Dialogues in Digital Teaching and Learning

AI can write, summarize, design, and brainstorm in seconds and that speed is exactly why so many students (and professionals) stop questioning what they’re getting back. We sit down with Sarah Khan, a teaching professor of information technology and business analytics, to get honest about what “preparing students for a world of AI” actually means when generative AI is already embedded in modern work.

We start with a mindset shift: acknowledgement before acceptance. Sarah breaks down how AI is changing work patterns, thinking habits, and problem-solving, plus why access matters so much now. From there, we move beyond “how to use ChatGPT” into real AI fluency and critical thinking. 

If you’re a faculty member figuring out where to start, you’ll leave with practical steps, intentional boundaries, and a clear way to frame human-AI collaboration in your course. 

Campus buzz can make an LMS switch sound like it’s just “a new tool,” but the reality is deeper: course design habits, student experience, grades, accessibility, and an entire web of integrations all shift at once. We sit down with Dr. Stacy Gant, Senior Director of Digital Learning, and David Howard, Senior Director of Academic Technology, to explain what NC State’s transition from Moodle to Canvas really involves and how we’re planning to make it workable for instructors with very different needs.

We talk candidly about the two emotions we hear most across campus: excitement from faculty who already know Canvas, and real concern from instructors who have invested years building complex Moodle courses. 

If you want a clear plan, honest context, and a few concrete ways to start without panic, this conversation is for you. 

Canvas Resources: 

NC State Canvas Website: Canvas.ncsu.edu

LearnTech Help Desk: [email protected]

DELTA Workshops Page: delta.ncsu.edu/workshops

If you’ve ever watched a physics problem walkthrough where the instructor says “this equals this” while circling something you can barely see, you already understand the accessibility problem we’re tackling. I’m joined by Dr. Stephen Lane, who coordinates NC State’s algebra-based Physics 211 and 212 courses, and Kylie Masser, an undergraduate who helped transform these handwritten, slightly flipped-classroom videos into resources that more students can actually use.

We dig into what makes STEM accessibility so tricky: math notation, fast diagramming, low-resolution visuals, and meaning that lives in gestures instead of words. Then we get practical about what worked. 

 
If you care about accessible course design, universal design for learning, or making online learning materials that hold up under real student needs, this conversation will give you concrete ideas you can borrow. 

Learn more about DELTA Course Accessibility Grants: https://grants.delta.ncsu.edu/course-accessibility-grants/

The Dialogues and Digital Teaching and Learning Pod has been honored to serve you this semester. We’re giving our faculty and staff a bit of a break this summer, so there will be no new episodes in June or July. We’ll return to our regular posting schedule in August.

Have a wonderful summer!

One link can turn a room full of quiet faces into a living wall of ideas. We sit down with Dr. Carlos C. Goller, teaching professor in Biological Sciences at NC State University, to break down how Padlet actually works and why it has become such a reliable tool for student engagement, collaboration, and active learning.

Carlos shares real teaching and workshop use cases, from brainstorming and scavenger hunts to collecting tutorials for molecular biology and bioinformatics. We also dig into underused features that make facilitation easier, like sharing a Padlet as a submission form for private video reflections, then using reactions, ratings, and sections to sort and surface what matters.

If you teach in a hybrid or online learning environment, you’ll hear why Padlet can help participation feel fair and visible across Zoom and the physical room, including options for anonymous posting and built-in moderation. We also cover accessibility improvements.

Subscribe for more practical instructional technology conversations, share this with a colleague who wants better collaboration in the LMS. 

The biggest myth about active learning is that it has to be loud, complicated, or exhausting. We sit down with Bethany, a director of instructional support and training, to get clear on what active learning actually means.

We talk about why this approach can feel jarring for students who are used to lectures, and how a simple explanation of the “why” changes everything. Active learning is not about adding busy work. It is about tighter alignment to learning objectives, more formative assessment, and a better feedback loop so we can catch confusion early instead of discovering it weeks later through grading.

