Learn about an opportunity to present at the Ball State University 2026 Teaching and Technology Summit and join the teaching and technology conversation.

If you are using AI to support your teaching, we want to hear from you! Submit a proposal for the 2026 Teaching and Technology Summit, hosted by the Division of Online and Strategic Learning and University Libraries.

SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL by January 30, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. The Summit Planning Committee will accept a limited number of submissions.

Register for the free, virtual summit today! 

Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20
8:30 a.m. – Noon Eastern (both days)
Free and virtual via Zoom

What is the Summit?

The Teaching and Technology Summit showcases the innovative work of faculty, staff, and students at Ball State University. We invite you to share your teaching practices, especially as they relate to the intersections of teaching and technology.

At its core, technology encompasses any tool, digital or otherwise, that simplifies or enhances a task, ranging from simple flashcards to advanced AI. Innovation involves the creative and intentional application of these tools, whether new or existing, to improve processes, particularly in facilitating engagement and active learning. Together, technology and innovation aim to make learning more flexible, accessible, and engaging by aligning with educational objectives and advancing pedagogical approaches.

This year, we are particularly interested in how faculty and professional staff at the university are using AI to support and enhance their work. Whether it occupies a large or small role in your teaching practices, if you’re utilizing AI to benefit your learners’ semester journey, we want to know more!

What are the Presentation Formats?

Presentations at the Summit are generally brief and informal. You may submit a proposal for a session of 5, 10, 15, or 20 minutes. Sessions will be organized into one-hour blocks with multiple presenters. This session length does not include Q&A time, which will be shared with other presenters.

All sessions are presented in a “mock live” fashion. A mock-live presentation is when the presenter pre-records a presentation that is played at a set time during the Summit. This helps to replicate that live feeling while allowing you to pre-record your presentation in a comfortable environment. As your presentation is being played, you can engage in the Summit’s live Zoom Chat. After your presentation, you will also participate in a live Q&A.

REMINDER: Presenters must be available to attend their mock live session and engage with Summit attendees in chat and Q&A. If you require live audience engagement for your proposed session, please indicate that on the form, and we will discuss possibilities with you.

Examples of Previous Summit Presentations

Highlighted here are two presentations from the 2025 summit to help get your creative, critical, and intellectual juices flowing.

Nouran Amin, “Democratizing the Icebreaker”

Nouran Amin’s presentation challenged the traditional use of classroom icebreakers, providing a blueprint for creating more inclusive and effective learning environments for everyone. She noted that while icebreakers are designed to reduce tension, encourage interaction, and foster community, they don’t always succeed, sometimes increasing student anxiety or making the learning environment less inclusive. The solution she presented involves reframing the task, asking that faculty shift their mindset to view them more holistically as “community building activities.” Nouran recommended faculty design activities that intentionally build connections and directly relate to the course content. This strategic integration ensures that the activity not only builds rapport but also serves a clear pedagogical purpose. This approach is a practical step to enhance student engagement, reduce anxiety, and build a stronger classroom community from the outset of the semester.

Watch Dr. Amin’s presentation!

Aletta Sanders and Tasneem Talib, “Reflexivity in Bytes: Using Technology to Encourage Reflexivity”

Aletta Sanders and Tasneem Talib’s session tackled a critical pedagogical challenge: encouraging students—especially those in pre-professional fields—to engage in genuine reflexivity, which is the “ongoing process of critically examining one’s own assumptions, beliefs, and value systems” and how they shape professional interactions. The professors found initial reflections made by students were often insufficient, so they introduced a simple three-tier model for positionality statements, using a low-tech digital tool—a visual “social identity map” created in Canva—as a scaffold. This approach took advantage of Canva’s multimodal capabilities, allowing students to use more than just text to represent aspects of their identity. This helped students move past surface-level reflections to “Tier 3,” where they actively acknowledged and examined the intersection of their identity, power, and privilege, and reflected on how it might impact their future students or clients. Their presentation demonstrated that innovative technology doesn’t have to be high-tech; it just needs to be intentional in achieving deeper, more critical student learning.

Watch Dr. Sanders’ and Dr. Talib’s presentation!

Conclusion

Educators have always relied on technology, in one form or another, to support and enhance their pedagogy. In the current educational landscape, however, the complexity of our technology far exceeds that of the past, so it is more important now than ever before to collaborate with and learn from one another. No single educator can know everything about teaching and technology, but if we work together, no one has to.

SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL by January 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. The Summit Planning Committee will accept a limited number of submissions, so submit your idea soon!

What ideas are you thinking about when it comes to the intersection of teaching and technology? What can you bring to the summit?