The LTC, LEARN Center, and Office of Academic Assessment would like to invite you to save the date for the Celebrating Teaching and Learning (CTL) Conference on May 15th, 2024! The conference will be held in person at the University Center. It is open to all University of Wisconsin – Whitewater staff. More information about registration, the call for presentation proposals, and applications for the Cisco/Presidio Teaching with Technology Honorarium will be coming soon! We look forward to our campus community coming together to share ideas, collaborate on common challenges, and build camaraderie! If you have any questions about this conference, please contact the Learning Technology Center.
Category Archives: LEARN Center
Navigating AI: Panel Discussion Summary and Key Insights
On November 15th, the LTC and LEARN Center hosted a panel discussion bringing together campus community members with different levels of generative AI experience across diverse academic backgrounds to discuss the burgeoning role of AI in academia. Here are five key takeaways that emerged from the dialogue:
- A Multifaceted Tool: AI is not just a buzzword; it is a versatile tool. From assisting in graduate research to finding its place in social media, AI’s applications are as varied as they are impactful. It’s redefining fields like geography through GIS, enhancing audio/video production, and offering new perspectives in humanities.
- Upholding Academic Integrity: In an AI-enhanced education landscape, the emphasis remains on academic integrity and critical thinking. It’s imperative that students and educators understand how to use AI ethically, ensuring it complements rather than compromises the learning process.
- Balancing Benefits and Challenges: While AI brings efficiency to tasks such as literature reviews, it also poses challenges, particularly in the realm of misinformation. The panel underscored the importance of using generative AI judiciously, especially in sensitive areas like election information.
- Reshaping Education and Skills: AI’s influence extends to teaching methodologies and the skills needed in the modern workforce. The conversation touched on the need for adaptive learning strategies to bridge the digital divide, adhere to ethical standards, and prepare students for an AI-driven future.
- Institutional Responsibility and Ethical AI: Finally, the panel urged UWW to lead in integrating generative AI into academia responsibly. This involves safeguarding student privacy, ensuring equitable access to generative AI resources, and fostering an environment where ethical use of generative AI is standard practice.
As we continue to explore the vast potential of AI, these insights from our expert panel offer a roadmap for integrating AI into our academic practices. The LTC and LEARN Center are committed to embracing this technological wave with responsibility and foresight, ensuring that our faculty, staff, and students are well-equipped for the challenges and opportunities of an AI-influenced world. Questions or suggestions? Email the LTC!
Miss the discussion? Catch the recording here.
Campus Wide AI Panel November 15th – Register Now!
Navigating AI: Panel Discussion on Implications for Higher Education
The world around us is changing, and so is the landscape of education! The Learning Technology Center (LTC) and the LEARN Center are thrilled to extend an invitation to all Warhawks to be part of an engaging discussion on the transformative power of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education.
Event Details
Date: November 15th, 2023
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Hybrid Event – UC 261 or Virtually via Webex
Participants: Open to All on Campus!
Why Attend?
Generative AI is not just a buzzword; it is a revolutionary force in the educational sector. Whether you are a tech enthusiast, a forward-thinking educator, or a student navigating through the waves of digital transformation, this panel discussion is tailor-made for you!
- Learn from the Experts: Engage with a dynamic panel of instructors and students who are already navigating the world of generative AI. Gain insights into how AI is reshaping classroom interactions, uncover potential applications and disruptions, and peek into the future of education.
- Direct Engagement: Ever had a question about AI but did not know who to ask? Our Open Q&A Forum is your chance! Interact directly with the panelists, get your questions answered, and dive deeper into the world of AI.
- Networking Opportunities: Connect, converse, and network with like-minded individuals who share your curiosity, caution, or passion for AI and education.
Be Part of the Conversation
Ready to be part of the conversation? Click the link below to register and secure your spot, whether in person or virtually.
Spread the Word
The LTC and LEARN Center cannot wait to welcome you to an afternoon filled with insightful discussions, engaging interactions, and a deep dive into the future of AI in education.
RSVP today and invite your friends and colleagues. Let’s explore the transformative world of generative AI together!
Deadline Approaching: LTC/LEARN Workshop Series
On behalf of the LTC and LEARN Center, we would like to invite you to attend the second session of a collaborative workshop series aimed at “Humanizing Your Courses.” The theme of our second sessions focuses on Presence, Empathy and Awareness.
