2026 Virtual Faculty Symposium Preview
đź“… Mark your calendar for the 2026 Virtual Faculty Symposium on Monday, September 28, 2026, from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. (CST). For questions about registration or attendance, please contact Inga Dilla.
Get Ready for the 2026 Virtual Faculty Symposium
It’s almost time for the fall faculty symposium—and this year, one of the key themes is human connection. In an increasingly tech-driven classroom, faculty and students want to make sure they don’t lose one thing: their connection with each other.
Keynote Presentation: “Feedback IS Teaching” by Trish Lewis, PhD, Director of Alverno Online
One way of building that connection—saying, hey, there’s a human behind this screen—is by giving students meaningful and comprehensive feedback on their work. Trish Lewis, PhD, will explore that idea in her keynote address, “Feedback IS Teaching,” discussing the importance of feedback in helping students demonstrate their knowledge and how to shift the focus from assessment to growth.
Feedback is an essential way of building human connection when teaching online. According to Dr. Lewis, “feedback becomes the conversation between teachers and their students.” Anyone who has received thoughtful feedback on their own work knows the value of these conversations, as well as the challenges that sometimes come with them. Dr. Lewis will address those challenges while discussing what makes feedback good and substantive, its value to students, and how to think about feedback as more than assessment—but as an essential part of teaching itself.
Dr. Trish Lewis is the Director of Alverno Online and a Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Alverno College. She is also the program director of Alverno’s competency-based education program, Alverno Accelerate.
Breakout Sessions and RSI Workshop
The symposium’s two breakout sessions explore additional ways to meaningfully interact with and support students. The event also wraps up with a workshop on Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI), where, in addition to reflecting on your current feedback practices, you can learn ways to support student learning through course examples and practical approaches to RSI. This workshop is a good opportunity to renew your knowledge of RSI, a U.S. Department of Education requirement that affects financial aid.
Read on for a closer look at the breakout sessions, along with thoughts from our instructional designers about the topics they’re looking forward to learning more about. And, if you haven’t already, you can still register to attend on the OPLR 2026 Virtual Faculty Symposium website.
✔️Breakout Session I
The first breakout session features several faculty perspectives on creating a more connected online learning experience—from supporting students’ well-being and sense of belonging to considering how we can preserve the human side of learning as AI becomes more common. You’ll also hear about practical ways to connect students with resources and provide support when they need it.
Here’s the lineup for the first breakout session:
- Human-Centered Teaching: Promoting Health Equity, Inclusion, and Well-Being in the Online Classroom |Â Jason Horay, UW-Green Bay Health & Wellness Management
- Designing Human Learning in an AI World |Â Dr. Amy Lane, Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources, and Kristen Giera, UW-Milwaukee Nursing
- Building Bridges: A Student Referral System for Success |Â Carolyn Stegmann, Jenna Swartz, and Bree Rehor, Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources
- Easy Tips and Psychology for Engaging Students—As They Need | Andy Thompson, UW-Stevens Point Applied Computing
In “Easy Tips and Psychology for Engaging Students,” I’m curious how the Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose framework applies to self-paced courses, and whether strengthening intrinsic motivation could be a proactive, positive way to support academic integrity. Helping students feel genuinely motivated to learn might prevent turning to unauthorized AI use out of disengagement or overwhelm. I’m hoping to walk away with practical strategies I can bring back to course design conversations with faculty.
– Jessica O’Neel, OPLR Instructional Designer
✔️Breakout Session II
The second breakout session looks at how emotional awareness can build student confidence, support learning, and encourage self-compassion. You’ll also hear faculty reflect on their experiences with AI, from initial hesitation to finding ways to help students develop foundational skills in using the technology with a critical eye. Sessions also showcase how AI can be used to create realistic simulations and how custom media can enhance your course content.
Here’s the lineup for the second breakout session:
- AI in Action: Using HeyGen in Telehealth Simulation and Debriefing to Prepare Practice-Ready Nursing Graduates |Â Dr. Deborah Walrath and Rebecca McLagan, UW-Oshkosh Nursing
- From Hesitation to Integration: Navigating AI in Graduate and Undergraduate Computing and Data Science Programs |Â Dr. Tim Krause, UW-Stevens Point Computing & New Media Technologies, and Dr. Marie-Claire Koissi, UW-Eau Claire Mathematics
When done intentionally, AI has the potential to deepen learning and make courses more engaging. In “From Hesitation to Integration,” I’m excited to see how others are using AI to create meaningful learning experiences. I’m hoping I can learn additional strategies for using AI to create authentic learning experiences for students.
– Nate Ewings, OPLR Senior Instructional Designer and Manager
- Emotions as Teachers: Exploring Curiosity, Learning, and Change |Â Kerri Weishoff, UW-Milwaukee Health Sciences
In “Emotions as Teachers,” I’m interested in learning about how emotions impact learning and how we might design learning experiences with emotional support in mind. I am particularly intrigued by the idea of “intentionally weaving emotional awareness into the learning process” for self-paced learners.
– Eileen Horn, OPLR Senior Instructional Designer and Manager
- Elevate Your Instructional Content with Custom Media |Â Jack Childers, Dylan Turcott, and Scotia White, Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources
Connecting with Colleagues
Finally, as part of this year’s theme, consider connecting with some of your faculty colleagues. Invite a few colleagues to a symposium watch party in your office or favorite spot on campus. After a session, reach out to a presenter whose work interested you, send a colleague a useful resource, or simply follow up on an idea you heard.
Small gestures like these can make a virtual conference feel a little more personal and can turn a good session into a conversation that continues after the symposium ends.
See you there!