Conference Program

Tonya Buchan, Colorado State University
Frankie Wilcox, Colorado State University

The Teaching Excellence Network (TEN) is a faculty-led educational development program sponsored by the CTL. Each college appoints a TEN coordinator to curate educational development programming to address the unique needs of faculty within their college. The coordinators are responsible for writing weekly teaching tips and offering workshops throughout the semester. The program is a win for both the college faculty and the CTL as it allows faculty to engage in programming tailored to their needs. Learn how this distributed model benefits the colleges, faculty, the TEN coordinators, and the CTL.

Jason Drysdale, University of Colorado Denver

When designing or redesigning a curriculum, there can be so many influencing factors—professional organization criteria, accrediting standards, clinical requirements, school-specific outcomes, licensure requirements, and the like—that it can be difficult to develop programs that are both unique and that function as an intentional system of learning. In this workshop, we’ll explore the process of collaborative instructional design at the curricular level, with the intention of making sense of these complex and curricular influences and forging a pathway toward a program that is intentionally designed, unique to your strengths and values, and that equips students for success in their academic and professional work.

Michael Shavlik, Colorado State University

Social media websites such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and to a lesser extent, Facebook, all captivate students in the college classroom through catchy headlines and short-form video content. This session will share recently implemented strategies to harness the power of social media in a large, introductory biology course intended for non-major students. These skill building processes include scaffolded discussions and investigations using social media posts in the classroom as a springboard for deeper learning in current research topics. Participants in this session will learn to weave science and social media in ways that build critical thinking and analysis skills in their students.

Desa Daniel, University of Colorado Denver
Scott Schaefle, University of Colorado Denver

This presentation examines the innovative use of group counseling theory as an interactive teaching method in graduate education. By employing a co-teaching model, we create a dynamic environment where students receive and provide constructive feedback. The approach includes structured group discussions, role-playing, and peer review sessions that enhance participation and communication skills. Regular feedback intervals foster continuous improvement, leading to greater student engagement and satisfaction. Ultimately, this method promotes collaborative learning, strengthens peer connections, and prepares students for the collaborative nature of their future careers, inviting further exploration and resource development among educators.

Catherine Kleier, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Lisa Badanes, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Nahum Kisner, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Jess Retrum, Metropolitan State University of Denver

In 2025, MSU Denver launched the DFW Playbook—a bold, data-driven effort to boost student success by tackling high rates of D, F, and Withdraw grades. Partnering across 44 departments, faculty created targeted, inclusive interventions for 60+ courses—from Learning Assistants to curriculum redesigns. This workshop reveals MSU Denver’s step-by-step strategy for transforming equity data into collective action. Participants will explore how to mobilize faculty, use institutional data to drive change, and build a culture of continuous improvement. Leave equipped with an adaptable framework to lower DFW rates and advance equitable student outcomes on your own campus.

Jeffery Speth, Weber State University

Participants of this roundtable will engage in a guided discussion on: perceived AI-susceptibility of traditional course activities, successes and struggles with developing AI-resistant assignments, and opinions on where accountability for appropriate AI use truly rests (on the educator or the student). The session will provide a setting to share perspectives as we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI utility by students in higher education and how this may impact our process for developing and delivering assignments that still positively foster engagement and learning for our students.

Greta LeDoyen, Colorado State University

Student wellbeing is shaped by the same motivational and behavioral processes that underlie learning, yet these connections are rarely leveraged intentionally within undergraduate curricula. This study examined the effects of a four-week intra-curricular behavioral change project on undergraduate stress, anxiety, and health behaviors. The presentation will briefly review the background, methods, and results of this study, but the focus will be on integrating health behavior theory, which strongly parallels learning and motivation theory, in authentic assessments within existing curricula to support student wellbeing. A guide to beginning the process in attendees’ own classes will be provided.

Sherri Vasas, Weber State University

Mental health is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of healthcare education. Using the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), we have begun monitoring respiratory therapy students each semester to track trends in secondary traumatic stress (STS), burnout, and compassion fatigue. This ongoing project highlights the importance of collecting mental health data to better understand and support students’ well-being. This session will share the process of implementing longitudinal mental health monitoring, discuss emerging observations, and explore how such data can inform advocacy for institutional change. Participants will gain practical insights to promote mental health tracking within their own programs.

