Dr. Cynthia Alby developed the resource “Cut and Paste AI Prompts” for instructors. This comprehensive guide intends to provide instructors not only with prompts, but techniques to effectively experiment with various AI tools specific to various practices of teaching, such as course design, assessment development, and lesson planning. As Dr. Alby notes, “I have found that providing instructors with prompts they can cut and paste into AI made them more comfortable, more quickly with experimenting. I also discovered that when I can help someone experiment with AI for an hour or so, their anxiety levels tend to drop, and they begin to see it less like a threat and more like a tool.“
Using video in your course
- Introduce a class or unit: Create pre-lecture videos for students to watch prior to attending class. This provides students with an initial exposure to the content, sparks interest, and improves students’ understanding. The visuals in your video can help them connect with the material.
- Building background knowledge on a topic: We know that students learn best when they take in information via multiple modalities—through reading, listening to the instructor’s oral explanations, hands on activities and viewing visual media. Images and videos support the learning of new content, concepts, and ideas. (Adapted from Educause)
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Emphasize a Point with Video:Identify key learning goals or areas where students have difficulty understanding and create a short microlecture to support students. These can be used for flipped classroom application (with active learning, clickers, orTopHatin class to review and extend video content) or for independent student review. You can use video as a tool to enhance the class discussion and make whatever you’re teaching that much more accessible to your diverse body of learners. Keep these videos focused by only discussing the learning goal. Avoid adding fun facts or informati9n not directly related to the topic. Click here for resources related to creating microlectures.
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Demonstrate Examples: Instead of providing students with an answer key to a problem, create a video (with narration) working out the solution step-by-step. To encourage students to watch the video, work out only part of the problem in the video and have students complete the rest and submit it online as a no or low-stakes assignment or quiz (e.g. through Canvas). PlayPosit allows you to quickly integrate questions into your quizzes so you can get a sense of how well students understand the problems. It also allows students to receive immediate feedback. Click here for resources related to creating PlayPosit. Quick Check in Canvas also allows for quick inline low-stakes assessments in Canvas (Adapted from University of British Columbia)
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Interview with an Expert: Record interviews with experts in the discipline, providing examples and explaining concepts relevant to what is being covered in class. This enriches students’ learning by allowing them to hear what other experts have to say about a particular topic. (Adapted From University of British Columbia)
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Dispel misconceptions – A video that explicitly dispels common misconceptions about a topic can help students achieve conceptual change. This can be as simple as a video that starts with ‘you might think that… but you’d be wrong’. Simply presenting facts can reinforce students’ incorrect assumptions. Indeed, deliberately using a video that presents incorrect information then discussing these mistakes can also be an effective way of handling student misconceptions at the start of a unit. (from Monash University)
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Make video part of a larger homework assignment. Faizan Zubair and Mary Keithly are each part of the BOLD Fellows program at Vanderbilt University, in which graduate students develop online learning materials for incorporation into a faculty mentor’s course. Faizan developed videos on that were embedded in a larger homework assignment in Paul Laibinis’ Chemical Engineering class and found that students valued the videos and that the videos improved students’ understanding of difficult concepts when compared to a semester when the videos were not used in conjunction with the homework. Mary worked with Kathy Friedman to develop videos and follow-up questions to serve as pre-class preparation in a genetics class. Although there was no apparent change to learning outcomes in the class, students valued the videos and post-video questions as learning tools and thought that they were effective for promoting student understanding.(from Vanderbilt University)
Getting to Know Your Students
Consider sharing information with students beyond your name and the name of the course you’re teaching. Vanderbilt University suggests one of the following:
- Personal biography: your place of birth, family history, educational history, hobbies, sport and recreational interests, how long you have been at the university, and what your plans are for the future.
- Educational biography: how you came to specialize in your chosen field, a description of your specific area of expertise, your current projects, and your future plans.
