Symposium Schedule

Room: Varsity Hall

Room: Varsity Hall

Welcome to the Teaching and Learning Community: Opening Remarks

Megan Schmid, Associate Vice Provost and Director, Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring

Room: Varsity Hall

Challenging with Compassion

Sarah Rose Cavanagh, Associate Professor of Practice – Psychology and Senior Associate Director for Teaching & Learning, Simmons University

When you ask people to tell a story about their favorite teacher in their educational journey, they nearly always describe an instructor or coach who was warm, funny, empathetic…but who also challenged them to rise to high expectations of effort and success. We know from motivation research that the best goals are those that are specific and difficult, as setting a low bar for oneself can be enervating rather than energizing. How can we create classrooms that encourage students to set challenging goals for themselves, that mobilize energy and stimulate creativity, while also being compassionate about the many difficulties our students face and nimbly flexible to adjust to their learning needs? In this interactive keynote, Sarah Rose Cavanagh will present some research and food for thought based on her most recent book on creating learning environments of compassionate challenge, ending on practical tips for teaching self-determined seekers of knowledge.

Biography: 

Sarah Rose Cavanagh is the Senior Associate Director for Teaching and Learning in the Center for Faculty Excellence at Simmons University, where she also teaches in the Psychology Department as an Associate Professor of Practice. Before joining Simmons, she was a tenured Associate Professor of psychology and neuroscience at Assumption University, where she also served in the D’Amour Center for Teaching Excellence as Associate Director for Grants and Research. Sarah’s research considers the interplay of emotions, motivation, learning, and quality of life. Her most recent research project, funded by the National Science Foundation, convenes a network of scholars to develop teaching practices aimed at greater effectiveness and equity in undergraduate biology education. She is author of four books, including: The Spark of Learning: Energizing the College Classroom with the Science of Emotion (2016) and Mind Over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge (2023). She gives keynote addresses and workshops at a variety of colleges and regional conferences, blogs for Psychology Today, and writes essays for venues like Literary Hub and The Chronicle of Higher Education. She’s also on BlueSky too much, at @SaRoseCav.

Photo Credit: Katlyn Reilly Photography

Coffee, tea, and water available in Varsity Hall Lounge.

Room: Northwoods (3rd floor)

Learning in Connection: Using Assessment to Foster Growth for Students and Faculty

Tim Paustian, Microbiology
Beth Martin and Amanda Margolis, Pharmacy
Sue Wenker, Family Medicine & Community Health

This presentation examines how student learning assessment can meaningfully inform and transform teaching practice through the integrated lenses of assessment for learning, assessment of learning, and assessment as learning, drawing on Schön’s reflective practitioner model. By engaging in continuous cycles of reflection, faculty redesigned assignments and learning activities to promote formative skill development and deeper learner autonomy. This session will describe examples of authentic assessment practices and competency‑based evaluation to illustrate how instructors aligned assessment evidence with course and program outcomes while supporting diverse learner pathways. Participants will explore how assessment data — quantitative, qualitative, and experiential — can be used to refine learning activities (including managing assessment overload), enhance transparency, and strengthen student engagement. This session will engage participants in discussions of how they can use intentional assessment design to not only measure learning but actively shape it, empowering students to monitor their progress and adapt their strategies as reflective learners.

Room: Landmark (3rd floor)

The AI Continuum

Amanda Renz, Anthony Orzechowski, and Rajkamal Gopinath, College of Engineering – Interdisciplinary Professional Programs

Interdisciplinary Professional Programs in the College of Engineering integrate AI across a continuum of teaching and learning applications for users, builders, and leaders of AI. This session outlines our approach to embedding AI as a specialization and as an integrated element of domain-focused coursework. We will share examples that highlight our strategy, design and technical methods, lessons learned, and vision for what comes next.

Room: 5th Quarter (2nd floor)

Real Problems, Real Partners, Real Learning: Cross-Campus Collaboration in the Computer Science Capstone

Leah Ujda, School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences

Amber Field, Computer Science

Amber Samdahl,  PBS Wisconsin

This breakout session showcases how intentional collaboration with campus partners can deepen student learning and promote success through real-world, interdisciplinary capstone projects. The Computer Science Capstone course partnered with faculty and professionals from the Wisconsin School of Business, the Department of Neuroscience, and Wisconsin Public Media to co-mentor student teams on authentic, high-impact projects. In Fall 2025, teams addressed challenges from two new partners: developing an AI chatbot that simulates family members to help finance students practice wealth-management client meetings (mentored by Prof. Mark Fedenia), and creating an iPad app using eye-tracking to support diagnosis of autism subtypes (mentored by Prof. Ari Rosenberg). A multi-year partnership with Wisconsin Public Media continued, with students building an automated podcast quality-assurance tool in class while their mentors were also launching a prior capstone project that automates program transcripts into production. Beyond technical deliverables, students developed skills in teamwork, stakeholder communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and agile development. The session will outline the partnership model, co-mentorship structure, and course design choices, and invite discussion on sustaining campus collaborations that enhance relevance, engagement, and professional readiness.

Contributors: Mark Fedenia, Wisconsin School of Business and Ari Rosenberg, Neuroscience  

Room: Industry (3rd floor)

Relationship-Rich Learning in the Large-Enrollment Undergraduate Classroom

Ellen O’Brien, Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring

Jennifer Detlor, Mechanical Engineering

Andrew Lokuta, Kinesiology 

Kristin Branch, Marketing, Wisconsin School of Business

In Relationship-Rich Education: How Connections Drive Success in College (2021), Peter Felten and Leo Lambert invite us to “place relationships at the center of undergraduate education for all students.” Tracing “relationship-rich environments” across many sites in higher ed, they highlight the centrality of the classroom in creating robust and motivating learning interactions. Through “course design, formal pedagogy, and informal interactions with students,” instructors and their classrooms “shape the quality and quantity of both student-faculty and student-student relationships.” These relationships function as an essential and renewable learning resource. This session places Felten and Lambert’s concept of “relationship-rich education” in dialogue with three instructors of large-enrollment courses who have increased student connections and improved student outcomes through relationship-based pedagogical change. Session panelists are collaborative partners in multi-year course transformation projects with CTLM’s Include, Engage, Challenge (IEC) Program, and the session will engage attendees in exploring the relational nature of learning, considering effective instructional designs and classroom practices, and evaluating options for implementation in their courses. The session is structured as a facilitated dialogue featuring a moderator from CTLM and three instructors discussing their courses: EMA 201, ANAT&PHY 335, and MKT 300.

Room: Marquee (2nd floor)

Wisconsin Exchange track

Continuing the Conversation on Controversial Concepts

Aaron Seligman and Rabeen Abu Hamid, UW Hillel

Elizabeth Geir and Jaden Schultz, undergraduate students

Engaging students in meaningful conversations about divisive issues presents unique challenges on campus today, Israel and Gaza being a top example. Hillel at UW has developed three innovative approaches to foster civil discourse and critical thinking using three strategies that engage today’s students from all backgrounds in ways that are accessible and relevant for them – through food, new media, and their peers. By centering food as a cultural entry point, we create welcoming spaces where students feel comfortable exploring difficult questions. Our “flavors of diversity” program allows students to experience (through cooking and guest speakers) directly with a unique culture within Israel, broadening their perspectives and understanding without it feeling forced or overly political. Our pilot podcast allowed Jewish and non-Jewish students who had travelled to Israel and the Palestinian Authority to share their experience and campus perspectives in safe, curious, and reflective spaces – without peer pressure or agenda-driven discussions. Finally, empowering students through lesson planning and information to facilitate discussions on Israel/Gaza allowed for open, vulnerable questioning without an authoritative voice. This session will share our framework for creating environments where curiosity, not controversy, and thrive. Participants will explore how integrating informal social settings, student ownership of content creation, and peer-facilitated dialogue can be adapted across disciplines to address contentious topics. Attendees will leave with transferable strategies for engaging students in productive dialogue on polarizing subjects.

