
2025 Festival of Teaching and Learning
The Festival of Teaching and Learning demonstrates and celebrates pedagogical innovation across the Purdue University system. Join us in April 2025 for a hands-on teaching showcase and get inspired! All Purdue educators—in any position, rank, or unit—are invited to apply. The 2025 Festival of Teaching and Learning will take place from 3-5pm on April 11 in Honors Hall (HCRN 1066).
We are especially interested in showcasing:
- Innovative methods
- Inclusive pedagogy
- Interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approaches
- Project-based or experiential learning
- Community-engaged learning
- Co-creative and peer education
- Artificial Intelligence
- Honors pedagogy
Call for Proposals
The Blue Sky Teaching & Learning Laboratory invites all members of the Purdue community to showcase their best pedagogical practices in a teaching and learning expo.
Entries may come from any department or unit at any Purdue location and may be proposed by anyone who has created learning opportunities for Purdue students—inside or outside of the classroom.
All entries should have a tangible, demonstrable, and/or interactive component (e.g. visual aids, hands-on activity, interactive model, or examples of student work produced) and participants should expect to share their best practice with a diverse audience made up of students, staff, faculty, and alumni.
All participants will be eligible to win $1,000 cash awards for future teaching and learning projects.
To apply, fill out the following Qualtrics form by Wednesday, February 19, 2025. If you have any questions, please send an email to blueskylab@purdue.edu.
Apply Today!About the 2024 Festival of Teaching & Learning
On April 12, 2024, the Blue Sky Lab hosted the 1st annual Festival of Teaching and Learning, an expo of innovative teaching methods and techniques that invited Purdue educators to share best and most novel practices. 300+ members of the Purdue community joined together in to celebrate Boilermaker creativity in and out of the classroom.
Co-sponsored by Purdue’s Center for Instructional Excellence, Innovation Hub, and Teaching Academy, the event promoted further teaching innovation by offering new models, networking opportunities, and cash awards to support future teaching experiments. See the 2024 Festival of Teaching and Learning award winners below.
Event Photo Gallery2024 Festival of Teaching & Learning Awards
Congratulations to the winners of Purdue’s inaugural Festival of Teaching and Learning!
Teaching Academy Awards
This award honors presenters whose work best embodies the values of Purdue’s Teaching Academy and the Framework for Teaching Excellence.
Dr. Elizabeth Brite, John Martinson Honors College: International service-learning model (HONR 399: Beyond Afghanistan)
Dr. Rustin Webster, Purdue Polytechnic Institute: Catapult design challenge (MET 10200)
Innovation Hub Awards for Innovative Uses of Generative-AI
This award recognizes recipients of Purdue Innovation Hub grants whose work demonstrates innovation in classroom uses of AI.
Dr. Haiyan Li, Minsun Kim, Ty C. Climer, and Cheng Lixia, PLaCE, College of Liberal Arts: Chat GPT in ESL classrooms (ENGL 11100)
Dr. Ramses Martinez, School of Industral Engineering: AI tools for critical thinking (IE 37000)
IMPACT Festival of Teaching and Learning Recognition
This award honors exceptional teaching innovation by instructors who have completed IMPACT training.
Dr. Beatriz Castro Bohorquez, Department of Biological Sciences: Tools for transforming large lecture classrooms (BIOL 203/4)
Dr. Michael Johnson, Department of English: Self assessments in the writing classroom (ENGL 106)
Dr. Corrinne Lim-Kessler, Department of Psychological Sciences: Models for crafting and exploring cultural narratives (PSY 39200)
Dr. Jason Ware, John Martinson Honors College: Performance-based experiential education (HONR 312: Jazz)
Blue Sky Awards for Excellence in Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Pedagogy
This award honors innovative and inclusive approaches to interdisciplinary teaching.
Dr. Jacob Adler, Department of Biological Sciences, “Research for All: Community Focused Experiences” (BIO 135)
A Fay Barber-Dansby, Purdue Polytechnic Institute: Design thinking with community orgs (TECH 120)
Thomas Lucas, Purdue Polytechnic Institute: Science communication podcast “Most Significant Bit” (MFET 374),
Dr. Zahra Tehrani, John Martinson Honors College: Models for ethical reflection in science policy (HONR 299: Modern Eugenics)