Chere’ Clawson, Weber State University

This autoethnographic study explores how integrating a digital fluency assignment using Adobe Express impacted engagement and learning in an introductory hematology course. By combining reflective journaling, student questionnaires, and interviews, the research documents both instructor growth and student perceptions of creativity, collaboration, and comprehension. Findings highlight how visual projects such as infographics foster critical thinking and engagement while revealing challenges related to time, topic complexity, and group dynamics. The study offers a model for embedding digital literacy in laboratory education and provides actionable strategies for faculty to enhance teaching through reflective digital pedagogy.

Laszlo Christian, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Éva Bíró, Ludovika University of Publice Service
Virág Botos, Ludovika University of Publice Service
Miklós Szabó Ludovika University of Publice Service

The study explores why a methodological transformation in Hungarian higher education can no longer be postponed. Drawing on three empirical modules at the Ludovika University of Public Service—students and alumni (n = 1464), academic staff (6 focus groups), and institutional leaders (survey + interviews)—the research maps perceptions of digitalization, AI, and future learning models. Findings show consistent demand for practice-oriented, mentor-based teaching and for balanced integration of human and technological factors. The project contributes to the ongoing “Future of Education” research, offering evidence-based directions and two takeaways: strategic support for teacher training in AI-enhanced pedagogy and fostering motivation through student-centered mentoring.

Jennifer Todd, Colorado State University

Positive psychology defines meaning as the “sense of purpose, fulfillment, and significance derived from living in alignment with one’s values and using one’s strengths in the service of something larger than oneself.” (Ackerman, 2018) What if your course could bring this greater sense to students? Backwards design with meaning threads purpose and significance into your course, connecting course content to students’ lives – relevance to their future careers, their personal development, or their ability to make the world a better place. You will leave this all-hands-on workshop with an outline for a new or existing course.

Stephanie Ward, University of Northern Colorado

As higher education navigates the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on how we teach and assess student learning, a campus-wide system of support and guidance is often missing. At the University of Northern Colorado, participation in AAC&U’s AI Institute on Pedagogy and Curriculum inspired us to develop an AI Conversations Toolkit. This is a practical framework to guide academic units through discussions of AI’s impact with the goal of departmental action plans around academic integrity, learning outcomes, and faculty development needs. This session will share our process for building campus-wide AI readiness, demonstrate the toolkit, and invite participants to engage in sample facilitation activities.

Annie Krieg, Colorado State University
Annie Halseth, Colorado State University

We will share our experiences designing writing-to-learn and writing-to-engage activities that invite students to work together and find joy in the process as well as present our initial assessment of these changes. Through examples of assignment design, reflective prompts, and classroom practices, participants will consider how writing can enable community and increase joy, curiosity, and motivation. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect and share, leaving with strategies to foster collaboration and joy amongst both colleagues and students, concrete ideas for incorporating writing as a tool for critical thinking, engagement in the process, and joy in their own teaching contexts.

Nicola Corbin, Weber State University

What do we do as educators when the world erupts and students walk into the classroom, shaken, overwhelmed, or unsure how to talk about what just happened? The day after a major tragedy occurred, I implemented a structured reflection protocol that was designed to help students process the event by acknowledging their emotions and grounding them within a disciplinary context. This session shares that approach as a practical, human-centered teaching strategy. Participants will experience the four-step reflection model, explore how it stabilizes emotional activation, and practice adapting it to their own courses.

Storm Gloor, University of Colorado Denver

During performances, successful musicians apply skills and strategies intended for robust audience engagement to assure attendees are positively changed in some way from the experience. With similar goals in mind, teachers can apply much of what these musicians do to realize these outcomes. In this session we will learn how best practices of our favorite musicians can be applied in any classroom for effective student learning and engagement with the material. Attendees will engage in fun interactive activities designed to bring out their own “rock stardom” and to practice how they will apply similar approaches in their own learning environments.

Wenzhen Li, University of Nevada, Reno
Sarah Cummings, University of Nevada, Reno

Faculty are navigating rapid change—generative AI, student disengagement, and burnout—which can intensify feelings of isolation and undervaluation. This session invites participants to explore small practices that can have big impact on faculty belonging and well-being. After a brief presentation grounded in human-centered design, participants will engage in guided discussion about practices that cultivate recognition, connection, and presence in faculty development. Drawing on examples such as learning communities, book groups, and micro-learning sessions, the session invites attendees to co-create a human-centered framework that elevates presence, community, and care in faculty development.

