Rutgers Online Learning Conference

Bonni Stachowiak is a teacher and learner at heart, always searching for better questions to spark curiosity and imagination. She serves as dean of teaching and learning and professor of business and management at Vanguard University of Southern California. 

Bonni is the creator and host of Teaching in Higher Ed, a weekly podcast exploring the art and science of teaching. Since its launch in 2014, the show has surpassed five million downloads, received a MERLOT Classics Award, and has been featured in Inside Higher Ed, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Times Higher Education, and EdSurge. 

Bonni holds a doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University and earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Chapman University. She speaks regularly at conferences and campuses on topics like curiosity, digital pedagogy, and ethical leadership. She often joins her husband, Dave Stachowiak, as a co-host on his Coaching for Leaders podcast. Bonni and Dave are raising two curious kids who keep the whole family’s love for learning alive.

Curiosity, Connection, and Creativity: Cornerstones of Engaged Learning
Keeping students engaged requires intentional design and a sustained, genuine presence. Together, we will explore three cornerstones of engaged learning—curiosity, connection, and creativity—and how they can be cultivated across asynchronous, hybrid, and online environments. We will investigate practical approaches that foster meaningful interaction, sustain motivation, and strengthen learning outcomes, drawing inspiration and examples from past guests on the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast. The session will also consider how generative AI presents both challenges and opportunities, and how pedagogical approaches can support and appropriately challenge students as they learn.