Skip to McMaster Navigation Skip to Site Navigation Skip to main content
McMaster logo 



	

		

			

				

					
Co-Opting Screens for Good: Engaging Learners in the Age of Distraction
					
 Jul 10, 2025 
 10:00AM to 12:00PM

									

				

					Event Categories   Online,   Session 1, and   Workshop
				

			


	

	

		

			

				

					

						

														

															

						

						

	

		


	Date/Time

	Date(s) - 10/07/2025
10:00 am - 12:00 pm







Led by Bradley Cohen, Michael DiGregorio, and Eric Gardiner


Top Hat




 


In an era when digital distractions dominate student attention, how can we use technology as a force for authentic human connection and deeper learning? Drawing inspiration from learning science—as well as film and theatre—this session explores practical ways to use technology to warm our classrooms and foster a sense of community from the get-go. We’ll reframe courses around compelling questions and explore how we can use educational technology to move beyond basic polling to spark curiosity, encourage genuine collaboration, and maintain focus throughout the course. Join us to learn how to co-opt the very screens that so often cause isolation and distraction and use them instead as a platform for empathy, engagement, and authentic communication.


 




 


Dr. Bradley Cohen has spent more than 25 years in higher education. Prior to joining Top Hat as the company’s Chief Academic Officer at Top Hat, Dr. Cohen served as the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Ohio University and as the head of the Center for Educational Innovation and Associate CIO of Academic Technology at the University of Minnesota. In his spare time he co-hosts the Higher Listenings podcast.


 


Dr. DiGregorio is an experienced educator and instructional designer, having served as a sessional lecturer in political science at McMaster University, where he earned his Ph.D. For the past decade, Dr. DiGregorio has held a variety of progressively senior roles at Top Hat, most recently as Director, Client Education.


 


Eric is the Director of Thought Leadership and Educational Programming at Top Hat, where he combines his passion for advancing teaching and learning with his expertise in content development, research, and public speaking. Along with Dr. Cohen, he co-hosts the Higher Listenings podcast. Before joining Top Hat, Eric spent more than two decades in the Canadian technology sector.