Josiah (Jo) Robins Bonner, Jr. was selected the fourth president of the University of South Alabama in November 2021 with a commitment to establishing South as the Flagship of the Gulf Coast. Under his leadership, South has positioned itself as a top destination for a quality education... Read More →
Tuesday May 13, 2025 8:30am - 8:50am CDT Ballroom350 Alumni Drive, Mobile, AL, USA
Generative AI tools have had an astonishingly quick impact on the ways we learn, work, think, and create. It is now clear that AI competencies and literacies must be embraced as essential learning for most colleges and universities. Drawing from my new book, Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024), I will detail the challenges and opportunities that have emerged for higher education, especially in terms of pedagogical practice and student learning.
Vice President for Digital Innovation, American Association of Colleges and Universities
Dr. Watson is the Vice President for Digital Innovation at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). He is also the founding director of AAC&U’s Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum. Prior to joining AAC&U, Dr. Watson was the Director of the Center... Read More →
Tuesday May 13, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT Ballroom350 Alumni Drive, Mobile, AL, USA
The behavior of biological cells in a “petri dish” is one of the most important tools for understanding disease progression, discovering treatment strategies, and drug screening. However, rigor and reproducibility of the findings and accessibility to several capabilities are serious challenges. A key issue is the use of highly complex, costly, and isolated pieces of equipment for a small part of the experiment. To overcome this challenge, at the Center for Lung Biology, we have developed a “LEGOⓇ bricks” approach to build an automation-based modular framework—Incubator Eye (iEye™). One of these “bricks” has provided the scientific community with an automated open-source technology to measure physical forces in the cells. The framework provided undergraduates with courses and projects to build on to make their case for higher education or seek industry jobs. Overall, iEye™ represents a sustainable approach unique to academic institutions for enhancing the quality of both research and ed
Standards and specifications are essential for engineers, yet traditional courses lack a systematic approach to teaching their interpretation and application. This pilot project utilizes the experiential learning model to prepare students for professional practice through tailored activities for all academic levels, including blueprint reading, beam design projects, guest lectures, specialized assignments, and field trips. The study evaluates the effectiveness of these modules in enhancing student learning. The presentation aligns with the conference theme by using a collaborative, hybrid approach to introduce key engineering skills. The results will interest faculty and professionals seeking to integrate standards education into their courses. Findings will be shared through an oral presentation, followed by a Q&A session.
As hybrid learning becomes the norm, educators must rethink engagement strategies to ensure student success across in-person and virtual settings. This session explores edutainment—using entertainment-based techniques to create dynamic, interactive learning experiences. Research shows that active learning boosts retention, critical thinking, and motivation, making edutainment a vital tool for the future of education. Through role-playing, multimedia, gamification, and storytelling, educators can bridge the gap between physical and digital classrooms, fostering inclusivity and equitable access. Attendees will gain practical strategies for selecting hybrid-friendly tools, designing engaging activities, and assessing student learning. By embracing edutainment, educators can create immersive experiences that keep students engaged and actively participating—no matter where they learn.
In Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) we tend to focus on technical expertise. Oftentimes, unfortunately, this tends to be the sole focus when training our students. Focus on developing the whole-student should be paramount for STEM educators. We aspire to train practitioners that can both identify and execute novel ways to problem solve. Doing this requires developing, and practicing, a skill set for communicating our findings and thought processes.
For the third year, our Faculty Learning Community (FLC) brought South’s lab experts together to explore best practices for lab instructional support, increase student engagement, and share resources to design meaningful and transparent exercises. A universal challenge across our disciplines is making content feel relevant and applicable to students’ lives and future careers. To bridge the gap, we explored practical strategies to enhance course relevancy by linking learning objectives to everyday experiences, career readiness, and effective course design. We considered content delivery methods, the role of AI in learning, and teamwork-focused activities to refine our course design and align it with real-world professional expectations. This roundtable discussion explores our takeaways from this year’s meetings, revealing how the FLC discussions have influenced us in our unique lab experiences and disciplines to answer the question of why our courses matter. During our roundtable,
As higher education embraces a hybrid future, how can emerging technologies enhance learner engagement, accessibility, and career readiness while promoting digital equity? This interactive workshop explores Powerful Learning Propelled by Technology through the lens of Digital Promise’s AI Literacy Framework and Digital Equity Framework. Through breakout discussions, case studies, and hands-on activities, participants will: reflect on impactful learning experiences and their vision for hybrid instruction, explore AI’s role in instructional design and personalized learning, engage with micro-learning modules and AI tools to address learner variability, and develop actionable next steps for integrating emerging technology into their teaching practices. This session provides practical insights, ethical considerations, and interactive exercises to help educators design inclusive and effective hybrid learning environments that empower all students.
