This multidisciplinary series of conversations highlights original research and intentional reflection by scholars committed to high-quality teaching in higher education contexts. It provides instructors and scholars opportunities to showcase their research and discuss new ways to think about teaching. All events are free and open to the public. Events are hosted on Zoom and include live captions.
2026-27 Events
Preserving Learning in an Era of Automation
Wednesday, October 21 | 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Students’ uncritical use of AI can potentially hinder their learning and development. This session will explore ways to balance analog learning and technologies like AI in order to meaningfully preserve the core skills students need to possess before using AI. Watkins will share analog and reduced-distraction learning strategies, such as oral exams, discussions, and semester-long notebooks, that participants can adapt to their own teaching contexts.
Marc Watkins is Assistant Director of Academic Innovations and Senior Lecturer of Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Mississippi. He is a coauthor of the Norton Guide to AI-Aware Teaching. He regularly writes about AI in education on his Substack, Rhetorica.
Metacognition as an Antidote to AI Offloading
Tuesday, November 17 | 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Metacognitive skills help learners become aware of, reflect on, and direct their own thinking and learning. In short, they help students learn how to learn. In this session, Ian Schnee will explore how instructors can integrate metacognitive skills into course content in order to foster motivation, promote effective study habits, and reduce students’ temptation to “offload” learning to AI. Drawing on his work implementing this approach in a 200-student lecture course on formal logic, Schnee will share strategies that can be adapted to a variety of different teaching contexts and disciplines.
Ian Schnee is a Teaching Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Philosophy department on the Seattle campus. His academic interests include logic, the philosophy of video games, and pedagogy. For two years he co-led the Evidence-Based Teaching Program at the UW Center for Teaching and Learning, and currently has several research projects investigating the impacts of AI on teaching practices.
Teaching practices that promote civic health
Tuesday, February 23 | 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
In this session, Jennifer J. Otten will explore teaching strategies that foster inclusive, informed, and reflective discussion and prepare students for civic engagement. Focusing on deliberative polling, AI-mediated dialogue, and citizen assemblies, Otten will discuss why structured dialogue matters for civic learning and democratic participation, and will offer practical strategies participants can adapt in their own teaching.
Jennifer J. Otten is a Professor in Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences on the UW Seattle campus. Her expertise is at the intersection of food systems, policy, and nutrition. Her current teaching interests are incorporating civic health pedagogies in the classroom to foster dialogue, critical thinking, and civic engagement.
Accommodations
The University is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. These events will include live-captioning services. If you need additional disability accommodations, please reach out to the UW Disability Services Office (DSO). When contacting DSO at dso@uw.edu, please share the event details listed in the event registration form.