Room: Agriculture (3rd floor)

Empowering Badgers: Connecting Wellness and Brain Science for Student Success

Heidi Evans and Andrea Poulos, English as a Second Language

Participants will explore practical strategies for designing courses that motivate and connect with students by integrating identity, wellness, and learning science. They will engage with authentic materials and open educational resources fostering belonging and equitable access. Presenters will share adaptable activities that promote self-awareness, resilience, and effective study habits, along with techniques for creating a supportive classroom environment. Attendees will also explore results from the Insight to Impact microgrant action research, including findings on explicitly incentivizing purposeful Canvas use to support engagement and learning. They will leave with actionable ideas to help students build confidence and thrive academically and personally.

Room: Varsity Hall

Grab lunch and join a table. This is an informal time to network with campus colleagues.

Room: Northwoods (3rd floor)

Partners in Participation: Ways to Engage Class Participation, Motivation, and Success

Rachel Truitt, Art – Graphic Design

In this session, I will explore several ways in which educators can connect with their students and make classrooms a more immersive, informative, and insightful experience. This will include prompts for student engagement, suggestions for ways to begin the semester on strong footing, and ideas to bring students along with you in the teaching process. I will ask attendees how they engage with students now, what struggles they have with student motivations or participation, and anything that is currently working in class. I picture this session as a mix between presentation and facilitation. Through additional discussion, the room can share additional strategies that are working for them in their disciplines.

Room: Landmark (3rd floor)

Swipe Right for Science: Using “Bug Tinder” to Gamify Evolutionary Biology

Ann Marsh, Entomology

In traditional classrooms, technical content can feel dry and disconnected. This 50-minute session demonstrates how “Creative Translation” transforms student engagement from passive listening to active collaboration. We will model two specific activities: “Bug Tinder”—where students synthesize biological traits into dating profiles—and “LinkedIn for Elements”—where students translate chemical properties into professional career skills. By mapping academic data onto familiar social frameworks, we lower the “affective filter” and encourage peer-to-peer synthesis. Participants will not just hear about these methods; they will experience them. We will spend the majority of the session in a “Live Design Lab,” where attendees work in small groups to build a sample profile, simulating the student experience. The focus is on facilitation: how to spark group discussion, manage the “creative chaos” of group work, and ensure students move beyond humor to demonstrate conceptual mastery. This approach is highly adaptable across disciplines, from STEM to the humanities, proving that when students “play” with content, they own it. This session is designed for educators looking to increase “buy-in” and foster a vibrant, collaborative classroom culture.

Room: 5th Quarter (2nd floor)

Wisconsin Exchange track

Improv for Design, Learning, and Creative Collaboration

Rachael Shields and Erin Hamilton, School of Human Ecology – Design Studies

Improvisational performers generate 20% more ideas and 25% more creative ideas than designers, and a single improv workshop can increase idea output by 37% (Kudrowitz, 2023). This interactive breakout session translates these findings into practical strategies any educator can use to cultivate connection, creativity, and productive dialogue in the classroom — whether in design, business, engineering, the humanities, or the sciences.

Participants will engage in a curated set of low-risk, high-impact improv activities adapted for educational contexts. Activities include a modified “Yes, And” exercise for collaborative idea generation; rapid association exercises that challenge participants to transform abstract prompts into concrete directions; and structured constraint-based games that treat limitations and failure as launch points rather than obstacles. While these methods are widely useful in design, they are equally powerful for discussion-based courses, project-based learning, research teams, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The exercises are intentionally structured to foster psychological safety — encouraging risk-taking, active listening, questioning, thinking aloud, and productive recovery from mistakes. Rather than positioning improv as performance, the session frames it as a practical pedagogy for strengthening engagement, trust, and creative confidence across learning environments.

The activities have been implemented and refined in courses at UW–Madison, including What Is Design?, Human-Centered Design and Business, and Fundamentals of Improv. Aligned with the symposium theme Cultivating Connection, the session models embodied participatory teaching and includes structured small-group reflection to help participants adapt the techniques to their own disciplines, assessment strategies, and collaborative practices.

Participants will leave with adaptable, research-informed tools they can immediately implement to energize classrooms, deepen collaboration, and expand idea generation—regardless of discipline.

Room: Industry (3rd floor)

Cultivating Engagement and Belonging in Large Lecture Courses

Jonathan M. Gallimore, Psychology

Brendan Scherer, Biology

Lisa A. Vinney, Communication Sciences & Disorders

Jim Williams, Computer Sciences

Molly Harris, Letters & Science Instructional Design Collaborative

Connect with colleagues around large-enrollment teaching! Large and increasing class sizes pose their own challenges and opportunities for student learning, community connection, and instructor course management. This interactive session features a panel of four large-enrollment instructors from a variety of disciplines who have been active contributors in UW-Madison’s Large-Enrollment Community. Together, panelists and participants will delve into questions around engaging students through active learning, fostering an atmosphere of belonging, supporting a collaborative teaching team, and efficiently managing a course at scale. 

Participant interests will guide the discussion as panelists share successful strategies and practices that they have implemented in their classrooms, as well as resources that others can adapt for their own teaching. In keeping with the practices of the Large-Enrollment Community, we will reserve ample time for questions and lightly structured discussion with participants. During the session, participants will also have the chance to experience Top Hat, an effective tool for large course engagement. Attendees will leave with resources to help them with course planning and management, a connection with a new colleague, and concrete, applicable ideas for their courses. 

Room: Marquee (2nd floor)

Wisconsin Exchange track

From Discomfort to Dialogue: Classroom Strategies for Reading Across Difference

Aretina Rochelle Hamilton, English

Undergraduate students, English

Undergraduate classrooms have long been spaces of difference, but today’s students encounter a constant stream of diverse — and often divisive — perspectives through digital media, AI-assisted tools, and public discourse, frequently without shared context or guidance for interpretation. Instructors are increasingly asked to support thoughtful engagement across difference while navigating their own uncertainty about how to foster dialogue that is ethically grounded, intellectually rigorous, and pedagogically sound. This interactive breakout session introduces Reading from the Edge, a classroom-tested approach that frames reading as a shared practice of attention, listening, and dialogue rather than a search for immediate answers or ideological alignment. Drawing on teaching experience and peer learning models, the session offers concrete strategies for guiding discussion when texts, histories, or viewpoints provoke discomfort. Participants will work through short, adaptable exercises that model how to slow down reading, distinguish reaction from interpretation, and treat discomfort as a productive part of learning rather than something to avoid. The session explicitly addresses the dual challenge instructors face in the age of AI and heightened sensitivity around public discourse: supporting students through difficult conversations while also recognizing and working through their own discomfort as facilitators. Aligned with the Wisconsin Exchange emphasis on pluralism and civil discourse, participants will leave with ready-to-use discussion prompts and facilitation strategies adaptable across disciplines and class sizes.

Room: Agriculture (3rd floor)

Master the Slide Master: Customize PowerPoint Templates to Cultivate Connections and Save Time

Katy Wong and Carrie Kerska, McBurney Disability Resource Center

Design is not just decoration — it is a signal of belonging. When the learning environment has been intentionally designed to be welcoming, students are more likely to connect with the Instructor(s), the content, and each other. 

