Event Overview & Agenda

Top Hat Engage 2020 is a three-day event where you will discover how to make real-time instructional decisions—powered by data—to maximize engagement, learning and student outcomes. Get inspired by your academic peers, and learn practical Top Hat tips and tricks that improve your teaching experience and help your students succeed in our Breakout Sessions.

  • Thursday, March 5th

  • 3:00 pm

    Level 1 Foundations Top Hat Certification Workshop

  • 3:00 pm

    Level 2 Advanced Top Hat Certification Workshop

  • 6:30 pm

    VIP Cocktail Reception for Top Hat Certification participants

2019 Efficacy Grant Recipients: Research Showcase

Every year, Top Hat provides grants to select educators and institutions who have dedicated themselves to researching how our active learning platform can be implemented to support faculty effectiveness, student engagement and the achievement of learner outcomes. Come hear our 2019 grant winners present their research findings.

Speakers:

  • Elaine Bohorquez, Physiology Graduate Program, North Carolina State University
  • Kyle Anderson, Biochemistry, University of Saskatchewan
  • James Ross, Chemistry, East Los Angeles College

Student Success Starts with a Great First-Year Experience

With nearly a third of American college students dropping out before they become sophomores, the battle to improve retention and graduation rates is increasingly zeroing in on the first year experience. Institutions are tackling this challenge in a number of ways, with educators and program directors thinking beyond traditional curricular approaches. This includes focusing on the role physical and mental health education, study habits and soft-skill development play in fostering student retention and success. In this session, you’ll hear perspectives from three educators responsible for three very different general education courses on contemporary approaches to college readiness and what it takes to deliver a great first-year experience.

Speakers:

  • Sue-L Cohen, Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University
  • Brian O'Connell, First Year Engineering Program, Northeastern University

Better Together: Courses That Support Content Acquisition and Career Readiness

While "career coach" may not be in your job description, preparing students for the workforce—and getting them to think outside the confines of their disciplines—has become increasingly important. In this discussion, panelists will highlight how they’re getting students career-ready by teaching vital leadership, management and networking skills. Your peers will share how they are exposing students to real-life situations to apply learning outside the classroom. You’ll also learn how teaching competence-related public speaking skills is helping recent graduates with job seeking and job keeping.

Speakers:

  • Jhones Sarturi, Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University
  • Kathryn Dedrichs, Communications and Journalism, University of St. Thomas
  • Frank Falcone, Engineering, Villanova University

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Workshop

Technological and pedagogical changes—combined with questions about the “usefulness” of a college degree—have stimulated demand for a deeper understanding of how different teaching methods impact student success. That’s where the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) comes in. Learn how to build a successful SoTL proposal from two of this year’s Top Hat Efficacy Grant recipients: professor Laura Freberg and Curriculum Coordinator Clarissa Thompson. Understand the common challenges of applying for a SoTL project for individual applications and department-wide submissions. You’ll also discover the best practices for defining a research question, recognizing and resolving ethical concerns and managing time and budget.

Speakers:

  • Laura Freberg, Psychology, California Polytechnic State University
  • Clarissa Thompson, Psychology, Kent State University

Reaching Students with Learning Disabilities in a Diverse Student Population

As college populations grow in diversity, so do the number of students attending a higher ed institution with a diagnosed or undiagnosed disability. In this presentation, professor Brittany Joseph, an Intro to Special Education instructor, will highlight examples and ideas attendees can use to increase the academic confidence of those with learning disabilities. Understand the key issues faced by diverse student populations and get concrete tips on how technology is being used to level the playing field for all students.

Speakers:

  • Brittany Joseph, Counseling and Special Education, Bowling Green State University

Tech and Techniques That Motivate Learners Outside the Classroom

Learning has never been confined to the four walls of a classroom. However, until recently, educators did not have the tools to ensure their students were engaged with course materials outside of class. In this panel, three professors will discuss how they’re using Top Hat to engage students before, during and after class. From bonus points systems to homework readings that drive deeper engagement through video and practice problems, you’ll get pragmatic, technology-driven ideas for expanding the space (and time) for learning.

