HILT Conference 2013: Essentials

May 8, 2013

Science Center (Plaza and Hall B)

The 2nd annual conference hosted by the Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching focused on the framing question:

In this time of disruption and innovation for universities, what are the essentials of good teaching and learning?

Active engagement with focused, contrasting perspectives. In short (10-15 minute) presentations, speakers offered complementary and at times contradictory answers to the “essentials” question—for example, “perspective taking,” “effective studying,” “accountability,” “mastery,” “innovation,” and “preservation”—as well as concrete take-away recommendations. These presentations were structured as provocations for participants to reflect on their own answers to the framing question in a variety of ways. Each session included facilitated audience interaction.

Connect with colleagues from across the university. Instructors, students, and administrative leaders from all Harvard schools were invited to attend. One of our primary goals for the conference was to build community around teaching and learning, with opportunities for conference participants to interact substantively with each other across disciplinary and school perspectives.

Learn about innovative teaching and learning projects. Ongoing activities of first-year HILT Grant recipients were highlighted as well as other projects and programs supported by HILT over the past year. The structure and timing of the next round of the HILT Grant Program was also announced.

Conference material

Video