Professors’ Workshop

July 13 (virtual)

July 21 & 22 (in-person)

ACI World Headquarters
Farmington Hills, MI, USA

Registration opens soon

SPONSORED BY THE ACI FOUNDATION

The 2026 Professors’ Workshop is a three-phase program designed to support faculty in updating and strengthening existing concrete-related courses through expert-led instruction, active learning strategies, and hands-on experiences. The workshop is intended for professors who currently teach or are preparing to teach concrete-related courses and are seeking to improve course structure, student engagement, and alignment between learning outcomes, assessments, and instructional methods. The workshop includes asynchronous self-paced learning, a synchronous virtual session, and an in-person experience, providing a comprehensive approach to course enhancement.

The first phase consists of asynchronous online learning, where participants engage with self-paced presentations through ACI University. These modules cover essential teaching strategies, including backward design, active learning, and effective assessments, alongside technical content from renowned faculty and industry professionals. Quizzes and assignments reinforce key concepts, helping participants integrate new teaching techniques and prepare for the next phases.

The second phase is a synchronous virtual session on July 13, offering interactive presentations and discussions that refine course development strategies. Faculty experts will lead sessions on fundamental concrete concepts, active learning in virtual environments, course structuring, and flipped classroom techniques. This session provides an opportunity to ask questions, exchange ideas, and finalize preparations for the in-person workshop.

The final phase is a two-day, in-person workshop at ACI Headquarters (July 21–22), where participants will apply concepts from the online modules through hands-on demonstrations, active learning exercises, and peer collaboration. The workshop emphasizes practical implementation, allowing participants to refine course materials with guidance from experienced mentors. Panel discussions, interactive labs, and a structured work session ensure that attendees leave with actionable course content ready for immediate use in their classrooms. The event also includes opportunities for networking, social engagement, and collaborative problem-solving, getting participants ready for their next course.

2026 SCHEDULE (tentative)

VIRTUAL ASYNCHRONOUS

Concrete Repair
Pavements – What to Teach and How
CRSI Capstone Course
Association Resources for Teaching Concrete
Teaching Concrete Design: Visualizing Systems and Behaviors
Pedagogical Approaches to Teaching Cement and Concrete Materials Science
Teaching Concrete Durability to Undergraduate Engineers
Hardened Properties and Durability
Calculation Worksheets in Concrete Analysis and Design - Introduction
Excel and Reinforced Concrete Design
Mathcad and Advanced Reinforced Concrete Topics
Excel and Prestressed Concrete Design
Flipping the Classroom
Course Mapping Fundamentals

VIRTUAL SYNCHRONOUS - DAY 1 (July 13)

Introduction to Concrete (Ken Hover)
Active Learning in the Virtual Classroom (Chris Carroll)
Lunch and Discussion
Flipping a Concrete Classroom (or any classroom) (Andrea Schokker)
Active Learning When Teaching Advanced Classes (Ben Dymond)
DEI/Women in the Built Environment
Active Learning – Activity #1

IN-PERSON (ACI HQ) - DAY 2 (July 21)

Fresh Concrete Properties, Placing and Finishing Concrete (Ken Hover)
Models for Teaching Structural Concrete (Chris Carroll)
Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Teaching Concrete Materials and Reinforced Concrete (Chris Carroll)
Active Learning – Activity #2
Lunch and Tour of ACI Headquarters
Developing Effective Concrete Laboratory Modules (Lisa Burris)
Panel Discussion
Group Dinner

IN-PERSON (ACI HQ) - DAY 3 (July 22)

Construction Basics
The Intersection of Impact and Engineering: Helping Students Understand That Their Knowledge is Important and Valuable (Matt Adams)
Faculty Network
ACI Plus Platform and Codes (Ben Dymond)
Mentoring Students (Matt Adams)
Active Learning Microteaching Breakout Sessions

Professors' Workshop Testimonials

ACI Professor Workshop, attendees during a session

ACI asked attendees of the most recent ACI Professors’ Workshop for feedback on how they felt after attending:

ACI Professor Workshop testimonial. The workshop is probably the best I've attended.

ACI Professor Workshop testimonial. Thank you for all the information this workshop provided. Workshop was well organized with great speakers.

ACI Professor Workshop testimonial. Everything from subject-matter experts, presentations, references, discussion, food/beverage/hospitality was great.

ACI Professor workshop testimonial - My materials course will benefit greatly by the information delivered in this workshop.

ACI Professor Workshop testimonial. This workshop helped improve my teaching methods

ACI Professor Workshop testimonial. I've been involved in this workshop since 1993 and i can say without a doubt this was one of the most successful of all of them.

ACI Professor Workshop testimonial. This was remarkably helpful.