Workshops and breakout sessions
Workshops
Distinguished faculty across Temple who have completed our Provost’s Teaching Academy will be facilitating 60-minute, interactive workshops on day 1 of the conference. The workshop topics will build on the theme of the conference and on the topics presented by our keynote and plenary speakers. In the workshops, you will have the chance to take a deeper dive into select topics and apply what you have learned to your own courses.
Wednesday, January 8th, Workshops
11:00am - 12:00pm & 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Beyond the Lecture: Techniques for Energizing Student Engagement through Thoughtful Interactions in the Classroom
Jingwei Wu
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health
Temple University
About this Workshop
Are you seeking to move beyond traditional lectures and create more dynamic, engaging classroom experiences? In this workshop, we will collectively explore diverse strategies to energize students, foster active learning and stimulate meaningful learning. Through hands-on activities and group discussions, participants will brainstorm and share active learning techniques they have used or would like to implement in the classroom, as well as barriers to implementation. By the end of the session, you’ll gain a clear set of interactive teaching strategies and the confidence to utilize them, transforming your classroom into a lively and engaging learning environment.
Teaching Deep Listening, Empathy and Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes
Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon,
Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation, Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts
Temple University
About this Workshop
Belonging, according to the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP, August 2024) “is a primary driver of postsecondary learning, persistence and completion”. This workshop takes a look at some of the latest data on belonging, student success and retention and offers a practical “icebreaker” and series of exercises that anyone can adjust and use in their courses, regardless of discipline. When scaffolded, these activities teach deep listening, empathy and what it means to walk in someone else’s shoes.
Making Your Classroom the Hottest Ticket on Campus!: Co-Creating a Collaborative and Fun Classroom Environment
Jennifer Pollitt
Women’s Studies Program, College of Liberal Arts
Temple University
About this Workshop
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to create a collaborative, inclusive, and irresistible classroom environment where students can’t wait to show up, get to work and are excited to participate. Using a trauma-informed, healing-centered approach, you’ll learn the following skills: how to co-create community guidelines to set classroom expectations; how to establish classroom rituals that foster meaningful connections among students and to course material; and how to utilize play to reinforce learning objectives and goals.
Safe But Not Sheltered: Activating Self-Efficacy in a ‘Triggered’ Climate
Jennifer Schneider
Film and Media Arts, Film and Media Arts, School of Theater, Film and Media Arts
Temple University
About this Workshop
In an era where student well-being and academic rigor can sometimes seem at odds, this workshop invites educators to explore how to balance these priorities by centering student agency and experiences in course design. We’ll discuss what makes content “essential” and what defines a healthy challenge, using case studies to delve into educators’ responsibilities when sensitive topics emerge. Participants will gain practical tools to build course structures that support a mutualistic learning community, fostering safety, self-efficacy, and resilience while maintaining high academic standards.
Know Your Students (KYS): A Strategy for Cultivating a Caring Classroom Environment
Jonathan Hartmann
Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Public Health
Temple University
About this Workshop
In this workshop, discover how to create meaningful connections with each student by applying strategies like personalized conversation starters and thoughtful observation of learning preferences. Participants will engage in small group discussions to practice and reflect on these methods, followed by a collaborative session where insights are shared, and learning is enhanced collectively. These techniques are designed to help you identify each student’s unique strengths, needs, and challenges, empowering you to provide more effective, growth-oriented support that fosters a caring, inclusive classroom environment, and inspires students to engage more meaningfully in their learning journey.
From Engagement to Empowerment: Designing Courses that Inspire Lifelong Learning
Victoria Rizzo
Aging and Cardiovascular Discovery Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine
Temple University
Rebecca Petre Sullivan
Biomedical Education and Data Science, Lewis Katz School of Medicine
Temple University
About this Workshop
Are your courses designed to truly engage students and connect learning across disciplines? This interactive workshop dives into effective course design, focusing on equipping students with lifelong learning skills. Discover strategies to foster self-directed learning, critical reflection, and adaptive thinking—empowering learners to thrive in any context. Walk away with practical strategies to enrich your courses, making them more coherent and meaningful for your students.
Breakout Sessions
These peer-reviewed 45-minute interactive sessions generally include a “mini-lecture” format with activities and demonstrations of teaching methods, as well as guided discussions about the topic at hand. Choose one morning and one afternoon session to attend.
Thursday, January 9th, Morning Breakout Sessions
11:00am - 11:45am
“The Fun Class”: Using Concrete Objects to Learn Complex Processes
Erica Henn, Health and Rehabilitation Science
Temple University
About this Breakout Session
Some students can struggle with complex, unfamiliar concepts. In this breakout session, educators will participate in examples of no- or low-cost active learning to teach complex concepts. I will also model two short example lessons, and guide educators to create their own ideas and lessons through structured creative play.