- Teaching biography: how long have you taught, how many subjects/classes have you taught, what level of class you normally teach, what you enjoy about being in the classroom, what do you learn from your students, and what you expect to teach in the future.
For a weekly plan on how to use the SER in your class scroll to the bottom of this page to find the Suggested Timeline for SER: https://ser.indiana.edu/faculty/index.html
Quick Tip: Working with AIs
- What to discuss during your initial introduction
- AI Roles and Responsibilities
- Communications Protocol
- Course Objectives and Topics
- Course Management Protocols
- AI Professional Development Opportunities
- Teaching Reflections
- How to Manage Student Observations and Feedback
- Midterm and Final Exam Grading/Protocols
Quick Tip: Canvas Checklist
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Canvas Setup – Contains reminders on how to complete task such as how to import a course from previous semesters or move section enrollments from individual courses and combine them into one course.
- Content Review – Provides tips and reminders related to writing measurable learning objectives and establishing a grading policy.
- Review Important Settings – Gives helpful points related to course navigation and accessibility.
- Publish Your Course – Reminds you how to do a final proof before publishing your course.
For example: When you think about Announcements as a Communication Tool in Canvas, you can use announcements in simply to provide one-way updates and communication, or more robustly to:
- Reinforce classroom activities, display student work, and encourage best practices.
- Allow students to reply, and are often used for classroom interaction and Q & A.
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Encourage and expect student replies, often being used as question starters, contests, and ways to extend learning.
Sample Syllabus
- Part 1: Is a one-page summary of the most important components of the class, as well as the frequently asked questions that occur that are addressed in the syllabus: https://go.iu.edu/4NWa
- Part 2: is a detailed syllabus that was created in Google Docs. This syllabus has a table of content that is aligned to the side of the document, and allows students to click to the section that is pertinent to their immediate concern https://go.iu.edu/4NWb
- Part 3: is embedded within the learning management system (in this case Canvas). She used the Interactive Syllabus template: https://www.interactivesyllabus.com/about.html which allows instructors to create an interactive quiz in the LMS or Qualtrics. This syllabus encourages students to ask questions/express concerns about assignments.
A general example of what a syllabus looks like created using this template in Qualtics can be found here: https://stmarys.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6ytrpG7V0CsKPEF. A few more tips for creating an engaging syllabus can be found here: https://blogs.iu.edu/luddyteach/2022/07/12/engaging-syllabus-and-upcoming-teaching-conferences-cfps/
Call For Proposal:
Society for Ethics Across the Curriculum Conference at James Madison University,
Conference Theme: the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
October 1 – 3, 2023
The Society for Ethics Across the Curriculum (SEAC) is dedicated to fostering ethical scholarship and promoting the teaching of ethics in all academic disciplines. We invite researchers and educators to join us in October as we strive to advance ethical understanding and reasoning in academia. Be part of our vibrant community by submitting your research paper to SEAC, where we welcome submissions on a wide range of topics related to the teaching of ethics.
Submissions for presentations and require either a full paper or an abstract by the (extended) August 15th deadline. Abstracts should not exceed 250 words. We encourage a variety of session formats. To submit an abstract, send by email to mark.doorley@villanova.edu
Upcoming Conference:
Focus on Teaching and Learning (FOTL) Conference (hybrid)
Conference Theme: “Decolonizing the Future.”
August 17, 2023
Organized by Loyola University Chicago’s Faculty Center for Ignatian Pedagogy (FCIP), with co-sponsorship by the Institute for Racial Justice, this year’s theme is “Decolonizing the Future.” Featuring a keynote from Dr. Donna Y. Ford and sessions from Loyola University Chicago scholars, the conference invites attendees to explore orienting our teaching and learning toward greater equity and justice. View the schedule and register to attend in person or via Zoom.
Article: Humanizing STEM Education; OER Follow-Up
- What are your equity challenges?
- What are your goals?
- How do you measure your success?