Jennifer Daniel, Queens University of Charlotte
Shawn Bowers, Queens University of Charlotte

Liz Norrell writes, “when you cannot be present, you cannot teach effectively” (p. 1). Creating presence in the classroom is vitally important but cannot happen if teachers are not present. In this discussion, we seek to provide an invitational space to gently investigate pedagogies for creating presence. While many students are emotionally self-aware, some lack academic self-awareness. We made three reflective changes to revise our teaching practices that center presence: using the Transparency In Learning and Teaching framework (Winkelmes); unhitching alphanumeric grades from assessment and feedback; and developing a third channel of communication, encouraging students to observe their own learning.

Jill Giacomini, University of Colorado Denver

This research session presents a descriptive case study on applying Edmondson’s (2018) psychological safety framework to an online graduate course design. The study investigated the framework’s impact on students’ perceptions of psychological safety and their learning experiences as conceptualized through the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model. Findings indicate the framework successfully fostered a safe environment for risk-taking. Additionally, results show a positive influence on learning, particularly in amplifying social presence and fostering an “empowered learning mentality” through intentional design.

MaKayla Martinez, Weber State University
Jennifer Greenlee, University of Utah

First-year writing courses have a high ratio of students with disabilities, which makes creating accessible materials a priority for instructors. Rubrics are an effective and often overlooked resource that benefit neurodiverse and neurotypical students as an independent instructional tool. To address this intersection, our study focuses on the effect of assignment rubrics over the course of a semester, particularly with regard to neurodivergent students. This study was conducted by surveying the reactions of neurotypical and neurodivergent students after two similar low-stakes assignments. Ultimately,we aim to conclude if rubrics reduce neurodivergent student anxiety in the submission and grading of assignments.

Ursula Sorensen, Brigham Young University
Michael Johnson, Brigham Young University

This session addresses “presence” by inviting educators to ground themselves in the current moment; “process” by guiding them through experiential reflection and practice; and “people” by exploring how mindful attention fosters genuine connection and belonging. Participants will leave with tools that support holistic engagement in their personal and professional lives, helping them “be with” rather than “do for” students and colleagues.

Anastasia Williams, Colorado State University

Lee Shulman’s concept of “pedagogical solitude” highlights the isolation faculty often face in higher education. But who truly benefits from these silos? This interactive session explores how faculty-student partnerships dismantle isolation, fostering solidarity through relationship-rich education. It examines how such partnerships, especially in large courses, serve as healing, humanizing practices for faculty, promoting belonging, mattering, and purpose. Drawing on frameworks from bell hooks and Bettina Love, the session challenges whether reforming systems from within is sufficient and explores how these partnerships transform faculty experiences, retention, and resistance to the consumerization of education.

Jared Barber, Colorado Christian University

The purpose of this workshop is to explore the use of hand-drawn visual essays as an engaging and effective student assignment. These visual essays consist of graphic organizers, metaphorical and iconic imagery, mnemonics, and textual support. Many benefits accrue as students engage the process of wrestling with, synthesizing, and presenting arguments and ideas in this way, including higher order cognition, long-term retention, a break from screens, and overall enjoyment. Participants will explore the rationale and approach to assigning visual essays, and craft a short-form visual essay as a ‘first taste’ experience.

Kalpana Gupta, University of Colorado Boulder
Preston Cumming, University of Colorado Boulder

Mindfulness can help focus our conversation to facilitate engagement and understanding of perspectives that might be different from our own. In this interactive session, participants will practice the art of directing attention to the present moment for a deeper connection with others as well as within our own selves. The practice of mindfulness along with the art of active listening can aid faculty as well as learners in authentic dialogue in the classroom.

Qiong Hu, University of Colorado Denver

This session explores evidence-based strategies for selecting and designing high-quality examples that maximize learning in quantitative subjects while addressing diverse student needs. Rather than overwhelming students with numerous practice problems, we’ll demonstrate how carefully crafted, contextually rich examples can deepen understanding and maintain engagement. Participants will learn frameworks for creating examples that connect to students’ daily lives, scaffold complexity appropriately, and build confidence in data literacy. Drawing from business analytics and statistics courses, we’ll share proven techniques for transforming abstract concepts into meaningful learning experiences that resonate with all students, particularly those with math anxiety or limited quantitative backgrounds.