Monday, October 21 | 12:30-1:45PM | McGraw 19A
Presence, Empathy, and Awareness
Presented by Anneke Lisberg, Biological Sciences;
Kate Ksobiech, Communications;
Tony Millevolte, College of Integrated Studies
Sign up: https://my.uww.edu/signup/Registration/Details?id=16248
Please sign up by Wednesday, October 16
Presence, Empathy, and Awareness
Inspired by the thinking of Michelle Pacansky-Brock, the “Humanizing Your Courses” series will explore ways to create human-centered learning experiences. This second workshop will feature a panel of some of our most “present” faculty members. We’ll explore examples from their classroom experiences, including face-to-face and online formats. They will provide tips and guidance on how to create a welcoming and human presence in the classroom, sense when students need extra support, and learn how to listen to and understand our students more directly. In addition, they will also discuss the challenges of remaining so highly focused on student needs.
Attendees will discuss:
- Strategies to be more “present” in the classroom or online.
- Approaches to displaying empathy and sensing when students need help.
- Activities to facilitate knowing students better and creating formative feedback loops
- Tips to be more aware of your OWN needs.
- Tips for dealing with the challenges and issues associated with increased empathy
If you have any questions or concerns about the transition, please reach out to the UW-W Learning Technology Center.
Call for Proposals: Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference 2019
Celebrating Teaching and Learning
As a member of the UW-Whitewater community, you are invited to submit a session proposal for the campus event Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference 2019. This special forum hosted by the LEARN Center and the LTC showcases the wide variety of ways we are all transforming the lives of our students through teaching and learning. The Conference will be held Wednesday, May 22, 2019 on the UW-Whitewater campus.
Proposals are due February 22, 2019.
Presentations — Concurrent Presentation Sessions will consist of 45 minute presentations with presenters having 30 minutes to discuss their topic and 15 minutes for questions and answers.
We encourage proposals in the following themes:
Student Engagement: Topics may include learner engagement strategies, discussing different ways of supporting students in courses, incorporating active learning strategies, or other engaging teaching activities.
Integrating Teaching and Technology: Topics may include lessons learned from Canvas, integrating emerging technology into teaching, managing mobile devices or apps, ePortfolio, or preparing students for 21st century skills (e.g., evaluating information, being a digital collaborator).
Civil Discourse and Diversity: Topics may include effective discussions, cultural navigation skills advocacy, relationship building, and a campus culture of belonging.
High Impact Practices: Topics may include showcasing high impact practices, community based learning, undergraduate research, first year experiences, or LEAP projects.
Something Else: Have an idea that doesn’t fit into the themes above? That’s okay! Submit your idea using the “Something Else” theme!
To submit a presentation proposal or learn more about this years Celebrating Teaching and Learning conference visit: Conference Website
TED Tips – Issue 24: Winter Break!
As the 2018 Fall Semester concludes, I want to reflect on the first six months of writing this blog. It has been a great honor to share discoveries, explore new ideas, and write about topics related to Technology, Education, and Design. I hope that these TED tips continue to inform and inspire as we celebrate teaching and learning at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.
Winter Break
Over the last six months, we have explored the difference is between a Learning Management System (LMS) and a Digital Learning Environment (DLE). This distinction is important as it helps to lay the foundation for some of the key decisions applicable to the migration from D2L to Canvas at Whitewater and throughout the UW System.
Canvas has been a source for several posts. The LTC Canvas peer mentors shared some of most important lessons learned while working with Canvas in the classroom. We looked at ways to support communications in Canvas and the importance of making a good first impressions. We explored grading and using Speed Grader in Canvas.
What are some different ways technology can be used in the classroom to support your teaching learning? Tools like Poll Everywhere can increase student engagement and interaction. “23 Things for Digital Knowledge” provided activities that can build student fluency in digital literacy.
TED Tips have explored the 2018 NMC Horizon Report and its view the trends, challenges, and developments in educational technology as it impacts higher education. Using the Horizon Report provides a lens to highlight pilots and innovative work taking place on campus like Adaptive Learning.
