In order to cultivate an environment where learning deeply matters and teaching is valued and recognized by the collective McMaster community, the MacPherson Institute coordinates and delivers a variety of conferences and events throughout the year. These opportunities offer members of the teaching and learning community at McMaster and beyond to learn and grow together, to build connections across institutions and disciplines, and to celebrate teaching as a professional practice.
Innovations in Education Conference
In December 2023, the MacPherson Institute hosted the annual Innovations in Education Conference with a theme focused on “Taking risks and embracing challenge.” The theme aimed to foster a dynamic exchange of ideas, experiences, and best practices among educators, researchers, administrators, and other stakeholders in the field of teaching and learning. The purpose of the event was to enable an exploration of the ways educators are thinking outside the box and addressing novel challenges by taking risks to enhance the student learning experience.
The conference featured programming that explored the opportunities and challenges that arise from innovation, such as personalized learning, collaborative teaching models, interdisciplinary approaches, and inclusive education.
Keynote speaker, Ronald A. Beghetto, delivered a timely and relevant session titled “Cultivating Creative Agency in the Face of Uncertainty, Risk and Artificial Intelligence,” to initiate an engaging conversation about the possibilities and challenges faced by the teaching and learning field in the wake of this new technology.
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Poster Presentations
Panel Discussions
Roundtable Discussions
Teaching and Learning Month
For the fourth consecutive year, the MacPherson Institute brought together educators, faculty members, instructors and staff from across McMaster University to participate in professional development programming and celebrations of teaching as a professional practice for Teaching and Learning Month in May. The MacPherson Institute supports this initiative by coordinating and promoting events offered by the MacPherson Institute and various units across campus into a month-long event series with a single point of registration. In 2023, 12 campus partners contributed teaching and learning events with over 500 attendees engaging in sessions throughout the month.
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Total Events in May 2023
Events Offered by the MacPherson Institute
Events Offered by Campus Partners
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Attendees
Teaching and Learning Month Website Views
MacPherson-Supported Partnered Events
To support McMaster faculties, departments and programs in bringing educators together to share ideas and experiences in teaching and learning, the MacPherson Institute offered $10,000 in funding and in-kind support to run 4 teaching and learning events reaching nearly 200 participants.
Educational Development Community in Canada (EDCC)
In partnership with the Educational Development Community in Canada, the MacPherson Institute supported the development and execution of the EDCC Conference in February 2024.
Programming
- 1 Keynote Session
- 1 Panel Session
- 7 Workshops
- 1 Poster Session
- 2 Workshops
- 15 Presentations