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Flexible Teaching

Flexible Teaching

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Flexible teaching is an approach to pedagogy that encourages you to cultivate wonder, inspiration, and transformation by experimenting with your teaching practices through interdisciplinary, experiential, and place-based learning that pushes the boundaries of how learning happens.

  • Wonder: Experiencing curiosity, fascination, and surprise in the learning process.
  • Inspiration: Feeling motivated to make a difference in oneself, in others, and in the world at large
  • Transformation: Leaving a learning experience a different person than when one started.

At the INSPIRE Office of Flexible Learning, we pursue this goal by supporting faculty, staff, PhD students, postdoctoral students, and community experts to teach in the following ways:

At a different pace

When you teach matters. Our offerings and the Spring Intersession term itself have been created to encourage you to teach at different times than within the traditional fall and winter semesters.

In different places

Where you teach matters. Whether you’re interested in teaching somewhere in the Hamilton community (or beyond), teaching online, or testing out pedagogical practices in innovative campus-based lab spaces, flexible teaching can happen anywhere.

Teaching different people

Who we teach matters. Teaching shouldn’t be limited to engaging with students in the program or Faculty we call home. Our courses and programs are intentionally interdisciplinary; flexible teaching encourages you to share your disciplinary knowledge with a broad range of students from across the University.

Along new pathways

What we teach matters. Teaching shouldn’t be confined to the pathway our academic journey began on. Branching out will allow you to teach about ideas you may be discovering through your research or areas you’ve wanted to research further (nothing like a course outline to prompt a little bit of exploration!).

Experimenting with innovative pedagogies

How we teach matters. INSPIRE is a space to test out new approaches to teaching in a supportive and imaginative environment. Whether you are testing out new approaches to assessment, classroom activities, or tools, INSPIRE is a supportive and collaborative space to experiment.

With a sense of purpose

Why we teach matters. For many of us, while teaching is what gets us up in the morning, it’s hard to find the time to explore new ideas. At INSPIRE, we create spaces that encourage you to dream, reflect, and revisit your purpose and passion as an educator.

How do I get started?

The links below have been created to help you learn more about the flexible teaching opportunities that you might be interested in and to suggest some steps you might take to pursue them. Areas you might want to explore include:

  • Pilot via INSPIRE: Learn more about INSPIRE 2EL3, 3EL3, and 3II3; these course codes are used to test new experiential and interdisciplinary course concepts each Spring during the Intersession term.
  • Intersession: This relatively new academic term runs from May 1 to May 31 every year. All Faculties are able to offer courses during this term as a means of testing new concepts and approaches to how material is delivered, when students learn, and to attract learners from across the University (and hopefully beyond!).
  • Microcredentials: The INSPIRE Office of Flexible Learning provides advice and support on the development of academic and non-academic microcredentials. While our office doesn’t own microcredentials (like other courses they will be housed in your Faculty), we can advise on their development and help you navigate both the curriculum and administrative sides of the microcredentials equation.
  • Testimonials: Interested in what other instructors have to say about INSPIRE courses and hearing what our students are saying?
  • Get Involved: Interested but not sure how you might build flexible teaching opportunities into your time at McMaster? This page has some helpful tips and guidance to support your explorations.

Pilot an Idea

At INSPIRE, we’re building a community of flexible, kind, and imaginative teaching and learning. Piloting with us via the Intersession term will allow you to experiment with teaching approaches that align with this vision.

A critical part of our mission is to support faculty members, staff practitioners, community experts, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and student partners to advance innovative pedagogies that stretch the boundaries of teaching and learning as we know it. Piloting new courses during the Intersession term is one of the ways that we are pursuing this goal.