Molly Smith, University of Denver
Jill Valdez, University of Denver

This session invites participants to explore how data insights can help shape teaching practice and support more intentional and responsive instruction in higher education. Through guided discussions, collaborative activities, and practical examples from courses taught using the Canvas LMS, attendees will learn to leverage both quantitative and qualitative data to identify patterns, monitor student progress, and address challenges in real time. Participants will also consider how insights from data can inform future adjustments to course content and delivery, ultimately enhancing student engagement and supporting learning outcomes.

Michelle Miller, Northern Arizona University

Informal question and answer session with the keynote speaker.

Adriana Alba, Brigham Young University Idaho

As higher education expands access to nontraditional students, our pedagogical processes must evolve beyond traditional hierarchies of knowledge and performance. This presentation introduces a framework grounded in feminist pedagogy that redefines online learning as a relational and reflective process rather than a linear product. Drawing on research from a large global online program, the session explores how design choices emphasizing dialogue, reflection, and agency can transform online classrooms into spaces of empowerment. Participants will gain actionable strategies for centering learner voice and identity in course design, facilitation, and assessment practices.

Annalee Hickman Pierson, Brigham Young University

Recent studies show an increase in reported neurodivergent higher education students. While many of these students seek accommodations through the official university process, we, as professors, should use evidence-based practices to create classrooms that embrace and support neurodiversity. Using universal design principles and the research on neurodivergent college students, this session will share best practices in the following areas: course structure, lectures, in-class activities, and assessments. Time will be given during each of these areas for participants to apply the best practices discussed to their own classrooms.

Marylynne Viola-Lawson, Utah Valley University

As generative AI tools rapidly reshape higher education, traditional outcome frameworks like Bloom’s Taxonomy risk reinforcing product-oriented learning that machines can easily replicate. This interactive workshop invites participants to reimagine learning outcomes through Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning, emphasizing presence, people, and process over output. Participants will analyze outcomes vulnerable to AI reproduction and redesign them using Fink’s categories of caring, human dimension, and integration. Grounded in current scholarship on human-centered pedagogy, this session offers a framework for crafting learning experiences that cultivate authentic thinking, creativity, and meaningful connections to content.

Janel Seeley, University of Wyoming

This interactive workshop introduces participants to reflective dialogue, a practice for cultivating presence through thinking together. Using experiential dialogue exercises, we will explore how this approach can enhance classroom interactions, collegial relationships, and professional practice across a variety of contexts.

Anna Gabur, Weber State University

In this practical workshop I will present three different strategies that foster critical thinking skills and engage the entire classroom. The strategies are rooted in research on group work scaffolding. The exercises are structured in a manner that makes participation comfortable and accessible to every student, eliciting their contributions in firm, yet gentle ways that make participation essential but not intimidating. These activities are flexible and easy to adapt to a variety of topics and time constraints. During the workshop the audience will have a chance to practice each of the exercises.

Shannon  Stimpson, Brigham Young University
Toni Pilcher, Brigham Young University

The practices of the Slow Movement can provide an authentic, reflective, and joyful teaching experience. In an intentional effort to slow down, resist the academic culture of speed, and reclaim joy as teachers, we discovered sparks of teaching inspiration in the everyday. We will share how we documented those sparks using commonplacing–a journaling practice that can enhance embodiment, flow, and co-storying–to integrate our deepening capacity for attention into our teaching. In this session, participants will set-up their own commonplace journal to activate their senses, reframe time as a creative experience, and use freewriting to find the story within their curriculum.

Kathryn Young, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Azeneth Meza, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) can transform courses, but faculty often hesitate to take it on due to concerns about logistics, time, and partnerships. This roundtable session offers practical strategies for integrating real-world experiences into existing courses without adding unnecessary stress. Participants will learn how to design manageable, meaningful projects that connect course objectives with community impact, whether through formal partnerships or student-driven initiatives. Drawing on examples from introductory education courses, this session demonstrates how small-scale CEL experiences can promote equity, deepen learning, and strengthen community connections.

Jim Hutchins, Colorado School of Mines

Open educational resources in neuroanatomy suffer from inconsistent image quality, potentially interfering with student learning. This study applies cognitive load theory to optimize neuroanatomy teaching images. Participants (n =209) were assigned to four conditions, training and testing with either simplified or standard Creative Commons images. Simplified images consistently improved performance and reduced completion time, with greatest benefits in matched training-test conditions and among students who spent more time on tasks. These findings suggest that systematic application of cognitive load principles can enhance learning outcomes in anatomy education.

