2026 Teaching & Learning Symposium

Learning in Action: Engaging Students through Connection, Challenge, and Practice

November 6, 2026, East Campus Union

Student engagement is more than participation. It grows when students feel connected, challenged, and supported through learning experiences that foster trust, belonging, active thinking, and meaningful practice. This symposium explores evidence-based approaches that help students engage more deeply with course content, develop professional judgment, and take an active role in their own learning.

SYMPOSIUM AGENDA

8:30 - 9:00	REGISTRATION	East Campus Union
9:00 - 9:15	WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS	Great Plains Room C
9:15 - 10:00	Teaching That Matters Wendy M. Smith, Director, Center for Transformative Teaching (CTT)	Great Plains Room C
10:00 - 10:45	Interactive Workshop Lisa Karr, Animal Science Krista Croghan, CTT Robert Vavala, CTT	Great Plains Room C
10:45 - 11:00	BREAK Accessibility Office Hours Drop-In (Legacy Board Room)
11:00 - 11:45	SPEED SESSIONS "All the world's a stage": Quizzes as performance. Tim Cook, English From Padlet to Play: Using virtual classroom tools for class engagement. Meghan Otoupalik, Libraries OER in 5: From Free Textbooks to High-Impact Teaching. Catherine Fraser Riehle, Libraries Assessing Art & Design: Process vs. Product. Kylin Flothe & Sandra Starkey, Textiles, Merchandising, & Fashion Design Attendance Barometers. Richard Graham, Libraries Math placement at UNL: What's changed and why. Josh Brummer & Allan Donsig, Mathematic	Great Plains Room C
11:45 - 1:15	LUNCH Table Discussions & Institute of Online Teaching Awards Accessibility Office Hours Drop-In Table	Great Plains Room C
INSTITUTE FOR ONLINE TEACHING AWARDS
1:15 - 2:00	CONCURRENT SESSION 1
	Stop Re-Reading and Start Remembering: Creative Alternatives for Engaging Review Materials Jacquelyn Omelian, Psychology	Great Plains Room A
	Emotional Scaffolding: Creating a Sense of Belonging in the Classroom Mavis Beckson, English	Great Plains Room B and Zoom
	When the Students Make the Rules: Realtime Engagement in Critical Issues Vanessa Gorman, History	Garden Room and Zoom
	Accessibility Office Hours (sign up required)	Legacy Board Room
2:00 - 2:45	RESOURCE FAIR FOR INSTRUCTORS UNL Libraries Information Technology Servies (ITS) Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Center for Academic Success and Transition (CAST) Academic Navigators Institutional Equity and Compliance (IEC) Therapy Dogs—Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Accessibility Office Hours Drop-In (Legacy Board Room) Please also feel free to take a break during this time.	Great Plains Room C
2:45 - 3:30	CONCURRENT SESSION 2
	What Would You Do? Using Low-Stakes Challenges to Build Professional Judgment Emily Fisher, Teaching, Learning, & Teacher Education	Great Plains Room A
	Incorporating Mastery-Based Learning and Differentiated Instruction in a High Enrollment Introductory Financial Accounting Course Amanda Gonzalez, Accounting	Great Plains Room B and Zoom
	TITLE TBD Andrew Hanna, Management	Garden Room and Zoom
	Accessibility Office Hours Drop-In	Legacy Board Room
3:30 - 4:00	CLOSING SESSION	Great Plains Room C