Join OTLT on Friday, Nov. 13, at the Hilton Garden Inn for ICON Day 2026. The event will include a keynote by Claire Howell Major, professor of higher education at The University of Alabama, and the presentation of the ICON All Star awards. We’ll showcase practical ways to spark participation and deepen learning with technology tools that make active learning easier to design and run. Register by Monday, Nov. 2.

Howell Major, PhD, teaches courses on college teaching, technology in higher education, learning online in higher education, and assessment in higher education and student affairs. Her research interests include faculty work, pedagogical approaches, technology for teaching, and online learning.

Her keynote, Choosing Active Learning Strategies to Support Deeper Student Thinking, will highlight how active learning is an instructional approach proven to support student engagement and learning outcomes across disciplines. Participants will examine what active learning is, why it works, and challenges that can limit its effectiveness. Drawing on research about learning and cognitive load, participants will consider adaptable techniques that promote student thinking across a variety of instructional contexts.

A series of lightning talks will give insight into how UI faculty and staff use tools to promote active learning. You’ll also have an opportunity to select a workshop on one of the following topics:

• Designing for Thinking: Deciding when AI Might Support Learning and When It Doesn’t from Claire Howell Major
• Student Voices on Engagement: A Panel Discussion
• Active Learning Workshop from the UI Center for Teaching
• Scaling Active Learning with Top Hat from Brandon Waltz, assistant professor of instruction in the UI Department of Biology, and Top Hat

We look forward to seeing you at ICON Day 2026.