Presentation: Immersive Interest: Finding Balance and Purpose in the In-Between Spaces of Learning and Leading

This presentation aligns with Supporting Educators who work with adults by exploring how educators—and the adult learners they guide—navigate moments of transformation between old and new identities, structures, and understandings. Through the lens of Immersive Interest, participants will examine how curiosity, deep focus, and self-directed exploration can become sources of grounding, renewal, and purpose amid uncertainty.

Abstract

Periods of change in education often leave faculty and leaders feeling caught between stability and innovation—between what was and what’s next. This session introduces Immersive Interest, a concept that reframes deep curiosity and wandering focus as powerful tools for well-being and professional renewal. Drawing on adult-learning principles, neuroscience of attention, and practical examples from post-secondary faculty development, participants will discover how to recognize and cultivate “immersive learning states” in themselves and their teams. Through guided reflection and dialogue, educators will explore how these states foster resilience, creativity, and re-connection to purpose in the liminal space of transformation.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

·        Identify the characteristics and benefits of “Immersive Interest” as a professional growth tool.

·        Apply reflective strategies to harness curiosity and deep focus for well-being during change.

·        Explore ways to support colleagues and students navigating transformation through immersive learning design.

Session Format

• Length: 30 minutes version 1 or 60 version 2 minutes (adaptable to time requirements and limits)• Format: Interactive workshop with mini-case studies, guided reflection, and small-group discussion• Audience: Faculty, program leaders, and academic managers experiencing change or renewal in post-secondary or adult-learning environments

The topic of Immersive Interest has been divided into two categories you can choose from

1) For those who work with Adult Learners :Immersive Interest: Finding Balance and Purpose in the In-Between Spaces of Learning and Leading

2) For those who work with young learners and children :Immersive Interest: Supporting Those Who Support Children—Finding Purpose in the In-Between

“Immersive Interest: Turning Deep Curiosity into Lifelong Learning” - Robin Landals-Hill