“We often think of ourselves as teaching students to challenge the way they think, but today we are challenging the way we think about teaching,” said Gary Boire, provost and vice-president academic in his opening remarks at the Teaching and Tech Ideas Day on Wednesday, May 20.

The event, co-hosted by Trent Online, Information Technology’s Learning Technologies Unit, the Centre for Teaching and Learning, and the Trent University Library looked at the countless different approaches, techniques and assessments one may apply to teaching as a practice.

Presentation topics throughout the day ranged from academic integrity, gaming, interactive learning, internships and legacy projects, to name a few.  It was a true “Trent Day” with almost half of the attendees participating in the program as a speaker or panel member.

The conference encouraged the sharing of information, innovation, and ideas.  With 65 attendees and 29 presenters in total, panels and sessions were alive with conversation.  One particular attendee commented that it was a great local event and worth more than the thousands she had spent travelling to larger conferences. 

“We need to develop a culture of innovation, that change will drive us into the future. Technology is irrelevant, what is relevant is what you do with it,” Tariq Al-Idrissi, AVP of Information Technology, explained. “This day is about inspiring innovation.”

Learn more about the day’s discussions by following #ideasday2015

Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015.