Be media aware! With the rise of Artificial Intelligence and the continuously shifting media landscape, decoding the truth behind misleading social media, disinformation, misinformation, and AI/deepfakes is becoming increasingly difficult. However, there are tools to help decode deceitful messaging and cut through to find the truth. Session presenters will introduce instruments that can be used to teach media literacy both in the classroom and online. Session attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the hybrid possibilities through a variety of interactive games and trivia that will provide flexible and adaptive learning environments. The tools, which include ways to detect manipulated videos, photos, written text, and other AI engineered material, will help educators teach their students how to identify misinformation and disinformation.
Returning to the classroom after the Covid-19 pandemic challenged educators to reconsider traditional teaching techniques. Educators had to reconsider traditional teaching styles and discover new ways to keep students engaged. One way many college First Year Experience Courses engage students is through peer academic leaders. These student leaders act as guides in the classroom to first time freshmen by sharing their experiences, success tips and acting as a resource for students. Students benefit immensely from this restricted classroom approach (Bonner, Keiler and Mills 2023), but the peer leaders themselves benefit just as much, if not more. This interactive session will explore ways peer leaders benefit and discuss ways to utilize peer leaders in the classroom.
The pandemic has created significant learning gaps, requiring innovative solutions to support student progress. This session explores how AI can help pre-service teachers facilitate small-group instruction as a targeted differentiation strategy to address pandemic learning loss. Aligned with the conference theme of innovation in education, we will examine where AI integration fits within teacher preparation programs, equipping future educators with the tools to enhance engagement, provide real-time feedback, and personalize learning experiences. The presentation will also explore data on learning loss, teacher retention, and burnout, highlighting how AI can alleviate instructional challenges. Attendees will gain insights into practical applications of AI in the classroom and strategies for ethical implementation, leaving with concrete ideas to support both student learning and educator sustainability.
The examination has been predominantly closed-book. However, due to COVID, an alternative method is open-book examinations. We tested the hypothesis that students taking open-book, open-web exams spend less time studying compared to closed-book, closed-web exams. Moreover, we tested the exam performance using questions of different types according to Bloom's taxonomy. Students were assigned either open-book or closed-book groups at the beginning of the semester. Study participants kept a study journal entering the minutes they spent daily in studying the subject and completed a post-semester survey. Study time and exam performance of each period were compared between two groups. We found that students' exam performance over different types of questions were descending as the level of difficulty became more challenging. These results suggest that students in the open-book group deal with challenging questions poorly.
This talk addresses how Padlet and Perusall were used in the International Studies capstone course in spring to increase engagement outside of class, and as an alternative to discussion board or assignments that only the instructor would read. Padlet is similar to jamboard and allows users to create interactive posts with images, text, links, videos, polls, and more. Perusall allows students to comment on and pose questions about a text or video that others also see and can interact with. Both technologies are a great way to prepare for a class discussion, or to follow-up on a topic after class. Padlet and Perusall have free versions, though they are very limited in their use, so we will briefly discuss the different pricing structures.
The implementation of artificial intelligence-based online proctoring systems (OPS) in higher education has raised critical concerns regarding student satisfaction, privacy, and AI-induced anxiety. This study empirically examines the relationships between privacy concerns, trust in technology, and computer self-efficacy in shaping student perceptions of OPS. Using a Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, we analyze survey data from 211 students with prior OPS experience. Results indicate that privacy concerns significantly contribute to AI anxiety, which mediates the relationship between trust in technology and student satisfaction. This presentation will explore practical strategies for mitigating AI-related anxiety, fostering student trust, and improving the implementation of OPS to balance academic integrity with student well-being.