The blog will continue to promote workshops sponsored by the Learning Technology Center and its many partners and collaborators. For example, there is a series of upcoming Canvas workshops this winter: Canvas Open labs, hands on workshops for newcomers to Canvas, Construction Zones to help instructors move their courses from D2L to Canvas, and deep dives into single topics to help with your teaching. Grading in Canvas and building and using rubrics will be explored in early January. For a full list of times and locations of the upcoming winter Workshops visit the LTC. https://blogs.uww.edu/instructional/2018/12/12/canvas-workshops-winter-2019/
The next session in the 2018-19 UW-Whitewater LEARN Center/Learning Technology Center Workshop Series: “Back to Basics to Balance Workload” is Thursday, January 10th from 10:00am to 2:00pm in the University Center. This four hour workshop includes lunch and is designed as a hands-on activity to help prepare for your spring classes! Session Four: Setting the tone early saves time in the long run: Crafting your syllabus and engaging students before the first day of class and beyond.
During the morning session of the workshop, presenters will share evidence-based strategies for creating a more learner-centered syllabus and share tips for engaging students from the first day (and even before class begins!). After a lunch discussion, participants will learn more on how to better utilize Canvas in their courses in a way that clarifies organization and sets expectations in a more transparent manner. Participants will end the session with time to revise their syllabi, first day activities, and/or Canvas course pages and share their materials for small group feedback.
Participants will leave with:
- An overview of best practices for syllabus development
- Experience with a variety of first day activities that can increase student engagement and sense of community
- Ideas to organize their Canvas course pages
- Revised syllabi/activities to enhance student engagement
To register for this workshop: https://my.uww.edu/signup/Registration/Details/15867
Thank you for taking the time to read these posts! TED Tips will return in 2019. Topics next year will build on and support some of the upcoming workshops with TED Tips planned to explore several types of rubrics, building them in Canvas, design of a course homepage, navigation, analytics, and many others. I hope to experiment a bit more in format and content and hope to record the occasional complementary podcast! Until then, have a great holiday break, recharge, and relax! See you next year!
– Ted Witt
Teaching, Learning, and Technology Consultant
Resources
LTC Canvas Peer Mentors http://www.uww.edu/icit/ltc/canvas-portal/peer-mentors
Canvas Workshops Winter 2019
https://blogs.uww.edu/instructional/2018/12/12/canvas-workshops-winter-2019/
LEARN Center/Learning Technology Center Workshop Series: “Back to Basics to Balance Workload.” Session Four: Setting the tone early saves time in the long run: Crafting your syllabus and engaging students before the first day of class and beyond. https://my.uww.edu/signup/Registration/Details/15867
TED Tips – Issue 21: Happy Thanksgiving!
An abbreviated TED Tip this week: I want to take the opportunity on behalf of the Learning and Technology Center to give thanks! Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for the opportunity each week to write these blog posts and explore some of the ideas and themes about which I am passionate.
It has been an honor to explore the themes of Technology, Education, and Design (TED). I continue to examine our technological environment and learn more about the tools available to us. What can they do? How do we use them well to enhance our teaching and learning? What types of things help us to make a difference in our students’ lives? What contributes toward student success? How do we design experiences that support our students in this way? Please feel free to drop by Learning Technology Center on the Whitewater Campus, leave a comment here, or send me an email!
I plan on continuing to provide tips each week on these themes and am thankful to have a platform to do so! There are a number of planned tips over the next few weeks. Topics include: how to design successful layouts and content, how to build rubrics in Canvas, and an exploration of additional tools and services. There are more stories to tell and things to be thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving
The next Workshop in the 2018-19 UW-Whitewater LEARN Center/Learning Technology Center Workshop Series “Back to Basics to Balance Workload” is this coming Tuesday, November 27 from 12:30 – 1:45 in the University Center room 259A. This workshop is specifically focused on “Using Groups to Engage Students and Maximize Instructor Time: A Conversation about How to Use Team Projects in the Classroom.” Eric Loepp from Political Science and Michele Peets in Management will discuss how and why they use group work, what benefits you can gain from using group activities, what strategies work, and practical tips to help you save yourself time.
