Concordia to launch open-access teaching resource for deeper learning and well-being

On March 27, Concordia’s Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will launch a new open educational resource collection on contemplative practices and pedagogies. The project is part of a multi-year initiative to support faculty and student well-being in the classroom.

The collection provides faculty with practical tools for integrating reflective and compassionate practices into their teaching. It includes exercises, guided practices, videos, testimonials and readings co-created by the CTL’s faculty interest group.

The resource includes contributions from instructors, staff, students and guest speakers from the 2025 Contemplative Practices Summit.

John Paul Foxe, senior director of the CTL, emphasizes that contemplative practices have applications beyond enhancing student experience.

"Not only does this work have a direct, positive impact on students, it also builds skills they can carry with them long after they leave the classroom," he says. "Helping people develop self-awareness and reflection is essential, especially in a world that can feel fragmented."

An inclusive approach

The Contemplative Pedagogies initiative initially launched in 2022 with funding from the Entente Canada-Québec pour l’enseignement dans la langue de la minorité et des langues secondes (ECQ).

In 2025, Concordia received additional funding from the ECQ to expand its work on the initiative.

“The second grant allowed us to broaden our scope,” explains Cristina Galofre Gomez, CTL educational developer. “It was important to explore the intersections between contemplative practices and diverse perspectives and lenses — including trauma-informed, culturally responsive and inclusive pedagogies."

"Contemplative practices foster deeper and more connected ways of learning because you’re engaging the whole person. It’s really about being intentional about how we want to show up in the classroom and the world," she adds. 

Beyond feeling good

Rosemary Reilly, professor in Concordia’s Department of Applied Human Sciences, has worked closely on the initiative as a founding member of the faculty interest group. She notes that making the collection openly accessible reflects the collaborative nature of the work.

“From the start, it was very important for us to share knowledge among the group,” she says.

“During our sessions, members shared the practices they regularly engaged in. We wanted to continue this custom by creating an open educational resource so these contemplative practices could be freely available to everyone.”

Reilly explains that contemplative approaches can help reduce anxiety, support difficult classroom discussions, and encourage deeper engagement with course content. She adds that she has seen growing interest in this approach to teaching among students.

"More and more students are saying how much they appreciate these practices and how much they need them. It’s not just about feeling good — it supports learning at the same time," she says.

Foxe adds that the initiative reflects a strong commitment from across the university.

"The faculty interest group is an incredibly engaged, keen group of people, and the new resources speak to that commitment and passion," he says.

The CTL will launch the Contemplative Pedagogies resource at a hybrid event on March 27 at the SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation. Registration is required.

Find out more about Concordia’s Centre for Teaching and Learning and the Contemplative Pedagogies initiative.