Elon faculty showcase innovative teaching at 2025 ISSOTL Conference

A group of Elon faculty traveled to Christchurch, New Zealand, for the annual International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) Conference, held Nov. 3-6, 2025. Faculty from the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL), along with colleagues from across the university, shared their ongoing research on student learning, inclusive teaching, and the evolving landscape of higher education.

This year’s conference theme, “Exploring the Changing Landscapes of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning,” provided a timely backdrop for Elon presenters whose work highlights curiosity-driven learning, student development, faculty development, and the integration of new technologies in teaching. ISSOTL brings together scholars and educators from around the world, creating a rich environment for cross-institutional conversation and collaboration.

Elon’s presence was visible across posters, papers, roundtables, and workshops throughout the conference, reflecting the breadth of scholarly teaching on campus.

Presentations included:

Posters: 

• “Weaving Knowledge: The Role of Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in STEM Learning Communities” by Jen Uno, associate professor of biology, and associate director of CATL
• “Inviting Curiosity – Exploring Lingering Questions with I Wonder Projects” by Marna Winter, associate teaching professor of education and associate director of CATL
• “Cultivating Student Engagement, Agency, and Peer Relationships: A Query Into Belonging and Mattering” by Evan Small, assistant teaching professor of wellness

Roundtables:  

• “Fostering Inclusive Learning through Relational Pedagogy: Centering Student Voice and Choice into the Classroom” by Evan Small, Marna Winter and Allison Bryan, director of the curriculum resources center and associate librarian
• “Rooting Deep and Reaching Skyward: Growing Trust in University Classrooms” by Jill McSweeney, assistant director for CATL and assistant professor of wellness; Debra Grantham, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Ted Murcray, California Baptist University, Riverside, California; Laurel Schut, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; and Kathryn Sutherland, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
• “ChatGPT, give me an engaging title for my ISSOTL session: Can AI be a bridge into SoTL?” By Jill McSweeney, Jen Uno and Matt Wittstein, associate professor of exercise science and director of neuroscience

Papers 

• • “Methodologically Sound, or the Sound of Methodology: Podcast Peer Review as Disruption and Discovery” by Jill McSweeney and Derrit Mason, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • “New Horizons of Belonging: Disciplinary Approaches to Building Classroom Community” by Marna Winter, Jen Uno and Jill McSweeney
  • “Pedagogies of Relevance: Shifting Student Perceptions of Literary Study” by Erin Pearson, associate professor of English and 2023-2025 CATL Scholar
  • “When Rivers Converge or Diverge: A Dyadic Analysis of Relational (Mis)Alignment in Pedagogical Partnership” by Sarah Bunnell, director of CATL and associate professor of psychology and Kristen Luschen, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts.

Workshops   

• “Creating Institutional Cultures that Center SoTL: Continuing an Exploration of “Visions of the Possible” by Sarah Bunnell, Jen Uno, Marna Winter, Jill McSweeney, with Paul Hanstedt, Jake Wright, and Collins Amy of University of Minnesota Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota
• “Rethinking Student Feedback: Co-Creating Meaningful and Transformative Evaluations” by Jill McSweeney and Nira Rahman, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia 

Together, these sessions illustrate the depth and diversity of Elon’s recent contributions to the international landscape of the scholarship of teaching and learning.

The ISSOTL conference provided opportunities not only to share research, but also to learn with international partners, allowing faculty to return to campus with new ideas that will enrich teaching and learning on campus. Elon’s strong presence at ISSOTL 2025 reflects the culture of inquiry, collaboration, and innovation that shapes the institution’s approach to engaged learning.