Annual Conference

2026 HILT Conference, “The Weight of the Degree: Rigor, Responsibility, and the Modern Campus” The 2026 Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching (HILT) Conference marked a significant milestone: for the first time, our program was drawn directly from...

2012 HILT Conference, " Inaugural HILT Symposium" The inaugural HILT Symposium opened a Harvard-wide conversation, engaging over 300 faculty and students in dialogue, debate, and the sharing of ideas about pedagogical innovation. The event convened...

2013 HILT Conference, " Essentials" HILT’s second annual conference was focused on the framing question: In this time of disruption and innovation for universities, what are the essentials of good teaching and learning?

2014 HILT Conference, " Engagement and Distance" HILT’s third annual conference was designed around a motivating question: How does distance affect student engagement?

2015 HILT Conference, " Designing an Assessment for Learning" HILT’s fourth annual conference was constructed to build on prior themes but reflected HILT’s strategically phased approach to its work. Specifically, a shift from “launching and catalyzing” to...

2016 HILT Conference, " Interactivity" HILT’s fifth annual conference showcased varied interactive instructional approaches and considerations for Harvard in an evolving education landscape.

2017 HILT Conference, "Evaluating Teaching" HILT’s sixth annual conference explored various facets of evaluating teaching effectiveness at Harvard, and beyond, that incorporate partnerships between academic professional staff and faculty toward improving...

2018 HILT Conference, "Implementing the Science of Learning to Advance the Art of Teaching" HILT’s seventh annual conference, held September 21, 2018, in Wasserstein Hall, focused on insights from the science of learning and gave participants...

2019 HILT Conference, "Peer Learning: Everyone’s a Teacher, Everyone’s a Learner" HILT’s eighth annual conference, held on September 27, 2019, in Wasserstein Hall, explored various approaches to peer learning at Harvard and beyond: in the classroom...

2020 HILT Conference, "Championing Equitable Instruction and Inclusive Classrooms" HILT’s ninth annual conference, held virtually on October 16, 2020, brought together a diverse, engaged, and engaging set of speakers and panelists to share their successes...