KINGSTON, R.I. – March 21, 2024 – The University of Rhode Island Office of Advancement of Teaching and Learning will host the inaugural Innovative Education Conference on Wednesday, March 27, bringing together URI faculty and educators from across Rhode Island, the region, and nation. The daylong, virtual conference is free, but registration is required.
“As the flagship land grant and sea grant university in Rhode Island, we need to be leading. This conference is an opportunity,” said Christopher Lavan, associate vice provost for advancement of teaching and learning. “We’re gathering faculty from across the country, hosting them with our own faculty, so they can share best practices and what we do best, which is teaching and learning for today’s students. I think it’s going to be a powerful event and a great opportunity for these educators to get a taste of URI.”
Built around the theme “Inclusive Teaching in an Ever-Changing Learning Environment,’’ the conference will feature workshops, presentations, poster sessions and panel discussions—all in a virtual conference hall—centered on best practices in teaching, learning, faculty development and support in higher education.
The conference will include keynote speakers Kelly Hogan, professor of biology at Duke University, and Viji Sathy, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina—along with more than 70 panelists from about 30 higher education institutions, several from as far away as Ireland, Egypt and Fiji, and more than 250 attendees.
Attendees can take part in panel discussions and workshops across five tracks—innovative approaches to blended and online learning; effective strategies for assessment and measuring student learning; teaching and technology in the age of artificial intelligence; supporting faculty wellness and well-being; and fostering inclusivity in the physical and online classroom environment.
The conference’s theme and topics represent some of the most important issues facing educators today.
“It’s no secret that state by state, different universities, especially public universities, are seeing inclusive teaching, diversity, equity and inclusion, and related topics, differently. And that’s OK,” Lavan said. “Here’s an opportunity for us to gather and talk about some of those differing approaches, and identify effective approaches so that all students can learn at a high level.”
Keynote speakers Hogan and Sathy will discuss “Creating Inclusive and Welcoming Classroom Environments,” presenting approaches that can be implemented with any discipline or class size to help students reach their potentials. Both are award-winning instructors with more than 30 years combined in the classroom and expertise on inclusive techniques and active learning. Their work has been featured in national publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education and The New York Times. They are also authors of “Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom.”
Their book is issued to new URI faculty through a grant from the URI Office of the Provost. The Office of Advancement of Teaching and Learning has led discussions of the book the past couple of years. “To finally have the authors with us next week is going to be special,” Lavan said.
After the conference, the Office of Advancement of Teaching and Learning will develop a survey to gather attendees’ reactions to the conference, he said.
“Thus far, what we’re seeing—people registering, people interested—is what we want,” he said. “Hopefully, we can create an annual event that highlights URI’s commitment to putting faculty success first and prioritizing professional development of all members of its instructional community—and that those outside the campus see us as a leader when it comes to teaching and learning, innovative approaches and gathering experts to help our faculty be successful.”