Oktoberbest: A Symposium On Teaching

Date:	Friday, October 17, 2025
Time:	8:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location:	University Conference Center 8th Floor, Close-Hipp Building 1705 College St. Columbia, S.C. 29208

Join us for Oktoberbest, USC’s annual teaching symposium, where faculty, instructors, and graduate teaching assistants come together to explore innovative teaching strategies, course design, assessments, and student engagement. Connect with colleagues, gain new insights, and enhance your teaching practices!

Free for all USC educators | Not open to the general public

Oktoberbest Agenda

Keynote Speaker

Thomas J. Tobin, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Thomas J. Tobin Madison Center for Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring. An internationally recognized scholar, author, and speaker, he specializes in technology-mediated education, with expertise in areas such as copyright, evaluating teaching practices, academic integrity, accessibility, and universal design for learning.

Tobin holds a master's and Ph.D. in English literature, a master’s in information science, and certifications in project management (PMP), online teaching (MOT), Quality Matters (QM), accessibility (CPACC), and academic leadership (Penn State).

Recognized on Ed Tech Magazine’s Influencers "Dean’s List," he has also received the Wagner Leadership Award in Distance Learning Administration and was named one of Eduflow’s global Top 100 Learning Influencers. He serves on the boards of Advances in Online Education, InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, and the Oklahoma University Press Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher

Tobin’s books include:

Evaluating Online Teaching (2015)
Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: UDL in Higher Education (2018)
Going Alt-Ac: A Guide to Alternative Academic Careers (2020)
Implementing UDL in Irish Further Education and Training (2021)
UDL at Scale (forthcoming 2026)
Evaluating Teaching in the Digital Era (forthcoming 2026)
Peer Observation Made Practical (forthcoming 2027)

Connect with him on various social media platforms or visit his website at thomasjtobin.com.

Oktoberbest Agenda

8:15 am – 9:00 am	Registration and Networking Breakfast
9:00 am – 9:10 am	Welcome Remarks Matt E. Thatcher, Ph.D. Director, Center for Teaching Excellence
9:10 am – 10:40 am	Keynote Address Thomas J. Tobin, Ph. D. University of Wisconsin-Madison
10:40 am – 10:50 am	Transition to Breakout Session 1
10:50 am – 11:20 am	Breakout Session 1 Attendees will choose one of four breakout sessions to attend. Beyond Lectures: Engaging Engineering Students with Discussions Sean Higgins, M.S. Instructor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing Teaching with AI and Blackboard Ultra: Practical Strategies for Smarter Course Design Meredith Huynh, MBA Assistant Director, Online Learning and Support University of South Carolina Aiken Unlocking Biology for All: Universal Design for Learning in the Life Sciences Charles Schumpert, Ph.D. Instructor and Lab Coordinator, Biological Sciences McCausland College of Arts and Sciences Amanda Zeigler, Ph.D. Director of Undergraduate Studies, Biological Sciences McCausland College of Arts and Sciences Managing Hands-On Group Projects in Large Classrooms Anli Xiao, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communications College of Information and Communications
11:20 am – 11:30 am	Transition to Breakout Session 2
11:30 am – 12:00 pm	Breakout Session 2 Attendees will choose one of four breakout sessions to attend. Empowering Student Review with GPT Bots Tailored to Your Course Austin Blackwell, MHIT Instructor, Integrated Information Technology Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing Turning Grades into Growth in Online Asynchronous Courses Ibitein Okeafor Doctoral Student, Health Services Policy and Management Arnold School of Public Health How to Create a Skills-Based Competency Video: A Faculty-Led Design Model Dani Quinn, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC Assistant Professor, Advanced Professional Nursing Practice & Leadership College of Nursing Using Active Learning Strategies to Facilitate Learning Sandy Greene, Ph.D. Associate Director for Peer Leadership & Partnerships, University 101 Programs Katie Hopkins, M.Ed. Associate Director for Faculty Development and Resources, University 101 Programs
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm	Lunch and Networking
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm	Recognition Ceremony Garnet Apple Awards for Teaching Innovation
1:30 pm – 1:40 pm	Transition to Breakout Session 3
1:40 pm – 2:10 pm	Breakout Session 3 Attendees will choose one of three breakout sessions to attend. To TBL or Not to TBL? A Faculty Experience Kirby Cranford Lee, DMSc, PA-C Clinical Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Studies School of Medicine – Columbia Annette Rauch, MMS, PA-C Clinical Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Studies School of Medicine – Columbia Collaborative Learning Through POGIL: Redesigning Classrooms for Engagement Natasha Delahunt, M.S. Instructor, Computer Science and Engineering Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing Teaching for Mastery: How Specification Grading Moves Beyond Points for Deeper Learning Eilea Knotts, Ph.D. Instructor and Lab Coordinator, Biological Sciences McCausland College of Arts and Sciences
2:10 pm – 2:20 pm	Transition to Breakout Session 4
2:20 pm – 2:50 pm	Breakout Session 4 Attendees will choose one of three breakout sessions to attend. Unfolding Proteins: A ChemArtistry Approach to Molecular Storytelling Sahar Aghasafari, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Art and Graphic Design University of South Carolina Lancaster Li Cai, Ph.D. Professor, Chemistry University of South Carolina Lancaster Role-Playing for Engagement: From Classroom Simulations to Structured Games Emily Brennan, Ph.D. Grants Program Coordinator Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning Creating More Inclusive Instructional Environments: Neurodivergent Instructor Challenges and Strategies Margaret Janse van Rensburg, Ph.D., MSW, RSW Assistant Professor College of Social Work Abigail Reza, M.A. Doctoral Student College of Social Work Robert Hock, Ph.D., LMSW Associate Professor College of Social Work
2:50 pm – 3:05 pm	Oktoberbest Refreshments Think pretzels!
3:05 pm – 3:30 pm	Closing Remarks and Door Prizes

Center for Teaching Excellence