Registration for 2019 Spotlight on Learning Conference due April 17

Illustration by: Kristi LargeThe 2019 Spotlight on Learning Conference is full of sessions centered around the theme "Experiential Learning."

Registration for the 2019 Spotlight on Learning Conference is now open. On Tuesday, April 30, OHIO faculty, teaching assistants, and staff will learn from other Ohio University experts during concurrent sessions focused on a topic that ties into one of President Nellis’s initiatives to build a University engagement ecosystem: experiential learning. To register to attend, visit the conference web page by April 17.

“Experiential learning is an important, high-impact teaching practice that can add significant value to students’ learning journey,” said Katie Hartman, co-chair of the Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Committee and chair and Fox associate professor of marketing. “Research suggests that effective experiential learning increases and deepens learning, helps students connect theory to practice and leads to the development of lifelong learning skills. This conference will provide opportunities to share and learn about OHIO’s experiential learning opportunities.”

The conference will kick off with a panel discussion from 8:30–10:00 a.m., in which OHIO faculty will share their own adventures introducing experiential learning into their courses. Subsequent session topics include enriching the classroom through service learning, Virtual Reality Video simulations, and immersive learning through study away experiences. There also will be an open house in CoLab at the end of the day. The space serves as a central hub that unites students from all backgrounds.

“This year’s conference will create a setting for attendees to learn, share insights, have candid conversations about experiential projects, and research alongside colleagues from across the institution,” said Tim Vickers, director of the Center for Teaching & Learning. “I’m looking forward to seeing the cross-disciplinary collaboration among faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds.”

In addition to the session blocks, there will be an ongoing opportunity during the conference to engage with members of the Top Hat team. They will be available all day to provide faculty with group workshops, a sponsored lunch (registration required) and one-on-one consultations about adopting Open Educational Resources to their courses. Read more about this opportunity on the conference web page under “ongoing sessions.”

“My hope is that faculty from across campus will come away from the Spotlight on Learning Conference with new ideas for how to engage students in various forms of experiential learning,” said Scott Titsworth, co-chair of the Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Committee and dean of the Scripps College of Communication. “Ohio University is distinctive in how we integrate experiential learning into our programs, and this conference will afford an opportunity to highlight that strength and continue building upon our excellence in that area.”

The Spotlight on Learning Conference is co-sponsored by the Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Committee and the Office of Instructional Innovation (OII). For questions, please contact OII at oii@ohio.edu.

The Office of Instructional Innovation (OII) serves as a catalyst to spark bold experimentation and sustainable discovery of innovative instructional models that fulfill the University’s promise of a transformative educational experience. OII provides a variety of services to faculty, staff, and students in support of academic units and online programs, as well as to advance initiatives to further the institution’s mission. Visit www.ohio.edu/instructional-innovation for more information.

Robin Muhammad explains her strategies in response to a question during the opening panel discussion of the 2018 conference.

Larry Hess, an OII instructional designer, works with faculty during a session about Team-Based Learning at the 2018 conference.