Diane Horton has received the 2024 CS-Can | Info-Can Excellence in Teaching Award, a national honour that recognizes exceptional teaching ability and innovation in computer science education.

Horton, a professor in the teaching stream of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto, has earned widespread respect for her engaging teaching style, leadership in curriculum reform and commitment to student success. Her work has shaped how computer science is taught at U of T and influenced educators across Canada and beyond.

Horton pioneered a “semi-flipped” classroom model that blends pre-class preparation with in-class problem-solving. This approach enables students to engage deeply with complex material while giving instructors the flexibility to adapt their teaching within a lecture to students’ needs based on their work on active learning exercises. Her courses, including Introduction to Computer Science and Introduction to Databases, are known for their clarity, rigour and thoughtful design.

She also led the most significant curriculum overhaul in the department’s 60-year history, introducing new courses, eliminating redundancies and modernizing content to better prepare students for today’s challenges. Thousands of students have benefited from the changes.

In 2020, Horton co-founded the Embedded Ethics Education Initiative (E3I), which integrates ethics modules into computer science courses. The program, the first of its kind in Canada, has been recognized with the University of Toronto’s Northrop Frye Award and the 2025 D2L Innovation Award in Teaching and Learning.

Horton’s influence extends beyond teaching. She has helped build the department’s teaching stream faculty, mentored colleagues and led workshops on pedagogy at institutions across North America and internationally. Her work has been published in more than 20 peer-reviewed papers on computer science education.

Students consistently praise Horton for her clear explanations, interactive lectures and genuine care for their learning.

She also created several long-running programs that support students outside the classroom, including the Alumni-Student Mentorship Program, the “In the Loop” podcast with Mario Badr, and brought First-Year Learning Communities to the department.

Horton also co-created the department’s Undergraduate Summer Research Program, an initiative that enhances the research experience of undergrads by bringing them together for career and community-building events.

“Diane’s impact on our department and our students is profound,” said Professor Eyal de Lara, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science. “She has not only elevated the quality of teaching at U of T but has also supported educators across Canada and beyond through her mentorship, workshops and ethics initiatives. This award is a well-deserved recognition of her leadership and vision.”