Join us for this Workshop where we will explore how to use PowerPoint’s Slide Master to build accessible, consistent, and professional looking templates. Participants will have time to implement these practices and walk away with customized, time-saving templates that align with their preferred instructional style. Our focus is on creating equitable access for all users by emphasizing intentionally designed content. Key points include: 

• Slide Master – Skill building and best practices
• Factors to consider when selecting a template
• Evaluating and customizing design elements such as theme, layout, color, and font.
• Spend time implementing these practices on your own slides and enjoy the support of two very capable, passionate professionals.

If you’d like to practice, please bring a laptop and have PowerPoint installed. We encourage you to have a sample presentation to allow for hands-on experience practicing the strategies and approaches we will be covering in the presentation.

Coffee, tea, and water available in Varsity Hall Lounge.

Room: Northwoods (3rd floor)

Wisconsin Exchange track

Connection, Engagement, and Learning through High Quality Classroom Discussion

Emma Cabrera,  The Discussion Project and Deliberation Dinners, Wisconsin Center for Education Research

Mariana Castro, Multilingual Learning Research Center and Wisconsin Center for Education Research

This interactive session explores techniques to facilitate high-quality discussion across diverse perspectives. Using UW-Madison’s The Discussion Project and Deliberation Dinners models, you’ll learn to design equitable, student-led inquiry that strengthens academic skills and strengthens your classroom community.

Room: Landmark (3rd floor)

Transforming Your Teaching Team: A Workshop for Instructors Working With TAs

Lynne Prost, Letters & Science Administration

Joshua Calhoun, English

Morgan L. Henson, Sociology

This hands-on session invites instructors to deeply examine their partnerships with teaching assistants (TAs). Research shows that a strong instructor-TA team functions as a lynchpin of classroom success, positively impacting classroom climate, equity, and student learning. Session participants will engage with the new Resource for Instructors Working with TAs, recently developed by the L&S TA Training & Support Team, and then work through an interactive case study analysis with an instructor who has practical experience cultivating these relationships. Attendees will then apply core principles, such as clear communication, structured mentorship, and pedagogical partnership to develop frameworks for their own classrooms. Our goal is to partner with participants to help them move beyond TA management and task delegation to build cohesive, efficient, mutually beneficial teaching teams that actively co-create conditions for successful undergraduate learning.

Room: 5th Quarter (2nd floor)

Connecting Academics and Mental Health: A First Look at UW-Madison’s New Instructor Training

Val Donovan, University Health Services

Soumya Palreddy, Division for Teaching and Learning

University Health Services and the Division for Teaching and Learning are partnering to offer a new training on supporting student mental health that’s designed specifically for instructors and teaching assistants. This training equips participants with the skills to identify signs and symptoms of potential mental health challenges, respond appropriately, and refer students to mental health professionals and other support services. This workshop will provide a preview of this training. Participants will learn about the impact of mental health challenges on academic outcomes, analyze current data, and brainstorm with colleagues on how to integrate their learning and training opportunities into their practice.

Note: This session will run for 90 minutes

Room: Industry (3rd floor)

Connections in Engineering AI Education

Erica Hagen, Center for Innovation in Engineering Education

Hannah Silber, Industrial and Systems Engineering

Jackie Cooper, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Future engineers need to know how to use AI tools to do their work and do it better. Knowing this, three different instructional teams across Engineering are trying new ways of engaging students with AI tools. Their stories all cross paths in exciting ways to build a foundation for further innovation through the Center for Innovation in Engineering Education. Hear the stories and learn about how and why we are connecting our students with AI tools and in the meantime connect with each other to support the college. We hope our stories spark ideas and support fellow instructors across campus. 

Room: Marquee (2nd floor)

Wisconsin Exchange track

Bridging Across Differences Toward Flourishing: Fostering Student Dialogue

Jennifer Timm, Nursing

Melgardt M. de Villiers, Pharmacy

Sue Wenker, Family Medicine & Community Health

Roberta Rusch, Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education

The session details Bridging Across Differences Toward Flourishing, a novel initiative that moves beyond theoretical teamwork to the active practice of navigating sociopolitical discord. By grounding pedagogy in the Kern National Network Framework for Flourishing and the Constructive Dialogue Institute skill-based course, the curriculum focuses on transforming avoidance culture into one of bridging differences to promote flourishing. Bridging, originally developed for medical schools, was adapted by the Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, and the UW School of Pharmacy and introduced as an interprofessional pilot in 2025. At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 

1. Analyze the impact of a blended-learning pathway, combining self-study online modules with synchronous facilitated groups, on dialogue readiness.
2. Evaluate how relational virtues, such as curiosity and open-mindedness, can be measured and applied to satisfy interprofessional communication competencies. 
3. Implement strategies that moved 96% of pilot participants toward increased confidence in navigating difficult, divisive conversations. 

Presenters will highlight the pilot’s innovative offering, strong evaluation data, and demonstrate applications of relevant structured learning tools (e.g., learning modules, facilitator guide). Participants will employ these tools and practice exploratory questioning techniques, reflecting on experiences in small groups. Lessons learned and strategies for success will be shared, with an opportunity for audience questions.

Room: Agriculture (3rd floor)

Inclusive Teaching Methods: Best Practices to Help Students from All Backgrounds Succeed in Your Class

Markus Brauer, Psychology and Institute for Diversity Science

Kamila Redd, Institute for Diversity Science

Despite recent efforts, disparities in academic outcomes between students from marginalized groups and their non-marginalized peers continue to exist. This session will discuss recent research identifying teaching methods that effectively reduce these disparities. The findings from large-scale randomized controlled trials show that instructors should focus to a greater extent on the social aspects of learning. Teaching practices that promote positive connections between peers are crucial for the success of all students, including for students who sometimes experience a decreased sense of belonging in college.

Room: Varsity Hall

Snacks and drinks available in Varsity Hall Lounge.

Cultivating Connection: Designing Meaningful Engagement for a Transformative Wisconsin Experience

Shaddai Amor Legaspi Solidum, Transportation Services, Booths and Dispatch Unit

This poster explores practical, research-supported strategies to cultivate meaningful connection, engagement, and performance within student employee teams. Drawing on studies from UW-Madison, Harvard Business School, and national workforce research, it highlights how non-work interactions such as conversations about food, campus activities, or local events help individuals see each other as people, strengthening trust and collaboration. It also emphasizes the importance of meaningful work: students engage more deeply when they understand the impact of their contributions and have opportunities for input, development and growth. The poster further presents evidence on the effectiveness of flexible work arrangements and structured training programs, showing how thoughtful onboarding and ongoing learning not only improve employee performance but also free managers to focus on strategic priorities. Together these practices create a supportive, connected, and high-performing student work environment.

Peaks and Pitfalls of Using AI in Nursing Education

Angie Baker and Diana Love, School of Nursing

We used AI to analyze data from exit tickets that required students to reflect on pre-class learning materials, lecture, and components of active learning. Exit tickets could only be successfully completed if students understood the concepts well enough to discuss them. The prompts required students to analyze some element of the material and apply it to a real world nursing situation. With over 160 students in a large lecture format classroom, it would be impossible to review, digest and analyze all of their responses to have a cohesive awareness of the data. AI generated the main themes discussed, what was well understood, points students seemed confused about, as well as instructor prompts to help clarify points of confusion. Additionally, AI generated Power Point slides to use in class to share those results. Having this data available allowed us to engage students more fully in their learning by building on each concept throughout the semester.

