Building Trust: Designing Learning Experiences Where Learners Can Ask, Risk, and Reflect
Trust is the foundation that allows learners to ask questions, explore new ideas, take intellectual risks, and learn through mistakes. It plays a critical role in fostering engagement, belonging, academic integrity, civil discourse, and student well-being.
This year’s theme invites faculty, researchers, practitioners, students, and educational partners to explore approaches and strategies that build and sustain trust in learning communities. Together, we will examine how trust can empower learners to take intellectual risks, engage with uncertainty, reflect on their experiences, and cultivate the curiosity needed to explore new ideas, perspectives, and possibilities.
Join us as members of the teaching and learning communities share ideas, insights, and practices that cultivate trust, spark curiosity, and deepen learning across educational contexts, disciplines, and modalities.
Date: Tuesday, March 30, 2027
Time: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (EDT)
Location: Virtual Event
Cost: Free
Highlights of the Conference Include:
- Plenary Speaker: Gain insights from an expert on innovative practices that enhance teaching, learning, and student engagement.
- Interactive Workshops: Participate in engaging sessions that provide innovative tools and techniques for immediate application in your teaching.
- Research Presentations: Explore the latest findings in education research, focusing on theoretical and methodological innovations that can enhance the learning environment.
- Digital Poster Session: A digital poster session offers presenters an interactive and engaging way to showcase their research and ideas. .
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow educators and researchers to share ideas and build collaborative partnerships.
We offer five conference formats for your participation, each designed to facilitate unique interactions and knowledge-sharing opportunities. We encourage you to choose the format that best aligns with your presentation style and objectives, enhancing the overall experience for both you and your participants. Here are the formats with their brief descriptions:
Digital Poster Session (50 minutes)
A digital poster session provides presenters with an interactive and engaging platform to showcase their research and ideas. In this format, each presenter or team uses a single slide to display their work and engage in real-time discussions with participants.
Shared Mini-Presentation (25 minutes)
A shared mini-presentation format brings together presenters whose work addresses similar themes or topics. Each presenter or team is allotted 20 minutes for their presentation and 5 minutes for a Q&A session. This shared session structure aims to foster thematic connections, active discussion, and collaborative learning.
Presentation (50 minutes)
A presentation format provides presenters with the opportunity to introduce and share content through slides, visuals, or other media, thereby enhancing participants’ understanding. The format can foster audience engagement by incorporating interactive elements, such as Q&A sessions, polls, and live chats.
Roundtable Discussion/Panel (50 minutes)
A roundtable discussion/panel format is designed to facilitate informal conversations among the presenters and participants. The primary aim is to encourage open dialogue, share insights, experiences, and best practices related to the topic.
Workshop (70 minutes)
A workshop session involves presenters engaging participants in practical learning experiences and encouraging active involvement. The primary aim is to deepen skills and understanding through hands-on applications.
Conference Designated Tracks
There are six designated tracks for proposal submissions. Each track focused on different topics, allowing you to align your proposal with relevant areas of interest. We encourage you to select the track that best aligns with your proposal’s focus, enabling you to share your insights and contribute meaningfully to our vibrant academic community. Here are the six tracks and their brief descriptions:
1. Student-Centered Teaching Pedagogy
The Student-Centered Pedagogy track welcomes ideas and strategies that place the student at the heart of teaching. Proposals should explore ways to engage students as active participants and draw on their individual strengths and experiences to foster meaningful and supportive learning environments.
2. High-Impact Practices (HIPs)
The HIPs track invites proposals that focus on active learning strategies that enhance student engagement and promote deep learning. They should highlight evidence-based approaches that help students achieve deep learning, foster personal growth, promote engagement, and close equity gaps, among other benefits.
3. Strategies that Foster Student Success and Well-Being
The Strategies that Foster Student Success and Well-Being track is dedicated to holistic approaches that support both the academic and personal development of students. Proposals should emphasize innovative strategies, programs, and/or practices designed to enhance student success while promoting well-being.
4. Emerging Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
The SoTL track invites proposals that explore evidence-based research on teaching practices and student learning. Proposals should aim to bridge the gap between theory and practice by encouraging individuals to share their research findings, innovative methodologies, and/or reflections on pedagogical strategies.
5. Technology Innovations that Foster Deeper Learning
The Technology Innovations that Foster Deeper Learning track invites proposals that emphasize advancements in educational technology and their impact on enhancing student engagement, comprehension, and/or retention. Proposals submitted to this track should highlight technological tools, methodologies, and other approaches that promote deeper learning experiences.
6. Innovative Practices across Teaching Modalities
The Innovative Practices across Teaching Modalities track seeks submissions that highlight creative and effective approaches to teaching in various formats. This track encourages individuals to showcase methods that enhance learning experiences and outcomes.
If you have any questions about the conference, please email us at [email protected].