Conference Tracks
Conference tracks help you plan your experience by interest, although you can attend any session in any track. We strive to offer a balanced program touching important topics in higher education. Look for sessions covering:
PLANNING
Topical Area 1: Preparing Your Course
These sessions promote innovations and strategies that can be applied across a broad range of disciplines and contexts. Sessions in this track refer to many aspects of course preparation, such as:
- Learner-centered course design
- Backward design
- Active learning
- Gamification
- Designing courses for critical thinking, reflection, collaboration, and motivation
- Writing goals, objectives, learning outcomes, and their assessments
- Using artificial intelligence (AI) as a course preparation tool
Topical Area 2: Technology Tools for Teaching
Sessions in this track focus on the effective use of teaching and communication technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Sessions may include:
- the pedagogical research that supports the tool
- the pros and cons of the tool
- an introduction to using the tool
- an example of the tool used in class or for professional or personal development
Topical Area 3: The Online Classroom
These sessions are about the unique challenges and opportunities of teaching in an online or hybrid classroom. Sessions in this track cover topics such as:
- Maximizing your learning management system (LMS) features and settings
- Course structure, file naming, organization
- Creating and uploading resources including video, graphics, and documents
- Working with an Instructional Designer or similar support staff
- Humanizing/personalizing your course
- Flipped classroom tips and ideas
- Online course design best practices
- Online teaching best practices
TEACHING
Topical Area 4: Student Engagement
These sessions address one or all of the dimensions of student engagement: behavioral, emotional, or cognitive, including:
- Instructional strategies promoting engagement
- Practices supporting engaging classroom climate
- Promoting broadly engaged participation and discussion
- Classroom-based engagement activities
Topical Area 5: Assessing Learning
These sessions focus on assignments, assessments, and grading practices, and/or strategies measuring students’ accomplishment of course objectives and learning outcomes, such as:
- Tests and assignments
- Grading Systems and Criteria
- Self and Peer Assessment
- Rubrics
- Feedback
- Using AI in assignments, assessments, feedback, and grading
Topical Area 6: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
This track focuses on practices and strategies supporting minority and/or marginalized students. Sessions include:
- Inclusive curricula
- Inclusive learning climates
- Inclusive instructional practice
- Universal Design for Learning
INSTRUCTIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Topical Area 7: Outside the Classroom
Sessions in this track focus on the many responsibilities that come with teaching beyond the classroom. Topics include:
- Faculty advising and mentoring
- Advising and mentoring students
- Student wellbeing and support
- Grant writing and fundraising
- Professional ethics
- Academic Integrity
- Research and Scholarship
- Faculty Collaboration and Collegiality
Topical Area 8: For New Faculty
For faculty with fewer than three years of experience in the college classroom, this track will focus on what you need to know to launch a successful academic career, including:
- Classroom management
- Building effective mentoring relationships
- Balancing teaching, citizenship, research, and scholarship
- Self-care and work-life balance
Topical Area 9: For Mid-Career Faculty
For faculty with more than 10 years of experience, this track explores topics such as:
- Revitalizing your course or teaching
- Research productivity
- Preparing for leadership and administration
- Professional networking and collaboration
- Maintaining work-life balance and renewal