Nicola Corbin, Weber State University
Hannah Stedge, Weber State University

What happens when faculty are given judgment-free space to explore generative AI? This session shares findings from a quasi-experimental study of a 5-week virtual faculty learning community designed to help instructors integrate generative AI into their teaching. Results show gains in familiarity, confidence, and pedagogical decision-making, supported by qualitative insights into how structured doubt and shared reflection foster growth. The session highlights communicative strategies that make room for uncertainty and curiosity as approaches that cultivate trust, encourage adaptation, and provide meaningful support for faculty navigating the pressures of teaching in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

Jennifer Gibb, Utah Tech University
Emily FitzGerald, Utah Tech University

This session explores pedagogical approaches that integrate students’ “full package” self–intellectual, physical, emotional, spiritual, socioeconomic experiences. We link the methodology of Embodied Pedagogy to Perspective-Taking, utilizing frameworks like Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model to help faculty understand contemporary student contexts, including challenges related to digital distraction and AI. The session provides actionable strategies for moving beyond merely intellectual instruction by incorporating physical activities, sensory assignments, and creative assessments that consider the whole self and the environment in which that self develops and exists.

Sean Waters, Colorado State University

This session will provide an introduction to mindful free-writing to invigorate our love of writing with pen and paper. This workshop will provide practical tools to build greater intellectual and emotional well-being, feel better, and stimulate your creativity. Bring your journal.

Deborah McKee, Weber State University
Carrie Quesnell, Weber State University

Join in on this “Jeopardy” style interactive game session to learn how you can include more math concepts into your field of study. Whether your field is in the Performing Arts, Communications, or History, we guarantee that we can show you how to build a prompt that will utilize math skills for your students. The goal of this session is to have the audience rethink math not as a singular subject, but as a connecting element throughout a variety of disciplines. The audience will be able to take home all the “Jeopardy” prompts in a handout.

Jessica Tinklenberg, Pima Community College
Jeremy L. Schnieder, Pima Community College

Too often, educational institutions have valued efficiency and speed over developing the processes and people necessary to address complex problems in higher education. Solving “wicked” educational problems like equity, sustainability, technological adaptability, and campus well-being, have been relegated to a single office or area of the college in service of that “quick fix” mindset, with expected results. Colleagues in these offices are burned out (or their offices eliminated), students are left unsupported, and no meaningful change is enacted. In this interactive workshop, two educators with experience in public and private institutions will share research on an alternative way to address “wicked” problems in higher education through a transdisciplinary lens.

Amy Rushall, Northern Arizona University
Antony Hascall, Northern Arizona University

This roundtable discussion will highlight the important work of teaching large section courses. Join us to learn about a community of practice that supports the people, the faculty, who teach these large courses. We will describe a successful model from our institution and invite members of the roundtable to contribute to the conversation and to share what has worked at their institutions.

Meghan Hernandez, University of Colorado Anschutz

Developing Master Adaptive Learners (MAL) is central to physical therapist education, yet traditional grading often constrains the reflection, self-regulation, and equity needed to support this growth. This exploratory case study examined the impact of an ungrading approach in a first-year course redesigned to emphasize collaborative self-assessment, reflection, and learner agency. Quantitative findings showed more positive learning experiences in key areas, while thematic analysis revealed four interconnected themes: inclusive, learner-centered environments; internal learning roadblocks; self-regulated learning as a catalyst for growth; and a shift toward growth-focused mindsets. This session will highlight how intentional ungrading practices can cultivate MAL behaviors and offer practical strategies for integrating equitable, learner-centered assessment approaches.

Eric Olson, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Kiyan Shafieizadeh, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Michael Wray, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Jangwoo “”JJ”” Jo, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Jennifer Watson, Metropolitan State University of Denver

This case study highlights MSU Denver’s School of Hospitality (SOH) faculty and their commitment to experiential learning through real-world environments, including a hotel, restaurant, and brewing lab. Guided by Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, constructivism, and Freeman’s Stakeholder Theory, SOH faculty integrate academic study with industry partnerships that foster internships, professional engagement, and career pathways. Using mixed methodology, findings demonstrate how collaborations with associations, government, and businesses enhance student outcomes across hospitality programs. With 95% of graduates securing employment or graduate school placement within six months, SOH faculty exemplify how experiential learning and stakeholder engagement drive career readiness and long-term success.