Conference "Teaching for learning"

On 14–15 January, the teaching-themed conference will seek answers to the question of how to support individual and collective well-being both at work and in everyday life. Participants will be able to reflect on the connections between the well-being of academic staff and students’ deep learning, exchange experiences with colleagues, and find new teaching ideas for the coming semester.

The conference will explore how well-being, personality traits, and everyday teaching practices of academic staff shape both academic work and the learner experience. What psychological and social factors support or hinder well-being? What can we learn from this? We will discuss how conscious self-care, institutional culture, and understanding one’s own psychological characteristics can help turn teaching anxiety into excitement.

The conference takes place over two days. On 14 January, workshops will be held in the lecture rooms of the Institute of Education (Jakobi 5, Tartu), for which prior registration is required. The conference day on 15 January consists of a plenary session, workshops, and poster discussions. Plenary speakers will present in the assembly hall of the University of Tartu main building (Ülikooli 18, Tartu), while the workshops and poster presentations will take place in the main building’s classrooms.

We welcome poster presentations in which the academic staff can introduce their teaching experience to colleagues. Please submit your poster presentation request by 6 January 2026 at the latest. Include the poster topic and a three-to-four-sentence core message. We expect digital landscape-format posters for the poster session. Interactive content (e.g. videos or dynamic graphic elements) created using PowerPoint or Canva is highly encouraged. Each presenter will have three minutes for a short oral presentation, followed by a more in-depth discussion with the audience. Please upload posters by 13 January HERE.

At the conference, the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Aune Valk will present the annual teaching awards and teaching quality awards. According to the Statute of Awards in the Field of Teaching, up to three teaching achievements from 2025 will be recognised – achievements that highlight effective cooperation and development activities in the university’s degree studies and continuing education. The teaching quality award recognises a university institute, college, or faculty for activities supporting the quality of teaching that have been designed and implemented successfully and effectively over the past three years.

Programme

10:00–10:30 Registration and welcome coffee
10:30–13:45 Workshop session I
13:45–14:45 Lunch
14:45–18:00 Workshop session II

The workshops in this section will run in parallel. Choose one for yourself.

Konverentsi töötoas Tagasiside ja õppimine käsitletakse võimalusi, kuidas tagasiside saab toetada üliõpilaste sügavat õppimist. Vaadeldakse tagasisidet nii õppejõu kui üliõpilase vaatenurgast ning arutletakse tegurite üle, mis muudavad tagasiside mõjusaks või takistavad sellest õppimist. Töötoas pööratakse tähelepanu ka suhetele ja emotsioonidele tagasisideprotsessis, tagasisidekirjaoskusele ning tagasisidedialoogile.

Töötuba toimub eesti keeles.

Pihel Hunt on Tartu Ülikooli haridusteaduste instituudi õpetajahariduse nooremlektor ja haridusinnovatsiooni õppekava programmijuht. Tema õpetamisvaldkonnad hõlmavad haridusteaduslikke uurimismeetodeid ning õpetajate ja haridusjuhtide professionaalse arengu toetamist. Tema teadustöö keskendub peamiselt tagasisidele kõrghariduses ja sellele, kuidas tagasisidet saab õppimist paremini toetavaks muuta.

Mari Karm on kõrgkoolipedagoogika kaasprofessor. Tema peamine õpetamisvaldkond haridusteaduste instituudis on ülikoolis õppimine ja õpetamine ning täiskasvanute õppimise ja õpetamise eripära.

Töötoa eesmärgiks on anda õppejõududele praktilised oskused ülesannete koostamiseks tekstirobotite abil. Töötoas käsitletakse järgmisi teemasid: tekstirobotite võimalused, eelised ja piirangud ülesannete loomisel. Viipade koostamine. Proovime koos läbi erinevaid viipasid erinevat tüüpi ülesannete koostamiseks õpiväljunditest ja õppematerjalist lähtuvalt, kasutamiseks seminaris, praktikumis, loengus, iseseisva tööna, rühmatööna, mänguliste ülesannete ja reaalelulistel juhtumitel baseeruvate ülesannete koostamiseks.

Töötoas osalemine eeldab tekstirobotite kasutamise algteadmisi ja kogemusi. Osalejatel palutakse kaasa võtta oma sülearvuti. Töötuba toimub eesti keeles.

Triin Marandi on Tartu Ülikooli õppedisainer, kes tegeleb igapäevaselt õppejõudude e-õppe, sh tehisintellekti alase nõustamise ning koolitamisega. Alates 2024. aastast on Triin Tartu Ülikooli üleülikoolilise tekstirobotite töörühma liige.

Accessibility is more than a checklist—it’s a skill set. In this hands-on workshop, participants will be introduced to the 18-Point Accessibility Skills Framework, designed to support educators, instructional designers, and content creators in developing inclusive digital learning experiences.

We’ll explore each of the 18 skills across key themes such as text, layout, images, media, tables, and links. Participants will self-assess their current level of confidence and competency in each skill using our interactive online tool. The session will also provide guidance on interpreting your results and identifying areas for professional growth.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to embed accessibility more deeply into your practice, this workshop will give you a structured, supportive way to reflect, learn, and plan your next steps.

