Call for proposals
Book editor
Julie Roberge, Cégep André-Laurendeau
Project editor
Anne-Marie Paquette, AQPC
Reading committee
Jean-Philippe Boucher, Cégep Garneau
Caroline Cormier, Cégep André-Laurendeau
Nellie Giguère, Collège Lionel-Groulx
Louis Normand, Cégep de Rosemont
Lia Tarini, Cégep de Thetford
Valérie Thomas, Cégep de Lanaudière à L’Assomption
The AQPC expresses its deep gratitude to Ulric Aylwin (1934–2001) for his initial inspiration and to his heirs for their generous permission to update this seminal work.
Interested in contributing to the book?
Send us your proposal.
Expected Content, Style, and Tone
Submitted proposals must align with one of the committee’s targeted areas. They should be written in a clear, accessible, and pedagogical style, with a focus on making the content understandable to a general audience. The book is intended for a broad readership and should not require specialized knowledge of higher education pedagogy.
Texts should focus on the essentials and prioritize concise, structured writing supported by concrete examples. Jargon should be avoided or explained. The intended tone should remain faithful to the spirit of the original edition of the Petit guide pédagogique: direct, practical, and with a touch of lightheartedness, kindness, and humour.
Excerpt from the original edition of the Petit guide pédagogique (Aylwin, 2000, p. 15)
Focus areas targeted by the committee
What is the college environment?
College education is unique in many ways. Situated between high school and university or the job market, it is part of an organization composed of various units (departments, programs, services, administrative offices) and governed by policies that guide pedagogical practices. In this context, teaching never takes place in isolation, but rather within a collective environment where collaboration plays a significant role.
How does this structure influence teaching practices? What guidelines help teachers navigate this environment and find their place within it?
Who are college students?
Today, the college network brings together students from diverse backgrounds and with varied academic and personal circumstances. This includes students who are returning to school and those who are balancing work, studies, and family. Added to this are different learning needs, which call for flexible teaching methods capable of embracing this diversity. In this context, student success becomes a central benchmark for guiding practices.
Who are these students today? How can this diversity be recognized on a daily basis? How can their varied needs be addressed in the classroom to support their success?
What teaching practices influence the classroom climate?
In college, the role of the teacher is not limited to imparting knowledge: it consists of creating conditions conducive to learning. From the very first classes, the pedagogical relationship is established and influences the classroom climate. A clear introduction, a structured course plan, and orientation activities provide a reassuring framework that fosters engagement. Classroom management then relies on the organization of classes, clear expectations, and attention to interactions with and among students.
How can a strong connection be established from the start? What practices help maintain a motivating atmosphere? How can classes be structured and facilitated to sustain engagement throughout the session?
What is learning?
Learning is much more than simply receiving information: it involves understanding, connecting to existing knowledge, and retaining it in memory. This process relies on the brain, where connections between neurons strengthen through practice, repetition, and time. Certain strategies promote this consolidation, such as active recall (testing oneself) and spreading out study time rather than cramming. Learning therefore requires active and consistent effort.
Why do some strategies work better than others? What actually happens when a student “learns” and “understands”? Which strategies help students understand and retain information better?
How to support motivation?
Motivation cannot be commanded; it is developed when students feel capable of succeeding and perceive meaning in the activities offered. It relies on a set of interacting factors: a sense of competence, clear expectations, a positive classroom climate, and the opportunity to make choices. Within this structured yet supportive framework, motivation and engagement take shape and are sustained.
How can students’ sense of competence be strengthened? What makes an activity engaging? How can support and autonomy be balanced?
How to plan teaching in a coherent way?
Planning is at the heart of college teaching: it provides direction and coherence to a course. It connects what students need to learn, the activities designed to facilitate learning, and the assessments that evaluate learning outcomes. When linked to program objectives, planning allows for the creation of a logical progression from one session to the next. When well-thought-out, it makes expectations explicit, sets the pace of the course, and guides pedagogical choices.
How can a common thread be maintained from one session to the next? How can activities be designed to support the intended learning outcomes? How can a course be planned to have good flow?
How to teach effectively?
While the interactive lecture remains a familiar foundation for organizing content and clarifying concepts, it benefits from being supplemented by approaches that put students in action. Active pedagogical methods allow students to explore, manipulate, explain, discuss, and apply concepts, thereby transforming learning into a hands-on experience. These methods also contribute to the development of key competencies—communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving—which are essential for learning, working, and adapting in the 21st century.
How can active student participation be fostered? How can opportunities for discussion be incorporated without overburdening the course? How can activities be designed to engage students and develop their skills?
How to assess learning?
Assessment is not limited to assigning a grade at the end of an activity or a course. Assessment primarily serves a supportive role: it supports learning along the way, allows for the collection of learning evidence, and demonstrates achievement based on objectives. It relies on consistency between what is expected and how it is assessed, by utilizing a variety of situations that go beyond a single exam.
What exactly should be measured? What methods can make learning visible? How can assessments be designed to support both the learning process and the recognition of what has been learned?
How to provide feedback?
Feedback is a key lever for supporting learning. It is not limited to correcting or justifying a grade: it aims to guide students by indicating what has been done well, what can be improved, and how to progress. Useful when it is clear, targeted, and given at the right time, it is based on concrete evidence of learning and can take various forms (written comments, oral feedback, videos, classroom discussions, peer feedback).
How can feedback be formulated to truly help students progress? When and in what form should it be given to be most effective? How can students be engaged in the feedback process?
How to foster a culture of academic integrity?
Promoting academic integrity means encouraging students to produce authentic work and to understand its value. Academic integrity is based on clear expectations regarding assignments, sources, collaboration, and the use of digital tools, including artificial intelligence. It is more than just rules; it is about helping students understand their meaning. This culture is developed throughout the session through explicit instructions, concrete examples, and opportunities to learn how to cite sources, make ideas their own, and work with rigour.
How can these expectations be made clear from the start? How can students be guided toward responsible practices? What strategies can prevent deviations while supporting learning?
Why is professional development necessary throughout one’s teaching career?
In college teaching, professional development is not optional it is a necessity. Student profiles evolve, knowledge changes, and pedagogical practices continually update. Professional development enables teachers to adapt& their approaches, question their practices, and respond more effectively to classroom realities. It is also a way to maintain commitment to professional development and enrich teaching over time. This process is part of an ongoing journey at the very heart of teaching practice.
How can teachers advance their practice without adding to their workload? Which professional development opportunities should be prioritized daily? How can teachers stay in step with the changing realities of the college environment?
Submitted proposals must include:
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the identification of the chosen focus area
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3 to 5 keywords
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a short biography of the author (75 to 100 words)
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a working title
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a 250- to 300-word abstract clearly outlining the proposal’s content, consistent with the expected style and tone
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a few examples of key bibliographic references.
Proposals may be submitted in French or English, but the final book chapters must be in French. As a guideline, the final chapters will be approximately 1,500 words in length; further details will be provided to selected authors.
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
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relevance to the chosen focus area
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the quality of the writing
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alignment with the expected tone (accessible, concrete, popularized)
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its grounding in the practice of college-level teaching
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clarity and coherence of the content
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the potential for integration into the overall coherence of the book the relevance of the bibliographic references
Particular attention will be paid to the diversity of expertise, disciplines, and profiles of the authors.
For any questions regarding this call for proposals, please contact the project editor
anne-marie.paquette@aqpc.qc.ca