How to propose an INSPIRE Pilot

Each Fall, the INSPIRE Office of Flexible Learning encourages proposals for new course concepts that might be taught the following year during Intersession. If you’re interested in exploring this possibility, we encourage you to take the following steps:

  1. Attend a Workshop: Our team runs multiple workshops in both spring and fall to introduce INSPIRE’s mission, outline the nature of the proposal and selection process, and provide tips and strategies around how to provide a competitive proposal. Workshops Fall 2026:
    • Tuesday, Sept 15th 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm in University Hall 112
    • Monday, Sept 21st 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm in KTH 106
  2. Review INSPIRE Course Offerings: We have three unique course codes that proposed courses can fall within (see below).
  3. Submit Your Proposal
    • Each proposal will require a title, proposed delivery method, a brief course description (150 words or less), and a brief statement on your teaching philosophy.
    • Existing faculty members send completed forms to inspire@mcmaster.ca and cc Dr. Kimberley Dej, Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning (vptl@mcmaster.ca) and Dr. Michael Egan (megan@mcmaster.ca)
    • All other applicants looking to pilot their course as hired Sessional Faculty Members apply through the Mosaic job board.

INSPIRE 2II3 - Introduction to Interdisciplinary Inquiry

This topics course sets out to introduce interdisciplinary inquiry in learning and discovery on selected topics in various areas of study. Topics vary from year to year and the timing of the course will be dependent on the offering.

INSPIRE 3EL3 - Experiential Learning Opportunities

INSPIRE 3EL3 are experiential courses that organize learning around activities such as makerspaces, labs, studios, conferences, lecture series, films, tours, and recitals, both on campus and off-campus.

INSPIRE 3II3 Multidisciplinary Inquiry

Intersession Learning is pleased to offered multidisciplinary inquiry courses for students from all Faculties and Levels. In INSPIRE 3II3 students can explore a variety of topics that range from the health sciences, social sciences, social justice and more!

Additional information:

  • Each INSPIRE course is open to all students in any Faculty, program, or level. When proposing a course, ensure no prerequisites or prior knowledge of the topic is required.
  • Assume to offer the proposed course during the Intersession term (4 weeks of May).
  • Course proposals will be presented to the INSPIRE Office of Flexible Learning’s Faculty and Student Advisory Committees for review.
  • Send completed forms to inspire@mcmaster.ca and cc Dr. Kimberley Dej, Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning (vptl@mcmaster.ca) and Dr. Michael Egan (megan@mcmaster.ca), or apply through the Mosaic job open for the applicable course code.
  • May 2027 Intersession Form Due: Sept 30th, 2026.
  • Details on Fall 2027 timelines will be provided in Spring 2027.

Past Course Examples

Designed for students from all disciplines, “Critical Generative AI Literacies” explores generative artificial intelligence (AI) and the knowledge and skills required to engage with this technology effectively and ethically. The curriculum covers foundational generative AI concepts, tools, and applications, progressing to an examination of considerations like bias, privacy, and societal impacts through case studies, individual and group projects. The course culminates in a collaborative effort to produce a resource empowering McMaster students as critical users of generative AI. Delivered in-person with some online components, students will work closely with instructors and peers to explore and engage with course topics.

Hamilton: A City in Ten Objects is a one-month exploration of Hamilton, Ontario through the study of ten carefully selected artifacts. By studying these objects, which range from poetry, architecture, art, and landscape, students will critically examine the city’s formation, and the different ways people have participated in its construction. The course invites students to connect with the city and consider its challenges and evolution through an interdisciplinary lens. Through experiential learning, and scholarly inquiry, 3II3 will link theoretical concepts, practical application, and the obligations of local citizenship.

Are you passionate about community and/or systemic equity? Interested in making a change, in school or your emerging workplaces? Does driving inclusion and diversity feel important to you in your professional and personal life? WELL, we have a course for you!

Welcome to What About Equity? Conversing with Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) for Emerging Professionals—a short intersession course designed to develop baseline knowledge on the fundamentals of EDIA. This course is much more creative than it seems; throughout we will be engaging in digital, reflective, and arts-based learning, where you will get the opportunity to engage in the principles and foundations of EDIA conversationally and through the creation of art, podcasts, and videos. By the end of this course, you will gain actionable and transferable knowledge, such as: EDIA statement writing, strategic planning and initiative building, and community analysis, so you can apply your learning to your personal and professional pursuits.