Well-structured group work can produce a more meaningful learning experience for students. Instructors are the critical factor in facilitating a successful environment for that meaningful work to occur. This workshop will review the benefits of group work in the classroom, the conditions needed for successful implementation, and provide tools to assist in transforming a traditional classroom setting into a thriving group environment
Participants can expect to:
- Learn why we use group work as a classroom strategy
- Identify the benefits of group work in the classroom
- Learn strategies for employing group work in assignments
- Take away practical tools/ resources for instructors to use
– Ted Witt
Teaching, Learning, and Technology Consultant
RESOURCES:
https://my.uww.edu/signup/Registration/Details/15855
Celebrating Teaching and Learning Conference 2019
Save the date: Wednesday, May 22, 2019 from 8:30am-3:30pm
Celebrating Teaching and Learning, May 22, 2019
This special event is meant to showcase the wide variety of ways we are all transforming the lives of our students through teaching and learning.
Themes will include:
- Integrating Teaching and Technology
- Student Engagement
- High Impact Practices
- Civil Discourse and Diversity
- and other topics
TED Tips – Issue 14: Feedback and Speed Grader
This week, I wanted to explore some reflections on giving and receiving feedback in the context of an academic setting, share a specific tip as it applies to Speed Grader in Canvas, and finally highlight an upcoming LEARN / LTC workshop that will also explore feedback.
For feedback to be effective it needs a context in which learners have both the ability and opportunity to hear, understand, and act on that feedback. It should help learners reach a goal – provide clarity of what they did well or not do well, and how they can improve that work. Research shows that good feedback should be formative – it should help to improve performance or increase understanding. Feedback should be timely — happen at a moment when it is possible to learn and change. Finally, feedback should be descriptive – directed at fulfilling some clearly defined goal. Another way to put it is that feedback should tell a student what they accomplished (descriptive), what they were asked to accomplish (goal referenced), and what they must do next (goal directed).
feedback can be painful
With that in mind, I want to share an example of actual feedback. It is fortunately not my onus of shame for personally receiving it; however, I was witness when my classmate actually did. It was so laden with ink it actually dripped red. It was fresh. This is likely not the type of feedback I would recommend using, but it is another example of how Fr. William Ryan, SJ made an impression on terrified students. I introduced Fr. Ryan in my Ted Tips Issue 9: First Impressions. This type of feedback definitely made a powerful first impression… and I apologize if I have inadvertently increased your anxiety!
What tools are available to assist in providing good feedback in Canvas?
Providing feedback in Canvas, has never been easier! Canvas offers a tremendous tool: Speed Grader.
Speed grader allows you to view and grade student assignment submissions in one place. You do not need to download papers, then mark them up, and upload them. Instead, you can directly assign points or use rubrics. Canvas accepts a variety of document formats including URL submissions. Some document assignments can be marked up for feedback directly within the submission. You can also provide feedback to your students with text or media comments.
You can use SpeedGrader to:
- View submission details for each student, including resubmitted assignments
- Leave feedback for your students
- Track your grading progress and hide assignments while grading
- Use rubrics to assign grades
For each student, SpeedGrader has five areas:
- View
student submissions (text entries, website URLs, media recordings, and/or file uploads). Many file types are able to be previewed directly. - Assign a grade based on your preferred assessment method (points or percentage)
- View Rubric to assist with grading (if one is added to the assignment)
- View comments created by you or the student about the assignment
- Create text, video, and/or audio commentary for the student
Video tip!
524 – SpeedGrader™ Overview from Instructure Community on Vimeo.
Upcoming workshop
If you are interested in learning more about feedback and strategies, I want to up invite you to check out then next LEARN Center / LTC workshop in the 2018-2019 “Back to Basics to Balance Workload.” Next Workshop: Focused Strategies for Providing Formative Assessment by Dana Prodoehl, Alexis Piper, Trudi Witonsky.
Thursday, October 18th, 12:30 – 1:45, UC259A (lunch is provided). Sign up here: https://my.uww.edu/signup/Public/Available/15834
At this workshop, panelists will draw on current pedagogy to discuss strategies for providing focused feedback to students at they are engaged in active learning activities. Some of the strategies will be time-saving. Others help instructors direct feedback in productive ways to foster student learning and development. An LTC representative will also be on hand to provide a brief overview of some of the feedback tools in Canvas, along with tips for utilizing them.