This roundtable discussion will focus on the development of a Social Sciences Research and Data Analysis Minor at a small, liberal arts college. A short summary of the program will be provided, which will be followed by interactive dialogue with the aim of gaining insights into participants’ views of the benefits, detriments, and challenges of developing such a program. Participants will gain insights into the benefits of developing programs that meld machine intelligence and human intelligence.
Flipped learning, an approach where students review instructional content independently and complete active learning in class, works well with the hybrid model of instruction. Blending the best of both worlds, online and in-person learning, allows a diverse population of students to augment their learning. In this session, you will discover how EdPuzzle can transform your classroom into an interactive flipped learning space. Learn how to create interactive video lessons, allowing for self-paced learning and a deeper understanding of content. Edpuzzle’s features including embedded questions, progress tracking, and feedback to monitor student progress, will be revealed in this session. If you are new to flipped classrooms or want to enhance your craft, this session will offer practical suggestions to leverage EdPuzzle for effective teaching and learning. Come prepared to experience EdPuzzle and join a discussion with colleagues about how you can use flipped learning in your classroom.
Simulation-based education is essential for preparing PA students to manage sensitive cases like suspected abuse. This session focuses on designing simulations to develop empathy, communication, and clinical decision-making skills. Attendees will learn how to create realistic scenarios, use standardized patients or mannequins, and assess student performance while providing constructive feedback. The session will cover how simulation aligns with ARC-PA Standard B2.09, which requires PA programs to teach clinical and technical skills grounded in current practice. Emphasis will be placed on conducting thorough evaluations, and navigating mandated reporting. We will discuss the importance of debriefing to manage emotional impact and build resilience. By incorporating simulation strategies, educators can help students confidently approach sensitive situations, ensuring patient safety and legal adherence. Attendees will leave with practical tools to apply these strategies in their programs.
Is it the end of teaching and learning as we know it? Do we really feel fine? Investigating obstacles to engaging students, one Faculty Learning Community (FLC) spent a year co-generating and re-imagining teaching practices to better prepare our students for what comes next. This discussion-based workshop targets the role of professionalism in higher education through three subthemes: motivating attendance, ethical use of AI, and the transactional classroom. In rotating small groups, participants will explore each theme as it relates to their unique teaching situation and strategize ways to address the diverse needs of our students and disciplines. Participants can expect to leave with fresh insights related to the target themes, prepping ourselves and the students for a new era of teaching and learning.
The shift toward hybrid and online education has made compliance with Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) and Assurance of Learning (AOL) standards critical for accredited institutions. This poster explores the intersection of RSI and AOL in AACSB-accredited business schools and beyond, demonstrating how institutions can align federal compliance mandates with targeted learning assurance practices to assure student success. The session will include a comparative analysis of RSI and AOL requirements, a Venn diagram showcasing overlapping strategies, and empirical research opportunities in hybrid and online learning. Attendees will gain actionable insights into implementing RSI-compliant student engagement while maintaining robust AOL assessment frameworks.
The purpose of our study is to develop an effective, efficient, and feasible pressure injury prevention clinical decision support (PIP CDS) tool. To achieve this, we assembled a diverse group of key stakeholders from across the United States, including expert clinicians, informatic expert, educators, patients, and caregivers, to discuss the creation of a tool. Innovative, virtual, and interactive tools are necessary to both communicate and capture the dialogue between researcher and stakeholder in meaningful ways. In this session, we will describe how we are utilizing technology to elicit synchronous key stakeholders’ engagement in the development of the PIP CDS tool to help nurses, who are overwhelmed with care priorities and patient complexities, to implement evidence-based pressure injury prevention strategies.
Have you ever walked into your classroom as it is about to start and not a word is spoken? Is it because students are reviewing notes from a previous lesson, watching the latest Tik Tok or ball game, or texting their bestie, who might be their Moma? Three professors have tested instructional practices to lead students to focus on course content. Join this poster conversation to share how you help your students focus and see what worked for professors from Anthropology, English, and Business. Spoiler alert, prohibiting electronic devices, when students need to focus, was independently adopted in all three cases with varying results.
