The 16th Annual Oktoberbest: A Symposium on Teaching was held on Friday, October 17, 2025, bringing together 156 attendees from USC Columbia, USC Aiken, USC Lancaster, USC Salkehatchie, and the Schools of Medicine in Columbia and Greenville, as well as other institutions across South Carolina including Allen University, Columbia International University, Midlands Technical College, South Carolina State University, and Winthrop University. The event provided a day of professional learning, collaboration, and recognition of innovative teaching practices.
Dr. Thomas J. Tobin, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, delivered this year’s keynote address, Secret Champion Training: How to Talk to Colleagues about Inclusive Teaching. An internationally recognized scholar in technology-mediated education, Dr. Tobin encouraged educators to become “secret champions” for inclusive design by sharing practical strategies that reduce barriers and promote student engagement through Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Following the keynote, attendees had the opportunity to meet Dr. Tobin and participate in a book signing for his publication, Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: UDL in Higher Education.
Feedback from attendees reflected the keynote’s strong impact and applicability across disciplines:
“The keynote was superior - engaging, inspiring, and applicable to all disciplines.”
“The idea of +1 thinking for accessibility was extremely helpful as a framework to
improve my course materials.”
“Thomas Tobin’s session was off the charts in terms of practical and encouraging advice!” “I plan to shift my language from ‘you must’ to ‘we will support you in…’ - a powerful
change in mindset.”
The symposium featured 14 concurrent sessions on topics such as active learning, generative AI in teaching, accessible course design, specification grading, and strategies for engaging students in large courses. Participants also attended the Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation ceremony, which recognized faculty whose work demonstrates creativity and impact in teaching.
“I learned new strategies for engaging students in active learning and plan to incorporate
more collaborative activities into my classes.”
“The AI lecture opened my eyes to using conversation tools to create personas for
problem-based learning.”
“Absolutely love the short sessions - such an exceptional experience overall.”
Attendees enjoyed a networking lunch and concluded the day with Oktoberfest-themed refreshments and door prizes made possible through generous contributions from various local businesses. The full program and presentation PowerPoints from the symposium are available on the Oktoberbest website.