A Canisius University team recently highlighted innovative, student-centered teaching practices at Niagara University’s Committee on College Teaching and Learning (CCTL) conference on January 13.
Associate Professor Jonathan Lawrence, recipient of a President’s Innovation Fund grant, co-presented on “Reacting to the Past” alongside Professor Yvonne Widenor, Tyler Kron-Piatek, instructional designer with the Center for Online Learning and Innovation (COLI), and Mo Hill ’28, teaching assistant/proctor for the ULLC.
[PHOTO: Jonathan Lawrence, Professor Yvonne Widenor and Tyler Kron-Piatek.]
Their presentation focused on “Reacting to the Past,” an immersive, role-playing pedagogy that places students at the center of historical and conceptual simulations. Lawrence, who first encountered RTTP at a national conference in 2020, redesigned his courses around the approach during the transition to hybrid and online learning. “The games helped with engagement even in a trying environment,” Lawrence said, noting that one student described an asynchronous online simulation as “an immersive experience.”
Since then, Lawrence has incorporated RTTP into nearly every course he teaches, citing gains in student engagement, written and oral communication, leadership, and resilience. In 2024, he published a one-session game, “Ban the Jesuits,” to introduce students to Jesuit history, earning a Silver Award at the 2025 International Serious Play Conference. President’s Innovation Fund grants in 2024–25 and 2025–26 have supported the expansion of RTTP across campus.
Kron-Piatek emphasized RTTP’s ability to meet students where they are. “Even the shy, non-talkative student has a role and may eventually become the most talkative,” he said, adding that the simulations promote deep understanding and empathy by encouraging students to engage with diverse historical perspectives. He also shared insights from CCTL sessions on AI, accessibility, and Universal Design for Learning, which are shaping plans for new micro credentials and faculty development opportunities at Canisius.
Looking ahead, the team shared that funding is available for interested faculty to attend the “Reacting to the Past” summer institute in June 2026. Canisius will also host a Game Development Conference for RTTP in July 2026, providing faculty authors an opportunity to test and refine games for classroom use—continuing the university’s commitment to academic excellence and innovation in teaching and learning.
[PHOTO: Jonathan Lawrence dressed as an Athenian aristocrat.]
Niagara University’s Committee on College Teaching and Learning (CCTL) Conference brings together faculty committed to advancing active and integrative teaching. The committee supports this work through faculty-led workshops and discussions, opportunities for collaboration and assessment, a campus-based teaching and learning conference, and the coordination of CCTL grant funding.