In this course, we will converse across terms and expressions of interpersonal and professional power and privilege, analyze equity issues specific to professional contexts and communities, and develop personal understandings of how to engage in equity focused leadership to drive organizational social change, relevant to your emerging professional and academic careers. This course was designed in recognition that many social and professional sectors such as business, health sciences, community organizing and grassroots work, engineering, research, social sciences and more, are asking emerging professional to think through and integrate EDIA into their personal and professional contributions to the workplace. As you are an emerging professional once you graduate, having foundational knowledge into the fundamentals of EDIA would offer you a competitive edge.

Interested in learning more about piloting a course concept?

Please reach out to us, we'd love to connect!

Intersession

Intersession term is a 4-week term, running each May, that provides interdisciplinary, experiential, and community-engaged online and in-person learning opportunities. All Faculties and the School of Arts & Science may use this term to offer existing courses or to experiment with new courses.

What can I offer during Intersession?

Any academic program at McMaster can use the Intersession term to offer courses. As per McMaster’s budget model, tuition from all courses goes directly to the academic home of said course.

While INSPIRE encourages colleagues to consider offering any courses during this term, possible approaches that might build early momentum while aligning with INSPIRE’s vision and mission might include offering the following courses:

Interdisciplinary Learning

Interdisciplinary learning courses or programs that are open to students from all Faculties are an ideal fit for Intersession. The term is promoted to students as an opportunity to explore new disciplines; courses that flow into interdisciplinary minors, concurrent certificates, or other interdisciplinary pathways are strongly encouraged.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning courses provide students with a structured learning opportunity to apply academic knowledge in a hands-on environment with a focus on developing skills and knowledge, fostering reflection and the development of self, and preparing students to make a difference in the world. Intersession offers a great space to test out new experiential courses or to offer courses that might help train student researchers in your field.

Community-Engaged Learning

Community-engaged or community-informed learning courses allow students to connect directly with community organizations or community experts to inform their learning. Intersession creates space for flexible learning approaches that could include bringing community experts into the classroom or bringing students on field trips to community experts or organizations.

Place-based Learning

Place-based learning courses allow students to explore their surroundings outside of a traditional classroom or lab setting. Offerings that bring students off campus and into the surrounding community (or encourage them to explore their own community within the guidance of a virtual course) are central in INSPIRE’s vision of creating an in-person Intersession term that sees students living on campus or commuting to Hamilton for a very different learning experience than the traditional Fall and Winter semester.

Interested in offering a course during Intersession?

Please reach out to us, we'd love to connect!

Microcredentials

The INSPIRE Office of Flexible Learning is responsible for providing support and resources to units developing microcredentials.

A Message from Vice-Provost, Teaching & Learning Kim Dej

Over the past five years, the number of microcredential offerings across the McMaster campus has risen steadily, in response to increased demand for professional development and skills enhancement from non-traditional learners and employers.

These flexible learning opportunities can provide opportunities for growth and specialization for our current undergraduate and graduate students, but may also take the form of upskilling and continuing education for individuals already in the workforce, transition training for recent immigrants and those returning to the workforce, skills development to meet the needs of emerging labour sectors, and much more.

What is a microcredential?

McMaster University defines a microcredential as a designation of achievement of a coherent set of skills, competencies, or knowledge, specified by a statement of purpose, learning outcomes, and potential need by employers and/or in the community. The Certificates, Diplomas & Microcredentials Policy further differentiates between academic microcredentials and non-academic microcredentials.

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Academic Microcredentials

Academic microcredentials meet the standards for academic coursework and have specified admission requirements, but no minimum credit hours. Academic microcredentials may stack together for credit toward another credential in specific contexts.

Non-academic Microcredentials

A non-academic microcredential demonstrates that an individual has completed learning activities related to a coherent set of skills, competencies, or knowledge at McMaster which does not meet the requirements for academic coursework. Normally, there are no specific admission requirements. These credentials cannot be used as credit toward any academic credential though they may be stacked to achieve a Certificate of Completion.

