2026 Fall Kickoff: Teaching that Clicks

How do we teach effectively when technology is everywhere - and students' attention is anything but constant? Join the CTLA for our annual Fall Kickoff, where we'll explore practical, research-based strategies for teaching in today's evolving learning landscape. This year's keynote and workshop will be led by Dr. Michelle D. Miller, professor of psychological sciences at Northern Arizona University. An internationally recognized expert on attention, memory, technology and college teaching, Dr. Miller brings both scientific insight and real classroom experience to her work. Teaching that Clicks: Learning at the Intersection of Cognition, Motivation, and Technology One of the great promises of educational technology is that it helps us take advantage of research findings from cognitive, brain, and learning sciences to create more effective and engaging learning activities. But there's a complication: these approaches often demand more focused attention, and more cognitive effort from students. Without sufficient motivation, students may not fully engage with these methods, missing out on the benefits. In this keynote, Dr. Michelle Miller introduces a practical framework for integrating insights from both cognitive and motivational science to create learning experiences that are compelling as well as effective.Miller is the author of Remembering and Forgetting in the Age of Technology, Minds Online, and A Teacher's Guide to Learning Student Names. She currently serves as Exe