-Anu, and Dr. Monsurat Raji. Defining scaffolding  In education, “scaffolding” refers to the use of assessments and instructional strategies to progressively build students’ capacity in completing a task. A scaffolded approach provides structure to increase the complexity of learning tasks over time while reducing the amount of support provided to the learner. Such an...
Categories Assessment Design & Development/Assessment Implementation/Effective Teaching/Lesson & Course Planning/Quality Assessment Comments: 0
February 23, 2025

Teaching to Remember: The ‘I Do, We Do, You Do’ Strategy for Improved Learning

Reading Time: 5 minutesIf you teach a practice or a skill – say a math-based lesson in business, health care, trades or engineering – you likely want them to apply that practice or skill successfully at some point in during the course. In fact, the Universal Design for Learning framework urges educators to provide incremental support, enabling students to develop fluency through guided practice...
Categories Effective Teaching/Lesson & Course Planning/Teaching for Learning Comments: 0
February 19, 2025

Accessibility Considerations in the Development of an Asynchronous Course

Reading Time: 4 minutesOne of the most important considerations in developing an asynchronous course is ensuring it is accessible to all learners. Accessibility is particularly essential for supporting self-directed learners in the asynchronous learning environment, as it empowers them to have control of their learning experiences. While some learners may disclose their need for accommodations, many will not, making it important to proactively...
Categories Accessible Teaching/Effective Teaching/Lesson & Course Planning/Online Asynchronous Comments: 0
January 28, 2025

Incorporating Interactive Learning in Asynchronous Courses

Reading Time: 3 minutesInteractivity is a key consideration when developing an asynchronous course. Incorporating interactive tools and activities helps foster students’ active engagement and reduces the risk of passive learning. Interactivity refers to students’ ability to actively engage with course materials through tools, collaborative assignments, and dynamic activities. Rather than passively consuming information, students are invited to participate, respond, and engage with the...
Categories EdTech for Active Learning/Effective Teaching/Lesson & Course Planning/Online Asynchronous/Teaching with EdTech/Tech-Enhanced Teaching Comments: 0
January 21, 2025

Designing Meaningful Asynchronous Lessons

Reading Time: 3 minutesAs you embark on developing your asynchronous online course, you likely already have a course outline, an instructional plan, a mapped evaluation strategy, and a thoughtful approach rooted in backward design. So, what comes next? The next critical step is designing your weekly lessons and crafting lesson plans specific to your asynchronous learners. This phase requires careful planning to ensure...
Categories Effective Teaching/Lesson & Course Planning/Online Asynchronous/Teaching for Learning Comments: 0
January 9, 2025

Navigating Religious Accommodation Requests

Reading Time: 7 minutesBy: Dr. Sara Kafashan and Dr. Lauren Spring, with Sandrine Uwimana  Some faculty may feel caught off guard if/when student requests for religious accommodations come their way. When navigating such religious accommodation requestions, it is imperative for Conestoga faculty to not only adhere to Conestoga’s Religious Holy Day and Spiritual Observance Policy and Procedure, but also the Ontario Human Rights...
Categories Effective Teaching/Inclusive Assessment/Inclusive Teaching/Lesson & Course Planning/Quality Assessment Comments: 0
January 7, 2025

Backwards Design Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide

Reading Time: 3 minutesAs you begin planning your asynchronous course, it’s important to think about what makes an online course effective. Successful courses are accessible, flexible, engaging, and designed with self-directed learners in mind. A crucial first step is defining clear learning outcomes, which will serve as the foundation for your assessments, learning activities, and content creation. Using a structured framework to manage...
Categories Effective Teaching/Lesson & Course Planning/Online Asynchronous Comments: 0