The workshop will showcase three collaborative learning techniques that faculty members can use in their courses to (a) engage students, (b)assess subject content, and (c) foster relationship building. These activities can be used across any discipline at WCU. The first activity is called fan-n-pick which encourages group participation. The second activity is called quiz-quiz-trade which allows students to assess each other. The final activity is called Think-Pair Share which allows for short pair discussions. Resources on how to implement the activity will given at the end of the session. 

Conversations regarding students’ ethical use of AI are taking place across campus. Additionally, many students transitioning to the university from high school settings do not know how to access higher order thinking skills to improve the effectiveness of their studying. In this session, participants will experience how EDR 120 (College Reading and Study Skills) professors harnessed the power of students’ desire to use AI ethically as a learning tool through a study guide/practice test comparison activity informed by Bloom’s Taxonomy. This activity was initially designed as a support for incoming first year students whose applications indicate that they might benefit from additional support in their transition to college, thus the activity is intended to promote access and equity in college-level learning. Participants will step into students’ shoes and consider how to write a good AI prompt to generate a practice test or study guide for a course the participant teaches. Working collaboratively with others, they will improve their prompt and produce a sample study guide/practice test. Participants will then review Bloom’s Taxonomy and use it as a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of their AI-created study guide. We will discuss how this activity can be tailored to different types of assessment – multiple choice, short answer, extended response, etc. so that is applicable across disciplinary contexts. Participants will also walk away with a 1-page quick reference handout which includes material covered in the workshop, as well as how we extended this activity by having students create their own HUMAN-created practice test/study guide and compared/contrasted the two study guides.

Learn how to utilize Padlet as an alternative tool for online discussion and gain access to the WCU Padlet pilot. Dr. Dirhan has been using Padlet with students in her courses for the last three years and will show you how she incorporates the various multimedia components to engage students. Her students give Padlet rave reviews and find it more enjoyable that traditional D2L discussion boards. 

This workshop will focus on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to promote inclusivity and equity-minded teaching in higher education settings. The workshop will provide participants with practical strategies and tools to integrate AI into their teaching practices across various disciplines. The workshop will commence with an overview of AI technologies and their potential applications in higher education. Participants will explore how AI can support inclusive teaching practices and enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. We will focus on AI-driven adaptive learning platforms, natural language processing tools for feedback and assessment, and virtual reality simulations for experiential learning. At the end of the workshop, each participant will leave with a personalized action plan outlining how they intend to integrate AI into their teaching practices to enhance equity and inclusivity. This artifact will include specific goals, strategies, and timelines for implementation, ensuring that participants have a tangible roadmap for incorporating AI into their teaching. Through group discussions and collaborative activities, participants will learn from each other and gain insights into how AI can be used to address the needs of all students, including those from underrepresented or marginalized groups.