Please bring your personal laptop for the workshop. The workshop will be held in English.

Gavin Henrick is the co-founder and CEO of Brickfield Education Labs.
He has 16 years experience assisting organisations to implement a range of open source learning solutions. His expertise in management and education technology has aided organisations with enhancing their virtual learning environment and processes. He has an extensive track record working with Moodle in the corporate and academic sectors since 2007.

The workshops in this section will run in parallel. Choose one for yourself.

The workshop will focus on presenting and sharing thoughts on how the peer learning scheme SI-PASS can help new students in their studies. SI-PASS is a model where learners learn from and with each other. It helps develop collaboration, deeper understanding of academic material and the enhancement of skills like problem-solving. It also provides a sense of community in a relaxed and informal environment. The potential gains might be both short-term (students performing better in a connected course) and long-term (developing a sense of academic belonging, development of study and other transferable skills).

The workshop will be held in English.

Joakim Malm Associate Professor in Water Resources Engineering with particular interest in peer learning. Certified trainer and Supervisor in the peer learning model SI-PASS at the European Centre for SI-PASS.

William Carey SFHEA FSEDA is an Academic Developer with a focus on STEM disciplines. He works with academic and professional learning staff to enhance and evaluate teaching, learning, assessment, and student engagement policy and practice with a particular interest in Assessment and Feedback, and student-staff partnership and co-creation. He is a Certified Trainer in SI at the European Centre and chairs the European First Year Experience Network and Conference Series.

Accessibility is more than a checklist—it’s a skill set. In this hands-on workshop, participants will be introduced to the 18-Point Accessibility Skills Framework, designed to support educators, instructional designers, and content creators in developing inclusive digital learning experiences.

We’ll explore each of the 18 skills across key themes such as text, layout, images, media, tables, and links. Participants will self-assess their current level of confidence and competency in each skill using our interactive online tool. The session will also provide guidance on interpreting your results and identifying areas for professional growth.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to embed accessibility more deeply into your practice, this workshop will give you a structured, supportive way to reflect, learn, and plan your next steps.

Please bring your personal laptop for the workshop. The workshop will be held in English.

Gavin Henrick is the co-founder and CEO of Brickfield Education Labs.
He has 16 years experience assisting organisations to implement a range of open source learning solutions. His expertise in management and education technology has aided organisations with enhancing their virtual learning environment and processes. He has an extensive track record working with Moodle in the corporate and academic sectors since 2007.

In this workshop, we will explore how to create a learning and teaching culture that prioritizes empathy, care, and humanity without neglecting academic requirements. Together, we’ll explore ways to create an environment where both students and educators feel supported, understood, and appreciated. Through a mix of theory and practical exercises, you’ll discover how self-compassion can boost your own well-being as a teacher and positively impact your teaching practices and, in turn, your students’ learning experience. We’ll also brainstorm concrete steps to foster a self-compassionate learning and teaching environment.

The workshop will mainly focus on hands-on, offline activities to encourage interaction and collaboration. Still, we recommend bringing your laptop, if possible, as it may come in handy for some activities. The workshop will be held in English.

Merly Kosenkranius is a postdoctoral researcher at Häme University of Applied Sciences in Finland. Her research interests include proactivity and psychological well-being across work and higher education settings. Her current work focuses on developing and evaluating evidence-based practices to enhance teaching, learning, and well-being in higher education.

Sara Rönkkönen is a senior lecturer at HAMK, specializing in higher education pedagogy. Her work focuses on supporting educators’ professional growth and fostering cross-institutional partnerships within European networks. Her current research interests include well-being in higher education learning and PhD and post-doctoral career paths. She is actively involved in projects that enhance supportive learning environments and promote inclusive and collaborative approaches to teaching and learning in higher education.

Programme

10:30–13:00 Plenary session – assembly hall

Rector of the University of Tartu Toomas Asser
Students' greeting – Vice President of Student Body Anet Ilustrumm
Keynotes:
Higher Education Teachers’ Pedagogical WellbeingLiisa Postareff (Häme University of Applied Sciences)
Wellbeing and Personality at WorkKätlin Anni (University of Tartu)
Teaching awards and teaching quality awards – Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Aune Valk

13:00–14:00 Lunch

14:00–15:00 Workshops

15:15–16:16 Poster presentations

The conference is organised by the Centre for Teaching and Learning in cooperation with academic units.

The activities are carried out within the framework of the measure 21.4.4.2 “Hariduse, ühiskonna ja tööturu seosed - Kõrghariduse kvaliteet, rahvusvahelistumine ja doktorikoolid” of the Estonian Education and Youth Board. The activities are co-funded by the European Union.

Photographs will be taken at the event and later used in UT communication channels. Plenary presentations will be recorded by UTTV.

The conference “Teaching for Learning” has been held at the University of Tartu since 2015. Its purpose is to provide opportunities for learning from colleagues, sharing experiences, and engaging in didactic discussions, as well as to inspire instructors to maintain interest in learning, teaching, and students.

Conference „Teaching for learning 2026“