2027 Provost’s Showcase of Scholarly Teaching

Call for Proposals

Overview of the 2027 Provost’s Showcase

The fourth annual Provost’s Showcase of Scholarly Teaching (PSST) will be held on April 9, 2027. The Provost’s Showcase of Scholarly Teaching celebrates innovative, evidence-informed teaching practices across Florida State University. Sponsored by the Office of the Provost and organized by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT), this annual event provides a collaborative platform for instructors, graduate teaching assistants, learning assistants, and academic units to share teaching strategies, learn from colleagues, and advance pedagogical practice across campus.

For the 2027 Showcase, we particularly encourage proposal submissions that focus on learning-centered teaching. Learning-centered teaching is an instructional approach that shifts the primary focus of instruction from what the teacher is doing or delivering to what and how the students are learning. Rather than thinking of students as passive recipients of information, learning-centered practices treat students as active participants in constructing their own understanding.

Even if you’ve never thought about presenting at a pedagogical conference before, you likely have insights worthy of discussion. We encourage you to submit a proposal and attend the showcase. Your proposed project can be in the following categories, though related topics are also encouraged. 

  • Active Student Engagement: Strategies for guiding student engagement, such as active learning techniques, collaborative activities, technology-enhanced facilitation, service learning, etc. 
  • Monitoring Students’ Learning: Methods of assessing students’ learning, feedback mechanisms, grading practices, tools for tracking progress, guiding students’ self-assessment, etc. 
  • Student Agency & Autonomy: Empowering students to take active ownership of their own learning; giving students meaningful choices in their project topics, assignment types, or pathways to demonstrate mastery; encouraging students to retain their agency when partnering with AI. 
  • Creating Optimal Conditions for Learning: Building supportive, welcoming environments; barrier removal; holistic student support; and fostering positive classroom climates.
  • Designing Learning Experiences: Innovative course and curriculum design, including blended/hybrid modalities; universal design for learning (UDL); open educational resources (OER); and integration of technologies like AI or VR.

Formats 

There will be three formats for contributing to the Provost’s Showcase: poster presentations, roundtable discussions, and lightning talks. You may apply for only one format for each presentation. If you plan to apply for more than one presentation (such as one poster presentation and one lightning talk), please submit separate applications.

Poster Presentations

Poster presentations are ideal for sharing teaching innovations as well as preliminary or completed research on how teaching practices or technology integration affect student learning. You can design a poster that summarizes the teaching method or scholarship that you would like to share. You will have time to present your poster and discuss your work with other participants, as well as visit other presenters to learn about their work.

When we notify you of acceptance, we will provide further guidelines regarding the size and format of the posters. If your own department has poster-printing facilities, you are encouraged to print your poster there. Otherwise, you can print one poster for each presentation of yours (if accepted) at the Digital Studio at FSU, free of charge. 

Abstract requirements: Please include the following components: (1) context for the teaching innovation or classroom experience you propose to present or discuss, such as course title, class size, course level, in person or online; (2) goals for the featured aspect of your teaching, what you did (or plan to do); and (3) the effects (or desired effects) of using that approach to teaching. This abstract will be shared in the final program to help participants determine how your session will benefit them. (200-250 words)  

Roundtable Discussions

Roundtables are highly participatory sessions designed around dialogue rather than presentation. Instead of giving a presentation, you apply for this session as a discussion facilitator. A facilitator leads discussion about a timely topic related to teaching and learning by providing a brief introduction to the topic and posing questions to lead a guided, interactive discussion with participants seated at the table. You need to submit a facilitation plan when applying for this session.   

The facilitation plan requirements: To ensure roundtable discussions foster dynamic, inclusive dialogue, you should outline a clear 30-minute facilitation plan.The facilitation plan should: (1) state the topic, i.e., the primary pedagogical challenge, question, or goal driving your roundtable discussion, (2) provide 3–4 core discussion questions designed to prompt reflection and elicit varied perspectives from across disciplines, and (3) provide any engagement strategies you will use to include colleagues in the conversation. 

Sample Facilitation Plan: 

Title: Strategies for Fostering Active Participation in Large-Enrollment Courses

Purpose: To explore cross-disciplinary approaches to actively engaging all students during class without relying solely on high-stakes cold calling or traditional participation points.

