Navigating the Frontiers of Artificial Generative Intelligence: Updates, Workshops, and Transformations at UW-Whitewater

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Dana Wagner

In an era where innovation propels us forward at an astonishing pace, staying up to date with the latest advancements can be a challenge. To help, the LTC has summarized some of the recent updates related to artificial generative intelligence (AGI).

General AI Updates

Key updates include the release of ChatGPT versions 3.5 and 4, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Google’s AGI, Bard. Tech companies are expected to continue ferociously to compete, with the AI landscape likely evolving by the Fall 2023 semester.

Incorporating AI into Assessments – UWW Event Recap

The LTC conducted a workshop on April 24th called “Incorporating AI into Assessments.” The workshop aimed to demonstrate how ChatGPT can be utilized to streamline the process, reduce instructor workload, and enhance learning objectives, assessments, and assignments. Led by Ted Witt and Ravneet Kaur, the LTC team guided instructors in real-time usage of ChatGPT, featuring practical demonstrations with real-life examples from various courses such as business, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The workshop also delved into the art of crafting effective prompts.

How ChatGPT and AI are Transforming Academia – UW System Event Recap

The UW System Learning Technology Development Council (LTDC) hosted two panel discussions on April 18th, 2023 centering on how AI is transforming education from both the student and instructor perspectives.

Watch the Student Panel to discuss how students are already using AI, including the benefits and potential pitfalls in and out of the classroom. Watch the Instructor Panel to explore how fellow instructors have already begun to incorporate AI into their courses and how it can be leveraged for future use.

TurnItIn Update

TurnItIn has launched an AI generated content detection feature on April 4th, 2023. It is integrated with the Similarity Report to show an overall percentage of the document that was likely AI generated. It is currently available to UW-Whitewater users.

A few key points regarding the AI detection feature:

Text that is flagged is 98% certain to be generated by AGI
False positives have been reported both by users and TurnItIn
Only instructors can see the AI detection indicator

Further Reading

The LTC has curated a set of resources, including webinars, policy examples, and options to incorporate AI into the classroom. Have specific questions? Reach out to the LTC!

Second Call for Summer 2023 OBTI Applicants!

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Dana Wagner

Are you interested in enhancing or refreshing your online teaching skills?

Lecturer of Management Emily Iverson records her opening statements for the spring semester in her online business writing course. Lectures for the course are recorded in a studio at the Online Learning and Technology Center in Hyland Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020. (UW-Whitewater photo/Craig Schreiner)

The Summer 2023 Online and Blended Teaching Institute (OBTI) is now accepting applications from UW-Whitewater faculty and academic staff who want to develop and refine their online and blended teaching strategies.

This institute is designed to help you create engaging and effective online courses, while also providing you with the opportunity to collaborate and network with other instructors across UWW. Trainings will run from July 10th to July 24th, and will consist of a series of synchronous and asynchronous activities, including webinars, online discussions, and hands-on activities. More detailed information and full schedule available here.

For application information, submission, and any other inquiries, email Ted Witt at wittt@uww.edu by May 19th! Don’t delay!

Additional AI Learning Opportunities!

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Dana Wagner

Artificial Intelligence tools continue to generate exciting — and nervous — discussion. Both the UW System and UWW are offering opportunities to explore and share experiences with AI.

Incorporating AI Into Assessments – UWW Interactive Workshop
~~April 19th, 2023 – 3:30 to 4:30pm~~ April 24th, 2024 – 3:30 to 4:30 pm – McGraw Hall 19A or Webex

Are you curious about how AI can save you time and improve your work? The Learning Technology Center (LTC) is excited to host a workshop on how AI can revolutionize the work of designing assignments for instructors across all disciplines.

In this interactive workshop, LTC experts will:

Demonstrate specific use cases for using AI to generate ideas for assessments
Discuss strategies on how to implement these ideas directly into your assignments
Provide hands-on exercises for participants to practice their new AI skills
Field live examples from participants to showcase the power of AI

Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to expand your knowledge and gain valuable insights! Register now!

AI Panel Discussions – UW System Learning Technology Development Council (LTDC)
April 18th, 2023 – 10:15 to 11am and 11:15am to 12pm – Zoom

The public debut of AI spawned a lightning reaction across educational technology; some are integrating AI driven chatbots into multiple applications, while others focused on academic integrity are rushing to install detection services. Where does this leave students, instructors and administrators? Is AI an industry changing tool threatening to change higher education forever? Or simply “spicy auto-complete”?

To discuss these and other questions, the LTDC has put together two panels of experts from across the UW System. Tune into to one or both sessions via Zoom. To participate, you will need to self-register in the LTDC Canvas Course. The Zoom links to each meeting are available in the course.

10:15 to 11:00 am – Student Panel

Listen and interact with a panel of students to explore how they are already using AI! The discussion will delve into how students are applying AI to daily life, including the benefits and concerns they have regarding usage.

11:15 am to 12 pm – Instructor Panel

Consult with a panel of instructors to explore how they are already using AI and ChatGPT! Ask questions related to their concerns, academic integrity, or changes to fundamental subjects. What does the future of digital literacy and artificial intelligence look like? What can we learn from those who have already recognized ways to save time and improve student outcomes?

