Big XII Teaching and Learning Conference

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6th Annual Big 12 Teaching and Learning Conference

June 13 - 14, 2019 | Austin, Texas

Conference Keynote Presenters

Tom Tobin
Katina Rogers

Tom Tobin

Conference Programming Chair & Faculty Associate, Learning Design, Development & Innovation Department (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Katina Rogers

Director of Programs and Administration of the Futures Initiative and HASTAC (Graduate Center, City University of New York)

Adashima Oyo Keynote
Emily Drabinski

Adashima Oyo

Director, HASTAC Scholars (Graduate Center, City University of New York)

Emily Drabinski

Critical Pedagogy Librarian, Mina Rees Library (Graduate Center, City University of New York)


In today’s increasingly interconnected and networked world, we are able to engage in discussion with individuals from across the globe and find diverse opportunities for learning about each other.   Many college or university units related to teaching and learning, however, find it difficult to know where or how to begin to build on the potential of these opportunities and model collaboration or cross-campus dialogues and projects.  Traditional approaches to supporting teaching and learning—often defined by campus boundaries, barriers, and silos—may not fully equip students to understand the complexity of contemporary issues that these support units seek to address.  

Topics of Interest

Areas of interest, resource design and community development to be explored through the lens of the conference will include the following:

  • ACTIVE LEARNING: The expectation of the next generation entering the work force not only focuses on educational results, but also the transferable skills acquired during their university experience.
    • How do we best encourage the development of skills such as effective communication, digital literacy, problem solving, data analysis and research skills? 
    • How can we best utilize or redesign the spaces or technologies on our campuses to harness opportunities for active learning and research?
  • COLLABORATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING: Collaboration is becoming increasingly important in today’s workplaces as we become more connected than ever before in the way we work together.  Collaborative learning is now much easier thanks to advances in technology, such as high-speed internet connectivity, rapid file sharing and video conferencing.
    • How do we increase opportunities for peer-to-peer learning?
    • How can we transform our campus environments around teaching and learning and find more collaborative opportunities for working across boundaries and silos?
    • How can we create/implement makerspaces or digital scholarship initiatives and work along librarians and archivists to advance collaborative opportunities?
  • GLOBAL LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT:  The most challenging problems in our world cross every kind of borders, whether geopolitical, economically, or disciplinary.
    • How do we transform approaches to learning and faculty development in order to help equip our students to understand the complexity of today’s contemporary issues?
  • UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING (UDL) / INCLUSIVITY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING: We are often challenged to design and deliver curriculum for an increasingly diverse student population.
    • How can we, as a university community, collaboratively discover and design a variety of strategies and resources to help meet diverse learning needs, improve accessibility to learning opportunities, and increase student success?
  • GRADUATE STUDENT DEVELOPMENT: As employment possibilities shift upon leaving the university, we need to craft new professional development opportunities for our graduate students.
    • How can we best support a more wide-ranging set of needs and skill development for our increasingly diverse populations of graduate students on our campuses?
    • How can we reach new populations of graduate students for our campuses?

With preliminary questions about the conference or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Matthew Russell or Sarah Schoonhoven.

2020 Big 12 Teaching and Learning Conference (University of Kansas)

June 10-12, 2020 (Overland Park, Kansas)

The 2020 Big 12 Teaching and Learning Conference will encourage participants to present and discuss effective teaching methods and frameworks that will address classroom and institutional-level interventions enhancing student learning, expanding our inclusive teaching practices, and refining assessment of student learning.

Additional information on the 2020 conference is available here.


Conference Links

> Main Conference Page

> Registration

> Call for Proposals

> Conference Schedule

> Hotel & Transportation