Fostering Deep Learning and Essential Skills in the AI Era
Dasanj Aberdeen, Engineering, Technology & Management
Temple University
About this Breakout Session
This proposal presents an interactive exploration of “Pathways to Motivation: Pedagogical Strategies for Cultivating Student Success.” It highlights innovative strategies, research insights, and practical approaches to navigating AI in education, focusing on motivating students to deepen learning, develop 21st-century skills, and enhance teaching and learning experiences alongside generative AI use.
The Kobayashi Maru Is The AI Opportunity
Rob Faunce, First Year Writing Program
Temple University
About this Breakout Session
This session unpacks what the presenter has learned from experiences with IBM’s DeepQA computer Watson, the gameshow Jeopardy!, and generative AI tools (including their limitations), reframing “AI Panic” as an opportunity for programmatic, pedagogical, and student growth. This interactive session will draw upon First Year Writing (FYW) instruction and industry expertise, as well as audience Q&A to yield best practices in harnessing AI for our classrooms and generating strategies for burnishing student success.
Building Research Skills Through Scaffolding: No Hard Hats Required!
Victoria Ghillardi, Center for Curriculum, Instruction and Technology
Berkeley College
Lisa Karakas, English
Berkeley College
About this Breakout Session
How can we break down the writing and research process to enhance student motivation? Scaffolding skills, guiding critical thinking and inquiry, and modeling examples create a supportive environment that builds confidence and deters plagiarism. This approach empowers students to craft informed arguments while connecting personally to their work.
Helping Students Conduct the LAIterature (AI-Assisted Literature) Review
Van Bich Tran, Libraries and University Press
Temple University
About this Breakout Session
The session provides an overview and demonstration of key library resources with AI integration for literature review, share research findings and observation on their use and perceived value by student and librarians, and outline strategies and best practices for faculty and librarians in preparing and assisting students to work with an AI assisted literature review.
Stacking the Cups: An Immersive Demonstration and Discussion on Motivation
Nikki Gonzalez, History and Social Sciences
Middlesex College
About this Breakout Session
This workshop engages attendees in a hands-on activity to explore the complexities of motivation and individual priorities through a group exercise inspired by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Milton Rokeach’s Value Survey. Participants will reflect on the challenges of balancing diverse perspectives, examine the role of self-reflection in understanding motivation, and discuss how to support students in identifying their own goals. This session will highlight the instructor’s role in fostering an environment that supports both foundational needs and higher-level aspirations.
Thursday, January 9th, Afternoon Breakout Sessions
1:00pm - 1:45pm
Competency-Based Education: Pedagogical Strategies for Active, Applied, and Iterative Learning
Cheryl Hyde, Social Work
Temple University
About this Breakout Session
This breakout session addresses facets of competency-based education using social work as an example. Focus is on active, applied and iterative pedagogical strategies that consider the development learning stages of students. Participants will examine and discuss connecting course objectives to competencies, the importance of “scaling up” learning activities, and assessment.
Empowering College Students with AI
Joshua Mask, Economics
Temple University
About this Breakout Session
This session explores integrating AI tools in higher education to boost student efficiency and engagement. Participants will learn how to implement LLM training assignments, review findings from a MacMillan AI tutor study, and discuss practical implications for enhancing teaching practices with AI.
Six Degrees of AI Assignments: Integrating AI into Your Practice
Tom Pantazes, Teaching and Learning Center
West Chester University
Adam Rainear, Communication and Media
West Chester University
About this Breakout Session
AI tools are prompting a reevaluation of teaching methods. This session outlines a strategy to identify essential skills and content for lasting relevance. It showcases practical AI activities from West Chester University, highlighting both AI-integrated and non-AI methods to help students learn about generative AI.
Teaching with Maps: Environmental Justice and Civic Data
Felipe Valdez, Libraries
Temple University
About this Breakout Session
This session focuses on using maps to teach about inequality, emphasizing spatial and environmental justice. Through activities like analyzing historical and official maps, creating personalized maps, and exploring interactive technologies, participants develop critical thinking, spatial awareness, and learn how maps reveal social biases and influence public policy.
Teaching & Learning Focused Research: Ensuring Our Pedagogy Cultivates Student Success
Benjamin Brock, Center for the Advancement of Teaching
Temple University
About this Breakout Session
With an eye to cultivating empirically-based teaching strategies, this interactive session, which concludes with a panel discussion, explores the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) as a means to inform pedagogical practice. Participants will learn about SoTL principles, benefits, & considerations while discovering resources for undertaking teaching and learning research.
From Perfectionism to Play: Using Improv to Enhance Learning Environments
Divya Chaudhry, Asian Studies
Vanderbilt University
About this Breakout Session
Current session demonstrates the role of applied improvisation in boosting learner engagement, encouraging intellectual risk-taking, and promoting intellectual humility. Participants will engage in improv games and guided reflection exercises to determine how improv principles could be incorporated into their instructional practice.