Teaching in UCalgary Learning Spaces
This guide provides practical answers to course instructors’ most pressing questions about the learning spaces in which they will be teaching. Find important resources, links and more.
For IT-related questions, contact UService (IT). Notice a building or grounds-related issue? Log a Facilities service request.
FAQs about UCalgary learning spaces | UCalgary workshops and courses on learning spaces | How to approach teaching in different spaces
Last updated: Dec. 20, 2023
Frequently Asked Questions about UCalgary Learning Spaces
Check what kind of room the class is in in by using the University’s Classroom Search Tool. Use the Keywords field to quickly find the assigned room. For example, type in “Room SA 104”.
It is also a good idea to physically walk to the room to familiarize with it and check the classroom equipment available before beginning teaching.
If the class is at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, tours can be booked by contacting taylorinstitute@ucalgary.ca.
To find specific locations on campus or for more information about UCalgary's various campuses, please see Campus Maps and Room Finder.
Assigned classrooms can be changed by completing the Centrally Scheduled Academic Room Change Request Form or emailing schedule@ucalgary.ca directly.
However, please be aware that this does not guarantee that a room will be changed. Speak to the department scheduler first and raise this question ahead of time as it might be difficult to change classrooms once the semester has started.
Yes. Tables and whiteboards can be moved if the room permits but remember to put them back into the original layout after.
To check what equipment the room has, please see:
- For centrally scheduled classrooms: Audio Visual Equipment Installed in the Centrally Scheduled Classrooms.
- For classrooms at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning: TI Rooms and Spaces.
For equipment requests and classroom technology support, contact Audio-Visual Services (ComMedia)
Campus virtual platforms and digital tools supported can be found here: Institutionally Supported Learning Technologies.
Visit Learning Technologies Resources and Supports to learn more about how to use these tools.
To get assistance with a specific question or issue, book an online consultation with a learning technology coach.
For teaching a hybrid or blended course, review these resources:
Zoom is available on most lectern computers and is an easy way to record lectures. Once signed in to Zoom, record your lecture and post the recordings to the class' D2L / Brightspace.
To learn how to record a meeting using Zoom, see Recording Your Zoom Meeting.
If there are issues with the door or the furniture in the classroom, report it to Facilities.
If you have any issues with classroom technology, please contact IT Support (Com/Media).
Workshops and Courses on Learning Spaces
The Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning offers workshops and courses on teaching practices in different learning spaces for UCalgary educators.
- TI 0837 Engaging Students in a Variety of Learning Spaces
- TI 0899 Learning Spaces and Digital Pedagogy (for Graduate Assistant Teaching)
- TI 0942 Fostering a Positive Learning Environment in Your Class
One-on-one consultations with UCalgary teaching and learning consultants can help discuss questions related to the ways to use learning spaces, design course content or use campus-supported learning technologies.
How to approach teaching in different spaces
The classroom space has an impact on teaching and activities undertaken with students. To help guide decisions on the ways to teach in a learning space, explore this list of resources designed by the University of Calgary, as well as other North American universities.
Large Lecture Halls
- Considerations for Large Lecture Classes (UC Berkeley)
- How to Engage Your Lecture Hall (Inside Higher Ed)
- Interactive Teaching in Large Lectures (University of South Florida)
- Teaching Large Classes (UManitoba)
- Teaching Strategies: Large Classes and Lectures (University of Michigan)
Active Learning Classrooms
- Active Learning Classrooms - Videos (UC Berkeley)
- Active Learning Classrooms (Yale University)
- Active Learning Classrooms: Documentary Videos (MCGill University)
- Six Strategies for More Active Learning (Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, UCalgary)
- Taylor Institute Active Learning Classrooms (UToday)
- Teaching in an Active Learning Classroom (University of Minnesota)
Lab Classrooms
- Teaching in Labs (University of Washington)
- Strategies for Effective Teaching in the Laboratory Class (University of Michigan)
- Lab-Based Learning (Queen’s University)
Studio Spaces
- Studio Classroom: Designing Collaborative Learning Spaces (Campus Technology)
- Effects of Studio Space on Teaching and Learning: Preliminary Findings from Two Case Studies (Innovative Higher Education)
- Dialogue and studio space: the architectural design studio as the setting for continuous reflection (Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching)
- The Evolution of the Design Studio: Hybrid Learning Spaces (Design Research Society)
Blended and Online Learning (Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, UCalgary)
- Blended and Online Learning Resources
- Collaborative Activities for Online Learning
- Connecting Remote and Face-to-Face Students: Instructional Strategies and Learning Technology Tools
- Learning Module: Adaptable Course Design
- Teaching in Flexible Learning Spaces
Resources on Learning Spaces and Wellbeing (Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, UCalgary)