What’s Next?

As the number of microcredentials offered by Faculties, the Inspire Office of Flexible Learning, and McMaster Continuing Education continue to increase, the Office of the Provost recognizes the importance of providing support for these initiatives. We have heard from many groups that there is a need for more guidance on the development, structures, and delivery of these opportunities. There is great interest in increasing our microcredential offerings, but there is also much confusion about how to get started.

The Office of the Vice-Provost, Teaching & Learning is convening a task force of experts, who will meet regularly to:

  • refine language around what a microcredential is, and what it contains
  • determine platforms for hosting, tracking, and advertising microcredentials
  • implement structures to increase support for enrolment, payment, and credentialling processes
  • create a recommended workflow for instructors interested in creating new microcredentials

We look forward to updating you on their progress, and working with partners across campus to enhance the resources available to educators seeking to offer these flexible learning opportunities.

Testimonials

Hear what instructors who have taught with us and partners who have collaborated with us have to say about their experience

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Housing & Conference Services - INSPIRE 1PL3

“The course INSPIRE 1PL3 has allowed for Housing and Conference Services to share expertise in curricular and co-curricular learning to learners. With this we have had the privilege of witnessing the transformative impact of this experiential, reflection-based course on our students. This innovative course has been a game-changer in our efforts to create a holistic and enriching student living experience.

The course’s reflective nature encourages students to connect their daily living experiences in residence with academic concepts, fostering a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world. Student reflections have demonstrated significant personal growth, enhanced critical thinking skills, and a greater appreciation for diversity and inclusion.

The introduction of courses for academic credit in the Housing & Conference Services department has been groundbreaking. It not only enriches the educational experience but also aligns with the University’s mission of holistic student development. Our ability to offer academic credit for INSPIRE 1PL3 has set a precedent for further innovative initiatives in student housing and has enhanced our standing as a leader in higher education.

Overall, the impact of INSPIRE 1PL3 on our students and the opportunities it presents for Housing & Conference Services to offer courses for academic credit cannot be overstated. It embodies our commitment to holistic education and has truly inspired our students to become more engaged, reflective, and empowered individuals.”

Kevin Beatty, Director, Housing and Conference Services

John Maclachlan, Manager, Educational Initiatives and Assessment

Monica Palkowski, Living and Learning Coordinator

Student Affairs - INSPIRE 3WW3 & 3AR3

“The INSPIRE Office has been a course incubator for developing, piloting, and delivering innovative courses that centre student personal growth, development, and transformation.

Student Affairs divisions have valued the collaborative partnership with the Office, which has made possible the delivery of courses that enable students to earn course credit for experiential learning undertaken beyond the classroom. The INSPIRE 3WW3 – Exploring Leadership in University Orientation and the INSPIRE 3AR3 – Exploring Leadership in Athletics and Recreation are excellent examples of this partnership.

These courses formally recognize the impact of our student leaders and further enable their self-discovery, critical reflexivity, and future success. Students reflect on their practical experiences beyond the classroom, engage with other learners about their common experiences as leaders, and expand their understanding and commitment to strategically impacting their communities as changemakers.

It is a privilege to work in partnership with the INSPIRE Office in service of our students.”

Arlene Fajutrao Dosen, Assistant Dean and Executive Director, Student Success

Sheena Jary - INSPIRE 3II3 & 3WW3

“I love teaching INSPIRE courses because they bring students from all disciplines into one room to discuss, in my case, leadership. I have extraordinary leeway to try new things in my courses and I feel supported by the INSPIRE Office. For example, I have a student partners grant to develop and implement case studies into INSPIRE 3WW3: Exploring Leadership in University Orientation—and the initiative is being led by one of the TAs for the course who, after TAing for INSPIRE 3WW3 last Fall, felt inspired (!) to pursue his growing interest in leadership pedagogy. The INSPIRE courses are truly one of a kind and, based on my interactions with students, they feel the same way. I also think the way the curriculum committee selects the Intersession instructors equitably because, as a committee, we only see their course proposal, not the entire cover letter. It allows us to choose a course based on the merits of the proposal.”

