Addressing Challenges in Teaching
ACT

Each summer, we invite you to join us for ACT, as we form communities to address common challenges in undergraduate education such as academic support for students, building meaningful group work, responding to the rise of Al, and exploring novel grading strategies. Educators at all stages of their academic career are welcome to join us as we meet new colleagues while we explore, reflect upon, learn, and deepen our teaching practices.
2026 Topics
When you register for ACT, you will be asked to indicate your level of experience and familiarity with Scientific Teaching and to select the topics you would most like to explore. Our goal will be to match you with other group members with similar experience and interests and with a coordinator who will help guide you in building a product that supports your continued professional learning. Your group will decide how you will work together within a structured timeline.
Group Work
Developing critical thinking skills for today's student
Teaching with others (team-teaching, multi-section, TAs, LAs)
Grading Strategies
Universal Design or Bridging the Gap to Teach Students with Variable Skills
AI Literacy for
Faculty and Students
AI as a Teaching Assistant
Designing Assignments for an AI-Enabled Environment
Building Student Ownership of the Learning Experience
AI and Assessment Alignment
Academic Integrity in the Age of AI

ACT Overview
Each summer, the National Institute on Scientific Teaching hosts a flexible, small group learning event: Addressing Challenges in Teaching (ACT). We invite you to join us as we form new communities to address common challenges in undergraduate education, such as academic support for students, building meaningful group work, responding to the rise of AI, and exploring novel grading strategies. Educators at all stages of their academic career are welcome to join us as we meet new colleagues while we explore, reflect upon, learn, and deepen our teaching practices.The ACT program involves the establishment of small groups formed around themes chosen by participants during registration. Following an opening session, groups will work together to schedule 5 to 6 meetings over the following 3 weeks to discuss the teaching challenge, develop strategies to address this challenge, and produce materials that will be useful to their own teaching practice. These products will be shared at the closing session in late July. An experienced coordinator will help guide each group as they work to find a deeper understanding of how to meet their challenge using the three pillars of the Scientific Teaching Framework (Active Learning, Inclusivity, Assessment). Participants will also reconnect as a community at a January meeting to reflect on their implementation and future plans. Join a flexible, collaborative program to address challenges in teaching this summer!
Small Group Work
Groups of five or six members will meet online 5-6 times over 3 weeks on a self-directed schedule. Groups will collaboratively refine the broad initial topic to focus on specific challenges of most interest to them and develop a product that they can share, which furthers their own development with Scientific Teaching. For example, groups newer to their topic may explore and build a toolkit that links to a variety of tested ways to begin its incorporation into their practice. Other groups who are well versed in their topic might refresh their practice by sharing what has or has not worked and think about a particular issue with a larger community, proposing new solutions. Ideally, each person will also explore how they can benefit and develop as a member of the NIST community. Each group will be assigned a facilitator, who will ensure productive conversations and progress within the group, be available to liaise with ACT organizers and share requests for support, and answer questions about ACT events and meetings. Groups will complete a weekly check-in form so that facilitators and organizers can help with any challenges that arise. Groups will schedule their initial meeting during the opening workshop. This first meeting will focus on grounding the chosen topic in the pillars of SI, followed by additional meetings where participants will share relevant examples from the literature, discuss personal experiences and strategies, and bring all of this information together to think about possible solutions and strategies for implementing these in individual teaching practice.
2026 Summer Schedule
Opening Workshop: Monday, July 14, 2026. 11:00 am—1:00 pm Pacific / 2:00—4:00 pm Eastern. Introduce the goals for the summer program.
Meeting 1: Scientific Teaching framework: Active Learning, Assessment, Inclusion
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Identify and refine the broad topic to a more specific interest identified by group and grounded within the selected pillar of Scientific Teaching framework. Take the broad topic and identify and refine the approach to addressing that challenge.
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Review structured group organizing template
Meeting 2
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Share of examples, ideas from literature
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Identify potential product to be developed and plan group roles
Meeting 3
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Share personal experiences and strategies for peer feedback
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Collaborate on product development
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Begin to align examples and experiences to framework
Meeting 4
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Continue alignment activities
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Bring together a cohesive strategy for strategies and solutions
Meetings 5-6
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Finalize product development to share what your group identified as a relevant, cohesive strategy aligned to the Scientific Teaching framework.
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Share product with other ACT groups in shared drive
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Identify post-ACT goals for continued professional learning
Group Meetings (between July 14-July 31) with suggested focus areas for each meeting:
Wrap-up Session: Friday, July 31, 2026. 10:00—11:30 am Pacific / 1:00—2:30 pm Eastern. Each group will share the materials that they developed and collaborate with other participants to share new ideas, ask questions and explore possible next steps.
Follow-up Reunion: Early Winter 2027 (90 minutes) TBA. Join ACT participants together with prior SMP participants to share progress and learn about opportunities to unlock new achievements and level up with NIST.
Registration Fees
Registration fees are non-refundable and support the work of the coordinators.
NIST Members
$35
Non-Members
$70
Groups of 4 or more from the same department
$35 per participant regardless of membership status. NIST will invoice the department.
After registering, you will be directed to the payment page.
Questions?
Contact us at nationalinstituteonST@gmail.com and include ACT in the subject line
The Committee
Get to know the dedicated educators behind the scenes! The ACT Committee is a passionate group of faculty and staff who design the summer experience, curating sessions, fostering community, and ensuring every moment supports your growth as a scientific educator. They're here to guide, support, and inspire you throughout the program.








