Designing a course for the first time can feel overwhelming. From choosing course materials to building assignments, planning lectures, and developing a syllabus, new instructors are often faced with many important decisions at once. To help support graduate student instructors, the Graduate Student Teaching Association hosted a “Where to Start with Designing a Course?” webinar this month.

The event drew strong interest, with 150 registrations from participants from US and Canada eager to learn practical strategies for building a course from the ground up. Before the workshop, most registrants reported feeling only moderately confident in preparing course materials, with an average confidence rating of 2.8 out of 6, highlighting a clear need for guidance, mentorship, and community around course design.

The workshop featured four panelists, each focusing on one of the major areas new course instructors often need to consider. Dr. Dhymsy Vixamar-Owens of the University of the District of Columbia led a session on designing Introduction to Psychology, Dr. Matthew Hiatt of Claflin University focused on syllabus design, Dr. Molly Metz of the University of Toronto discussed Research Methods, and Dr. Amanda Woodward of the University of Minnesota led a session on Statistics. Together, these sessions addressed four foundational topics that many new psychology instructors encounter when preparing to teach.

Overall, the sessions were well attended, as over 90 attendees over the course of the event. Each breakout session gave participants the opportunity to engage with experienced instructors and ask questions specific to their teaching needs. Panelists shared practical advice for constructing lectures and assignments, selecting course materials, organizing course content, and identifying sources of support and mentorship. The workshop also created space for participants to connect with instructors and peers across institutions and disciplines.

A key goal of the event was to make course design feel more approachable. Rather than treating course preparation as something instructors must figure out alone, the workshop emphasized that effective teaching develops through planning, reflection, collaboration, and support. Participants left with concrete strategies they could apply to their own courses, along with a stronger sense of where to begin.

Participants were also eligible to earn a certificate of attendance after the event, recognizing their engagement in professional development around teaching.

We are grateful to our panelists for sharing their expertise and to everyone who attended and contributed to such a successful workshop. The high level of participation underscored the importance of continued programming that supports graduate student instructors as they prepare for teaching roles. GSTA looks forward to offering more opportunities for teaching development, mentorship, and community-building in the future.