Schedule & Sessions — researchED Toronto 2026

Programme

Schedule & Session Directory

Star a session to add it to your personal schedule — it is saved on this device.

Showing 4 of 41 sessions

Round 2 Breakouts

11:10 AM – 11:50 AM2 sessions

Assessment & AI

Round 2 Breakouts · 11:10 AM – 11:50 AM

AI in the Classroom: Is "Peaceful Coexistence" Possible?

Dr. Paul W. Bennett

Director, Schoolhouse Institute · Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute · Saint Mary's University

Examining the cognitive risks of overreliance on generative AI, including memory offloading and skill erosion, this session advocates for cognitive complementarity. Dr. Bennett outlines practical guardrails for using AI in lesson design and assessment while protecting core knowledge building and critical thinking.

Assessment & AI

Round 2 Breakouts · 11:10 AM – 11:50 AM

How to Prevent AI Study Tools from Eroding Student Learning

Andrew Cohen

Founder, Brainscape

When AI replaces critical thinking with convenience, it can remove the desirable difficulty needed for durable learning. Drawing on a large-scale study of AI tool use, the presenter shares curriculum and study-design adjustments that preserve effective learning habits and reduce cognitive offloading.

Round 4 Breakouts

2:40 PM – 3:20 PM2 sessions

Assessment & AI

Workshop

Round 4 Breakouts · 2:40 PM – 3:20 PM

The Evidence-Based Teacher: Navigating Research, AI, and Educational Claims

Dr. Jim Hewitt

Professor, OISE, University of Toronto

Dr. Nidhi Sachdeva

Chair, researchED Canada · Teacher Educator & Researcher, OISE, University of Toronto · Academica University of Applied Sciences

Teachers are constantly exposed to educational claims. New programs, instructional approaches, professional development initiatives, social media posts, and AI tools frequently promise to improve learning, often citing research as justification. Yet the strength and quality of evidence behind these claims can vary considerably. In this interactive session, participants will examine a series of common claims about teaching and learning and explore practical strategies for evaluating the evidence behind them, using the Evidence Checker — a free tool designed to help educators assess educational evidence.

Assessment & AI

Round 4 Breakouts · 2:40 PM – 3:20 PM

Ditching the "Fuzzy": Using Cognitive Science to Build Equitable Rubrics

Kien Langlois

Secondary Science Educator, District School Board of Niagara

Standard rubrics often rely on subjective "zombie adjectives" such as clear or thorough, obscuring expectations and increasing teacher fatigue. This session shows educators how to turn abstract skills into observable student actions, examining an AI-supported workflow with built-in safeguards for creating rigorous rubrics.