PD Plan for Non Full-time Faculty | The Teaching & Learning Centre | Seneca Polytechnic

A professional development plan has been created for Seneca’s non full-time faculty members. This plan is part of Seneca’s micro-credentials system; for each course completion, faculty can earn a digital badge.

These courses are open to all faculty members and instructors.

Course(s) currently open for registration:

• Micro-teaching Sessions takes place Aug. 21-22, 2025
  two-day synchronous online course
  registration closes in MyPD at 2 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025
• Teaching with Technology 1 begins Sept. 16, 2025
  four-week synchronous online course
  registration closes in MyPD at 8 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025

Courses in the plan:

• Creating Accessible PowerPoint, Word, and PDF Documents
  In Creating Accessible PowerPoint, Word, and PDF Documents, we will apply the accessibility guidelines and requirements for digital content learned in the Foundations of Creating Accessible Content course to various documents. We will modify inaccessible content to comply with accessibility standards. We will dive into PowerPoint, Word, and PDF documents and practice making them accessible. You will be introduced to the use of accessibility checkers in PowerPoint, Word and Acrobat Pro and the different features in these software applications to make documents accessible.
  This is a three-week fully-online course with synchronous sessions.
  This course has a prerequisite: Foundations of Creating Accessible Content.
• Developing an Online Assessment Strategy
  This three-week facilitated course provides an overview of online assessment approaches that promote student success, academic quality, equity, and inclusivity. Through self-reflection and analysis, participants will work towards building a balanced assessment strategy for their online, hybrid, or Flex courses. This course is a pre-requisite for all other courses in the Online Assessment series.
  This is a fully-online course with synchronous and asynchronous components.
• Developing Online Materials for Your Course
  This course is designed to help participants explore and use online tools to develop materials for their course. Participants will use principles of universal design for learning (UDL) to develop AODA compliant modules, slideshow videos, screencasts, and interactive activities. Tools explored include Adobe Spark, Google Sites, Screencast-o-Matic, Loom, PowerPoint, H5P, and MS Stream.
  This is a four-week fully-online course with synchronous sessions.
• Effective Online Teaching
  In this is a 4-week asynchronous course, faculty participants will learn both the basic elements of high-quality online course design and delivery alongside more advanced strategies to elevate their online course from good to great. Through interactive learning modules, activities, and deliverables, participants will be introduced to concepts such as curriculum and lesson planning, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), accessibility, online assessments, and building a community of learners.
  There are no live sessions in this course. You will be able to work through the material at your own pace.
• Foundations of Creating Accessible Content
  Creating and providing accessible materials is about inclusion, equity, and social responsibility. With Ontario’s commitment to be a fully accessible province by 2025 through the implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), knowing how to create accessible learning materials and documents is crucial!
  This 2-week asynchronous online course with one mandatory synchronous session will review and apply the accessibility guidelines and requirements applicable to creating digital content. After successful completion of this course, you will walk away with strategies and resources to help with making your digital content accessible.
  This course is the pre-requisite for the Creating Accessible PowerPoint, Word, and PDF Documents course.
• Globalizing Our Classrooms – Developing Intercultural Competence
  Your class list includes over seven billion names. Impossible? No! This course explores the globalization of our classrooms and the interpersonal relations with the talented minds that join each session. This course is not only about pedagogy, it’s also about the people. Working together to create an inclusive educational community, through four weekly modules, participants will explore course content development and classroom management from the lens of global citizenship.
  This is a four-week synchronous online course.
• Introduction to Authentic Assessment
  This four-week hybrid online course provides a practical overview of authentic assessment approaches that promote student success, academic quality, and equity and inclusivity. Through reflection and analysis of a course they currently teach (or will teach), as well as scenarios and examples of authentic assessments in various learning modalities, participants will work through the steps of selecting and outlining an authentic assessment idea for their course. Active participation will be encouraged by way of synchronous workshops, online discussion boards, knowledge checks, and learning activities. To successfully complete the course, participants will be required to complete a variety of deliverables specific to their teaching context. The final deliverable of this course is an authentic assessment planning worksheet.
• Micro-teaching Sessions
  Join us for this two-day course focused on teaching strategies, assessment, and using technology in your classroom.
  This is a two-day synchronous course.
• Science of Learning
  Have you ever wondered what scientific research on learning, attention, memory processes, and the brain can tell us about how students learn? This online course consists of four asynchronous modules that will introduce you to the dynamic field of the Science of Learning and its many applications in the classroom.
  The series will highlight insights from prominent researchers in the fields of memory, critical thinking, and reasoning, and also explore neuromyths that persist in education. It will also build on the work of keynote speakers at past Teaching & Learning Centre Events, such as Joe Kim, Yana Weinstein, and Megan Sumeracki. Participants will reflect on how new research in the science of teaching and learning can inform our practice and help our students adopt more effective learning strategies.
  This is a four-week online asynchronous course.
• Sustainability in Our Classrooms
  In this short self-directed online course, faculty participants will explore strategies to integrate environmental, economic, and social sustainability into their course. Through interactive modules and discussions, we will engage with multiple perspectives about the natural world and reflect on climate justice and the impact of the climate crisis on our communities and regions around the world. We will then discuss methods to encourage students to develop themselves as global citizens who contribute meaningfully to their communities and workplaces. After reviewing sustainability models, frameworks, and a variety of examples from faculty at Seneca Polytechnic who are teaching sustainability, we will brainstorm authentic tasks, activities and assessments to promote sustainability in the classroom. To be awarded the Sustainability Foundations badge, participants will develop a Sustainability Integration Plan which maps to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Opportunities will be provided to share strategies with colleagues for feedback and further discussion.
• Teaching & Learning Summer Conference
  Join us for this two-day conference. There will be a keynote speaker and featured presentations on teaching and assessment strategies, student engagement, and using technology in your classroom.
  This is also a micro-teaching event.
• Teaching Unique Diverse Learners (UDL)
  This course will explore our Unique, Diverse Learners and the principles of UDL (Universal Design for Learning). Participants will examine a course they currently teach and take some first steps into incorporating UDL into their teaching practice.
  This is a four-week online asychronous course.
• Teaching with Technology 1
  This course is designed as an introduction to Learn@Seneca, and provides opportunities for reflection on technology in education, and how accessibility can impact a learning experience.
  This is a four-week synchronous course with asynchronous components.

To see any upcoming sections of these courses, visit the Teaching & Learning Centre Calendar.