ILAC 2027 Session Information

We want to ensure that individuals and programs from diverse institutions, backgrounds, and experiences have opportunities to share their expertise throughout the conference sessions.

The submission period for proposing a research talk, pedagogy or disciplinary lesson, contributed session, or for requesting to join an LAA workshop facilitation team is September 15 to October 30, 2026.  

  • Submission deadline: October 30
  • Submission status notification: early December

While everyone's voice is valued, there is finite space in the agenda, and we will do our best to accommodate your great work.

Types of Sessions at ILAC 2027

  • LAA Workshops: Workshops that have previously been developed by the LAA and will be led by a facilitation team.  Some sessions are designed for those new to the LA Model; others are particularly valuable for those familiar with the program (and perhaps facing new challenges). Topics include:
    • Transforming your Course with LAs 
    • What is the Weekly Prep Session?
    • What Belongs in a Pedagogy Course?
    • Fostering Inclusive Learning Environments
    • Supporting Instructors Working with LAs
    • Making the Case to Administrators
  • Contributed Sessions: These sessions and interactive workshops will be led by attendees (60-minute sessions).
  • Pedagogy and Disciplinary Lessons: These pedagogy lessons or subject-specific lessons involve active learning.  Participants will be immersed as learners during the session and will debrief the experience as a group (40-minute lesson plus 20-minute discussion).
  • Research Talks: ILAC attendees will share research findings with the community (25 minutes with Q&A).
  • Posters: Posters will describe research, programs, course structures and curriculum materials used in LA-supported courses, or anything LA-related.

Poster Guidelines

  1. You will be able to attach your poster to a poster board that is 48 inches tall by 48 inches wide.
  2. You will present your poster in one 30 minute block during the Poster Session.
  3. Poster titles and abstracts will be made available to ILAC attendees. 

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) / Discussion Round Tables

We will have time and space for SIGs to meet at ILAC to discuss specialized topics. Start thinking about your own special interests within the LAA community and a SIG that you'd like to continue participating in beyond ILAC.

Example session topics presented at previous ILACs 

(see contributed session flyer above for session descriptions)

Community-contributed workshops

  • Navigating Emotional Intelligence in Learning Assistant Programs
  • Setting Up Groups for Success: Using Formative Assesments to Promoto Positive Group Dynamics in LA-Supported Classrooms
  • Strengthening Leadership and a Sense of Belonging in the Context of Learning Assistant Training
  • Running a Successful LA Mentor Program
  • Bold successes through assessment of student learning with the LA model
  • A Call to Action: Positioning LAs as co-designers, partners, and leaders in enacting equity and justice in STEM classrooms
  • Working with Learning Assistants in a POGIL classroom 

Immersive Pedagogy and Disciplinary Lessons
Pedagogy Lessons:

  • Teaching Implicit Bias and Meritocracy
  • Backward-Looking, Forward Thinking: Reflective Teaching Strategies in the LA Pedagogy Course
  • Puzzled and intrigued: Simulating a problem-solving session to help LAs reflect on metacognitive thinking
  • Attending to students' in-the-moment learning
  • Metacognition: Being aware of what you're trying to accomplish

Disciplinary Lessons:

  • Experience Asynchronous Course Learning Activities and Explore Adaptations Based on Learning Context and Roles of LAs
  • Developing Writing Confidence and Competence with LA-Assisted Writing Workshops
  • Digital versus hands-on molecular modeling in exploring molecular shapes, VSEPR

Research Talks

  • Bridging Across Boundaries: Faculty Experiences Across Elements of the Learning Assistant Program
  • Leveraging Different Tools to Support Student Learning Across LA-Supported Remote, In-Person, and Hybrid Courses
  • How LAs Facilitate and Learn through Research-Based Pedagogy Lessons in the System of the Three Essential Elements
  • Learning Assistants have comparable impacts on student belonging and confidence across science disciplines and course contexts
  • The impact of Learning Assistants on the experiences of first generation students
  • What makes an LA a peer mentor? Students' perceptions of mentoring supports from LAs in undergraduate STEM classrooms