Facilitation Questions & Audience Engagement Agenda:

  1. Introduction (3-5 Mins): Brief introduction by the facilitator to define the context, key concepts, or challenge. Facilitator talk-time must not exceed 5 minutes. Audience Engagement: Facilitator will provide a one-page handout with the topic, discussion questions, and space to take notes. Participants will introduce themselves (such as name, department, and course taught, typical enrollment, etc.) 
  2. Strategy Exploration (10-12 Mins): Guided conversation where participants share their own experiences. Sample discussion questions: What strategies have you tried to encourage low-stakes participation (e.g., anonymous polling, think-pair-share, digital whiteboards)? How did it go in practice? Audience Engagement: Participants have a moment to gather their thoughts and then go around the table sharing experiences. Each participant will have about two minutes to share (time based on number of participants). 
  3. Cross-Discipline Themes (10 Mins): Exploration of how strategies can be similar and different across contexts. Sample discussion questions: What similar challenges did we have across disciplines? What unique challenges did we have, if any? What solutions or strategies might work across contexts? What solutions are discipline-specific, if any. Audience Engagement: Throughout the discussion, participants should write down the problems and solutions many of us have in common when trying to incorporate active learning in large class sizes across disciplines. I encourage them to note at least two technological or activity design solutions that can work across contexts as well as one that might be more discipline-specific.      
  4. Takeaways or Actionable Wrap up  (5 Mins): Synthesis of key takeaways where participants share one concrete adjustment or takeaway they can apply in their own course. Sample questions: What is one small tweak you can commit to testing in your classroom? Audience Engagement: Go quickly around the table and ask each person to share their main take-away and/or new idea for facilitating active learning in a large class.

Lightning Talks 

A lightning talk is a fast-paced, high-energy presentation focused on concise, actionable teaching strategies, tools, or resources. Lightning Talks run in sequential rounds, giving audience members rapid-fire access to practical instructional ideas they can adopt immediately. Each talk is strictly limited to 3 minutes.  

Abstract requirements: Your lightning talk abstract should include the structure below (100-150 Words):     

  1. Tip / Tool: Name the specific teaching strategy, tool, or pedagogical resource. 
  2. Goal: Explain the exact student learning or engagement goal this addresses.
  3. Why: Outline why this method/tool works (rationale or evidence base).
  4. How: Provide a quick walkthrough of how to implement it in class. 

If accepted, you will submit a maximum of 2 PPT slides per talk by April 6, 2027. If presenting an app, digital platform, or online resource, one of the slides must include a prominent QR code allowing the audience to participate, view a sample template, or access the tool live.   

Eligibility

If you have taught (have been an IOR) at FSU or the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, you are eligible to apply to present. You may have taught collaboratively, and so you may co-present with a colleague, or include a colleague as a co-author on your poster. Co-presenters and co-authors can be grad students, Learning Assistants, etc. If you have questions about eligibility, please feel free to connect with us via pro-teaching@fsu.edu to check.

Consult with Us

If you’d like to discuss your project or idea for the Provost’s Showcase, or if you would like more guidance on the application process, feel free to contact us at pro-teaching@fsu.edu.  

Information for Tabling Request  

We also welcome offices/units who offer teaching and learning-related services to faculty or students to share information at special tables. If your office/unit would like to promote your services and resources by tabling at the PSST, please make a request by emailing pro-teaching@fsu.edu. 

In your email, please provide responses to the following questions: 1. In what ways do the services that your office/unit offers support teaching and/or learning? 2. If we accept your tabling request, we will provide signage for your office/unit. What name would you like us to put on the signage? (e.g. Center for the Advancement of Teaching) 3. Do you plan to have a poster display? If so, we will provide an easel and a poster board. 4. We will feature your office/unit in the Program for the Provost’s Showcase. How would you like your office/unit to be presented? Please provide a short paragraph with the link to your office/unit’s web site.

Application

If you plan to present your teaching, please fill in the 2027 Provost’s Showcase of Scholarly Teaching Application Form. To complete the form, you will need the title and abstract of your proposal or facilitation agenda based on requirement for the format you choose. The abstract or facilitation agenda will be shared in the final program to help participants determine how your session will benefit them. 

Application Due Date: Feb 1, 2027

Acceptance Notification Date: February 19, 2027

Please click the link below to send in your application:

Application Form

2027 Provost’s Showcase of Scholarly Teaching Application Form  – Fill out form