– Ted Witt
Teaching, Learning, and Technology Consultant
RESOURCES:
https://my.uww.edu/signup/Public/Available/15834
https://blogs.uww.edu/instructional/2018/08/31/ted-tips-issue-9-first-impressions/
TED Tips – Issue 7: Upcoming Training Opportunities
Last week, I introduced the idea of “learning technologies” as the broad range of communication, information, and related technologies that support learning, teaching, and assessment. This week, I want to explore a few upcoming Learning Technology Center (LTC) activities where you can learn more about various “learning technologies”.
training
Welcome Back Week
One of the most important events at the start of the academic year is Welcome Back Week. Each year, ICIT hosts a Technology Open House where faculty, staff, and students explore new campus technology and technology related initiatives. This year’s Tech Open House is Wednesday, August 29 from 1:30 – 4:30 pm in UC 275. You will find hands-on interactive demonstrations, information from vendors, and can participate in a “GooseChase” scavenger hunt. There will be free food and door prizes. Complete scavenger hunt missions to win additional door prize entries. See the resources section at the end of this TED Tip for more information on how to get started on the GooseChase.
In addition to the Technology Open House, there are several Canvas workshops throughout “Welcome Back Week”. These workshops cover a variety of topics from getting started in Canvas, a look at building content, and a more hands-on approach to features like “SpeedGrader” and other ways to expedite grading and provide feedback. These workshops will are all held in Hyland 3101.
- Introduction to Canvas — Friday, August 24 from 8:30 – noon
- Using Canvas for Grading and Feedback – Friday, August 24 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm
- How to Build Content in Canvas – Tuesday, August 28 from 3:30 – 4:30 pm
LEARN Center/LTC Collaborative Workshop Series
The LTC/LEARN Center collaborative series for the 2018-2019 is on the theme of “Back to Basics to Balance Workload” and will focus on strategies to improve your teaching practice and student learning without adding to your workload. The first session “Efficient and Effective Communication Strategies,” will be Thursday, September 20 from 12:30 until 1:45 pm in UC259A. Heather Pelzel, Biological Sciences and LEARN Center and Ted Witt from the LTC will present communications strategies to help you:
- Establish expectations and boundaries for communications between instructor and students.
- Evaluate strategies for determining academic “at-risk” students and tips for how and when to facilitate academic interventions.
- Explore methods to use CANVAS for additional ways to communicate with students.
The other workshops in the fall series will be on October 18th “Best practices on providing effective feedback using low-tech and high-tech options” and November 27th “Using groups to engage students and maximize your class time”.
Teaching with Technology
Searching for ways to build community with students in your online class? Looking for a way to facilitate communication and collaboration between your students in your face-to-face class? You may benefit from the Learning Technology Center’s (LTC) “Teaching with WebEx Teams Bootcamp!” Webex Teams is an app for continuous teamwork with video meetings, group messaging, file sharing and white boarding. This three part series is on Wednesdays at 3:00 pm in October.
- Why Should I Use WebEx Teams? October 10
- How Do I Use WebEx Teams? October 17
- Now What Do I Do With WebEx Teams? October 24
Additionally, there are two upcoming “Poll Everywhere” information sessions. Poll Everywhere is a polling application that can enhance live interactive audience participation in class in real time. You can learn more about “Using Poll Everywhere to Engage Students” through two upcoming workshops:
- September 26 at 3:00pm
- October 4 at 11:00 am
Institute for Online / Blended Teaching
If you are new to teaching online or blended courses, or are interested in revitalizing a current course, the Institute for Online/Blended Teaching provides instructors the opportunity to collaborate on course design strategies and teaching best practices. This intensive and interactive series of workshops simulates taking a blended course and integrates a variety of different methods and technologies. The structure of the Institute allows participants to explore new instructional and course design methods, and participate in learning activities similar to what a student would experience. Look for registration for the Winter 2018 program early this fall.
For a complete list of upcoming events or to sign up for these events, use the ICIT signup web page using your Net-ID! https://my.uww.edu/signup/Home Find more about these and other activities on the LTC’s blog page: http://blogs.uww.edu/instructional/
Next week I want to peer into the future and explore the innovative practices, trends, and technologies for higher education as presented by the 2018 Horizon Report.
– Ted Witt
Teaching, Learning, and Technology Consultant
RESOURCES:
http://blogs.uww.edu/instructional/
Welcome Back Week GooseChase notes:
- Play our Interactive Scavenger Hunt, GooseChase.
- Download the GooseChase iPhone or Android app.
- Register for an account with your “uww” email address.
- Create a password that IS NOT THE SAME as your Net-ID password.
- Search for and join one of the two “ICIT Tech Open House” games.
- The missions will go live on Wednesday, August 29 at 1pm.