2008–09 Conferences

Culture Matters:
Designing Learning Environments
to Foster Cultural Awareness and Intercultural Competence

 

November 21-22, 2008
Sheraton Bloomington Hotel
Bloomington, Minnesota

Early Bird registration postmark deadline: October 29, 2008

The effects of culture are everywhere in higher education, providing abundant opportunities as well as challenges for strengthening college teaching and learning. They range from the implications of serving an increasingly diverse student population or integrating global learning into the curriculum to the ways each institution and discipline transmits its particular perspectives, values, and practices to new generations.

The goal of this conference is to explore the premise that culture, in all of its manifestations, is emerging as a fundamental influence on teaching and learning in the 21st century. Not only must today's students be culturally aware and interculturally competent to be successful, but efforts to strengthen college teaching and learning can be helped or hindered according to whether cultural differences are taken into account. The learning-centered institution is one where reflection on diverse perspectives is embedded in its work—one where culture matters.

Check back in August for registration materials.

Exploring the Tough Questions:
From Inquiry and Dialogue to Better Student Learning

 

February 13–14, 2009
Sheraton Bloomington Hotel
Bloomington, Minnesota

 

Concurrent session proposal deadline: September 19, 2008

Early Bird registration postmark deadline: January 28, 2009

What are the burning questions about teaching and learning that keep us awake at night and spark conversations with colleagues? How do we, as teachers, pursue answers to these questions and use them to advance our teaching and students’ learning? As professional educators, we know that “best practices” have moved from lecture-dominated classroom instruction delivered in isolation to varied instructional activities that are grounded in research and scholarship, discussed with colleagues, and strengthened through collaboration.

This conference will explore how faculty and staff are engaging in systematic study and dialogue of key issues in teaching and learning, as well as what they’ve learned and how they’ve improved teaching practices as a result of empirical evidence. Sessions will include models of classroom research, action research, and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) projects; teaching circles; groups working to interpret and use NSSE and other assessment data; and practical application of approaches grounded in higher education scholarship.

Check back in July for the Call for Proposals and in November 2008 for conference registration materials.

 

 

 

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