Nearly 100 University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty and staff attended the second Transformational Education Conference on Jan. 12 at the Markee Pioneer Student Center. The event was sponsored by the Teaching and Technology Center (TTC). UW-Platteville instructors presented topics related to adaptable pedagogy, and Dr. Mary Beth Leibham, professor of Psychology at UW-Eau Claire, delivered the keynote address.
“To bring faculty and instructors from across the UW-Platteville campuses together again and to be able to sit across the table from each other to share ideas is invaluable,” said Dr. Regina Nelson, director of TTC and conference organizing committee member. “Dr. Leibham presented a talk on ‘Meeting Our Students Where They’re At: Creating Supportive and Engaging Learning Environments for Today’s College Students.’ The timeliness and inspiration of this talk was noted by many – the combination of Dr. Leibham’s professional expertise and knowledge of UW System students created a very powerful keynote.”
While the conference was in-person, the keynote address was livestreamed to allow those who were unable to attend the conference in-person a chance to hear the keynote speaker. According to Nelson, due to the pandemic, it’s been three years since faculty and staff have gathered for an in-person event of this size focused on professional development. She emphasized the importance of the discussions focused on teaching experiences and how to engage with today’s college student.
“UW-Platteville students benefit when their instructors learn techniques and best practices from each other. One of the key roles of the Teaching and Technology Center is to find ways to present opportunities for faculty to gather and learn from each other,” said Nelson. “Understanding some of the markers of college student development and academic motivation led to key takeaways that will ultimately benefit students in spring semester courses and beyond. A conference like this ideally provides faculty and instructors small steps and ideas that they can implement immediately to improve the teaching and learning process.”
To learn more about the TTC, visit https://www.uwplatt.edu/department/teaching-technology-center.