Month: December 2024

Faculty Spotlight: Elizabeth Johnson-Young

We turned the tables on CfT’s Associate Director and put her in our December Faculty Spotlight! Learn about Elizabeth’s work in CfT, how her influence is extending beyond UMW, and her favorite place to fill all the travel mugs she carries around campus.

Wine and Refine: Tuesday, December 10th (RSVP form)

LAMW Competency of the Month: Digital Fluency

Our students demonstrate Digital Fluency when they:

• gain experience with the tools of digital creation
• practice creating content and using digital tools ethically and effectively
• recognize how what you do online impacts your online identity

We can help our students develop their Digital Fluency by:

• incorporating class projects that allow students to build websites, create podcasts, record videos, and design graphics to represent their learning
• engaging in discussions about the ethical uses of digital tools and platforms, such as AI
• offering feedback on how digital content best addresses audiences and how it contributes to larger storytelling perspectives
• reflecting on the impact of digital content on personal and professional identities

For more classroom-specific ideas, check out these resources:

• Digital Learning Support (DLS) Supported Toolbox guides (including excellent resource pages for digital-specific assignments under the Workshop section)
• UMW Learn Artificial Intelligence Resource Page
• ReFocus Online (UMW’s response to online teaching during Covid–the ideas and resources are still relevant today!)

Writers’ Retreat: Wednesday, December 18th (RSVP form)

Join the Book Author’s Group for a Writers’ Retreat on Wednesday, December 18th from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM in Seacobeck Hall!

Work among other writers in Seacobeck 151 or utilize a reserved small study space in the center of the building for individual and small group private writing sessions. Seacobeck’s Dome Room will serve as our ‘break room’, offering coffee, tea, juice, and water as well as an assortment of snacks all day.

ALL writers and writing projects are welcome! Come and go as your schedule permits. Contact Brenta Blevins or Zach Whalen if you have any questions.

Provost AI Learning Excellence Grant: Reminder and FAQs

If you plan to submit an activity or assignment for the Provost’s AI Learning Excellence Grant, please complete your participation survey by Friday, December 13th. We currently have 35 faculty signed up!

We have fielded several questions about the AI Grant program since its announcement last month…

Is the grant only open to tenure track faculty?

No! All teaching faculty may participate.

Can we work in teams to develop one assignment?

Yes, however teams are limited to 4 faculty members. All team members will receive the full stipend. We encourage faculty sharing course sections or who teach a similar curriculum-specific course (e.g., FSEM, WI, etc.) to collaborate on common assignment templates. The team approach is also a great way to include adjunct faculty members as departments and programs develop their approaches to AI.

What if I don’t have an assignment in mind–can I still participate?

Yes! This initiative is designed specifically for anyone who has not fully worked out how to best integrate AI into a course. You will have time to think through issues, see different approaches, and design an assignment.

What is required to receive the stipend?

Three requirements must be met to receive the grant stipend:

• Attend a Getting Started Session the first week of classes (multiple virtual sessions will be offered throughout the week)
• Receive feedback on your draft assignment/activity in March-April
• Submit your assignment/activity with cover sheet by Friday, April 25th

My schedule is bananas–what if I can’t attend workshops during the spring semester?

Workshops are optional. Each month, content-focused virtual workshops will focus on AI integration with one of three LAMW competencies: Communication, Teamwork & Collaboration, and Critical Thinking. Content workshops will be recorded and uploaded to the grant’s Canvas site. All participants will be invited into the Canvas site by December 18th.

In addition, we will offer monthly in-person and virtual ‘lab’ sessions for project brainstorming and feedback. These sessions will be great for teams and discipline-based faculty to work together. Lab sessions will be set after surveying the cohort in January. Lab sessions will not be recorded.

Please reach out to the Center for Teaching with any questions you have about the grant program. The slide deck from Monday’s information session contains additional details.

January Preweek AI Virtual Workshops (Registration form)

Join us as we kick off the Provost’s AI Learning Excellence Grant with a short series of virtual workshops and meetups January 7-10th. Workshops will focus on foundational AI skill development and effective uses for specific learning outcomes. Check out the session descriptions and be sure to register by Monday, January 6th at noon.

Spring AI workshops will be announced in January–stay tuned!

DLS January Preweek Sessions

Join DLS during January Preweek for some less AI-centric digital learning sessions. If you rely on Canvas quizzes or want to explore digital assignment design, be sure to review the offerings below.

Transitioning to Canvas New Quizzes (Registration form)
Tuesday, January 7th, 11:00 – 11:50 AM via Zoom

Time is running out! Canvas has introduced a new quizzing system called “New Quizzes,” which will replace the current “Classic Quizzes” within the next year. If you have quizzes in the Classic format that you wish to continue using, they must be migrated to New Quizzes before Classic Quizzes are phased out. This workshop will guide you through the features of New Quizzes and provide step-by-step instructions on how to convert and migrate your existing Classic Quizzes. 