Then we get practical with educational technology and instructional design. We explore how tools like WooClap and Padlet can give every student a voice, support anonymous responses when needed, and make participation more inclusive for introverted students or multilingual learners. We also dig into translating active learning to online learning and asynchronous courses, including how to build real student to student interaction.

If this conversation helps, subscribe and share the episode with a colleague What is one small change you want to try next?

What happens when an instructional designer combines deep learning theory with AI-powered tools to rethink hybrid and flipped course design? In this episode, we dive into a real projects at NC State that helped instructors reimagine their courses not just with templates, but with thoughtful structure, smart prompts, and meaningful support.

We’ll explore:

• A fresh design approach grounded in what helps students actually learn
• How AI (like ChatGPT) was used to guide, not replace instructor creativity
• Challenges and wins from working with instructors across disciplines
• And how you can use the same free bots designed during this project to jump-start your own course redesign

If you’ve ever felt stuck adapting your course for hybrid or flipped delivery, or you’re curious about AI’s role in teaching, this episode offers a grounded, practical look at what’s working and what’s possible. 

Be sure to check out some of the resources mentioned in this episode: 

• Yan's Course Design AI Bots 
• Yan's Published Article: Integrating cognition, self-regulation, motivation, and metacognition: a framework of post-pandemic flipped classroom design

Be sure to stay on the lookout for the application period for DELTA grants programs: https://grants.delta.ncsu.edu/hybrid-learning-grants/

Think of a lecture that actually talks back. We brought on Yiling Chappelow and Ethan Walgran from NC State’s DELTA team to share how WooClap turns passive delivery into live, two-way learning—without adding tech headaches. From the first pilot to campus-wide support, they walk through what worked, what didn’t, and why a purpose-built engagement tool can change the feel of a class in minutes.

We break down the essentials: a lightweight interface, fast question creation, and inclusive features like the 'I’m confused' button that surfaces friction before it becomes frustration. Scalability matters, so we map out options. Keep it simple with a couple of live questions, or go deeper with participant-paced activities, hybrid-friendly workflows, and Moodle grade passback.

If you’re curious about active learning, formative assessment, and real-time feedback that scales to any class size, this conversation offers concrete steps that you can try tomorrow. Subscribe for more practical pedagogy and share this with a colleague who may want to incorporate real-time engagement in their classes.

Episode Resources: 

• How to Choose and Assess a Learning Tool: Teaching Resources Article
• Making Lectures Interactive with WooClap: Teaching Resources Article
• WooClap Knowledge Base Articles

Curiosity is high, policies are murky, and everyone wants practical answers. We dive straight into what AI fluency really means for teaching and learning: using AI effectively and responsibly without losing the human voice that makes education meaningful. 

We dig into the shift from early fears of cheating to today’s tougher questions: who gets amplified, how consent is honored, and what privacy looks like todays classrooms. You’ll hear how a simple stoplight policy cuts through confusion across courses and lowers cognitive load for students who just want to do the right thing. 

On the tools front, we spotlight Notebook LM as a grounded, source-citing environment built for higher education. Students can create mind maps, flashcards, and audio summaries from their own materials—ideal for diverse learning styles and neurodivergent needs—while tracing every claim back to a specific source or lecture moment. This isn’t “AI does it for you.” It’s “AI helps you do it better.”

We close by rejecting the dystopian loop of bots assigning, bots answering, and bots grading. Instead, we offer three concrete starting moves. Together with Dr. Sarah Egan Warren of NC State’s Institute for Advanced Analytics, we unpack how community, consent, and clarity turn AI from a buzzword into a reliable part of the classroom toolkit.

Our podcast aims to inspire innovative teaching practices and offer fresh, practical ways to incorporate digital tools in the classroom. At the same time, it serves as a dynamic platform for sharing updates, resources, and opportunities from the DELTA team, fostering a stronger connection between NC State faculty and the wealth of digital learning support available.

The first episode arrives January 1, 2026. Follow/Subscribe to be the first to know!