Implementing Structured Quantitative Inquiry Labs at UW–Madison

Isaac Barnhill, Josh Weber, and Peter Timbie, Physics

Structured Quantitative Inquiry (SQI) is a style of instructional laboratory activity that aims to teach students critical thinking, data analysis, and experimental design skills, rather than aiming to reinforce course content. In this poster, we present the results of a controlled comparison between SQI labs and traditional content-reinforcement (CR) labs in a large introductory physics course. We report no difference in exam score between the two groups. We also report that CR students became less expert-like in their thoughts and opinions about experimental physics over the course of instruction, whereas SQI students did not. This study is yet another indication of both the practicality and urgent need to engage in more widespread curriculum reforms to the undergraduate lab experience in favor of more authentic, inquiry-based activities.

Improving Student Preparedness in Undergraduate Laboratories: Are Pre-lab Quizzes an Effective Tool for Encouraging Students to Use Preparatory Material Before Laboratory Classes?

Arganthaël Berson, Mechanical Engineering

Energy Systems Labs is a required undergraduate laboratory taken by about 250 Mechanical Engineering students each year. Instructors observed that students seem to come to labs unprepared. They would like to spend less class time explaining background information covered in preparatory material and more time helping students with higher-level tasks such as data processing and analysis. We used Canvas data to investigate the following questions: Are students using preparatory material (manual, videos) before coming to lab? Are pre-lab quizzes, which are due before each lab session, an effective incentive for students to prepare for labs?

Cultivating Connection Through Peer Leadership: Embedding Undergraduate Peer Leaders to Promote Learning, Belonging, and Engagement

Keegan Buscaino and Cara Theisen, WISCIENCE

Undergraduate peer leaders can play a powerful role in cultivating connection within learning environments. This poster highlights the WISCIENCE Peer Leader (WPL) program as a model for embedding undergraduate student leaders in courses and programs to promote student learning, belonging, engagement, and success. Grounded in research on benefits of relationship-rich education, the WPL program prepares students to support their STEM peers while also developing their own leadership skills and STEM identity. WPLs complete a structured sequence beginning with a 2-credit preparation course followed by serving in their peer leader role while receiving guidance and professional development throughout. Through these experiences, WPLs foster connections in ways that benefit students, peer leaders themselves, instructors, and the institution. The poster presents research and benefits of peer leadership, the WPL program structure, and a course-based example from the WPL program (IntegSci 100: Exploring Biology).

Cultivating Student Collaboration Across Three Research Labs

Caitlin Calhoun, Chris Cascio, Megan Moreno, and Ellen Selkie, Pediatrics

The NIH-funded P01 grant, The Brain, Behavior, and WellBeing (B3) Study, thrives through collaborative goals across two departments and three interconnected research projects. Each research lab includes professional staff, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate and undergraduate students. At full capacity, the B3 study has included up to 14 undergraduates, 11 graduate students, and 2 postdoctoral fellows. Collaboration is strengthened through a shared participant cohort and aligned research aims that encourage cross-project work. To support teamwork, all staff are trained in learning styles using the DiSC assessment tool. Research team leaders and principal investigators meet weekly with the research program coordinator to maintain consistency across cores. Quarterly all-hands meetings support professional development and provide hands-on learning with campus partners, including fMRI sessions and library research resources. Team members also rotate through recruitment events to foster camaraderie and community engagement. This poster highlights strategies and lessons learned for enhancing students’ Wisconsin Experience.

Research-Backed Strategies that Improve Student Learning and Classroom Experience

Julie Collins and Amanda Leary, Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring

This poster will present data from two large-enrollment STEM courses in CTLM’s Include, Engage, Challenge program. These courses present a unique opportunity to see how research-backed strategies can improve engagement, motivation, community, and learning in practical ways. In particular, we will highlight findings related to the flipped classroom model’s demonstrated success and the connection between improving classroom sense of belonging and real-world problem solving skills through student self-reported experiences and grade performance data. Our data offers a glimpse into how learning research intersects with the UW-Madison campus population and hopefully inspire small, practical changes to other courses that are supported by data from our students.

The Impact of a “Clinical Decision Station” Lab on Doctor of Physical Therapy Students’ Justification of Standardized Test Selection

Kellie Collins, Natalie Blonien, and Judy Dewane, Pediatrics

Doctor of Physical Therapy students learn multiple pediatric standardized assessments but often struggle to select and justify the best tool for a specific clinical scenario, tending to focus on test “facts” rather than comparing tools based on a case’s goals, setting, and constraints. This Teaching-as-Research project evaluated a structured, case-based “Clinical Decision Station” lab designed to improve test selection and clinical reasoning. Second-year DPT students (n=38) rotated through five stations, each presenting a pediatric case with two plausible standardized tests. Students selected the better test, submitted written justifications with immediate feedback, and practiced test items. Pre/post quiz results showed significant improvement in test selection (mean gain 0.74 points, p=.001, Hedges’ g=0.68). Half of written justifications demonstrated proficient clinical reasoning, with longer responses associated with higher-quality reasoning (Ï=0.78). This poster discusses implications for teaching clinical decision-making in health professions education.

Learning through Action: Students Address Health Insurance Accessibility through Community Partnership Pilot

Sarah Davis, Center for Patient Partnerships & Law School; Kyle Digman and Anika Krishnamurti, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences; Allison Espeseth and , UW-Extension; Donna Friedsam, Center for Patient Partnerships, Alissa Bazsali, Elizabeth Rothe, and Adam VanSpankerren, UW-Extension 

The Center for Patient Partnerships Community Resource Navigator Program demonstrates how community-engaged learning enriches students Wisconsin Experience by connecting classroom knowledge to pressing health policy challenges. During Fall 2025, through a partnership with Covering Wisconsin (CWI) at UW-Extension, students gained hands-on experience through purposeful action to address health insurance access barriers affecting Wisconsinites during federal health funding cuts. This campus collaboration created authentic learning opportunities where students applied federal and state health insurance training to real-world triage work. Students served as Intake Specialists answering 300 calls to CWI regarding insurance access through the Marketplace, Medicaid, and Medicare. Callers expressed worry and urgent needs. Students developed problem resolution, rapid collaborative decision making, and community-engagement skills learning directly from affected communities and adapting in real time. Student learning assessments on case complexity and decision-making will inform program enhancements, including refined training modules and workflow adjustments to strengthen future cohorts preparation and confidence.

Concept Mapping as a Tool: Assessing of Prior Knowledge and Framing Course Themes

Katelyn Desorcy-Scherer and Annicka Rabida, School of Nursing

Students enter the learning environment with a variety of life experiences and perspectives that can shape their connection to course material. Students’ prior knowledge is foundational and supports progress towards learning outcomes. Assessment and discussion of prior knowledge related to course themes may help students engage with and understand new information while presenting an opportunity to address misconceptions that may hinder learning. Here, concept mapping is proposed as an active discovery-learning tool to assess prior knowledge and introduce students to relationships between course themes. Students may work individually or in small groups to create a concept map of a provided list including 10-15 key themes. The activity is followed by peer-to-peer comparison and as a larger group, assisted by instructor-led discussion. Following, students may be provided the opportunity to revise their concept maps and instructors may use discussion responses to gauge direction and complexity of learning material.

College-Wide TA Training & Support

B Dowling, Morgan Henson, Cameron Jones, and Lynne Prost, L&S Teaching, Learning, and Academic Planning (TLA)

The L&S TA Training & Support Team is a campus partner dedicated to a future of graduate student teaching success. Our innovative programming aims to motivate and equip TAs to be effective and inclusive teachers. Visit this poster to learn about our offerings, hear some of our wins and misses, and share your ideas about TA training and support needs.

