The annual conference brought together educators at Elon and online to explore how teaching today can prepare students with the skills and adaptability they need for the future.
This August, Elon University hosted university and college educators from across the region and around the world for the 22nd Annual Teaching and Learning Conference. A free, hybrid event sponsored jointly by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL), Teaching and Learning Technologies (TLT), and the Office of the Provost.
Nearly 70 educators attended the conference on Elon’s campus, including faculty from Queens University of Charlotte, providing an opportunity for educators to connect and exchange ideas. Hundreds more participated virtually from institutions across the country and beyond.
Rather than simply streaming the in-person conference, the fully hybrid format offered distinct programming for virtual and on-campus participants throughout the day. The two groups came together virtually for the conference’s keynote, while other sessions were designed specifically for each mode of participation.
This year’s conference, themed “Teaching for Tomorrow: Building Transferable Skills and Lifelong Learners,” encouraged attendees to reflect on how today’s teaching practices shape students’ abilities to adapt, think critically and thrive in the future. Presentation submissions addressed one of four related sub-themes: Technology and the Future of Learning, Foundations for the Future, Building Transferable Skills for Tomorrow, and Teaching Innovations.
The keynote address was given by Susannah McGowan, director for curriculum transformation initiatives at The Red House at Georgetown University, titled “Boldness by Design: Reimagining our University from the Classroom Out.” McGowan shared how universities might move from preserving tradition to designing new models, structures, and pathways toward the learning outcomes they seek for students, drawing on her experience leading institution-wide educational transformation initiatives.
Following the keynote, McGowan and Jill McSweeney, assistant director of CATL, led an in-person workshop for on-campus attendees, “Envisioning Structures of the Possible,” which invited participants to imagine a new, fully experiential core curriculum requirement for the year 2032. The workshop asked educators to consider experiential learning as a holistic, emergent and relational response to the complexities of higher education today.
Throughout the day, presenters shared research, practices, and teaching strategies aligned with the conference’s themes, creating opportunities for both virtual and in-person participants to connect with colleagues and exchange ideas about the future of teaching and learning.
The Teaching and Learning Conference is held annually at Elon and remains free for registrants. Information about the 2026 conference schedule, past conferences and future calls for proposals is available on the CATL and TLT websites.