ITDS welcomes faculty to submit innovative, engaging, and thought-provoking submissions that align with this year’s theme: Humanizing Learning: From Content to Connection. Our theme challenges us to design experiences that recognize students as whole people. It’s about incorporating the rich perspectives, experiences, and questions they bring into our classrooms, and creating environments where they feel seen, valued, and capable.

How do we remove barriers that prevent students from fully engaging? How do we build authentic community in our courses? How do we use technology intentionally as a tool that enhances human connection rather than replaces it? Great teaching is thoughtful about pedagogy while remaining deeply attuned to the human dimensions of learning.

Share your amazing teaching ideas and learn from others at our Annual Summer Institute! Our Summer Institute seeks passionate ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ University faculty to demonstrate their cutting-edge teaching practices. Dive deep into the exciting intersection of technology, learning, and instruction, and contribute to shaping the future of education.

Key Highlights:

• Conference Theme: Humanizing Learning: From Content to Connection
• Deadline for Submissions: April 24, 2026Ìý(Last call!)
• Notice of Proposal Acceptance: April 24, 2026 or earlier
• Conference Dates: Wednesday, June 3 & Thursday, June 4 – In-Person
• Location: University Hall, 7th Floor Conference Center

Submission Tracks:

• Humanizing Learning through Access and Agency
  How do we design learning experiences that actually work for the diverse range of students we teach? This track explores how to create learning experiences that are inclusive, accessible, and reduce barriers while giving students more choice, flexibility, and ownership of their learning across all course modalities. These sessions will highlight that designing for accessibility should not be an afterthought, but an integral part of pedagogical approach.
• Humanizing Learning through Social Connection and Belonging
  What turns a class into a community? This track explores the social side of learning: discussions, group projects, experiential learning, and community-engaged teaching and learning. Sessions will help you co-design experiences that foster meaningful interactions and a sense of belonging.
• Humanizing Learning in the Age of Technology and Artificial Intelligence
  How do we embrace new tools without losing what makes learning meaningful? This track helps faculty navigate AI and educational technology with intention, exploring how to remain grounded in human values while integrating emerging tools. Sessions focus on creative approaches to AI and practical strategies for using technology in ways that support curiosity, critical thinking, and genuine connection to keep educators and students at the center of the learning experience.

NotebookLM helps faculty synthesize readings, analyze documents, and explore ideas using sources they provide (ex. articles, PDFs, syllabi, policies, websites, or reports). Unlike open-ended AI chat tools, NotebookLM grounds its responses in uploaded content and provides citations, supporting transparency, verification, and responsible use.

In this workshop, participants will learn how to upload instructional resources and use NotebookLM to generate summaries, discussion questions, study guides, and classroom activities to support teaching and student learning.

This workshop is ideal for faculty interested in practical ways to use AI for enhancing course preparation and student learning.