Teaching Excellence and Innovation Day celebrates faculty, student success

More than 130 faculty and staff gathered at Augusta University on Oct. 16 for the inaugural Teaching Excellence and Innovation Day, an event dedicated to exploring new ideas, strengthening teaching practices and celebrating the university’s commitment to student success.

Hosted by the Center for Instructional Innovation (CII), the event brought together educators and teaching and learning professionals from across Augusta University and the University System of Georgia (USG) for a day of collaborative learning and professional growth. Featuring nationally recognized experts, research-based teaching strategies, and hands-on experiences with emerging technologies, the event emphasized practical approaches that participants could immediately apply in their classrooms.

“CII’s Teaching Excellence and Innovation Day was born from our desire to bring faculty together around our shared commitment to student success,” said Doug Blackburn, associate vice president for Teaching and Technology. “We wanted to celebrate the excellent teaching already happening across Augusta University while introducing new ideas, emerging technologies, and research-based practices that can have an immediate impact in the classroom.”

From research to real-world application

Throughout the day, participants explored how students learn, considered creative approaches to course design and examined opportunities and challenges associated with artificial intelligence in higher education. More importantly, attendees had opportunities to exchange ideas with colleagues, experiment with instructional tools, and translate educational research into actionable teaching strategies.

Paula Langteau, an educational developer with CII, found the research-based approaches shared by Michele DiPietro, PhD, of Kennesaw State University, particularly valuable.

“The continuum of knowledge, ranging from Unconscious Incompetence (student new to discipline) through Unconscious Competence (expert in field) was exceptionally useful for identifying the expert blind spot,” Langteau said. “His examples, including videos and diagrams, really brought the concepts to life. Very engaging and practical.”

The event also offered faculty opportunities to consider how their teaching practices could contribute to scholarship and research.

Valerie Hogan, DPT, PhD, associate professor of physical therapy in the College of Allied Health Sciences, appreciated the collaborative nature of the experience, including “productive opportunities for both small and large group discussion.”

Hogan also emphasized the tangible outcomes of the day’s activities, noting that she was able “to create tangible products related to my research agenda and teaching.”

Exploring innovation with practical impact

The opportunity to explore emerging instructional technologies was another highlight, particularly for educators seeking new ways to engage students in online and face-to-face learning environments.

Meredith Huynh, assistant director of Instructional Design, Engagement, and Assistance at Augusta University Online, appreciated the opportunity to connect directly with representatives from D2L Brightspace, the event’s sponsor.

“It was exciting to learn more directly from the D2L representatives about the user-friendly tools that help transform static content into more visually engaging and student-centered experiences,” Huynh said.

For Alexander Cooper, program coordinator in the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences, the experience sparked ideas for using interactive learning activities to help students understand complex concepts.

“I am excited about the potential for using the interactive group games in class,” Cooper said. “Knowing that Brightspace is coming up with new ideas to interact in the classroom, the virtual classroom, has me optimistic about teaching in the future.”

Artificial intelligence was another prominent theme, with Georgia Tech’s David Joyner, PhD, offering a balanced perspective on how generative AI is reshaping higher education. Participants also explored how AI can support the development of interactive instructional resources without requiring traditional programming experience.

Building a community committed to teaching excellence

Beyond the individual learning experiences, the event underscored the importance of creating opportunities for educators to connect across disciplines and share their approaches to supporting student success.

“The day’s sessions moved beyond discussing educational trends and instead focused on concrete strategies faculty and staff can use to improve teaching and learning,” Huynh said.

For Stacy Kluge, EdD, director of Teaching and Learning, the strong participation reflected faculty and staff’s continued investment in their students and professional growth.

“It’s clear they value opportunities like this. We’d love to make it an annual tradition,” Kluge said.

With enthusiastic participation from across the university, the inaugural Teaching Excellence and Innovation Day demonstrated the value of bringing educators together to learn from one another, explore fresh perspectives, and strengthen a shared culture of teaching excellence.

As CII looks to build on the event’s success, the goal remains the same: empowering educators with the ideas, connections, and practical resources that help students succeed.