We are pleased to announce our keynote speakers for the Teaching and Learning Conference 2025: 

• Dr. Sarah Eaton, Professor and Research Chair, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary 
• Dr. Isabelle Côté, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Memorial University 

Visiting Keynote: Sarah Eaton

Sarah Elaine Eaton, PhD is a professor and research chair at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada and an Honorary Associate Professor, Deakin University, Australia. She has received research awards of excellence for her scholarship on academic integrity from the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE) (2020) and the European Network for Academic Integrity (ENAI) (2022). She has written and presented extensively on academic integrity and ethics all over the world and is regularly invited as a media guest to talk about academic misconduct. 

Eaton is the editor-in-chief of the International Journal for Educational Integrity. Her books include Plagiarism in Higher Education: Tackling Tough Topics in Academic Integrity, Academic Integrity in Canada: An Enduring and Essential Challenge (Eaton and Christensen Hughes, eds.), Contract Cheating in Higher Education: Global Perspectives on Theory, Practice, and Policy (Eaton, Curtis, Stoesz, Clare, Rundle and Seeland, eds.) and Ethics and Integrity in Teacher Education (Eaton and Khan, eds.) and Fake Degrees and Fraudulent Credentials in Higher Education (Eaton, Carmichael and Pethrick, eds.). She is also the editor-in-chief of the Second Handbook of Academic Integrity (2024).

Keynote: Inspiring Human Integrity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

In an era where students can generate essays, solve complex problems, and create multimedia content with a few keystrokes, what defines authentic learning and assessment? This fundamental question lies at the heart of education's transformation by generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI).

This keynote presentation examines the profound implications of Gen AI for teaching and learning in higher education. Dr. Eaton explores how these rapidly evolving technologies are reshaping our understanding of academic integrity while simultaneously offering unprecedented opportunities to advance educational equity. Rather than focusing on detection and prevention of AI use, this discussion reframes Gen AI tools as potential catalysts for inclusive education, particularly in supporting students with diverse learning needs.

Central to this exploration is the essential relationship between academic integrity and educational equity. Dr. Eaton advances the perspective that meaningful academic integrity cannot exist without equitable access to learning resources and support. The presentation analyzes how Gen AI applications, when thoughtfully integrated into educational practices, can enhance accessibility and promote inclusive learning environments.

This forward-looking discussion examines both the ethical considerations and practical applications of AI in educational contexts. Participants will gain insights into how these technological advances prompt us to reconceptualize traditional approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment. The ultimate goal is to leverage these emerging tools to support student success while maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, preparing learners for success both within and beyond academic settings.

Memorial Keynote: Isabelle Côté

Isabelle Côté, PhD is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her work examines nativism in federal states, as well as the role of population movements on intrastate conflict and contentious politics in Asia and beyond. She received her PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto and was a postdoctoral fellow at KITLV (Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies) in Leiden, Netherlands. Prior to that, she held various guest researcher positions in China, Indonesia, Denmark and Sweden.

Côté has published in numerous journals in Political Science and Security and has co-edited two books: People Changing Places: New Perspectives on Demography, Migration, Conflict and the State (Routledge, 2019) and Resettlement: Uprooting and Rebuilding Communities in Newfoundland and Labrador and Beyond (ISER Books, 2020). She was also awarded the 2024 Memorial University President’s Award for Teaching (faculty) and the 2020 Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA) Teaching Award. She is currently on the executive board of Women in International Security-Canada (WIIS-C) and is the co-program chair of the 2025 CPSA conference.

Keynote: Slow Teaching: A Reflective Approach to Teaching and Learning

In response to the ‘publish or perish’ mentality prevalent in many academic circles, calls for ‘slow scholarship’ have been growing. But would our pedagogical approach also benefit from a similar transformation? Could “slow teaching” lead us in this transformation? Faculty face many challenges in the classroom, not the least of which delivering the breadth of content outlined in the syllabus. What if there was a shift to focus on depth versus breadth; be more clear and take time with the key concepts? But what if we slowed things down?

This address will highlight how the actual approach of ‘slow teaching’ can help us address some of the key challenges we face in the classroom by looking at specific instructional approaches appropriate for both undergraduate and graduate courses, including critical reflection and a scaffolded final blog project meant for a general audience.