Human trafficking (HT) is the fastest-growing crime worldwide and a critical health concern for healthcare professionals. To address this, nursing faculty in a first-semester BSN Health Assessment course integrated HT content into the curriculum to enhance students’ awareness, knowledge, and confidence in caring for victims. A PowerPoint lecture with HT survivor video footage provided firsthand insight into victim experiences. A pre/post-test assessed students’ perceptions and knowledge, emphasizing the importance of training nurses to recognize and support trafficking victims. This educational intervention validated students’ desire for HT content in undergraduate nursing curricula. The material was later added as a recorded lecture in an online nursing course with additional plans to integrate it into a nursing simulation scenario. Given HT’s prevalence, this content can help healthcare professionals across disciplines identify and care for victims, ensuring better patient outcomes.
This poster session will engage participants in a conversation on the power of weaving children's literature into social studies education for preservice teachers. Thanks to a Literacy Improvement Grant sponsored by the Alabama Reading Initiative, 86 preservice teachers received one children's book for each of the four strands of social studies education (civics and government, economics, geography, and history). Students were provided instruction on strategies to teach young learners using children's literature. They were assigned to teach one lesson in their field placement using one of the books they received, which was followed with a written reflection. The poster will display the book choices, provide instructional strategies, and highlight themes and experiences from the lessons taught in the field.
In this panel, five staff and faculty members from across USA's campus will discuss their LevelUP projects, which help students broaden, identify, and articulate skill sets that they are developing beyond the classroom. Competencies that students gain during activities outside of coursework, such as internships, on-campus employment, and study abroad, as well as across disciplines, such as informational literacy and cross-cultural communication, are challenging to define and express. Drawing on their experiences as instructors, advisors, supervisors, and mentors, the panelists will provide examples of how we can assist students in preparing for the next steps in their academic and professional journeys into our hybrid future. Panel attendees will leave with sample assignments, assessments, and conversation starters to use with students and help students make connections between their studies and varied experiences.
With the upcoming demographic cliff, student success and retention has become a central focus in higher education. Currently, many student success courses are taught in a standard classroom setting and style, which is the exact method those students are struggling to learn in. Student success courses need to be adapted to meet the changing demands of students and address the challenges they face. This can lead to significant increases in retention of at-risk students. The recent implementation and experience of a hybrid approach will be presented as well as strategies on how to translate these changes to your institution.
AI is ubiquitous, yet its potential to support students and faculty with disabilities is often underexplored. This presentation will explore the integration of AI tools in a math course section designed for blind students, illustrating how these tools enhance accessibility and learning. We’ll discuss how the hybrid format benefits blind students and the plans to extend these AI-driven strategies to the larger, sighted course in the future. By applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, we create diverse materials and activities, ensuring multiple modes of engagement, assessment, and self-study for all students. The session will highlight the role of AI in fostering an inclusive, flexible, and future-ready learning environment.
This presentation explores how different levels of instructor presence in online video lectures—visual and vocal, vocal only, and no instructor presence—affect student learning experiences. The study investigates students' perceived connection to the instructor, engagement, satisfaction, and learning outcomes. Participants will engage in watching videos, completing quizzes, and providing feedback through surveys. The research aligns with the conference theme by addressing the evolving needs of online instruction and providing practical insights into enhancing student engagement through instructor presence. The session will offer outcomes that guide instructors in designing effective online learning environments.
As the educational and research landscape begins to evolve toward more hybrid learning environments, instructors and researchers must adopt innovative tools to manage complex qualitative data. This research talk explores how different AI platforms can streamline data organization, coding, and analysis, specifically for qualitative data related to Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research. Aligned with the theme "Preparing for a Hybrid Future," the session demonstrates practical strategies for integrating AI into qualitative research, enhancing interprofessional collaboration in hybrid settings. Participants will engage in live demonstrations of AI-driven tools, explore differences in the use of two different platforms, and participate in interactive audience polling to identify common challenges in managing qualitative data. By the session’s conclusion, attendees will be able to: (1) explain the potential use of AI for qualitative research, (2) discuss potential barriers to
As AI tools become increasingly integrated into students’ daily lives, educators face growing challenges in ensuring that student work remains authentic and meaningful. Complicating matters, AI detection is becoming less reliable as the technology advances and students become more adept at using it. This workshop focuses on strategies to reduce inappropriate AI use—beyond prohibition, detection, and punishment. Participants will engage in interactive discussions and collaborative problem-solving to explore practical adjustments in course and assignment design. By the end of the session, attendees will leave with concrete strategies that discourage reliance on AI while preserving academic integrity and promoting genuine learning.