- Undergraduate Teaching Workshop
- AI-systems for the public interest at the AoIR2023
- Building an Alternative Social Media Network
- Image Analysis Workshop
- The Social Moving Image: Meme Analysis with Tiktok Metadata
- 20 Years of Situational Analysis: Workshopping Methods for Mapping Complex Information Systems
Open Educational Resources (OER)
- Is the content accurate based on your expertise?
- Are there any factual, grammatical, or typographical errors?
- Is the interface navigable for students?
- October: Open Education Global (OEG) is a global, members based, non-profit organization supporting the development and use of open education around the world.
- November: The Open Education Conference (“OpenEd”) is an annual convening for sharing and learning about open educational resources, open pedagogy, and open education initiatives.
Evidence Based Frameworks for Course Design | Upcoming Conferences | Report
Backward Design / Understanding by Design
Culturally responsive & sustaining pedagogies
These pedagogies center the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and identities of students as assets for the learning of all. Key principles of culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies include:
- Cultural competence: Educators strive to understand and appreciate the cultural backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of their students, as well as their own cultural biases and privileges.
- Inclusive curriculum: Teachers develop and implement curricula that reflect and affirm the cultural diversity of their students. This includes using materials, examples, and perspectives from different cultures to make the content relevant and engaging for all learners.
- Student-centered learning: Pedagogy is tailored to meet the needs and interests of individual students, allowing them to bring their cultural knowledge and experiences into the learning process. Students are actively engaged in constructing their own knowledge and meaning.
- Critical consciousness: Students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills and examine the social, cultural, and historical contexts that shape their experiences. They are supported in questioning and challenging inequities and biases they encounter, both in and outside the classroom.
Integrated Course Design (pdf)
- identify situational factors (context), to inform
- learning goals (categorized in a taxonomy of 6 types of learning) to identify
- feedback and assessment approaches, with practice and preparation from
- teaching and learning activities that focus on having students learn knowledge and ideas,
- participate in experiences (e.g., case studies, literature, labs), and engage in reflection (e.g., journaling, discussion)
Transparency in Learning & Teaching (TILT)
TILT is an educational approach that emphasizes openness, clarity, and explicitness in the learning and teaching process. It aims to make the learning objectives, expectations, and assessment criteria transparent to both students and instructors, fostering a shared understanding and promoting student success. The TILT framework encourages instructors to clearly communicate the learning goals of a course or a specific assignment, explicitly stating what students are expected to know, understand, and be able to do. This helps students understand the purpose and relevance of their learning, which can increase their motivation and engagement. Instructors are also encouraged to communicate their teaching methods and strategies to students, explaining how they will support their learning and provide opportunities for feedback and improvement.
Universal Design for Learning ((UDL) Center for Applied Special Technology, CAST)
Upcoming Conferences:
Difficult Dialogues in Higher Education
The Difficult Dialogues National Resource Center is hosting their 4th national conference on
June 12-14
San Jose State University.
https://sites.google.com/sjsu.
Through the Lens of UDL
The 9th Annual CAST UDL Symposium: Through the Lens of UDL,
https://www.cast.org/products-services/events/2023/07/9th-annual-cast-udl-symposium-through-lens-udl
Report
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology has released a new report, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations, summarizing the risks and opportunities related to AI in teaching, learning, research, and assessment. The report recognizes that AI can enable new forms of interaction between educators and students, help educators address variability in #learning, increase feedback loops, and support #educators. It also underscores the risks associated with #AI — including algorithmic bias—and the importance of trust, safety, and appropriate guardrails.
The report was released in conjunction with a National AI R&D Strategic Plan which focuses on federal investments in AI research and development (R&D) from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Included in the report is a roadmap that outlines key priorities and goals for federal investments in AI R&D. The OSTP also issued a Request for Information (RFI) to seek input on national priorities for mitigating AI risks, protecting individuals’ rights and safety, and harnessing AI to improve lives. This RFI will support the Administration’s ongoing effort to advance a cohesive and comprehensive strategy to manage AI risks and harness AI opportunities. It complements work happening across the federal government to engage the public on critical AI issues.