Dr. Sheena Jary, Faculty of Social Sciences

Katie George - INSPIRE 3MP3

“Working with the McMaster Intersession office gave the postdocs in our program a voice. INSPIRE 3MP3 was a chance to hone their teaching skills within a collaborative, engaging and experimental environment. Instructors were able to impact interdisciplinary undergraduate students from across campus, allowing them to effectively create accessible and diverse modules. Through INSPIRE 3MP3, students are able to actively engage with current research at McMaster University. Interdisciplinary postdocs open their laboratory doors and shed light on the big questions in academia. This is one of the most engaging and diverse courses that an undergraduate student can take!”

Katie George, McCall MacBain Fellowship Program, Faculty of Science, Instructor INSPIRE 3MP3

Stacy Creech - ABLD 3CD3, LATAM 2A03, & LATAM 3A03

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to design and teach courses like ABLD 3CD3: Topics in the Black Caribbean and its Diasporas, LATAM 2A03: Introduction to Latin American and Latinx Studies (of which I am a co-instructor), and LATAM 3A03: Critical Contemporary Issues in Latin American and Latinx Studies, subtitled “Black Latin America: Belonging, Refusal, Resistance.” These courses have been nothing short of remarkable in their capacity to inspire and engage students in critical dialogues about the complex and diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, socio-historic, and socio-political dynamics of the Latin American and Caribbean regions, as well as their vast diasporas globally. The support and collaboration from the INSPIRE Office of Flexible Learning and the Office of the Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning have been instrumental in making these courses a reality. Witnessing the growth of these courses and the enthusiasm of our students as they delve, in critical and generative ways, into the rich tapestry of these topics is truly rewarding. It reinforces the importance of offering interdisciplinary perspectives on Black Studies, Latin American and Afro-Latinx Studies, and Caribbean Studies, and I am honored to be a part of this academic journey with our students.”

Dr. Stacy Creech, Faculty of Humanities, Instructor LATAM 2A03, LATAM 3A03, ABLD 3CD3

Renata Hall - INSPIRE 3II3

“The opportunity to have full creative and pedagogical control over learning outcomes, activities, class engagement, and literature is a seldomly given opportunity to early career scholars. INSPIRE has paved a pathway for me, as an early career scholar and educator, to explore my interests in passions in a way that felt flexible, adaptable, and enjoyable for myself and for the students I had the pleasure and opportunity of connecting with. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to test out new arts-based evaluation techniques within my subject matter of interest, being able to “play” within my work and adapt methods with students in the moment, in a fashion that I know impacts my strength and aptitude as an emerging professor. Teaching intersession is compact but it is fruitful! I would absolutely love to engage in this opportunity again!”

Renata Hall, Instructor INSPIRE 3II3 C04, EDIA Fundamentals for Emerging Professionals (Intersession 2024)

Erin Aspenlieder & Helen Kula - INSPIRE 3EL3

“Teaching INSPIRE offered us the opportunity to explore new approaches to teaching and learning using generative AI alongside our students. The interdisciplinary cohort of students brought rich perspectives and pushed discussions in new directions. As educators collaborating as a teaching team we learned from one another and found support and encouragement for trying new things in our teaching. The experience teaching in INSPIRE was one that has opened new questions and proved valuable to our individual and shared interests in generative AI.”

Erin Aspenlieder & Helen Kula, Co-instructors INSPIRE 3EL3, Critical AI Literacies (Intersession 2024)

Maddie Brockbank - INSPIRE 3II3

“Teaching an INSPIRE course was such an honour and a privilege. Knowing that many students are working full-time over the summer, which often causes barriers to them engaging with summer courses, Intersession and INSPIRE offered such a creative and thoughtful way of overcoming these challenges and creating space for learning. I also thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to imagine a classroom space that was mindful of these concerns and focused on imagining pedagogy that allowed students to engage in a way that works best for them. It was also a dream of mine to teach an interdisciplinary course on anti-carcerality; doing so through INSPIRE resulted in a diverse class of students from varying disciplines who wanted to apply this learning to their chosen field. INSPIRE has had a profound impact on how I approach teaching and course development, and I look forward to integrating these experiences throughout my academic tenure.”

