Teaching and Learning Days

Modality: P (In Person)

The Faculty Center holds monthly professional development events during the semester, typically on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. These events offer two or more concurrent sessions in each of three time slots, much like a mini-conference. They are held in person only, with remote options only available when the entire event is held online.

Each Teaching and Learning Day is announced several weeks before the event, and participants sign up to reserve a spot; participation is capped at 75. This event is for full-time faculty only, and we provide lunch in the form of pizza, salad, and subs. Since participation is limited, we ask that faculty only sign up if they can attend at least two sessions.

We do not record these sessions since we prioritize the networking and sharing elements of the face-to-face experience. You are always welcome to contact presenters to see if they would be willing to share materials with you separately.

Fall Dates

~~September 9, 2025~~
October 8, 2025
October 30, 2025

Registration Link: Registration links for the Fall 2025 Teaching and Learning Days become available three to four weeks prior to the event.

Click the link to register for the October 8 Teaching and Learning Day: h ttps://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9N6fMAaZsVTq8Pc

Typical Event Format

Session 1, 9:00–10:00 AM
Coffee Break, 10:00–10:10 AM
Session 2, 10:10–11:10 AM
Coffee Break, 11:10–11:20 AM
Session 3, 11:20 AM–12:20 PM
Lunch, 12:20–1:00 PM

Teaching and Learning Day

October 8, 2025

Session 1 9:00–10:00 AM

Helping Students Feel “Seen” – Kevin Yee (Director, FCTL)
Students succeed at the highest rates when they feel they belong, both socially and academically. But how do we do that? We’ll brainstorm specific practices, with an eye toward identifying as many as we can that might work even in very large classes.

Ungrading in Age of AI – Anastasia Bojanowski (Instructional Specialist, FCTL)

Break 10:00–10:10 AM

Coffee, tea, and snacks in the Faculty Center
CB1-FCTL, Room 207 (Main Room)

Session 2 10:10–11:10 AM

Academic Integrity in the Age of AI – Jennifer Wright (Associate Director of Student Conduct) and Lily Resmondo (SCAI Coordinator)

Teaching with Pop Culture: Building Connection and Cognitive Engagement Across Disciplines – Liz Giltner (Instructional Specialist, FCTL)
Pop culture can be a powerful teaching tool that sparks curiosity, deepens understanding, and builds classroom community. In this workshop, faculty will explore the cognitive benefits of weaving contemporary cultural references into their courses, from improving memory and engagement to boosting students’ perception of content relevance. Participants will leave with practical strategies for integrating music, film, social media, and other cultural touchpoints into classes of any size, from small seminars to large lecture halls.

Break 11:10–11:20 AM

Coffee, tea, and snacks in the Faculty Center
CB1-FCTL, Room 207 (Main Room)

Session 3 11:20 AM—12:20 PM

Beyond Default Narratives: Using Storytelling to Contextualize AI – Laurie Uttich (Instructional Specialist, FCTL)
Content AI-generated content increasingly shapes educational resources, but algorithmic outputs often reflect narrow cultural perspectives. This interactive workshop provides practical storytelling techniques to contextualize and expand AI-generated content across disciplines. Participants will learn to identify gaps in AI outputs, curate diverse narratives to supplement algorithmic content, and teach students to evaluate AI materials through multiple lenses. You’ll leave with concrete tools to make AI content more complete and pedagogically effective in any field.

Session 2: Topic TBD, Laurie Pinkert (Director, WAC)

Session 3: TBD

Lunch 12:20–1:00 PM

CB1-FCTL, Room 207 (Main)