Speakers:

  • Jamie Pomeranz, Occupational Therapy, University of Florida
  • Kirsten Grant, Chemistry, CUNY, Hunter College
  • Blake Regan, Engineering and Technology, Ohio University

2020 Efficacy Grant Recipients: Proposal Showcase

The annual Top Hat Efficacy Grant was created to provide educators and institutions with the funds necessary to research how our all-in-one teaching platform can be used to create more effective and engaging educational experiences for professors and students. This session will showcase the five grant recipients for 2020. Each recipient will discuss their research proposals, followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Gen Z Has Arrived: A Roundtable on the Unique Challenges and Opportunities of Teaching Today's Students

Generation Z poses newfangled challenges for educators. These digital natives are accustomed to using their devices to access and share content cheaply, immediately and from anywhere. In this interactive roundtable, three professors will share their efforts to evolve their teaching to cater to Gen Z learners. They’ll highlight how they’re using technology in the classroom to teach resilience, why active learning is the key to student engagement; and how online forums and information sources for Gen Z students impact instruction.

Speakers:

  • Deanna Behnke-Cook, Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph
  • Nick Carbonaro, Business Administration, Long Beach City College
  • Lora Jacobi, Psychology, Stephen F. Austin State University

Innovation-Based Learning Workshop

For today’s students, it’s no longer good enough to make it to graduation day. To succeed beyond the classroom, learners need a deeper understanding of how to apply their knowledge to future endeavors. Innovation-Based Learning (IBL) is designed to accomplish exactly this. IBL is a student-driven pedagogy that aligns course content to a student’s academic pursuits with the aim of helping them develop critical thinking, collaboration, communication, problem solving and leadership skills. Professor Joe Sanchez has travelled the country to train over 800 educators on instituting IBL in their classrooms. Take a peek inside the IBL toolkit practitioners are using to turn students into well-rounded professionals who are ready to excel in high-demand sectors.

Speakers:

  • Joe Sanchez, Psychological Science, South Texas College

Small Changes: Lessons from Learning Science That Can Improve Face-to-Face and Online Teaching

Regardless of the learning setting, your instructional choices can either improve students’ ability to meet course objectives or maintain the status quo. In this practical session, professors Andrea Hendricks and Demian Hommel will demonstrate how making minor adjustments, rather than wholesale transformations, can impact students and their achievements. Drawing on the latest literature, and their own direct experience, they’ll share strategies all instructors can apply to improve teaching and learning in face-to-face and online learning environments.

Speakers:

  • Demian Hommel, Geography, Oregon State University
  • Andrea Hendricks, Mathematics, Georgia State University

Pedagogy and Practice That Supports Inclusive Learning Experiences

The feeling of belonging is one of the most important factors in determining how successful a student will be in their academic careers. Creating an inclusive classroom environment is essential to ensuring the diversity of student perspectives and backgrounds helps, rather than hinders, student success. In this discussion, three professors will tackle the topic of inclusivity. You’ll get practical tips on how to ensure students thrive, and how online learning, classroom technology and student-centred pedagogies are making learning more inclusive.

Speakers:

  • Natasha Liebig, Philosophy, Adams State University
  • Eric Davis, Sociology, Bellevue College
  • Derrick Spiva, Ethnic Studies, San Francisco State University

Blended and Hybrid Learning with Technology: A Design Workshop

The ubiquity of technology in higher ed and large undergraduate class sizes are just a few of the reasons course offerings with online components have ballooned. While the idea of redesigning a course can be daunting, professors utilizing a blended learning model find student engagement and success rates often exceed those of a traditional classroom setting. In this hands-on workshop, professor Saffieh Mogghadam and Centre for Teaching and Learning Director Karen McCrindle will examine successful blended learning models. Working in small groups, you will learn how to leverage face-to-face and online delivery methods to achieve your course’s overall objectives.