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform education, college instructors must adapt innovative teaching strategies to engage students in hybrid learning environments. This interactive presentation explores how AI, including ChatGPT, can enhance student engagement in both virtual and physical classrooms. Attendees will learn how to integrate AI-driven activities such as role-playing, discussion generation, personalized learning pathways, and real-world applications. Through hands-on exercises—including an AI-powered teaching philosophy icebreaker, hybrid scavenger hunts, and student-led AI discussions—professors will gain practical strategies to create dynamic and interactive learning experiences. By the end of this presentation, instructors will have actionable insights into leveraging AI tools to foster meaningful learning, critical thinking, and engagement in hybrid educational settings.
Scientists have a duty to communicate their science with other scientists and non-scientists alike but evidence and recent events suggest this is not done effectively. This poor communication can lead to an increased distrust and lack of confidence in the scientific community in addition to a decrease in funding awarded to critical research programs. This workshop aims to provide an in-person opportunity for scientists to gain and practice skills to improve their scientific communication to diverse audiences through improvisational theater activities empirically supported by the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science.
This fast-paced, “Pecha Kucha” style session explores how disruptive technologies like Generative AI and Open Educational Resources (OER) can enhance transparency, accessibility, and career readiness. Aligned with the conference theme Preparing for a Hybrid Future, our presentation examines macro- to micro-level interventions that equip students with essential workforce skills. Presenters will showcase LevelUP projects, including classroom strategies, lab assignment models, and OER resources to emphasize how student feedback can be used to drive instructional change and align learning with NACE competencies.To promote engagement, attendees will interact with LevelUP participants through a live Q&A and collaborative Padlet activities. By the session’s end, participants will gain practical tools to integrate AI and OER in their own classrooms, fostering student success in an evolving professional landscape.
Community College’s efforts to accelerate the connection of young people with career pathways in Career and Technical Education are underutilized. Across the country, educational systems are partnering with the private sector and community partners to create sophisticated, career-connected learning experiences. Learners are increasingly exposed to the world of work and potential careers. One option often conspicuously absents in this rush to bolster career and technical education pathways is apprenticeships. It’s a missed opportunity, especially amid efforts to diversify the workforce, creating interest in technical education and securing retention for both the employer and the educational institution. Apprenticeships work!
Originating as a learning community, an African American Studies course evolved from fostering social and academic connections within the local campus to cultivating global awareness, grounded in local history. This research talk uses storytelling techniques to weave a data-driven narrative of how the course expanded students' communication and cross-cultural skills through both a virtual exchange and a study abroad experience. Participants will gain insights from both student and instructor perspectives on how these experiences enhanced communication competencies, cultural understanding, and global engagement. As a result of this transformative learning experience, enrollment in the course increased. Additionally, the course’s integration of virtual exchange and study abroad ultimately demonstrated the power of experiential learning in shaping students' academic and personal growth.
With increasing reliance on data-driven decision-making, higher education institutions must find innovative yet cost-effective ways to collect and analyze departmental data. This workshop explores how design thinking, with its human-centered approach, can ensure that faculty, staff, and students remain at the core of the decision-making processes, especially in the thick of AI usage. Participants will engage in hands-on activities using design thinking principles with user-centered approaches that balance efficiency with ethical considerations and AI usage. By the end of the session, educators will leave with practical strategies for leveraging AI responsibly within their departments, ensuring that technology enhances—not replaces—human expertise in shaping solutions.
As health professions education evolves, faculty seek innovative ways to integrate technology into assessment and experiential learning. This session explores how artificial intelligence (AI) tools enhance clinical exams, case-based learning, academic assignments, and grading rubrics. Our AI-assisted approach, successfully implemented in the Doctor of Audiology program at the University of South Alabama, has been used to develop clinical cases for comprehensive exams, generate interprofessional case studies, and create interactive assignments and labs. Additionally, AI has helped design competency-based rubrics to ensure objective and consistent student assessment. We will share our development process, implementation strategies, and early outcomes. Attendees will engage in hands-on exercises using AI to generate clinical cases, design assignments, and build rubrics, leaving with actionable strategies to integrate AI into their teaching.
