Join us for a special one-day event—purpose-built for
innovative educators
March 25, 2022
AT&T Hotel and Conference Centre
1900 University Avenue
Austin, TX 78705 USA
*Attendance limited to the first 100 registrants
Top Hat Engage comes to Austin, bringing together an intimate group of innovative educators to explore the power of curiosity. Get inspired with interactive sessions led by your academic peers and a keynote from one of higher ed’s leading changemakers. Learn practical Top Hat tips and tricks and leave with takeaways to improve your teaching and help more students succeed.
Bowen has spent more than 35 years leading change and innovation at Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southampton. Author of Teaching Naked, Bowen argues that in the new technology-fuelled economy, graduates will be valued less by what they know and more by what they can learn. To help prepare them for a world in flux, this accomplished scholar and musician will discuss the role of relationships, resilience and reflection in providing students with the tools to thrive at a time when change is the only constant.
6:30 PM
Cocktail Reception and Event Check-In | Apex Rooftop
8:00 AM
Breakfast & Registration | Grand Ballroom
9:00 AM
Welcome & Featured Keynote | Grand Ballroom
Breakout Sessions
10:15 AM
Apply, Analyze, Evaluate: Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Promote Exam Readiness | Room A
Elizabeth Sargent, Biology, Georgia Southern University
From Print to Digital: An Author's Journey | Room B
Derek Weber, Biology and Microbiology, Raritan Valley Community College
11:15 AM
An Insider’s Look at Democratic Course Management | Room A
Luke Green, Communications, St. Cloud Technical & Community College
Strengthening Critical Thinking & Reflection Through Specifications Grading | Room B
Jody Langdon, Health Sciences and Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University
12:00 PM
Lunch | Grand Ballroom
12:45 PM
Top Hat Product Keynote | Grand Ballroom
Breakout Sessions
1:30 PM
Creating Feedback Loops That Benefit All Students | Room A
Shauna C. Zorich, Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, SUNY
Bath Bombs and Beer: Sparking Discovery in STEM Education | Room B
Jennifer Donovan, Chemistry, Arizona State University
2:30 PM
Cultivating Community, Resilience and Flexibility to Help Students Thrive | Grand Ballroom
Laura Freberg, Psychology, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Daniel Alati, Sociology, MacEwan University
Morgan Taylor, Economics, University of Georgia
3:45 PM
Top Hat Dynamic Courseware Workshop | Room B
5:30 PM
Event Concludes
Following guidance from the Texas Department of State Health Services, Top Hat is not mandating proof of vaccination at Top Hat Engage Austin. For your safety, however, and the health and wellbeing of all attendees, we strongly encourage attendees to be fully vaccinated prior to the event. Fully vaccinated is defined as having received the final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine recognized by the CDC or WHO at minimum two weeks before the start of Top Hat Engage Austin.
When you’re seated—for our keynotes, breakout sessions, or to enjoy a meal—you’re free to go mask-less. Top Hat’s policy is that masks are encouraged in transition, meaning they should be used in hallways when walking between the rooms where the majority of the event agenda will take place.
Top Hat is working closely with staff at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center to ensure all attendees are comfortable with the level of health and safety provided.
Our measures include:
Please direct any questions or feedback to our events team.
Exams are stressful and students often worry about whether they’ve studied the right concepts. In this session, Dr. Elizabeth Sargent will discuss how to build practical study exercises grounded in learning science, so that everyone is confident heading into your summative assessments.
Lab manuals are often an afterthought, with publishers prioritizing the creation of interactive materials for the lecture portions of a course. One professor is changing the game. Dr. Derek Weber will share his journey authoring a digital lab manual one faculty user described as “the best Allied Health lab manual I have ever seen—by far!” Weber will provide insights into his use of intentional design and learning science that you can apply to your own content to enhance student engagement, discussions and learning outcomes.
Giving students greater control over their learning has many benefits, including increased motivation. Professor Luke Green will share his experience with democratic course management, an approach that gives students ownership over how they’re assessed, the assignments they take on and how grades are weighted. Learn how to make this approach work in classes large and small as well as its impact on student engagement, satisfaction and retention.
The late nights spent grading is an experience most instructors know all too well. But what if there was a different way to approach grading—one that was designed to foster the personal and intellectual growth of your students? Specifications grading is designed to achieve exactly this and has gained in popularity in a variety of disciplines. In this session, Jody Langdon will share how like-minded educators can apply this grading technique to improve critical thinking, self-reflection and comprehension. You’ll discover why educators are making the shift to this tried-and-true strategy and how it can be applied creatively using the Top Hat platform.
Supporting student success in large introductory courses is challenging, even for the most seasoned educators. We know feedback can make an enormous difference—but how can you provide this at scale? And what type of feedback makes the biggest impact on student outcomes? In a study of undergraduate courses, Top Hat research grant recipient Shauna C. Zorich puts these questions to the test. She'll present her findings and will highlight the power of consistency and the importance of tailoring feedback for both struggling students and their high-performing peers. You’ll also learn how you can use Top Hat as an early warning system to ensure all students feel seen and supported.
How do you harness student interests to pique curiosity and relate complex scientific processes to the world around them? Professor Jennifer Donovan, a 2020 Top Hat Research Grant recipient, will share the findings from her efficacy research, including how to use diverse models for discovery, question design, student feedback and scaffolding techniques to instill a genuine understanding of course materials.
Students are grappling with an array of social-emotional concerns ranging from anxiety to loneliness and depression. Unaddressed, these challenges can negatively impact learning outcomes for countless students. In this presentation and panel discussion, we’ll explore how three educators are changing the game by creating classroom environments that emphasize connection, collaboration and flexibility. Join the conversation and learn practical takeaways to make student well being a centerpiece in your course.