The PBL Symposium logo.
The May 1 symposium runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

This May 1 event explores how classrooms, community partners and workplaces form a learning ecosystem that supports student success through authentic, applied education. Participants will engage with examples, strategies and partnerships that connect learning to real-world practice, while fostering adaptability and lifelong learning.

The event is hosted by the Teaching Hub and led by Department of Multidisciplinary Innovation faculty. It builds on years of innovative teaching and scholarship in project-based and work-integrated learning. UNT DMI's work — refined across multiple symposium offerings for educators both within and beyond UNT — continues to evolve alongside the changing educational landscape.

Participants can attend the entire day or individual plenary sessions. Register for the full event here.

Plenary Session #1: What is PBL?

Featuring Dr. Shari Childers and Dr. Kara Fulton. 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Register for the individual session if you cannot attend the entire day and do not plan to register for the full symposium here.

Plenary Session #2: Work Integrated Learning in PBL

Featuring Professor Kevin Sanders. 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Register for the individual session if you cannot attend the entire day and do not plan to register for the full symposium here.

Plenary Sessions #3: TBA
Title and speaker to be announced soon. 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Register for the individual session if you cannot attend the entire day and do not plan to register for the full symposium here.

Breakout Sessions

  • Read Deeply, Talk Confidently, Apply Expertly:  Flipped Classroom Discussions 
  • Cut, Paste, Publish: Teaching Critical Thinking through Zines in First-Year Writing
  • Engaging Communities in Heritage Management: Writing, Preserving, and Celebrating Shared Histories with Community Partners
  • Life Is Not Multiple Choice — Applied Exams in Government Core Courses
  • Preparing Students for Industry with Work-Integrated Learning Opportunities
  • Make Learning a Problem — Gamify Any Topic Into Problem-Solving
  • Expanding PBL: Strategies for Online and Large Classrooms
  • Implementing New PBL Pedagogy Techniques to Strengthen Student Success in Mathematics Courses
  • Cultivating Inter- and Multi-disciplinary Approaches in PBL
  • Industry Engagement in the Classroom: Challenges and Opportunities
  • Taking Creativity Seriously: Using Design Thinking and Creative Problem Solving in Project-Based Learning
  • Community-Based Cohort PBL in Core Courses
  • Music to Mastery: Lyrics as Learning
  • Navigating Through Conflict in PBL Environments