By Lindsay Richardson, Educational Technology Supervisor (TLS), Adjunct Professor of Psychology
As both an instructor and the Educational Technology Manager at Carleton’s Teaching and Learning Services (TLS), I have the unique privilege of seeing course design from two angles: the day-to-day realities of the classroom, and the broader institutional strategies that support sustainable teaching. This dual perspective allows me to pilot tools and approaches in my own courses while also working alongside a team of specialists to support educators across campus.
In both roles, I find myself returning to the same core questions—questions I know many instructors are also grappling with:
- How do we create authentic assessments that genuinely engage students without becoming overwhelmed?
- How can we develop course materials stay current without the need to re-create lessons each and every semester?
- How do we foster meaningful connections when we’re teaching at scale?
At TLS, we work closely with instructors to explore practical, sustainable solutions to these questions—often through the lens of entangled pedagogy (Fawns, 2022), which emphasizes the complex relationship between teaching methods and educational technologies. We see educational technology not as a shortcut, but as a catalyst for thoughtful and sustainable design. This approach helps courses remain resilient and adaptable, even as budgets tighten, and technology continues to evolve.
Rethinking Sustainability in Course Design
When we talk about sustainability in education, we don’t necessarily mean environmental or financial efficiency. Instead, it’s about designing courses that reduce workload over time and can adapt as class sizes grow or instructional modes shift. With the post-pandemic epoch, budget constraints, and the rise of generative AI, designing sustainable and scalable learning environments has never been more essential.
One of the most effective strategies I’ve applied in my own teaching is rethinking how content is delivered. In my asynchronous courses, I began using H5P to create modular, interactive lessons. When a particular segment becomes outdated, I can update just that section without having to re-record the entire lesson. This has made my course more flexible and sustainable—both for me and my students. All the content is available online, which means class time is reserved for skill development, meaningful interactions, student support, and working on evaluations.
I’ve found implementing H5P in courses can help free up time to focus on meaningful student interaction rather than course overhauls and mass content re-recording.
Balancing Technology and Human Connection
While educational technology can help streamline aspects of teaching, it’s not a cure-all. It’s important to maintain the human side of teaching as we continue to innovate. Reflective, student-driven learning has always been important to me, and I don’t believe it needs to be restricted to upper-year courses.
Inspired by my colleagues, I’ve used cuPortfolio to empower students to document and reflect on their learning journeys. These self-assessed assignments not only foster deeper student engagement, but they also lighten the grading load while preserving academic rigour. In my use of cuPortfolio, it’s a content-agnostic project that allows students to define success, plan for it, and reflect on it, ultimately documenting their metacognitive journey throughout the course.
One of the biggest challenges I faced in large-enrolment courses was finding ways to assess critical thinking without relying solely on multiple-choice exams. In one of my large courses, I used Assign2—a grading workflow tool—to support a collaborative written exam. The setup took some front-end planning, but it helped me better support students’ critical thinking without relying solely on multiple-choice formats. And excitingly. Assign2 is now available to Faculty of Science and Engineering and Design instructors, offering a way to manage feedback and grading more efficiently at scale.
Navigating GenAI in Education
Generative AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and custom GPTs are becoming increasingly accessible in higher education. While the possibilities are exciting, the implications are complex.
In my courses, I’ve developed a custom GPT to help students navigate course logistics and frequently asked questions. While these tools can reduce administrative friction, I emphasize their use as a complement—not a replacement—for the critical thinking and human connection that define transformative teaching. To quote our colleague Dave Cormier, “the community is the curriculum”.
Grounded in Pedagogy, Not Gadgets
Whether it’s H5P, cuPortfolio, Assign2, or GenAI, the most effective uses of technology in my experience are those that emerge from a dynamic, interdependent relationship between pedagogy, technology, context, and values; that is, a perspective aligned with entangled pedagogy. It’s not about starting with pedagogy or tools in isolation, but about seeing them as mutually shaping and evolving together. In my own work, and in conversations with instructors across disciplines, the most enduring strategies are rooted in a clear understanding of what helps students learn and then finding the right tools to support that.
A Call for Collaboration and Continuous Learning
In my dual roles as an Instructor and the Educational Technology Manager at TLS, I know there’s no one-size-fits-all model. That’s why we continue to learn alongside instructors and students as needs evolve. If anything that I’ve shared here resonates with your own experiences, we’d welcome the chance to talk further. Whether it’s a quick chat, a workshop, or simply comparing notes, these moments of connection help shape what teaching and learning can look like, especially in times of change.
In a time of limited resources and growing complexity, small, thoughtful changes—when shared and supported—can lead to more sustainable, human-centred teaching. That’s the direction we’re committed to exploring together.
References
Fawns, T. (2022). An Entangled Pedagogy: Looking Beyond the Pedagogy—Technology Dichotomy. Postdigit Sci Educ, 4(2022), 711–728. doi.org/10.1007/s42438-022-00302-7