Concurrent Sessions I

Shared Mini-Presentations (25 min.)

*This format features short presentations within the same session block. Each presenter is given 25 minutes to share their work.

Joyful Academic Development in Times of Change

Session Track:

Innovative Practices Across Teaching Modalities

Presenter:

Molly Jameson, University of Strathclyde

In rapidly shifting academic environments, joy can serve as a grounding principle for effective, sustainable academic development. This mini-presentation shares evidence-informed insights on fostering joy through relational practice, reflective pedagogy, and supportive cultures, offering practical strategies for maintaining motivation and resilience in times of change.

Integral Education: A Building Block to Purpose, Connection, and Possibility in Teaching

Session Track:

Strategies that Foster Student Success and Well-Being

Presenter:

Joy-Marie Doan, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Integral Education encourages both instructors and students to engage in reflection and become teachers-and-learners to each other. (Esbjörn-Hargens, 2010) This exploratory and interactive workshop aims to explore the intersections between the TLI Principles of Excellence in Teaching (PoET), namely Empathy for Students and Reflective Teaching, and Integral Education.

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Play Where Your Feet Are: A Present-Moment Mindset for Resilience, Purpose, Joy, and Connection

Session Track:

Strategies that Foster Student Success and Well-Being

Presenters:

Kelsey Frederick, University of Tennessee, Health Science Center

Cameron E. Dobbs, WSFL-TV Channel 39

Play Where Your Feet Are (PWYFA) is a present-moment mindset emphasizing purpose, possibility, and resilience. With ties to growth mindset and professional identity formation, this session illustrates how PWYFA helps students and educators navigate responsibilities, opportunities, and challenges with intention and without postponing joy or waiting for perfect conditions.

You’re Invited: Party Pedagogy and the Power of Joyful Learning

Session Track:

Student-Centered Teaching Pedagogy

Presenter:

Keishana Barnes, University of Memphis

Grounded in Hip Hop Pedagogy, this session introduces Party Pedagogy, a joy-centered framework that treats learning as a communal cypher. Through intentional vibe setting, remixing of ideas, multimodal engagement, and reflective closure, participants will examine how joy and collective flow deepen connection, purpose, and meaningful learning.

Navigating Care, Rapport, and Engagement for Gen Z Change

Session Track:

Emerging Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

Presenter:

Cathy Cuevas, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

What matters to today’s students regarding faculty-student rapport and care in the university classroom? Join us as we explore research on student-faculty encounters that contribute to feelings of care, value, engagement, and a sense of belonging. Engage in discussion contemplating creative and meaningful approaches to student support and success!

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Integrating Adventure Education and Intergroup Dialogue to Promote Relationship Building in the Classroom

Session Track:

High-Impact Practices (HIPs)

Presenters:

Hannah Shinew, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Joe Miles, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Ally Esielionis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Zachary Johnson, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Participants will be introduced to a research-informed curriculum designed to foster relationship building in higher education. Developed from an intergroup dialogue course integrating adventure education with a critical-dialogic model, the session includes both didactic and interactive activities to support applying this novel curriculum to other classroom settings.

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The In Real Life Curriculum: Purpose-Driven Reflection as a High-Impact Practice in STEM Classrooms

Session Track:

Innovative Practices across Teaching Modalities

Presenters:

Shahnaz Masani, Michigan State University

Krysta Foster, Michigan State University

What if disciplinary learning helped students explore who they are becoming, not just what they are learning? We will share the In Real Life curriculum, showing how purpose-driven reflection supports openness to uncertainty, reframes what counts as meaningful experience, and challenges narrow narratives of success, thus opening space for more joyful, possibility-oriented…

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The Joy of Teaching and Fostering Success in Higher Education

Session Track:

Strategies that Foster Student Success and Well-Being

Presenter:

Pamela Felder-Small, Acacia University

This session explores the “joy” found in bridging the gap between student success theory and practitioner reality. Through an asynchronous graduate framework, we demonstrate how moving beyond traditional exams toward portfolio-building assessments—like policy memos and persona mapping—invigorates both instructor and student, fostering a liberating and equitable educational.

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From Burnout to Belonging: Teaching with Purpose in a Changing Classroom

Session Track:

Strategies that Foster Student Success and Well-Being

Presenter:

Schwartzen Precil, Hero Leadership Group

Higher education is changing fast, and teaching demands more than content delivery. This session equips educators with purpose-driven, emotionally intelligent strategies to increase student belonging, resilience, and engagement while sustaining their own well-being in today’s evolving classroom.

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Clarity as Care: Using CLEAR Mapping to Bring Joy, Reflection, and Curiosity Back to Learning

Session Track:

 Student-Centered Teaching Pedagogy

Presenter:

Wayne Taylor, Eastern Kentucky University

Higher education is changing fast, and teaching demands more than content delivery. This session equips educators with purpose-driven, emotionally intelligent strategies to increase student belonging, resilience, and engagement while sustaining their own well-being in today’s evolving classroom.

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Pop Goes the Content: Designing Relatable Online Learning Experience through Pop Culture

Session Track:

 Student-Centered Teaching Pedagogy

Presenters:

Scarlett Lopez, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Jennifer Chien, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

This session explores how helping students understand the “why” behind course content—paired with intentional use of pop culture—can boost motivation and build community in online learning. Participants will gain research‑supported, practical strategies for using cultural references thoughtfully to create more engaging and meaningful online learning experiences.

The Small Acts that Leave Lasting Impact

Session Track:

 Student-Centered Teaching Pedagogy

Presenter:

Lucas Diaz, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Discover how minor shifts in teaching create major impacts. This roundtable centers student experiences, focusing on intentional, small-scale practices that foster belonging and academic success. Participants will gain practical strategies for immediate implementation, demonstrating that the most significant pedagogical breakthroughs often stem from the smallest actions.

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