Maddie Brockbank, Instructor INSPIRE 3II3 C03, Anti-Carceral Imaginings (Intersession 2024)

Maggie Cockburn - INSPIRE 3AR3

“Teaching INSPIRE 3AR3 has been such a great opportunity to share my insights and passions with students who are involved in Athletics & Recreation, similar to my own experiences as a student and young professional at McMaster. INSPIRE has enabled me to develop course content that I am deeply connected to; I can explore concepts with the students that are relevant and meaningful – such as leadership development and inclusivity in sport – and hopefully the students come away feeling more knowledgeable, curious and empowered.”

Maggie Cockburn, INSPIRE 3AR3, Exploring Leadership in Athletics and Recreation (Fall 2023)

Frequently Asked Questions

Interested but have some questions? So do others. Scroll down for some of the questions we get asked most by faculty and staff.

Expandable List

No, the Intersession term is available for any and all faculty members and instructors to use to experiment with innovative teaching and learning ideas.

INSPIRE is responsible for championing the future directions of Intersession, but we in no way, shape, or form own the semester. Like other academic terms at McMaster, Intersession is not owned by any one program or unit, but rather a space for any academic offerings to be added to the calendar.

As per McMaster’s budget model, both the costs and revenues associated with delivering a course are borne by the department or academic unit that offers the course.

For example, if a department in the Faculty of Social Sciences were to offer a course during the Intersession term, the administrative home of the course would be responsible for hiring costs and other administrative resources associated with offering an academic course. Similarly, any revenues generated from the course offering would flow through to the administrative home of the course and follow the same processes as other course revenues follow.

Get Involved

Interested in getting involved? INSPIRE’s team would love to connect and explore ideas with you! Scroll down for ideas on how you can get involved in flexible learning at McMaster.

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Offer Intersession courses

Whether you have an existing course that your program might want to test in a 4-week term or a new concept you’d like to test out, offering a course during Intersession in May is a great way to dip your toe into flexible learning.

Encourage faculty and staff to get involved

Are you an administrator who can share information with faculty and staff in your department or Faculty? Do you collaborate with colleagues who are already pushing the boundaries of teaching and learning? Sharing information about INSPIRE can help spread the word!

Propose an INSPIRE course idea

Do you have a flexible learning course idea that you’d love to explore in an experimental environment? Pitching an idea for an INSPIRE course offering via our annual fall proposal process could be a great pathway to consider. We’re also happy to chat at anytime about ideas and how to explore their feasibility.

Partner with us to test an idea

Do you have a flexible learning idea that doesn’t quite fit with anything you’ve read yet? Or are you interested in trying something new in a low-risk way? If so, maybe there’s an opportunity to partner with INSPIRE to test something completely new.

Promote student enrolment & awareness

Do you have a student-facing role or links with a communications channel that can help students across campus learn about INSPIRE and our flexible learning offerings? We’re always happy to share content or connect with communications colleagues to help spread the word with students campus-wide.

Develop a microcredential

Do you have an idea that might be suitable for a non-academic or academic microcredential? Our team can provide you with guidance on the necessary steps to take and the resources available to support you in bringing your idea to life.

Invite us to share about INSPIRE with colleagues

We would be happy to introduce ourselves at any upcoming meetings, workshops, retreats, or other spaces you might have planned for connection within your department, Faculty, or unit.

Link to our website and social media

Do you oversee communications tools? Sharing a link to INSPIRE on websites or following us and/or reposting our social media content can go a long way to sharing our work with a broad audience.

Interested in getting involved?

Please reach out to us, we'd love to connect!