Speakers:

  • Safieh Moghaddam, Linguistics, University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Karen McCrindle, Centre for Teaching and Learning, University of Toronto Scarborough

Equity-Oriented Pedagogy: Evidence-Based Strategies for Increasing Equity in Student Outcomes

Instructors want to ensure all of their students succeed. But without formal training or professional development, few can identify the steps needed to get there. That’s where Christopher Hunn and his team at UC Berkeley come in. They created a new course to support 130 student instructors in developing and evaluating equity-oriented strategies for the classroom. Drawing on research and lessons learned, workshop participants will get a crash course in applying adaptive strategies to improve student outcomes. You’ll also find out how to use Top Hat to power your own equity-oriented approaches to teaching.

Speakers:

  • Christopher Hunn, Undergraduate Instruction, University of California, Berkeley
  • Andrew Phuong, Undergraduate Instruction, University of California, Berkeley
  • Judy Nguyen, Undergraduate Instruction, University of California, Berkeley

Student Success in the 21st Century: How Instructors Can Evolve Their Approach Along with Students' Needs

How can educators keep the material taught in their classes relevant to a student population that has instant access to endless online information? For many professors, the answer is actually the root of their problem: technology. Join our panelists as they advocate for the use of technology in the classroom to keep course materials up-to-date and students engrossed using the multimedia and interactive tools they love. Our speakers will also explore the power of technology in driving deeper engagement and how it can set students up for success after graduation.

Speakers:

  • Jessica Roisen, Philosophy, St. Ambrose University
  • Sarah Sletten, Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota

Emerging Approaches to Teacher Development in Higher Ed

A common criticism of higher education stems from the idea that faculty are trained for research, but teaching is something they must learn on their own. In this panel discussion, we’ll unpack that assumption, and question whether it will continue to hold true as colleges evolve in the 21st century. You’ll hear from educators responsible for different facets of faculty training about the systemic challenges they must overcome along with the efforts of administrators and faculty peers in promoting a culture of continuous growth and development on campus. You’ll also hear their visions for scaling student success through innovative and effective teaching.

  • Nancy Legge, Public Speaking, Idaho State University
  • Clarissa Thompson, Psychology, Kent State University
  • Stacy Gant, Instructional Support Services, North Carolina State University

Independent Learning Can Improve Outcomes: Three Professors Share the Secrets of Their Success

Learning from traditional textbooks alone isn’t effective for most students. That’s why a growing number of instructors are embracing new approaches to independent learning by creating their own customized textbooks, formative assessments and student-driven learning activities. But given the effort required and the lack of insight into student engagement, is it worthwhile? Three professors teaching different courses have tackled this question head-on. After embarking on years of research to prove the impact of their learning designs and materials, they’ll share their results and the secrets of their success.

Speakers:

  • Matthew Numer, Human Sexuality, Dalhousie University
  • Steven Forsey, Organic Chemistry, University of Waterloo
  • Charles Atwood, General Chemistry, University of Utah

Prioritizing Mental Health in Higher Ed Curriculum: Lessons from Oregon State University

An epidemic of the 21st century, mental illness has its highest onset levels in the 18–24 demographic—a population that is also the most reluctant to seek help. Oregon State University professors Erica Woekel and Dan Roberson know this all too well. Oregon has the highest incidences of mental health issues in the country, and their institution has reported steep rates of depression and anxiety among their student population. In this talk, Woekel and Roberson discuss their work with counselling and psychological services at OSU to revise and—at the request of students—incorporate more mental health content into their mandatory 1,900+ student course. Learn how their ground-breaking efforts are reducing the stigma around mental health and providing critical resources to those in need.

Speakers:

  • Erica Woekel, Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University
  • Dan Roberson, Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University

The Benefits of Collaborative Classrooms: Perspectives from Across the Disciplinary Divide

Two heads are better than one—and collaborative learning environments are no different. Through activities like peer instruction and group exercises, they can help students enhance problem solving and critical-thinking skills. This panel discussion brings together professors from disparate disciplines to shed light on the successes they’ve experienced creating collaborative classrooms. Hear first-hand how they are using in-class technology and data to improve formative and summative assessments and create team-based learning environments.

Speakers:

  • Olga Glebova, Computer Science, Georgia State University
  • Alexander Gainer, Economics, University of Alberta
  • Isaac Wiegman, Philosophy, Texas State University

Hatchling Pricing

$149

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Early Bird Pricing

$199

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Register for Top Hat Engage 2020 now!

$249

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