NITOP 2025 Program Features

Join psychology teachers from universities, two-year and four-year colleges, and high schools at NITOP to explore new ideas that will enhance and broaden your teaching skills. Distinguished speakers from a wide variety of course content areas will guide you in learning innovative teaching techniques and course content updates at the following opportunities.

Back by Popular Demand: NI-Tapas

Last year we introduced a new event, called NI-Tapas*, in response to the hunger for practical teaching ideas. It was a huge success and we’re doing it again. Join us for tableside presentations of bite-sized teaching tips and tricks that will leave you feeling satisfied and energized. 

At NI-Tapas, a diverse range of presenters dish out their best ideas in a 5-minute presentation. From a sweet new example of the confirmation bias to a zesty demonstration of social norms, you're sure to find a flavor that suits your taste. Or maybe you’re looking for a new approach to student attendance, belonging, discussion, or engagement.

We've designed NI-Tapas to be a more intimate and informal version of Teaching Slam, with a cozy atmosphere that encourages lively conversation and collaboration. Instead of presenting to the entire conference group, presenters will travel from table to table, sharing their ideas with small groups of attendees who share similar teaching contexts or courses.

Every five minutes, presenters will move to a new table, giving attendees a chance to sample a variety of flavors. There is time built in for reflection and discussion of the presentations.

General Sessions -- Cutting-edge research and practice by distinguished speakers who are nationally known for their expertise.

Concurrent Sessions – Attendees choose among four different presentations by distinguished psychology faculty addressing a wide range of content areas and teaching strategies; each presentation is offered twice during the institute

Pre-conference Workshops -- Hands-on, interactive sessions on how to improve teaching

Teaching Slam -- A fast-paced, dynamic experience in which multiple speakers share their best teaching tip, assessment idea, or class activity

Demo Demo-- You become the class as great instructors put you through their favorite class demonstrations:  new, ready-to-use demos and new versions of old favorites.

Posters describe scholarship, innovation, and advances in teaching theory and practice. Some common kinds of posters include: the scholarship of teaching and learning, innovations in teaching practices, pedagogies, technology, demonstrations, and activities, innovations in curriculum or departmental activities, and course sharing. Course sharing posters highlight unique course offerings or innovative approaches to teaching psychology courses. Posters are reviewed for acceptance by members of the Organizing Committee. They will judge the poster proposals based on the quality, creativity, and innovation of the proposal, the evidence of impact on teaching and learning, and the relevance and applicability of the content to teachers. Posters may be eligible for several NITOP poster awards described here. Winners are announced at the closing session.

PIEs will offer participants the opportunity to share teaching ideas in a roundtable format. Each of these sessions will include about 30 discussion topics, hosted by Institute participants whose proposals were approved in the review process. Hosts will lead informal, one-hour discussions of those topics at specifically designated round tables. Following a short presentation by the host, participants at the table will be invited to discuss their own ideas on that topic. Participants often move among tables and are free to switch to a different discussion at any time.

*NI-Tapas = New Innovative Teaching Activities: Plain And Simple. In Spanish cuisine, tapas are small plates that can be combined to form a full meal, often accompanying socializing and conversation.