Digital Assignment Jam, Including AI! (Registration form)
Craft A Project You Can Implement Spring Semester (or later… no pressure!)
Tuesday, January 7th, 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM in HCC 410
Workshop is capped at 15; Boxed lunch provided to those that register by December 17th

This open work session will provide instructors with an opportunity to bring their digital assignment ideas and develop them for implementation into a course. We will also be exploring AI tools that could be incorporated into these assignments. Time will be allotted for faculty to bounce ideas off one-another, as well as members of Digital Learning Support and the Digital Knowledge Center. We will work through ideas, provide guidance, and explore the many ways we can support your project. The session will be informal, but we hope that by the end of it you’ll have an assignment ready to go for the semester.

Looking Ahead: Spring 2025 Faculty Pedagogy Colloquium (RSVP form)

Faculty Pedagogy Colloquium is a forum for faculty to share strategies and innovations in their classrooms with the larger UMW community. After presenters offer an overview of their teaching strategies or research, the audience engages in a Q&A. Due to limited seating, participants are asked to RSVP. Lunch or an afternoon snack is offered.

We are pleased to share our Spring 2025 presenters–join us to hear about great teaching across campus.

“Minecrafting the Past: Sandbox Games and Historical Exploration” with Susan Fernsebner, Professor-History and American Studies
Monday, January 27th
12:00-1:00 PM in Seacobeck 139
How might we make the best use of digital play spaces and sandbox games as a site for exploring history? This talk will introduce the ways in which Minecraft has been used in a recent History course focused on lived architectures of 19th and early 20th century China. We’ll explore approaches to group work, digital environments, and crafting a 3-D vision of the past as a form of exhibition.

“The ‘Elements’ of Success: Building Comfort and Skill in Mathematics for Future Science Courses” with Leanna Giancarlo, Associate Professor-Chemistry & Physics and Kelly Perkins, Senior Lecturer-Mathematics
Wednesday, February 12th
3:00 – 4:00 PM in Seacobeck 139
This presentation will discuss supporting students interested in science careers in terms of their math and science preparation by providing more options for a first course (pathway) in science/math. In particular, we will describe the implementation of changes in the MATH 120 curriculum to correlate with preparing future science majors for their General Chemistry coursework. Strategies employed in MATH 120 and CHEM 101, an existing pathway course, will be compared in terms of the potential for successful trajectories to later science courses.

“Creating a Sustainable Gene Editing Module for Genetics” with April Wynn, Associate Professor-Biological Sciences and Ginny Morriss, Assistant Professor-Biological Sciences
Monday, March 31st
3:30 – 4:30 PM in Seacobeck 151
Gene editing technology is rapidly changing the landscape of scientific research and having a firm grasp on this technology can position UMW students to be competitive and successful After Mary Washington. CRISPR-Cas9, can be used to efficiently and selectively edit genes in living organisms. The best way for students to understand this technology and to fully grasp its power is to work with the technology itself. Our project was to significantly revise the General Genetics Laboratory to introduce a sustainable CRISPR/Cas9 laboratory module to our students as a foundational experience.

Join us for January Preweek virtual workshops to jumpstart the Provost’s AI Learning Excellence Grant. Workshops focus on foundational AI skill development and exposure to AI tools for different learning outcomes.

All faculty and staff are welcome to attend. Registration for all workshops closes on Monday, January 6th at noon.

Sessions may be accessed through a single Zoom link (see CfT December First Friday email or your registration form receipt). Please email vrussel3@umw.edu if you have difficulty joining any sessions.

Click the triangle next to each date to see available sessions and descriptions:

Tuesday, January 7th

10:00 – 11:00 AM: To AI or Not to AI?: It’s a Real Question

How do we decide where and when to use AI in class assignments and activities? In this session, we’ll examine how current AI tools can maximize specific kinds of learning goals and where the tools fall short. Participants will begin to draft personal decision-making frameworks for AI use and discussion with students. #CriticalThinking

Wednesday, January 8th

10:00 – 10:50 AM: Welcome to the AI Thunderdome

Join Digital Learning Support and Digital Knowledge Center staff as we use different Generative AI platforms and compare their abilities. We’ll explore multiple approaches to your questions like how to create assignments, do research, approach daily work, or help build courses. We will compare the results we get from the different platforms and repeat the process with new questions. #DigitalFluency

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: AI Tools for Academic Research

In this session, UMW librarians will demo several different AI tools that promise to assist with academic research (https://library.umw.edu/SimpsonAI). We will review what the tools can do, what their limitations are, and what you should know about how you and your students can use them. Attendees will have an opportunity to experiment with these tools and share their experiences with the group. It may be a good idea to create a free account with tools Consensus (https://consensus.app) and/or Elicit (https://elicit.com/) before the session. #CriticalThinking

2:00 – 3:00 PM: WI and AI–Working Through the Contradictions

In writing intensive courses (or any course which assigns writing), it can seem counter-intuitive to allow any use of AI; while you’re not alone in wanting to keep AI out of the writing classroom, the reality is our students are using it.  So how do reconcile what seem to be competing interests? This session will provide some practical ideas for how to incorporate AI into your writing assignments in ways that don’t compromise the integrity of teaching writing as well as how to help students think critically about what AI can and, more importantly, can’t do for them. We will also touch on how to assess writing assignments that utilized AI. #Communication

