Session Descriptions

The Teaching and Learning Conference 2025 will give participants opportunities to learn from each other by exchanging practical tips and approaches to teaching, sharing research on teaching practices and engaging peers in conversations on the trends, opportunities and challenges currently faced in higher education. 

To support those goals, this year’s conference includes multiple session formats to model a variety of modes of engagement and provide different options for participation. Descriptions of this year’s session formats are available below. Please note that while we aim to provide the opportunity for remote participation, some formats are only available on site. 

Modality: Hybrid

Length: 20 minutes

The topics for these practical sessions should focus on practices used by instructors in their own teaching that can be adapted or used in other settings or disciplines.

Spark-an-Idea Talks should address one of these categories, though others may be considered as warranted:

  • Teaching Strategies: Share effective teaching strategies, including the purpose, intended outcomes, possible demonstration of the strategy and examples. Discussion should address how others can apply the strategies in their own teaching contexts.
  • Effective Assessments: Share an assessment approach by providing details of the development and administration of the assessment, intended student outcomes and strengths and challenges of the assessment, along with discussion of how the assessment might be used in other disciplinary contexts or delivery modes.

Three Sparks will be scheduled within a single Concurrent Session slot. Each presenter has 20 minutes to summarize their strategy/assessment by highlighting its impact (15 minutes) and facilitating a brief question-and-answer discussion (5 minutes).

Presenters and/or participants may participate on-site or remotely.

Modality: Hybrid

Length: 30 minutes

Presentations may include original research, theoretical insights, or innovative projects focused on the development of teaching and learning in general or within a specific discipline.

Presentations should address one of these categories, though others may be considered as warranted:

  • Issues and Innovations: Present and facilitate dialogue and discussion on a topic related to your teaching (e.g., active learning, student engagement, academic integrity, etc.).
  • Inquiry on Teaching and Learning: Overview and discussion of a particular research topic, methodology or project related to teaching and learning.

Two presentations will be scheduled within a single Concurrent session slot. Each presenter has 30 minutes total for their presentation, including a brief question-and-answer discussion.

Presenters and/or participants may participate on-site or remotely.

Modality: On-site

Length: 60 minutes

Interactive Workshops bring participants together to learn a new skill, collaborate on a problem-solving exercise, brainstorm ideas or generate a resource, artifact or other outcome.

Some workshops may be available in a hybrid format. This will be noted on the conference program as appropriate.

Modality: On-site

Length: 60 minutes

The Teaching Dialogues format is ideal for presenters who want to bring a critical issue forward and receive feedback or alternative viewpoints from their peers. These sessions should focus on a specific challenge or opportunity faced in the classroom, or in higher education generally, and provide an opportunity for deeper reflection and/or problem solving.

Four rounds of dialogues will be scheduled within the Teaching Dialogues slot. Each round will last for 15 minutes:

  • Round 1: 3:30-3:45 p.m.
  • Round 2: 3:45-4:00 p.m.
  • Round 3: 4:00-4:15 p.m.
  • Round 4: 4:15-4:30 p.m.

The moderator of each dialogue topic is expected to facilitate the session’s duration, but participants can move to other conversations throughout the session.

Presenters and/or participants may participate on-site only.

Modality: On-site

Length: 60 minutes

Session participants take on the role of learners within the learning environments of the presenters, who will deliver a portion of a course they teach. Presenters will share what they do in their classrooms by delivering a lesson or activity from their teaching practice, then engaging in a discussion with participants about how others might adapt their techniques or approach to their own teaching contexts.

Visit CITL’s YouTube channel to see examples of past Welcome to My Classroom sessions.

Some sessions may be available in a hybrid format. This will be noted on the conference program as appropriate.