Fostering Community and Belonging in an Online Classroom

Jenn Drake, School of Nursing

Building community in a college class is essential for fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment. When students feel connected to their peers, they are more likely to participate actively in discussions, collaborate on projects, and share diverse perspectives, which enhances the overall learning experience. This becomes of particular importance when the class is designed as interdisciplinary and brings together students across many campuses and from various health professional programs. A strong community provides a valuable support system, helping students navigate academic challenges and personal difficulties, thereby reducing stress and increasing resilience. A sense of belonging boosts motivation and commitment to the course, encouraging students to participate in classes regularly and strive for success. Engaging with a community also promotes personal growth by developing social skills, empathy, and a sense of responsibility, which are crucial for both personal and professional development. Building community in an online class environment can be a particularly challenging though critical objective for the course professor. In this poster, I will highlight strategies that have been successful in helping to build community within an online, asynchronous class and how they might be used in other courses.

Way More Than Cows, Corn, and Ribbons: Modern 4-H Program Offerings Provide a Framework to Encourage Youth From All Backgrounds and Interests in Making, Experimentation and Leadership Development

Vickie L. Eiden, Curriculum & Instruction, and Lisa L. Curley, UW–Madison Extension Dane County

4-H has an identity problem that causes it to be overlooked and underutilized. The program’s past reputation is primarily associated with rural agricultural endeavors and county fairs; while this is a historic basis and source of great pride for the 120+ years old nationwide program, in recent decades 4-H has substantially expanded in scope and reach. Today the 4-H “learning by doing” philosophy of youth development has grown: “The mission of 4-H is to provide meaningful opportunities for all youth and adults to work together to create sustainable community change.” Showcasing the expansive array of current opportunities for youth that has been built upon the program’s successful framework debunks the modern myth that 4-H is only focused on agriculture. Recent studies demonstrate long-term positive youth development outcomes utilizing the 4-H Thriving Model. 4-H today encourages youth of all backgrounds and interests to do, make, experiment, and lead.

Microtia Prosthetics: The Creation of a Silicone Ear for a Low Cost Alternative

Lauren Feeley, Aaron M. Dingle, Eli Wu, Sarah Hu, and Samuel O. Poore, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Introduction: Microtia is a congenital abnormality characterized by partial or complete loss of the external ear anatomy. By developing low-cost prosthetic ears, the level of interest in a temporary ear can be gauged. Methods: A 1:1 water to alginate powder mixture is created and a mold of the unaffected ear is obtained. A 1:2 water to plaster mixture is poured into the ear mold, and left to solidify. The plaster model is 3D scanned and mirrored. The mirrored ear is 3D printed and another alginate mold is created. A mixture of silicone is poured into the new mold. Results: Ears have been produced with much success. The prosthetics are structurally accurate and are textured within reason. Discussion: A 3-part mold is considered for additional structural accuracy. Color theory can be explored to mimic differences in skin coloring, and the addition of details to make the ear more realistic.

Bridging STEM Support: Online Resources from Math and Chemistry Learning Centers

Tracii Friedman, Math Learning Center, and Tracey Reitz, Chemistry Learning Center

The UW-Madison Math and Chemistry Learning Centers are collaborating to enhance student success by providing equitable access to customized online resources in a self-enroll Canvas course. This project focuses on supporting large enrollment courses in Math and Chemistry by offering targeted review materials and supplemental content designed to reinforce key concepts. By connecting students to curated digital resources aligned with specific course objectives, we aim to support learning beyond the classroom and foster academic achievement in traditional gateway courses.

Chasing Fragments: Inviting Curiosity and Connection

McLean Gunderson, Comparative Biosciences

This interactive poster invites participants to pause, engage, reflect, and evolve through a multi-layered exhibition of teaching and learning. Using a series of interconnected panels, the poster embodies the diverse ways learners accrue knowledge – through transparency and reflection, tangible interaction and accessibility, and conceptual flexibility and adaptation. Participants interact with each panel, exploring how the form, capacity, and context of learning activities shape interpretation, engagement, and meaning-making. Through tactile and visual prompts, the experience highlights how teaching and learning activities can foster curiosity, agency, and connection. Participants are invited to notice their own responses as learners and educators, consider alternative viewpoints, and reflect on the conditions that invite vulnerability, experimentation, and growth. This poster is intentionally paired with a companion poster that examines the same “Chasing Fragments” framework from a design-based, evidence-informed perspective. Together, the posters model how fragmented insights can be assembled into meaningful, connected learning experiences.

Chasing Fragments: Design Strategies to Foster Connection

McLean Gunderson, Comparative Biosciences

This interactive poster invites participants to pause, engage, reflect, and evolve through a multi-layered exhibition of evidence-based teaching and learning design, drawing on constructivist and experiential learning research. Using a series of interconnected panels, the poster illustrates structured ways learners accrue knowledge – through guided progression, scaffolding, experiential interaction, and adaptable application. Participants explore how learning activity design, sequencing, and spatial arrangement shape interpretation, engagement, and meaning-making. Participants are encouraged to notice their own responses as learners and educators, consider alternative viewpoints, and reflect on conditions that support vulnerability, experimentation, and growth. This poster is intentionally paired with a companion poster that explores the same “Chasing Fragments” framework through an experiential and reflective lens. Together, the posters connect theory, design, and lived experience to support transferable teaching practices.

Use of Structured Questions to Enhance Self-regulated Learning of Veterinary Students in an Anatomy Course

Karen Hershberger-Braker, Pathobiological Biosciences

To enhance veterinary students use of the self-regulated learning (SRL) cycle, structured questions were implemented in the first-year Fundamental Principles of Veterinary Anatomy course, which included weekly canine dissection laboratories. Before each laboratory, students completed planning and goal-setting prompts. During laboratory sessions, students engaged in learning and self-assessment while receiving formative feedback from peers and instructors. After each laboratory, students completed reflection prompts to support adjustment and improvement for future sessions. Changes in metacognitive awareness were evaluated using the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI), administered at the beginning and end of the course. Students demonstrated positive gains in multiple aspects of metacognitive awareness over the semester. This pilot study suggests that structured questions can effectively support planning and adjustment phases of the SRL cycle and that this approach is transferable across courses and educational contexts to support lifelong learning.

“Fuhgeddaboudit:” Strengthening Memory Retention with Spaced Interleaving and Retrieval Practices in HPM Fellow Conferences

Kristal Hudson, Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Cognitive learning theory builds on three basic concepts – knowledge, understanding, and inspiration – which form the foundation for effective medical education. Within Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship, these principles guide the development of weekly didactic sessions for fellows. Knowledge expansion involves structured retrieval practices, predicting and interleaving that which strengthen memory retention. Understanding emphasizes applying key concepts in complex clinical scenarios through case-based discussions that encourage analysis and decision-making. These methods aim to activate prior knowledge, promote critical thinking, and integrate multiple domains within each didactic session.

Cultivating Undergraduate Inclusive Leaders: A New Tool to Guide Curriculum

Naomi Isenberg, Institute for Diversity Science

The Wisconsin Experience emphasizes empathy and humility as a worldview through which students engage with others. One way for students to develop and engage in this worldview is through cultivating inclusive leadership. Inclusive leadership is an approach to leading culturally and intellectually diverse teams and aims to create shared identity, reduce status differences, and promote individuality amongst people working together. Students, being emerging leaders, must also develop inclusive leadership skills to be prepared for the increasingly diverse workplace. Therefore, we partnered with the Wisconsin School of Business and collaborating units within the School to fill a critical gap in assessing and developing student readiness to be inclusive leaders. We designed and validated a survey measure assessing individual disposition for inclusive leadership. This tool applies a developmental lens to how inclusive leadership evolves. We now present an opportunity for utilization of the tool in designing undergraduate leadership curriculum and evaluating impact.

