Learning Communities: Research, Practice, and Innovation
FALCON is returning in as an in-person pedagogical conference, bringing faculty and instructors together for one day of connection, learning, and inspiration at IU Indianapolis. Designed to engage faculty focused on teaching excellence and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)—as well as instructors from institutions across Indiana—FALCON 2026 will feature a more externally facing, high-quality conference profile, including notable keynote speakers and new sponsorship opportunities that strengthen collaboration across institutions.
Registration
Online registration is now available at the rates listed below. Onsite registration may also be available, space permitting.
The conference will take place at University Tower, 875 W North St., Indianapolis, IN 46202, on the IU Indianapolis campus.
A discounted hotel room block is available at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Indianapolis Downtown IUPUI (414 W Vermont St., Indianapolis, IN 46202). Please reserve your room by September 10 to receive the discounted rate.
IU employees with an EM parking permit may park in nearby campus permit lots at no charge. Please ensure your permit is visible. Recommended permit lots include Lot 71 (765 W North St.) and Lot 80 (1019 W Vermont St.).
Visitors and guests without a permit may use the underground visitor garage beneath University Tower/Hine Hall (875 W North St.). The current rate is $7/day (subject to change). Take the elevator to the main level to access conference meeting spaces.
The Science of Learning and the Humanity of Teaching
In the last couple of decades, faculty have been invited and sometimes urged to “follow the science” of learning. But what does it actually mean to turn to science in the work of teaching? What can the neurobiology and cognitive science of learning help us see more clearly, and what can they never fully capture?
In this session we will explore the productive tension between two truths: learning science offers powerful, practical insights, and yet every scientific claim is situated—bounded by time, methods, models, and the particular participants a study did (and did not) include. We will examine a small set of core learning principles that have shown durability across decades of research and lived experiences while also interrogating what we still don’t know, what remains contested, and importantly, where our own teaching experiences and relationships with our students serve as essential and illuminating data.
Dr. Mays Imad is a neuroscientist and educator who studies how bodies learn, remember, and heal –– individually and collectively. Her work is rooted in the belief that education is not just about information transfer, but about transformation: a space where people come to re-member themselves and reconnect to their capacity to feel, to hope, and to act.
Innovate Awards Applications
The FACET Innovate Awards recognize innovative approaches to teaching and learning that promote student success and share effective practices across institutions.
FALCON has a new name: FACET Learning Conference. While the name has evolved, the mission remains the same: bringing together educators from across IU and beyond to share ideas, explore teaching practices, and strengthen our learning communities.
Ann Bunger, IU Bloomington
James David Geiger, IU Indianapolis
Douglas Jerolimov, IU Indianapolis
Diane Larson, IU Northwest
Gina Londino-Smolar, FACET Programs and Services Director
