A diverse community of educators will gather for the annual Research on Teaching and Learning Conference on December 5 – 6 at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre to share thoughts on leadership trends, issues and experiences in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

This year the conference will focus on Research on Teaching and Learning in and across the Disciplines and will bring together educators from across Ontario to participate in workshops, short paper presentations, poster sessions, and a new format called the “SoTL Sandbox.”

New this year, the “SoTL Sandbox” will provide researchers with opportunities to engage with peers and colleagues to share early-stage research questions with the objective of establishing connections and receiving feedback. These sessions will allow participants to explore and consider various perspectives from across and within disciplines.

“We are very excited about this new opportunity” says Julia Evanovich, Educational Developer at the MacPherson Institute. “We hope to see a lot of really engaging conversations and hope that this type of format encourages researchers who are in the early stages of a project to bring their ideas, even if they aren’t fully fleshed out, to enhance connections and discussions.”

Dr. Nancy Chick, Director of the Endeavor Foundation Center for Faculty Development at Rollins College and Co-President Elect of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) will present the keynote address on the morning of December 5.

Dr. Chick will discuss the importance of attending to the “production” of SoTL, while also being mindful and intentional about its “consumption.” She will also explore types, processes, and methods of effective facilitation in SoTL. Her discussion will go beyond the notion of “impact” to instead explore the wider notion of “resonance.”

On day two of the conference, Dr. Susan Denburg, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, Executive Vice-Dean and Associate Vice-President Academic for the Faculty of Health Sciences, will moderate a panel discussion with expertise that cuts across various academic areas at McMaster. The panel will include Dr. Mary Chaktsiris, Dr. Jonathan Sherbino, Dr. Frances Tuer, Dr. Ayesha Khan, Dr. Colin McDonald, and Dr. Beth Marquis.

The Research on Teaching and Learning Conference is hosted by the Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation & Excellence in Teaching.

Interested in attending? Register now!

Registration closes at 7:30am on Wednesday, December 4.

Limited tickets remaining for purchase.