Publications
The Centre for Teaching and Learning has developed numerous publications, including the Purple Guide Series, the Teaching Innovation Projects (TIPS) journal, and the Reflections Newsletter. Our research on teaching and learning and evidence-based approach to practice is detailed in our Research Reports.
Purple Guides
The Purple Guide Series addresses key issues in educational development and is intended to foster a culture of excellence in teaching, learning and mentorship among both faculty and graduate students at Western.
Best Practices in Graduate Education at Western (2020)
This document provides important information for both graduate supervisors and students, and is intended to support the development of that productive working relationship.
Western Guide to Working with Teaching Assistants (2017)
This guide offers valuable strategies for working effectively with both tutorial and laboratory TAs, preparing TAs for grading, managing TA teams, mentoring TAs as junior instructors, and more.
Graduate Program Practices at Western University (2014)
Based on interviews with graduate chairs and faculty, the guide catalogues practices in graduate education, from recruitment through coursework, comprehensive exams, thesis proposals, to placement and tracking.
Western Guide to Professional Master's Programs (2011)
This guide is a resource for departments that plan to introduce new Professional Master's (PMA) or Professional Science Master's (PSM) degrees. The guide provides examples of existing programs, describes key criteria that new PSM programs need to meet, reviews issues in the development of new programs, and discusses the types of competencies professional programs promote in order to help their graduates compete on the job market.
Western Guide to Curriculum Review (2009)
The Curriculum Review guide offers ideas about how to get started on the review process—questions to ask at the beginning of and during the process, suggestions about information to be gathered and how, issues to think about as you decide what to include in the curriculum, and ideas about how to teach the curriculum involving new and alternative pedagogies.
Western Guide to Mentoring Graduate Students Across Cultures (2009)
The Western Guide to Mentoring Graduate Students Across Cultures is a handbook for graduate supervisors who work with students from cultures around the world. The guide addresses the most frequently occurring challenges in supervision across cultures and includes concrete mentoring strategies and case studies to help supervisors promote independence and initiative in their mentees, bridge power differences in the relationship, set boundaries, communicate effectively and support their students in the transition to Canadian academia.
Western Guide to Graduate Supervision (2008)
Based on the experiences of Western's graduate supervisors, this 30 page guide addresses the supervision of graduate students and focuses on best practices in mentoring, promoting student progress, and clarifying expectations in the supervisor-student relationship.
Western Guide to Mentorship in Academia (2008)
This guide addresses the importance of mentoring for new faculty members, describes the pros and cons of various mentorship models, and offers advice for mentors and mentees.
Teaching Innovation Projects Journal (TIPs)
TIPS publishes 1-2 issues/year that focus on the scholarly and pedagogical foundations for instructor development workshops on a variety of topics in higher education. Each article includes an annotated review of relevant literature and a detailed breakdown of the workshop’s learning activities.
Research Reports
The CTL engages in research on teaching and learning as part of an evidence-based approach to practice.
Reflections Newsletter Archive
Reflections was a twice-yearly newsletter for the teaching community at Western. Archives are available from Spring 2004 to Fall 2016.