A New Path for Undergraduate Research Education in the Obstetrics & Gynecology Department

Grace Jensen, Elizabeth Albert, Jaison Hampson, Kara Hoppe, and Aleksandar Stanic-Kostic, Obstetrics & Gynecology

The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology is building a formal undergraduate research enterprise to better serve the many students that reach out each year for research experiences. Research is a vital part of the Wisconsin Experience, and the department draws interested students from across campus. However, we have not had the infrastructure and resources to place many students, and we are dissatisfied with the student experience of placing with the department. In March 2025, we set out creating a centralized intake and placement process and growing research opportunities. We propose sharing out the variety of initiatives we took to improve this important student experience and the early lessons learned. In regard to cultivating connection, our project connects undergraduate students with research mentors, and our department with campus partners in research education. Ultimately, we seek to provide a training experience that helps students connect with their career and training pathway.

Building Public Health Understanding: Using LEGO® Serious Play® to Cultivate Connection in the Classroom

Malia Jones, Community & Environmental Sociology

This poster highlights how LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) can support learning and dialogue in the undergraduate public health classroom by helping students explore complex social and structural determinants of health through the hands-on, creative modeling approaches of LSP. LSP invites students to externalize abstract concepts and explore how their own lived experiences highlight the complex systems that lead to population health outcomes. In my public health courses, LSP has enhanced student engagement, fostered dialogue across diverse perspectives, and supported more equitable participation, especially among students who are less comfortable speaking in traditional discussions. By centering shared storytelling and reflective listening, the method helps cultivate connection within the classroom. The poster will present sample LSP prompts, photos of models, and student insights. It will demonstrate how innovative, play-based pedagogies can inspire active learning and strengthen students ability to think about public health challenges. I will also offer a mini LSP activity.

Cultivating Sustainable Research Infrastructure and Community: The CISR-UME Model for Educational Scholarship

Sarah Jung, Amy Stickford Becker, Shobhina Chheda, Franka Smit, and Dylan Pieper, School of Medicine and Public Health

We present findings from developing the Collective for Innovation, Scholarship and Research in Undergraduate Medical Education (CISR-UME) to support medical education research at the School of Medicine and Public Health. Cultivating sustainable research infrastructure and community is required for identifying effective educational approaches as healthcare evolves in areas such as precision medicine and artificial intelligence. Through a needs assessment, departmental interviews (n=14), and interviews with external institutions (n=7), we identified four pillars: expert guidance and consultation, research support and services, partnerships with external resources, and communities of practice. We invite symposium attendees to explore our findings and discuss how these pillars can support educational research across disciplines.

PolliJenga: Innovation and Collaboration in Teaching Ecological Principles

Alexa Kloske, Nicholas Balster, Soils and Environmental Sciences, and Claudio Gratton, Entomology

Agroecology 303: Sustainability in Agroecosystems is a case-based course that relies on discussions and active learning rather than a traditional lecture format to teach students complex Agroecological concepts. To explore the role of pollinator-based food security, students engaged in a three-phase activity using the popular game, Jenga, which we coined PolliJenga. Students learned adaptive management skills by altering the structure of a farm (their Jenga tower) to actively learn concepts of resiliency and redundancy of pollination services to crops. This activity was designed with support from the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Student feedback suggests that the activity helped students conceptualize ecosystem resilience and the dynamics of perturbations within agroecosystems, such as the loss of pollination services. We hypothesize that these important system fundamentals will endure longer in students learning via the PolliJenga exercise compared to a didactic lecture format.

Cultivating Connection with Microcredentials: Innovative Use of Engagement & Competency Badges at UW-Madison

Sarah Korpi and Jessica Palmer, Division of Continuing Studies

This poster showcases how updated UW-Madison digital badge policy enables innovative, learner centered microcredentials that cultivate connection across courses, co-curriculars, and community partnerships. We clarify when to use engagement badges to recognize active participation beyond attendance in designed learning (dialogue, collaboration, reflection) and when to use competency badges to verify mastery through formal assessment aligned to measurable outcomes. We illustrate stackable pathways (Engagement Competency) that motivate students, make learning visible and portable, and enrich the Wisconsin Experience by connecting classroom practice to real world application. Attendees will leave with a simple design guide (outcomes, badge type, criteria, evidence/assessment metadata) and examples they can adapt in their own contexts to foster belonging, deepen learning, and support student success.

Cultivating Career Connections in the L&S Classroom

Michael Kruse and Steven Catania, College of Letters & Science

Courses across Letters & Science teach skills like critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving. These skills are valued by employers and graduate schools, but students often struggle to recognize and articulate them. This poster invites faculty to reflect on the career-relevant skills embedded in their own courses and discover practical ways to help students make those connections. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science offers plug-and-play, adaptable resources (assignments, Canvas modules, and presentations) that can fit any course level or time commitment. By integrating career reflection into coursework, faculty can motivate students, foster dialogue about transferable skills, and enrich the Wisconsin Experience without sacrificing academic rigor. Stop by to learn how partnering with SuccessWorks can support your teaching and help students confidently connect classroom learning to future opportunities.

When Enactive Learning Lurks in the Shadows, Vicarious Learning Becomes Indispensable

Wan-chin Kuo, Diane R. Lauver, and Kristen E. Pecanac, School of Nursing

Literature review is a core skill for health professions and predoctoral trainees, requiring competencies in managing, processing, and analyzing health literature while maintaining scientific integrity. However, since AI’s rise, many tech blogs have begun teaching audiences how to generate literature reviews using AI. In reviewing trainees’ assignments, we saw some sloppy and savvy AI users, yet neither type credited AI. When hiding AI usage and catching AI usage becomes an “espionage game,” the teacher-learner connection is compromised. Drawing on Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, we developed vicarious learning materials and presented them at one nursing conference and one graduate course, encouraging learners to compare the performance of AI-generated and human-generated literature reviews. In total, 61 learners responded to the Slido, with 51% voting for human-generated reviews, 36% for AI-generated reviews, and 13% indicating they were still shocked. A new strategy to foster student dialogue about AI use will be discussed.

Addressing Learners’ Concerns About Effort-Reward Imbalance: An Old-School Way to Motivate and Connect

Wan-chin Kuo and Elliot Tebbe, School of Nursing

In a graduate seminar course, learners have constantly expressed “effort-reward imbalance,” despite increasing learning credits. Inspired by writing productivity programs like NCFDD and InkedVoices, the instructor worked with the Academic Technology & Teaching Innovation (ACT!) team to develop two tools in Canvas: (1) WritingProgress and (2) MotivationCorner, guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT). These two student engagement tools aim to foster intrinsic motivation, self-monitoring, and self-regulation to reduce binge writing, a common phenomenon in literature review projects. WritingProgress supported structured progress tracking and peer-relatedness, while MotivationCorner promoted autonomy and perceived competence. After implementation, course evaluations showed improved satisfaction with course content (from 3.98 to 4.92) and reduced concerns about effort-reward imbalance, without changing course objectives or learners’ workload. This teaching quality improvement aligns with SDT principles, underscoring that learners are more likely to be self-motivated and actively engaged when their innate psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are satisfied.

