No matter what experts disagree about when it comes to identifying best practices in teaching and learning, most tend to agree that self-reflection, research, and professional development are pillars upon which they rest. Sharing also tends to be a critical component of teaching and learning, but publishing doesn’t come easily to new scholars, and the very idea of sharing in itself is scary for new teachers. But have you thought about conferences as a way to do both?

Each year the University of Windsor and Oakland University assemble the best and brightest in higher education from Detroit, Windsor, and around North America for the Windsor-Oakland Conference on Teaching and Learning. Now in its eight year, the conference is tackling the issue of “Empowering Students to Learn”, and the organizers are looking for your interactive workshops, presentations, and posters. Presenters will also be able to submit their work for a digital publication archiving conference proceedings. Here’s how the organizers see this year’s conference  theme:

The Learning Paradigm (Tagg) shifts the teaching mission from “instruction” toward the goal of “successful student learning for every student.” And indeed, one primary mission of higher education is to educate and empower students for a variety of contexts including the professional, personal, educational, and civic. But how do we know we are achieving that goal? How do we know college isn’t just a “hoop for jumping through” (to quote Tagg) but a meaningful, engaging experience? Empowering Students to Learn will help us move from teacher-focused instruction to student-focused learning.

The Eighth Annual Conference on Teaching and Learning will offer interactive workshops, oral and poster presentations, and keynote speakers. This year, we are encouraging participant collaboration and involvement with small-group discussions and round-tables. We’ll explore the following questions:

  • How and what students learn?
  • What pedagogies empower student learning?
  • How can we assess learning?

Our two invited speakers are John Tagg, author of The Learning Paradigm and Stephen Carroll, creator of a six-step strategy to promote effective, self-directed learners.

See our call for proposals, for which submission will open December 2013. Plan to join us in May 2014!

 

You can find that call for proposals here: http://cleo.uwindsor.ca/oakland/callforproposals.php

 

 

4 Responses to Calling All Proposals: Windsor-Oakland Wants You!

  1. Julie Meko says:

    Hi Greg,

    Can people attend the Oakland U. conference even if they don’t present papers or workshops?

    • gregorynpaziuk says:

      Hi Julie,

      You can absolutely attend as a spectator. Follow the link to the conference website to register. I think this would interest you.

      Hope all is well!

      Greg

      • julie meko says:

        Thanks, Greg. Do you know whether anyone from U. Windsor wants to carpool?

        • gregorynpaziuk says:

          Julie, sorry for the delay. I’ve confirmed that CTL will be organizing some kind of shuttle for the event. We’ll update you on those details as we know them.

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