Thursday, January 9th

10:00 – 11:00 AM: AI Prompting 101-Getting the Most from AI Tools

In this session, you will learn best practices for crafting precise and effective AI prompts. We will discuss iterative prompting, the value of context, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Participants will have time to practice and refine their prompting skills. Resources to support student skill development in AI prompting will also be shared. #DigitalFluency

Small Group Brainstorming

Gather with a small group of colleagues for open-ended brainstorming and discussion about AI issues relative to your classes facilitated by the Center for Teaching. Sessions will be limited to 10 faculty. Reserve your spot early! #TeamworkCollaboration

Session #1: 1:00 – 2:00 PM

Session #2: 2:30 – 3:30 PM

Session #3: 4:00 – 5:00 PM

Friday, January 10th

Individual Consultations

Schedule a 1:1 appointment with the Center for Teaching to discuss your individual class assignment. Consultations are a great way to work through and synthesize ideas shared during the week. Individual consultations are virtual and are scheduled through the CfT online appointment scheduler. #TeamworkCollaboration

This month, we’re turning the tables on Elizabeth and shining our Faculty Spotlight on her! As the Center for Teaching’s Associate Director, her work helps to extend our support to more faculty and departments. Read below to learn about Elizabeth’s role in the Center for Teaching, how her work is extending beyond UMW, and what fills all the travel mugs you see her carrying around campus.

You started working with the Center for Teaching as a Faculty Fellow and are now its Associate Director. Tell us a little bit about the projects/programs you facilitate.

Over the past few years with Center for Teaching, I’ve facilitated a couple of programs on assessment, including ungrading and alternative assessment. My favorite program, though, is NEST, which consists of an interdisciplinary group of faculty from across campus that meets monthly to talk all things teaching and, importantly, visit each others classes for nonevaluative observations and debriefs. NEST just finished up its 6th semester run and it continues to help me think about new and creative ideas and solutions for the classroom. 

Editor note: Elizabeth is also the lead facilitator for the year-long new faculty orientation program and sits ex-officio as the CfT representative on the Distance and Blended Learning committee. She serves as a liaison to the Center for Community Engagement supporting faculty development efforts with the CCE Director, Sarah Dewees. Elizabeth also makes sure that August Preweek PD Day and May Teaching and Learning sessions run smoothly while often presenting sessions on play, assessment, and managing teaching expectations.

What are your areas of research and how do they connect to your classroom teaching?

I research family health communication and use social science research methodologies. I often bring in what I learn and examples from my research into classes to demonstrate the research process, show mistakes and edits, and for disciplinary examples depending on the course. 

We talk a LOT about AI in the CfT. Do you incorporate AI into your classes? How do you decide whether or not to use AI?

I sometimes incorporate AI into my classes.  For right now my method of deciding about using it or not is based on the individual class and purposes of assignments. In research methods this semester, I encouraged some students to use Copilot to help edit their research questions and to think about key search terms for library research. I think it’s helpful to talk with students about the when, what, and why AI use may or may not be appropriate for an assignment based on our objectives. I’m busy brainstorming ways to incorporate it into small group deliberations for next semester, as well, so we’ll see where that goes! I know my approach will continue to adapt. 

Recently, you were asked to serve on a teaching panel at the National Communication Association conference focused on mentoring Ph.D. students and early career faculty. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

At NCA I participated in a pre-conference day focused on mentorship in the Health Communication division for graduate students and early career faculty in the discipline. I was asked to speak to the larger group about experiential learning and pedagogical approaches in the classroom. I also took part in small group discussions throughout the day focused on teaching, collaboration in research, and other kinds of career advice. It was a great experience, and I’ve even heard from a few of the graduate students I spoke with. 

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

I have so many, but I’ll go with who comes to mind first—Mrs. Jones who was my 7^th and 8^th grade English teacher, as well as my homeroom teacher at least one year. She had the perfect balance of warmth and rigor, and I think each of us felt seen and respected by her. You knew she was truly in our corner and believed in you. Gratefully, I’m still in touch with her. 

8 AM or 4 PM class? Why?

8AM for sure—-I am an early riser and by 4pm I’m beginning the slow fade for the day. 

What is your favorite UMW class to teach?

I have a few, but Health Communication might be my favorite. Yes, it’s the one most directly related to what I research regularly, so I’m passionate about it in general, but I also really enjoy the diversity of students and majors that end up represented in the class leading to richer discussions and ideas. 

What is your favorite podcast or show?

Currently, the Mr. Ballen podcast. I love the way he tells real-life mysteries in story form. 

You are often spotted with multiple travel mugs in hand. 🙂 Where is your favorite place to get coffee or tea in the area?

Always with multiple mugs! Fredericksburg has great coffee, but I’d say Agora is my favorite place.

What would be your dream program to do through CfT?

A faculty group to explore and build classes that are interdisciplinary and can be co-taught by faculty across campus.  In a dream big scenario, this would be a group that would consider process, materials, class activities, assessment, etc. and even include student participation in the group. I’ve always liked the idea of bringing students into some of our conversations and programs if it fits. 

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