Utilization of Undergraduate Peer Learning Volunteers in Large Undergraduate STEM Courses

Andrew Lokuta and Eric Walsh, Kinesiology; Julie Collins and Daniel Pell, Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring

Large enrollment undergraduate stem courses pose unique logistical and pedagogical challenges to the promotion of student success. In this poster we will share our current usage of in-class undergraduate peer learning volunteers (PLVs) including our policies, procedures, and recent student feedback. We seek dialogue with any course currently utilizing or considering deployment of PLVs in their course. Importantly, we hope to establish a campus network that can easily share questions, resources, and recommendations.

Improving Preparedness in the Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory

Alexis Mann, Chemistry

Many laboratory courses require students to complete pre-lab work, yet completion does not always reflect meaningful understanding. To examine this gap, low-stakes pre-lab quizzes were implemented to assess student preparedness and engagement in one section of an undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course. Before each experiment, students completed short, graded quizzes aligned with key concepts, safety considerations, and experimental purpose to incentivize active preparation. This project investigated whether the quizzes improved attentiveness during pre-lab talks, promoted more independent thinking during the experiment, and increased participation in discussion. Evidence included quiz completion and performance data, structured in-lab observations of engagement, and brief student self-reflection responses about preparedness and confidence.

Impact of Online Engagement on Clinical Inquiry Performance

Amanda Margolis and Denise Walbrandt Pigarelli, School of Pharmacy

The objective of this project was to determine the relationship between pharmacy student engagement with online instructional videos and the corresponding performance on final drug information papers (i.e., clinical inquiries [CIs]). Student viewing analytics from 7 videos was compared to CI subscores for literature, evidence summary, evidence-based answer (EBA), as well as total CI scores. Overall correlation was statistically significant but low. For each video watched, there was a mean increase in 0.9% of the total CI score (p=0.015). Quartiles of overall video viewing demonstrated a meaningful increase in CI subscores and total score between 100% viewing compared to 50% or lower viewing. Based on these results, lower performing videos were revised. These results were shared with spring 2026 students to promote video viewing. Future directions include re-analysis of spring 2026 CI performance based on course adjustments this spring.

Quantification of Microsurgical Skill Using Deep Learning

Ilia Mikhailenko, Aaron M. Dingle, Lauren Feeley, Drake Johnson, Adarsh Patel, Samuel O. Poore, and Weifeng Zeng, School of Medicine and Public Health

Microsurgical training is the cornerstone of a plastic surgeon education and yet no method exists to objectively analyze trainee performance. This study focuses on integrating deep learning into microsurgical education to provide trainees with objective metrics they can use to evaluate the progression of their microsurgical skill. This study uses DeepLabCut, a deep learning tool, to track the movement of surgical instruments. A prototype model was trained to track instruments during anastomosis procedures. Movement data will be extracted from this model to analyze performance metrics such as jitter, time away from surgical field, and smoothness. Preliminary motion analysis confirmed the feasibility of tracking multiple instruments. Algorithms for obtaining performance metrics are undergoing validation. This project represents a significant step toward standardized evaluation in microsurgical training. Integrating deep learning into motion analysis advances beyond traditional subjective evaluation and allows for the objective assessment of microsurgical dexterity. 

Using Online Tools to Assess Students and Foster Engagement

Theresa Ng’andu, Agricultural and Applied Economics

Active engagement is a difficult thing to achieve as a teaching assistant, and even when attendance is mandatory, there is a point at which students stop showing up to class. In this poster, I will outline some tools that instructors can use to continue to individually assess students and foster active participation in both lectures and discussions. Tools such as Top Hat allow for an anonymous way for students to respond to questions in lectures, while seeing how the rest of the class understands the material. Such anonymous response platforms also allow instructors to revisit individual questions and see where students are struggling. Where possible, instructors can also review individual student scores to identify which areas each student may be having difficulty with. This way, we can foster engagement through strategic assessment. The poster I intend to present will include other online tools such as Mentimeter and Kahoot.

From Confidence to Clicks: Using Learning Analytics to Understand Student Engagement and Performance

Atulonio Nil Basu and Jennifer Detlor, Mechanical Engineering

This poster presents an analysis of how student confidence, engagement with online course content, and academic performance interact in a large-enrollment Statics course. Using Canvas learning analytics, we tracked students’ interactions with targeted instructional resources recommended through pre-exam confidence checks, and examined how these engagement patterns related to exam performance and final course outcomes.

Advising, Mentorship, and Community: An Innovative Model for Engaging First-Generation Undergraduate Scholars in STEM Education During Lean Grant Years

Hyewon Park, Cheri Barta, Ryan Grady, and Sarina Strnad, Center for Educational Opportunity

This session highlights innovative, proactive strategies to support first-generation and limited-income STEM scholars during lean grant years. Through a consortium of grant-funded initiatives —including the Spencer Grant, the Bequest Knapp Fund for student organizations, Science Relay, the Center for Educational Opportunity (CeO), the Office of Experiential Learning (OEL), and the Department of Population Health Sciences in the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) —UW–Madison demonstrates how coordinated advising, mentorship, and cross-campus partnerships expand access to undergraduate research, conference participation, and career pathways. By centering scholars as co-creators and leaders, these initiatives strengthen industry connections and partnerships with Wisconsin companies such as Illumina, Promega, and BioForward. Drawing on quantitative outcomes and qualitative scholar testimonials collected throughout the project, this presentation explores how cross-unit collaboration and sustained engagement create scalable, equity-centered models that promote STEM persistence, professional advancement, and long-term social mobility for first-generation students.

Community Science Engagement through the Biocore Outreach Ambassadors 

Daniel Parrell and Anna Kowalkowski, Biocore Program

Biocore is a small, two-year, honors academic program focused on undergraduate education. Since 2004 the Biocore Outreach Ambassadors have engaged with campus and K-12 partners in the greater Madison area to provide science programming and public engagement with all topics of science. The Biocore outreach ambassadors accomplish this through four main activities: science nights, classroom visits, after school science club, and summer science camp. We will discuss strategies for public engagement, how to foster connections between UW-Madison students and the broader community, and impacts of the work done by the Biocore Outreach Ambassadors.

Developing a Synthetic Blood Vessel for Microsurgery Education

Hannah Peterson, Aaron M. Dingle, Chris Djurasovic, Sarah Hu, and Samuel O. Poore, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Microsurgery training involves using artificial blood vessels for micro-anastomosis practice. A current issue in the field is that these vessels are extremely expensive to purchase, which prevents many students from receiving training. This project focuses on the design of a two-part 3D-printed cylinder-shaped mold and the identification of an appropriate material for the creation of synthetic blood vessels for use in micro-anastomosis training. Creation of new synthetic vessels would lower the many barriers and costs associated with traditional methods of microsurgical education.

Clearing the Clutter: Designing against Digital Waste to Strengthen Belonging

Olivia Poches and Kelly Munson Smith, Division of Continuing Studies

Digital waste – redundant tools, abandoned discussion spaces, inaccessible files, and bloated LMS shells – creates noise that quietly erodes community in higher education. This clutter fragments attention, increases cognitive load, and disproportionately burdens first-generation, disabled, multilingual, and working students. When learners can’t find what matters or don’t feel seen in digital spaces, they disengage not by opting out, but by becoming invisible. Intentional digital design reverses this trend. By using fewer tools more deeply, establishing shared participation norms, creating accessible default materials, and elevating student contributions that persist across time, we reduce waste and rebuild connection. Framed through a Universal Design for Learning lens, this approach supports clarity, equity, and multiple pathways for engagement. Managing digital waste is not just an efficiency practice it is a community building strategy that makes belonging possible in digital learning environments.