Summer 2023 Online and Blended Teaching Institute – Call for Applicants!

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Dana Wagner

The UW-Whitewater Learning Technology Center (LTC) is pleased to announce registration is open for the Online and Blended Teaching Institute (OBTI) for Summer 2023.

Summer allows the opportunity to pursue the online blended teaching institute from a hybrid modality! This could include working outside from a park.
^{pixabay photo by BLACK17BG}

OBTI aligns quality Canvas course design with best practices for teaching in a variety of modalities. Upon completion of OBTI, faculty and instructors will be well-prepared to design and develop their own courses and leave with tips to continue the iterative process for future terms. This course is most useful for people teaching online in the Winterim or Spring.

The Summer 2023 OBTI will be conducted as a hybrid experience with full LTC support and contact. This allows for two sessions of in-person instruction followed by optional Canvas labs. The remaining three sessions will be online (via Webex) workshops.

This session is designed as a cohort model, allowing participants to learn the best practices and view Canvas courses from other Whitewater faculty and instructors. Participants will complete a series of short online assignments, be provided a sandbox to design content, and develop objectives and activities to serve as an exemplar module that can be taken with them for their actual courses!

For more information or to enroll in this exciting training, contact Ted Witt.

Schedule of Activities

Date	Time	Location	Topic
Monday, July 10th	10am – 12pm	In-Person on Whitewater Campus	OBTI Workshop
Monday, July 10th	1pm – 3pm	In-Person on Whitewater Campus	Optional Canvas Lab “Building Pages”
Wednesday, July 12th	10am – 12pm	In-Person on Whitewater Campus	OBTI Workshop
Monday, July 17th	10-am – 12pm	Webex	Online Workshop
Wednesday, July 19th	10am – 12pm	Webex	Online Student Panel
Wednesday, July 19th	1pm – 3pm	Webex	Optional Canvas Lab “What Students Want”
Monday, July 24th	10am – 12pm	Webex	Cohort Peer Sharing Session

CSD / LTC Spring Accessibility Workshops

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Ted WITT

Designers Should Always Keep Their Users In Mind. Only Then Can You Create Truly Innovative Solutions — Designers should always keep their users in mind! Join us for some bite-sized lunch and learn applied workshops on building more accessible classes in Canvas.

Join us this spring for a handful of quick “lunch and learn” workshops on accessibility and making a difference in Canvas for your students’ success! These workshops are held in person in McGraw Hall 19A or via Webex. These short workshops include 20 minutes of applied learning and demonstrations followed by 10 minutes of Q&A. Please feel free to bring a lunch!

To sign up or for more information:

Monday, March 13 at 12:10 pm: “The Visual Syllabus: Presenting a More Accessible, Visual Approach“
Tuesday, March 14 at 12:10 pm: “Udoit: Course Accessibility Checker Part 1“
Monday, April 10 at 12:10 pm: “Udoit: Course Accessibility Checker Part 2“
Tuesday, April 11 at 12:10 pm: “What is UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and Why is it Important to Everyone?“

A Call for Builders!

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Ted WITT

Come Build with the Learning Technology Center as we discuss the Educause 2023 Top 10 Information Technology Issues this Spring. Image by Wokandapix

The Educause Top 10 IT Issues describe the foundation models that colleges and universities will develop next year and beyond, acting on what was learned in the pandemic and framed by the three building blocks of leadership, data, and work and learning. In 2023, thinking is giving way to doing. The old foundations—from enrollment to credentials to the campus to decision-making—are showing signs of wear. Existing foundations need to be examined and strengthened. New foundations may need to be developed. Institutional and technology leaders are building solid foundation models for higher education.

Come build with the LTC this Spring as we do a focused study of portions of the report to explore these new foundation models: leadership (Leading with Wisdom); data (the Ultra-Intelligent Institution); and work and learning (Everything is Everywhere). The Educause Top 10 IT Issues 2023: Foundation Models, are Builders Group modeled on a book club format; participants are expected to come prepared to discuss short key readings inspired by the Top 10 IT issues to explore these foundation models, tackle challenges, develop recommendations, and craft solutions.

This series is appropriate for educators, leaders, administrators, and technologists. By the end of our sessions together we hope to foster cross-campus communication and networking while providing feedback to help shape the future of Whitewater’s technology strategy. We hope that you will be able to apply what you have learned to your teaching or administration. While each session is connected, it is not required to attend them all. Anyone with interest can join as few or as many as able.

Wednesdays 3:30 – 4:30 pm
McGraw Hall 19A and Online via Webex

February 8. Educause Top 10 IT Issues: Foundation Models
February 22. Leading with Wisdom
March 8. The Ultra-Intelligent Institution
March 22. Everything Is Anywhere
April 12. Solving Challenges: What Can We Do Now?
April 26. Applications: Recommendation for the Future and Foundations to Build.

