2023 Vancouver Campus Highlights

The Teaching Practices Survey has been offered at UBC in 2014, 2018 and 2023 to better understand how instructors structure learning for students and to give participants a forum for confidential feedback on the teaching climate at UBC. Survey responses are used to inform strategic priorities and services and to assess change that could be attributed to institutional initiatives or external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Faculty participation

714

Faculty members
(18% response rate)

50% research faculty

20% educational leadership faculty

25% contract faculty (includes lecturers and sessionals)


70% of participants had 10 or more years of experience teaching at the university level

Course specific information

Course levels

100-level course (13%)
200-level course (15%)
300-level course (29%)
400 or 500-level course (22%)

Course delivery method

2023

In-person (79%)
Multi-access (9%)
Hybrid (8%)
Online (7%)

2018

In-person (95%)
Partially online (9%)
Fully online (8%)

How class time is spent

2014 2018 2023
Students observing non-students 46% 46% 47%
Discussion 19% 23% 26%
Students solving problems, producing work, etc. 14% 17% 14%
Students presenting or leading instruction 8% 6% 6%
Students completing assessments 5% 5% 3%
Students reviewing each other’s work 4% 2% 2%
Other 4% 1% 2%

Outside of synchronous class meetings, faculty report expecting students to spend an average of 5.1 hours on course related activities.

Faculty workload

Outside of class meetings, faculty spend an average of 152 hours on course related work per course taught. Counting class meeting time, this averages to ~15 hours per week for each course a faculty member teaches.

2023

Preparing for class (79 hours)
Marking assignments and exams (39 hours)
Meeting with students: in-person or online (34 hours)

2018

Preparing for class (77 hours)
Marking assignments and exams (36 hours)
Meeting with students: in-person or online (39 hours)

47% agree that teaching workload negatively affects their (emotional/mental/physical) wellbeing

45% find it difficult to incorporate innovative or new teaching practices due to the other requirements of their appointment

Other key findings

99% believe it is their responsibility to foster a respectful learning environment

99% believe it is important to provide students with timely feedback on their work

91% agree that teaching is priority to them

89% take into consideration affordability for students when choosing required course materials

85% of participants reported believing TAs need training in teaching and learning and 81% meet with TAs regularly throughout the term to discuss marking.

76% use materials or provide examples that include diverse experiences, identities or perspectives

62% believe their identity influences students’ perceptions of qualification to teach

56% use class time to discuss wellbeing topics with their students

What’s changed since 2018

+24% use class time to talk with students about academic integrity

+17% strongly agree with “I believe that ongoing improvement in teaching is part of my job

+13% agree with “It is important to provide students with feedback at multiple points in a course.”

+12% provide feedback to students at multiple points in the course

+7% agree with “My teaching practices have an impact on student wellbeing.”

+76% use materials or provide examples that include diverse experiences, identities or perspectives

-10% agree passive learning practices are an effective way to promote student learning