West Campus Connection: An Evidence-Based Redesign of a Large-Scale Health Professions Curriculum

Roberta Rusch, UW-Madison Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, Michael Cropes, Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program, Susanne Barnett, School of Pharmacy, Kyoko Schatzke, School of Nursing, Alexia Rebne, Occupational Therapy Program, and Zachary Zahos and Jennifer Timm, UW Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education

The UW-Madison Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (UW CIPE) prepares health professions students to effectively collaborate within healthcare teams for their future practice. We partner with more than 10 health and social science programs across campus to develop transformative learning opportunities. Since 2017, we have offered interprofessional competency training modules to thousands of learners. Drawing on feedback collected in past modules and utilizing best practices in interprofessional education, we are redesigning the modules to enhance learners’ interprofessional competencies while navigating real-world complexities. We aim to achieve these goals through systematic integration of contemporary clinical practice, population health priorities, and systems thinking into the new sessions’ activities. In collaboration with the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring, the redesign process incorporates Universal Design for Learning and backward design to ensure accessible and pedagogically sound learning experiences. This poster highlights the redesign process, key frameworks, and implications for interprofessional curriculum innovation.

Cultivating Connection Through Rapid Feedback: Leveraging the Canvas API to Empower Student Self-Learning

Ranganath Selagamsetty and Matt Sinclair, Computer Science

With Computer Science becoming one of the fastest-growing majors at UW-Madison, large-enrollment courses that rely heavily on autograding can unintentionally distance students from meaningful feedback and timely support. This poster describes a software infrastructure built using the Canvas API that enables students to submit assignment drafts directly through Canvas and receive detailed, automated feedback within seconds. By lowering the latency between submission and feedback, the system empowers students to iteratively debug their work, reflect on errors, and take greater ownership of their learning. The infrastructure was deployed across four semesters in two computer science courses, supporting consistent feedback in authentic course settings. We discuss how rapid feedback fosters student motivation and connection to course material, represents an innovation in teaching with educational technology, and provides actionable learning data to inform instructional practice. This work demonstrates how thoughtfully designed technical systems can cultivate connection at scale in technology-rich learning environments.

Micro-Professional Development as Key to Collaborative Reflective Practice

Carly Sentieri, Libraries; Lauren Scanlon, MERIT; Margaret Zulich and Lisa Play, Libraries

In July 2023, the Online Instruction Support Team of the UW-Madison Libraries started offering bite-sized professional development opportunities to its membership. Each month, two team members work together to research a topic related to online instruction, present their findings to the group, and facilitate a discussion about it. At the end of the year, these “micro-PD” sessions are shared with all campus library instructors. We repeat this process each year. This annual cycle of presentation/discussion allows for continuous engagement with and refining of the topic to meet the specific needs and interests of librarians who teach, thereby supporting strong collaborations across campus and creating opportunities for student success. Our poster will describe our micro-PD model, explain its value as a tool for improving student learning and instructional design within a unit, and offer a few illustrations of how specific micro-PD topics have been absorbed into our instructional practices.

Effects of a Flipped Classroom Format on the Final Grade in a Biochemistry Capstone Course

Erica Shu, Alessandro Senes, and Srivatsan Raman, Biochemistry

This poster explores the effects of a flipped classroom format on student performance in a Biochemistry capstone course. Course content was delivered through recorded lectures viewed outside of class, while in-person class time was used for active learning activities and application of biochemical concepts. The primary focus of this study is the relationship between student engagement with recorded lectures, measured by the number of lectures viewed, and final course grades. Correlational analysis was used to examine whether increased engagement with asynchronous course materials was associated with higher academic performance. Results from this work are intended to inform instructional practice and course design by providing insight into how student engagement in a flipped learning environment relates to learning outcomes in an upper-level science course.

Community-based Learning – A Pedagogy for Cultivating Connection and Deepening Learning

Cory Sprinkel, Morgridge Center for Public Service

The Morgridge Center for Public Service is a UW unit that provides support for all aspects of community-based learning (CBL), from partnership formation, to course design, and student support resources. This poster will provide background on community-based learning, including literature detailing the benefits and impacts of this pedagogy, as well as information on how the Morgridge Center manages the CBL designation process. The poster will outline additional resources and supports from the Morgridge Center and other community engagement units on campus, as well as highlight impactful examples of these courses.

Integrating Broadcast-Quality Hybrid Technologies into Studio-Based Teaching and Recording Environments

William Tishler, Division of Continuing Studies, and Brad Graham, Division of Information Technology

Over the past five years, UW-Madison has deployed more than 375 hybrid-capable classrooms, conference rooms, and meeting spaces, leveraging enterprise platforms such as Zoom, Webex, and Microsoft Teams. As hybrid teaching has become embedded in higher education, institutions face increasing pressure to provide learning environments that effectively engage both in person and remote participants without compromising quality. This session examines how enterprise hybrid conferencing technologies can be integrated into a professional, broadcast-quality studio environment to support high-impact teaching and learning. By combining studio-grade video switching, professional audio, and established production workflows, institutions can create flexible instructional spaces that seamlessly incorporate presenters, remote participants, and shared content. These approaches support both polished live classroom delivery and high-quality recordings for asynchronous use in learning management systems. Attendees will gain insight into the technical design, workflow considerations, and instructional benefits of integrating enterprise conferencing systems with a studio-grade production environment.

Engaging Students with Diverse Perspectives and Experiences in Food Systems and Sustainability using Trans-disciplinary Approaches

Michel Wattiaux and Sara E. Gragg, Animal & Dairy Sciences

A trans-disciplinary approach, defined as the integration of multiple scientific disciplines and non-scientific perspectives to address societal issues, is necessary to prepare students for the complexity of decision-making faced by professionals and policymakers. This poster highlights two courses that engage students in impactful learning experiences centered on the sustainability of agricultural and food systems analyzed using multiple scientific disciplines and other sources of knowledge. The first course (Food Production Systems and Sustainability) enrolls students from diverse certificate programs and uses a semester-long, scenario-based team project to challenge students to examine systematically the economic, social, and environmental pillars of sustainability. The second course is a two-week, faculty-led study abroad program in Mexico that exposes students to communities at opposite ends of the socio-economic spectrum (from subsistence to industrial farming). In both courses, the Sustainable Development Goals serve as guiding principles for evidence-based analyses of synergies and tradeoffs to evaluate the sustainability, resiliency and equity of food systems.

Multilayered Approach to Student Belonging and Connection: From Admission to Graduation

Sarah Zurawski, Sarah Pultorak, Alexia Rebne, and Caitlin Robinson, Kinesiology

This poster will highlight how fostering student connection can be elevated, within a cohort model, at all stages of a graduate student’s experience. Objectives: 1. Map specific touchpoints within the graduate student lifecycle, to create a comprehensive roadmap for cohort-based connection. 2. Identify two engagement strategies that could be implemented into the student experience to foster student connection. Students’ sense of belonging is positively correlated with persistence and success (Gopalan & Brady, 2020). Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) and graduate level training programs are rigorous and have historically been identified as stressful experiences for students (Allen et al., 2021). It is important for training programs to determine strategies that foster connection. The presentation will provide strategies the OTD program uses to foster connections between students, staff, and alumni. Fostering connection and belonging is possible through intentional efforts, goal setting, commitment from staff, and strategies can be implemented at all phases of the students’ experience.

Room: Landmark (3rd floor)

Teaching Academy Member Meeting and Induction Ceremony