Resource: Adapting Your Teaching to Generative AI Tools
In this handout created by educational developers Doug Holton & Ilene Frank, five ways to adapt your teaching to generative AI Tools are discussed:
- Check for or Prevent AI-Generated Work
- Utilize Synchronous Teaching & Learning Sessions
- Assess the Process, Not (Just) the Product
- Make Your Assessments More Authentic, Open, or Collaborative
- Incorporate AI Tools into Your Course Activities
Each tip on the handout has several resources embedded within it, such as suggestions for what to do when you suspect AI-generated text as well as resources such as Alternative Assessment Worldwide and Authentic Assessment Toolbox. which provide examples on how to deliver authentic assessments. (An additional resource created at Yale
University can be found here.)
Additionally, the document contains several Do’s and Don’ts When Using ChatGPT & Similar Tools, such as:
- Do try ChatGPT and similar tools yourself – Submit some of your own assignments or questions to see the responses generated. Check for any errors and false information.
- Don’t use AI detectors or use them sparingly – They have significant false positive rates, may collect and re-use student data, and they are very easy for students to beat.
- Don’t depend on these tools working in a live class – Sometimes the servers are overloaded.
- Do learn how to write better prompts – See these sample prompts or a teacher guide or this prompt engineering guide. There are also tips for altering ChatGPT’s default writing style.
A few additional tips include:
- Asking students to use resources that are not openly available on the web, including any resources behind a paywall or many of the amazing resources in the IU Library.
- Promote library resources- AI Generative tools can have difficulty generating an accurate bibliography, nor does it completely understand the concept of citation. This shortcoming can be a good way for you to explain to your students how to cite properly, why citation is important, and how they can use available resources to do their own work. Our librarians are willing to provide resources and or visit your class if you provide them with advanced notice and contextualize what you would like for them to discuss. (University of Chicago)
- Incorporating the most up-to-date resources and information of your field so that students are answering questions that have not yet been answered or only begun to be answered. (Yale)
Upcoming Events
Conferences:
American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference And Exposition
Dates: June 25- 28, 2023
Location: Baltimore Convention Center
Join us at ASEE’s 130th Annual Conference and Exposition where we expect a record of more than 4,000 people to attend. This historic gathering is the only conference dedicated to all disciplines of engineering and engineering technology education. A record 3,440 abstracts have been accepted for the annual conference that will feature more than 400 technical sessions and thousands of authors and speakers.
https://www.asee.org/events/Conferences-and-Meetings/2023-Annual-Conference
The Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning and Division of Digital Learning at the University of Central Florida have partnered to create the first nationwide conference of practitioners to discuss the use and potential impact of AI on teaching and learning in higher education.
Professionals, instructors, researchers, and policymakers from all sectors of higher education are invited to discuss the impact AI can and will have on courses and students.
We are currently accepting proposal submissions for short presentations, interactive workshops, and posters related to the practice of using AI for teaching and learning in colleges and universities across the country. Because of the expected high interest, the proposal process will be competitive.
The call for proposals is now open and will close on Monday, June 19, 2023.
Proposals can cover a broad range of topics including students using AI, ethical considerations, the use of AI for personal adaptive learning, and many more. Visit our webpage to learn more about the proposals and topics for the event: https://digitallearning.ucf.edu/teachwithai/
Subscribe for event updates.
IU Online Conference
Date: October 25–27, 2033
Location: Virtual
Mark your calendar for our virtual conference today.
Our theme is The Road to 2030. It piggybacks on IU’s Strategic Plan for 2030 and will highlight the ways IU Online supports student success, innovation, and service to the state of Indiana and beyond. More information will be sent via email soon.
Webinars:
Below is information about a series of events this summer that might be of interest.