ON Cultivating Student Engagement in Higher Ed

In the first part of this podcast episode, Mathieu Plourde reflects on the impact of generative AI on higher education. Mathieu shares his extensive background in instructional design and educational technology, highlighting his work at the University of Delaware as well as his current institution, in the College of Business at Laval University in Quebec City, Quebec. The conversation touches on the challenges and opportunities presented by the rapid adoption of AI tools, comparing it to the sudden shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mathieu emphasizes the need for academia to balance innovation with careful consideration, noting that institutions are designed to be resilient and deliberate in their adoption of new technologies. He also discusses the polarized opinions among faculty regarding AI, the increased ease of cheating, and the importance of maintaining academic integrity. The discussion underscores the role of instructional designers in guiding faculty through these changes and the potential for AI to enhance, rather than replace, the human elements of teaching and learning.

In the second part of the podcast episode, Mathieu discusses the current AI-driven initiatives at his institution. The focus is primarily on raising awareness among faculty members about AI's potential. Faculty members are exploring small-scale projects like voice cloning and AI text-to-speech tools to enhance productivity in creating lecture videos. Additionally, there are discussions about developing AI agents to provide students with preliminary feedback on their work, ensuring they meet assignment guidelines before submission. The institution is also conducting training sessions and workshops to educate faculty on the impact of AI, both in terms of academic integrity and practical classroom applications. Larger AI projects funded by university grants are in the pipeline, although the institution is still in the early stages of integrating these technologies comprehensively. The overall goal is to build a supportive environment where faculty can experiment with AI tools and understand their implications for teaching and learning.

Tools referenced in this episode by Mathieu:

• Suno
• Ideogram

In this insightful episode, join us for a fun discussion on the University of Delaware's innovative 10-Day Accessibility Challenges designed to provide educators with the knowledge and skills to create inclusive and accessible learning experiences for all students. We are joined by Jamie Summerfield, Educational Technology Consultant, and Molly Thomas, Instructional Designer, from Academic Technology Services, who share the inspiration behind these challenges, the types of tasks faculty will complete, and the valuable resources available to support them during these challenges. They will explore how daily bite-sized, tasks aim to shift mindsets about accessibility being difficult to implement. They also hope to break down any misconceptions about accessibility in Canvas courses. After the full episode, check out our funny blooper. Happy listening!

To sign up and for more details, visit:
sites.udel.edu/canvas/workshops
sites.udel.edu/canvas/2024/04/faculty-10-day-accessibility-challenge 

In this episode, Dr. John Jungck, Professor of Biological and Mathematical Sciences, and Jamie Summerfield, Ed tech Consultant with Academic Technology Services (ATS), talk with me about the popular Tech Talk Tuesdays speaker series at the University of Delaware (UD). John shares how he started the series in 2013 to facilitate cross-disciplinary conversations around using technology for teaching. Together, John and Jamie discuss the process of selecting diverse presenters and topics that highlight innovative teaching approaches and tools like AI. They emphasize creating an inclusive, casual environment that attracts faculty across disciplines. Successful past sessions have sparked new interdepartmental collaborations. Their goal remains to build a supportive learning community where UD faculty can share expertise, find mentors, and gain exposure for their teaching innovations.

• Learn more about Tech Talk Tuesdays: Website link
• Can't wait until the next Tech Talk Tuesday? Check out April workshops that will provide some virtually timely and practical introduction to the potential of AI tools to improve teaching, learning, and research.  This short list of workshops will later kick off a calendar of events starting this fall.  Learn more about these sessions: Register

In this special episode that is part of a short series about The Paul J. Rickards, Jr. Teaching Innovation Grant program, we highlighted Dr. Katy Bender, an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Delaware's Lerner College of Business & Economics. With a Ph.D. in Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics from The Ohio State University, Dr. Bender specializes in Resource & Environmental Economics, Experimental Economics, Development Economics, and Applied Econometrics. Dr. Bender talked about her grant project, "DataEnchanted: Transforming Numbers Into Knowledge," which uniquely incorporates the influence of music icon Taylor Swift to make data analysis accessible and engaging, particularly aiming to inspire more women into the field of economics. The grant application period is now open as of March 1, 2024, we invite you to uncover how this opportunity can ignite your innovative teaching initiatives. Dive deeper into the possibilities at https://ats.udel.edu/grant/.

In this captivating episode, part of our exclusive series on The Paul J. Rickards, Jr. Teaching Innovation Grant Program, we explore the transformative power of innovative teaching strategies within education. We're thrilled to feature Katie Leech, a distinguished graphic designer, fine artist, and educator with a deep-rooted passion for printmaking. Katie shares her expertise on the critical role of typography in communication, emphasizing its significance and influence in messaging. Further enriching the conversation, she delves into her explorations of how artificial intelligence tools could revolutionize the creative process. By assisting students in refining their decision-making skills, AI has the potential to significantly enhance customization in typography and imagery. This episode not only highlights Katie's work supported by the grant but also offers invaluable insights for teachers interested in sharing their innovative teaching strategies. With the grant application period now open as of March 1, 2024, we invite you to uncover how this opportunity can ignite your innovative teaching initiatives. Dive deeper into the possibilities at https://ats.udel.edu/grant/.

In this second episode, we're going to dive deeper into how UD's Academic Technology Services pivoted with resilience and innovation when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Stacy and Ali will share their insights on adapting to the sudden shift to remote learning, the creative solutions they provided, and how their support evolved as we emerged from that crisis. We'll also explore the compelling reasons why you, as an educator or content creator, should seriously consider tapping into these professional-grade facilities and services. Our guests will walk us through the straightforward process of how to get started.

You will have a chance to discover the state-of-the-art video production studios and services available right on the University of Delaware's campus in this insightful two-part series.

In Part One, featured guests, Stacy Weile, Manager of UD Studio & Video Conf, and Ali Pawlowski, Digital Media Specialist offer an exclusive look at the impressive Pearson Hall studios, control rooms, and newly redesigned recording spaces operated by the Academic Technology Services. Together we'll explore the latest tools and technologies available, how faculty can access these facilities, and learn about the hands-on support available to elevate your online learning content.

This episode provides audio shorts that explore three tech tools for enhancing student engagement and assessment. This episode spotlights Poll Everywhere, Perusall, and FeedbackFruits as innovative edtech solutions for interactivity, collaboration, and meaningful feedback. This special episode includes the help of artificial intelligence as my co-pilot in providing audio bites for two of the three tools covered.  Overall, these tools increase student participation, provide alternative assessments, save instructors time, and work in various course formats.

📍For more information:
ATS, visit: https://ats.udel.edu/
KCTO, visit: https://sites.udel.edu/kcto/
Innovative Teaching Strategies (ITS), visit: https://ats.udel.edu/innovative-teaching-strategies/

In this second part of this first episode of Season 5, we continue with conversational stories about how our guests work with their teams of TAs to support the Poll Everywhere tool, their take on academic honesty with the use of Poll Everywhere, and their biggest challenge with the tool. We wrap up this episode with faculty sharing their discoveries that might not have been revealed if not for the power of Poll Everywhere.

This faculty panel includes:
Agnes Ly, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences and director of undergraduate advising for PSYC and NSCI majors.

Haritha Malladi, director of first-year engineering and assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering.
Stefanie DeVito, assistant professor of biological sciences.