LTC Construction crew:
Eric Loepp, Director of Learning Technology
Dana Wagner, Assistant Director, Learning Technology
Ted Witt, Teaching Learning and Technology Consultant

2023 Course Prep Boot Camp

Posted on December 14, 2022 by Shane Degen

Strapped for time and looking for a guiding hand on all the things you need to do to get a Canvas course up and running for Spring? Now is your chance! Join us for hands-on workshops broken up between quick demonstrations and supported work time.

Photo by **MART PRODUCTION** from **Pexels**

These sessions are designed for instructors looking to get their Spring 2023 course up and running but all faculty and staff are welcome. Come with previous content ready to be updated or moved from paper into Canvas (e.g. moving a quiz or rubric into a digital form). This series of workshops will provide you the know how and time to complete specific tasks to get your course set up. Enroll in one, a handful, or all of them; even if it is just for a way to schedule your work time.

Getting Started

Tuesday, January 3: Noon-1:00 p.m. | Signup

Deciding if the Starter Course is right for you
Cross –Listing
Importing Content
Adjusting Dates
Not copying calendar items
Deleting content no longer used

Building Your Content

Wednesday, January 4: Noon-1:00 p.m. | Signup

Assignments and Setting Up Grades

Thursday, January 5: Noon-1:00 p.m. | Signup

Accessories

Tuesday, January 10: Noon-1:00 p.m. | Signup

Collaborations

Wednesday, January 11: Noon-1:00 p.m. | Signup

Wrapping Up

Thursday, January 12: Noon-1:00 p.m. | Signup

Self-Paced Online and Blended Teaching Institute

Posted on December 12, 2022 by Ted WITT

The UW-Whitewater Learning Technology Center (LTC) is pleased to announce registration is now available for a self-paced asynchronous version of our Online and Blended Teaching Institute (OBTI) for Spring 2023.

OBTI aligns quality Canvas course design with best practices for teaching in a variety of modalities. Upon completion of OBTI, faculty and instructors will be well-prepared to design and develop their own courses, prepared with tips to continue the iterative process for future academic terms. This course is most useful for people thinking about teaching in the summer or fall.

The Online and Blended Teaching Institute offers an independent, online, self-paced experience combined with full support and contact with the Learning Technology Center. It showcases the work of Whitewater instructors and staff, allowing participants an opportunity to explore what has worked for their colleagues. After an initial consultation, participants will complete a series of short online assignments, be provided a sandbox to design content, and develop objectives and activities to serve as an exemplar module. This course will take an estimated 30 hours to complete during the Spring semester.

For more information or to enroll in this exciting training, contact Ted Witt at wittt@uww.edu.

2023 Winterim Online and Blended Teaching Institute: Call for Applicants

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Ted WITT

The UW-Whitewater Learning Technology Center (LTC) is pleased to announce that applications are now open for a Winterim 2023 Online and Blended Teaching Institute in a condensed hybrid format. The overall goal of the institute is to align quality course design with best practices in blended teaching, preparing faculty for online course development, and teaching in future academic terms. The course models a blended course including readings, materials, and short homework assignments. Participants will be required to build an online unit of a course they could teach.

This institute is intended for people designing a course for Summer or Fall 2023 or for those teaching in Spring 2023. It would also be appropriate for instructors designing a new course.

There are six 90-minutes workshops that are part of this Institute. These will include a student panel discussion and a peer-to-peer review session to share ideas and collaborate on online course designs in progress. Final course materials will be due January 30th.

Winterim workshop schedule — all meeting are 90 minutes, online in Webex at 10:30 am:

Wednesday, January 4th
Friday, January 6th
Monday, January 9th
Wednesday, January 11th
Friday, January 13th
Wednesday, January 18th

Apply here: https://uwwhitewater.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEg66DRfQOfq3Iy

Applicants will be emailed regarding their acceptance on Wednesday, December 7.

The application takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. We recommend completing the application on a computer, as some questions involve typed responses.

For any additional information or questions, please contact the LTC.
Learning Technology Center
(262) 472-1004
ltc@uww.edu

Self-Paced Online and Blended Teaching Institute (OBTI)

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Ted WITT

The UW-Whitewater Learning Technology Center (LTC) is pleased to announce registration is now available for a self-paced asynchronous version of our Online and Blended Teaching Institute (OBTI) for Spring 2023…or for the ambitious, you can still enroll and complete the Fall 2022 iteration!

OBTI aligns quality Canvas course design with best practices for teaching in a variety of modalities. Upon completion of OBTI, faculty and instructors will be well-prepared to design and develop their own courses, prepared with tips to continue the iterative process for future academic terms.

The Online and Blended Teaching Institute offers an independent, online, self-paced experience combined with full support and contact with the Learning Technology Center. It showcases the work of Whitewater instructors and staff, allowing participants an opportunity to explore what has worked for their colleagues. After an initial consultation, participants will complete a series of short online assignments, be provided a sandbox to design content, and develop objectives and activities to serve as an exemplar module for future courses. This course will take an estimated 30 hours to complete during the fall semester.

This Winterim, we’ll again offer our traditional cohort model OBTI with online synchronous workshops that include a live student panel and peer review. Moving forward we anticipate offering both synchronous and asynchronous options on a regular basis.