This spring, join the LTC and LEARN Center in a dynamic exploration of the 2023 Educause Horizon Report “Teaching and Learning” Edition! The report discusses the emerging trends, key technologies, and innovative practices set to redefine the student experience and our collective future in higher education. 

In an era where generative AI and other technological advancements are revolutionizing content creation, communication, and learning, the higher education sector buzzes with new possibilities, but equal challenges. These developments prompt vital questions about the responsible use of technology and its potential overreach.

Our unique “book-club-inspired” Explorers Group invites you to delve deep into these issues. Engage with fellow inquisitive members of the UW-Whitewater community, including educators, leaders, administrators, and technologists. Together, we’ll explore how the insights from the Horizon Report resonate with our experiences both inside and outside the classroom, and potential ways to prepare for the challenges it highlights.

Meeting semi-weekly, our group will focus on the essential theme of our shared humanity. We will tackle how to meet the diverse needs of our students in the face of powerful technological shifts and the growing necessity for human-centered approaches in education. Your participation will enrich our discussions on building institutional communities that prioritize student well-being and a sense of belonging.

As we conclude our sessions, we’ll reflect on the implications for educational institutions. How can we effectively prepare for the future outlined in the report? Our goal is to derive actionable insights that can significantly influence our professional paths. We’ll ponder crucial questions: What actions should we take now? What strategies should we develop for the future?

Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to a vital conversation about the evolving landscape of higher education and its impact on our roles and responsibilities!

Excursion Dates and Time 
Various Thursdays, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – McGraw 19A or Hybrid via Webex

Please register individually for the session(s) you can attend.  

Navigate Generative AI with Confidence Before Finals Week!

The advent of generative AI has reshaped the educational landscape, merging the once-clear boundaries between student-crafted assignments and machine-generated content. In this new era, an educator’s role transcends imparting knowledge—it now includes mastering the intricacies of these sophisticated tools. Recognizing this essential need, the Learning and Teaching Center (LTC) cordially invites you to an encore presentation of, “Awareness and Detection of AI”, just in time for finals week! This workshop will equip you with the skills to discern between student ingenuity and generative AI’s craftiness while also fostering a culture of transparency and informed use of generative AI in coursework. 

What Will Be Covered:

• Insights into the detection capabilities and limitations of generative AI in education and how to leverage campus supported tools
• Strategies for setting clear guidelines on generative AI use in student work
• Constructive approaches to encourage students to use generative AI as a learning aid, not a shortcut

Workshop Details:

• Date: November 29th, 2023
• Time: 3:15 to 4:30 p.m.
• Location: McGraw 19a or via Webex

Unable to Attend?: Learn from our past session how to adeptly navigate the academic challenges posed by AI. Click this link for a recap. And continue to check the LTC blog for updates!

On behalf of the LTC, thank you to all the participants of our Use Cases and Opportunities for AI! If you were unable to attend the session, a summary is below:

Key Takeaways:

1. Generative AI has numerous applications across higher education; a small excerpt of examples includes summarizing texts, creating study guides, providing personalized tutoring, and generating student feedback. 
2. Prompts are but a starting point. Be as specific as possible in your query and customize it as needed to suit your objective. Modify and iterate! 
3. Optimal utilization of generative AI involves hands-on exploration. Given the highly individualized nature of job requirements and responsibilities, you are in the best position to discern how AI can be effectively harnessed for your specific role.

Supplemental Resources:

1. Presentation Slide Deck
2. Workshop Recording
3. AI for Education – Prompt Library
4. Ethan Mollick on Encoding Human Expertise 

Save the Date! The LTC is hosting “Navigating AI: Panel Discussion on Implications for Higher Education” on November 15th at 3pm – more information available here.

Thank you to all the attendees of our workshop, “Ethics and Limitations of AI”! If you were unable to attend, we have provided a summary below:

Key Takeaways:

• Responsible generative AI literacy inside and out of the classroom includes a consideration of the ethical concerns. With a rush of generative AI platforms’ products, companies are looking to monetize, with minor regard for public privacy, safety, or access.
• “Degenerative” AI is a real problem. In a world where volumes of content can be produced in seconds, it will be difficult to discern human-creation from AI-creation, and with it, a loss of the creative process. An implicit underlying thesis of generative AI is that one can only derive enjoyment from the consumption of content, not the production.
• Federal legislative action has slowly begun; both the White House and Congress have begun work on guardrails for the responsible development of AI, with a primary focus on safety, security and trust. 
• The majority of ethical concerns surrounding AI can be categorized into a four part framework: privacy, equity, transparency, and accountability.

Supplemental Resources:

1. Presentation Slide Deck
2. Workshop Recording
3. White House AI Response 
4. Degenerative AI – Mike Trigg

Save the Date! The LTC is hosting “Navigating AI: Panel Discussion on Implications for Higher Education” on November 15th at 3pm – open to all! – more information available here.

The LTC would like to thank all the attendees of our Incorporating AI in Assessments workshops! In case you were unable to attend our sessions, we have provided a summary below:

Key Takeaways:

1. Utilizing AI in building assessments can save time and effort, allowing instructors to focus on other aspects of teaching and learning.
2. Use AI to generate a wide range of responses based on different prompts and criteria, allowing instructors to test potential responses or create more varied and engaging assessments that can be tailored to the needs of individual students.
3. AI can identify patterns, themes, and other characteristics in students’ writing that can provide insights into their writing style, language proficiency, and overall academic performance.
4. Instructors can customize assignments through AI by including learning objectives, creating a rubric, providing resources, and reviewing and revising the assignment.
5. Harness the creativity of AI – try it for discussion topics, essay topics, and quiz prompts that are personalized to students’ interests and backgrounds.

Supplemental Resources

1. Presentation Slide Deck
2. Workshop Recording
3. Prompt Examples
4. AI For Education – Prompt Library 

Additional LTC Workshops

Use Cases and Opportunities for AI

• Wednesday, October 18; 3:15 pm – 4:30 pm McGraw 19A / Hybrid

 Ethics and Limitations of AI

• Wednesday, October 25; 3:15 pm – 4:30 pm McGraw 19A / Hybrid

For full descriptions of each workshop, please visit our previous post.