ISW for Graduate Students

The Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) is an internationally certified program designed to increase teaching effectiveness and encourage reflection on teaching practice. In a supportive atmosphere, new and experienced educators try new teaching approaches and sharpen existing skills. 

As part of the workshop format and requirements, participants design and conduct three 10-minute lessons and receive verbal and written feedback from their peers, and a video recording of their teaching. In addition, there are opportunities for individual and facilitated reflection on one’s teaching practices. More information and context are available on the ISW Network website.

This program’s success relies on active participation and collaboration of all participants who, as a team, work together to support each other in enhancing their teaching effectiveness. A certificate of completion will be awarded to each participant.  

Intended Audience

  • Graduate Students at UBC Okanagan  
  • Undergraduate Students accepted to facilitate a student-led seminar or similar experience
  • If you are a faculty member, postdoctoral fellow or an educator, please check out our page ISW for Faculty and Postdocs.
  • Also, check out UBCV’s ISW Offerings.
  • Non-UBC students are eligible; however, they will be charged a non-refundable participation fee as per ISW Network rates. Please contact the ISW coordinator, Barbara Komlos, at barbara.komlos@ubc.ca, for more information.

Upcoming Offerings

Please see our list of upcoming sessions below and apply for offering that suits your schedule. Each offering consists of 4-day sessions that cannot be interchanged across offerings.

February 2025

In-person 

  • Friday, February 18 
  • Saturday, February 19
  • Sunday, February 20
  • Monday, February 21

Facilitators:  

  • Riley Petillion, Ph.D., Educational Consultant for TA & Student Development, Centre for Teaching and Learning 
  • (Additional guest facilitators to be confirmed) 

Application of Interest

The workshop is 24 hours long and conducted over 4 days. Participants are expected to be available from 09:00 am to 4:30 pm each day of the workshop. Schedule will vary slightly each day. The final schedule will be announced 2 weeks prior to the workshop to confirmed participants.  

Participants should expect to spend about 2 hours on preparatory work before the workshop starts and 1 hour on assignments after each day.  

By the end of this workshop, participants should be able to: 

  • Use learning objectives to organize teaching and to help students consider what they are expected to learn 
  • Write a useful, practical and aligned lesson plan 
  • Incorporate active learning strategies 
  • Consider students’ differing learning needs 
  • Use simple techniques during lessons to test learning 
  • Use common instructional aids effectively 
  • Use effective questioning techniques during a classroom session 
  • Give and receive constructive feedback 
  • Increase confidence and competence in the classroom 

If you are interested in attending this workshop, please fill out the Application of Interest form found below each of our scheduled Upcoming Offerings.  

Given the structure of the Instructional Skills Workshop, enrolment is limited. The Application of Interest does not guarantee enrolment in the workshop.  

Applicants will be advised 3 weeks prior to the workshop whether their application is accepted or whether they are on a waitlist. 

  • “I loved challenging myself to address my specific goals. I also appreciated the challenge of teaching both academic and non-academic lessons.”
  • “I haven’t taken the time to reflect much on my teaching and how to improve myself. It was also helpful to hear feedback by the facilitators and other students to get perspectives I wouldn’t get in a classroom.”

For more information about Instructional Skills Workshops for Graduate Students, please contact Barbara Komlos.