SEE ALL OF OUR EVENTS Top Hat Logo What Is Top Hat?

NOVEMBER 3-4, 2022

Join us for a special event to unlock the
power of every moment in your classroom.

November 3-4, 2022

The Otis Hotel
1901 San Antonio St
Austin, TX 78705 USA

Register Closed
 

November 3-4, 2022

The Power
of a Moment

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How do we create more moments of connection? Of curiosity? And how do we create defining moments that make learning memorable? At Top Hat Engage Austin, we’ll bring together 100 innovative educators to answer these questions and more.

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 that’ll help you create learning experiences designed to engage students emotionally and intellectually.

Agenda Overview

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Auburn University
Rutgers University
California State University
University of Florida
University of Buffalo
Vanderbilt University
Indiana University
University of Georgia

Making the Connection: How to Create More Meaning and Joy in Your Teaching

One positive outcome of the pandemic is the broadened awareness of the student experience in higher education. This includes a renewed focus on the key factors that positively impact learning, including a student’s sense of belonging, their personal connections to the course content and materials, and their relationship with other students and the instructor. In this interactive workshop, Professor Katie Dawson will explore active, creative teaching strategies every educator can use to create more joy and meaning-making in the classroom. Come ready to create, to critically engage, and to connect with your work and with each other.

Speaker:

  • Katie Dawson, Drama and Theatre, University of Texas at Austin
  • Deen Rawlins-Harris, Student
  • Mateo Hérnandez, Student
  • Lily Odekrik, Student

Experiential Learning and the Power of Reflection

We like to say that students are responsible for their own learning. Yet one of the most important ingredients in creating memorable learning experiences—and one that is most often missed—is allowing time for reflection. Setting the table for academic and personal growth means making time to guide students through a process of reflection and, above all, leveraging the insights they generate for themselves. Professor Demian Hommel will draw from models of experiential education to highlight opportunities to reflect on powerful moments that can and should be remembered.

Speaker:

  • Demian Hommel, Geography, Oregon State University

3 Reasons We Shouldn’t Get ‘Back to Normal’ and 5 Things To Do Instead

Instead of hitting pause or rewinding back to before the pandemic, Professor Lindsay Tan invites us to explore the possibility of going ‘forward to normal.’ In this session, Tan will reveal how she has turned defining moments in pandemic teaching into enduring best practices. Learn why she set aside classroom gimmicks to harness the power of unscripted moments, and how you can use them to re-engage your students, elevate learning, and reduce burnout. You’ll also get a look at Tan’s academic playbook and course blueprint with concrete examples you can implement right away.

Speaker:

  • Lindsay Tan, Consumer and Design Sciences, Auburn University

The Next Chapter: Interactive Textbooks as Agents of Change

The calls to make learning more inclusive, engaging, and meaningful are growing. With so much for educators to balance, change doesn’t often happen overnight. But can it? In this special panel presentation, three of Top Hat’s most celebrated authors will share how their interactive textbooks are accelerating the shift to student-centered learning in classrooms across North America. Over the course of three high-impact presentations, you’ll learn the innovative approaches these educators have embraced to capture the interests of diverse students, make content more relatable and take the concept of ‘learning by doing’ to exciting new places.

Speakers:

  • Meaghan Altman, Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced. Author of Introduction to Psychology
  • Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, Communication Studies, Cal State LA. Co-author of Inclusive Public Speaking
  • Irene Foster, Economics, George Washington University. Co-author of Principles of Economics

Teaching with Insight to Support Student Success

Midterms and finals can help identify who’s struggling, but they often come too late to get students back on track. To succeed, students need regular, meaningful and timely feedback. In this presentation, professor and seasoned online instructor Andrea Hendricks will share her tips for designing courses that deliver rich insights into student engagement and performance, including her use of knowledge gauges, auto-graded questions, and open discussions. See how she uses Top Hat to provide timely feedback, and learn practical strategies for ensuring student success in both online and in-person courses.

Speaker:

  • Andrea Hendricks, Mathematics, Georgia State University

Realizing the Dream: Classroom Strategies for First-Generation College Student Success

Over 40 percent of students entering college are the first members of their families to do so. Yet first-generation students are less likely to be familiar with classroom strategies that can make them effective learners. In this session, Meaghan Altman will share pedagogical techniques that engage students while teaching them ways to be successful in a large lecture format. Learn how to integrate notetaking demonstrations into your lectures and the value of the ‘quiz you're supposed to fail’ to spur student success. You’ll also see why the ‘group test’ is an easy way to capture the benefits of the flipped class—without actually flipping your class.

Speaker:

  • Meaghan Altman, Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced. Author of Introduction to Psychology

Putting It All Together With Intentional Course Design

Great courses are built upon powerful moments–moments of joyful learning, breakthrough insights, immersion and flow reflective of deep engagement. The question is, how can we increase the likelihood of such enduring course experiences happening for more students? In this session we’ll explore the power of intentionally designing a course that exhibits clarity of purpose, fosters a sense of belonging, and emphasizes student-centered assessment.

Speaker:

  • Brad Cohen, Chief Academic Officer, Top Hat

Welcome Address & Morning Keynote

What’s required to support student-centered transformation? How can we strike the right balance between building on what works and creating the time and space to try new things? In this special keynote presentation, Dr. Bridget Burns will share her first-hand experience enabling sustainable innovation to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. Named one of the ‘16 Most Innovative People in Higher Education’ by Washington Monthly, Dr. Burns will draw on her experience working with the most innovative universities to demonstrate how even small changes can lead to massive transformations.

Speaker:

  • Joe Rohrlich, Chief Executive Officer, Top Hat
  • Dr. Bridget Burns, Chief Executive Officer, University Innovation Alliance

Setting the Stage for Memorable Classroom Moments

Moments have the power to transform lives—in positive and painful ways. This session will focus on helping you prepare to fully engage in the meaningful moments that are so important for making your courses magical and memorable. Learn strategies for creating a classroom environment that is conducive to exploration and exchange—and how to ensure students come prepared to participate. You’ll also learn instructional heuristics you can use to stay present and create the space to respond and build on spontaneous contributions.

Speaker:

  • Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, Communication Studies, Cal State LA
  • Melissa Broeckelman-Post, Communication, George Mason University