The advancement of Generative AI technology has significantly changed the academic landscape, particularly in English Composition classes. The traditional writing process scenario has been primitively challenged by the rapid impact of AI-generated tools, such as Grammarly, ChatGPT, and Quill Bolts, due to their accessible assistance in writing. As students transition from high school to college, they face challenges in adapting to the diverse academic environment where writing classes feel more complex and challenging, especially for English as a Second Language Learners (ESL).The paper will present an argument that to preserve diversity and inclusivity in the composition classroom, universities should avoid completely banning AI tools. Instead, to reduce misuse, universities should teach college students, particularly ESL learners, how to use AI tools, which may, in turn, help reduce dropout rates since many students, especially English as a Second Language Learners, often avoid takin
The technical literature of academic disciplines can be intimidating. Students do not know where to start and, in recent years, have turned to AI for help. This research talk proposes the use of the infusion method of critical thinking (IMCT) to break down complicated scientific writing coupled with a discussion on how to use AI with critical thinking skills. Presented as a case study, participants will explore how IMCT and open conversations about AI help all students in any discipline better wrestle with empirical studies. Using the IMCT, participants can expect to take away new ideas for leading students to examine data analysis and evaluation within journal articles. Participants will also discuss ways in which AI can act as a peer helper that guides a student’s thinking rather than replaces it.
Veterans who are returning to university after military retirement may have greater self-awareness, larger social networks and access to capital, making them ideal candidates to start new business ventures. Given hybrid academic schedules, this would be another growth moment for the university as it faces the Demographic Cliff.
In recent decades, anthropologists have included digital worlds in ethnographic work. Social life is lived out in person but also through the virtual worlds of video games, social media, blogs, and much more. Increasingly even our in-person lives are more intertwined with the digital as when we send money through a cash app or jump on a Zoom call. These new ethnographic landscapes come with potential to learn about communities but are also fraught with new ethical dilemmas. Through a section in a Research Methods Anthropology class, students learn about conducting virtual ethnography, and examine best ethical practices. This research talk focuses on a classroom activity where students play Cards Against Digital Anthropology, which is a game based on Cards Against Humanity. The aim of this activity is for students to playfully engage with ethically ambiguous scenarios in digital ethnographic fieldwork and reflect on their potential responses to these dilemmas.
This research inquiry measured the effectiveness of hybrid Faculty Learning Communities (FLC) by analyzing participation in a recent academic interdisciplinary faculty book study that was delivered both in-person and online. Faculty members who opted to participate in a monthly interdisciplinary book study were quantitatively queried shortly after the study’s conclusion using a 6-point Likert scale via a Qualtrics survey. Findings indicate that faculty found merit and value by participating, noting positive impacts on their sense of belonging, constructive impact on their teaching practices, increased levels of self-reflection as practitioners and an enhanced sense of community. Qualitatively faculty recognized the benefit of collaborating and sharing with colleagues across disciplines.
As higher education evolves and becomes more inclusive of a wide range of learners, an increasing number of non-traditionally aged students have enrolled in undergraduate programs. This student demographic aged 25 and above faces unique challenges that can impact their educational experience. Adult learners often struggle with balancing work and family responsibilities and endure significant financial restrictions (Dill & Henley, 2010). Despite these stressors, nontraditional students exhibit higher levels of intrinsic motivation than their traditional classmates (Bye et.al, 2007; Johnson et.al, 2016). It is vital to understand the nontraditional experience to inform better teaching practices that can accommodate this student demographic’s needs. The purpose of this study is to assess the specific factors that influence non-traditional students’ return to education, their level of engagement and motivation in their studies, and how their unique life responsibilities impact
Google Drive, with its unique ability to show editing on documents in real time, has allowed students in writing courses to interact virtually in a way they had not been able to before. Real-time editing and online interconnectivity has created a platform for students and the professor to examine, critique, share, and revise writing and ideas comparable to the process on printed copies in the classroom. This hybrid approach to writing has offered a platform for student flexible engagement with each other and the professor. Students can work off a screen and make real time edits and revisions while being in the physical classroom to engage and discuss these processes with myself and their classmates. This immediate access to student work allows the professor to show students the flexible nature of writing and how it is always in flux and is a skill that is ever-evolving, just as it appears on our screens.
Engineering is usually taught in a traditional lecture format, involving theory in the classroom, homework outside of class, and routine examinations. Progressive forms of learning such as project based learning (PBL) have created new and fun ways for professors to interact with students and for students to be more involved in their learning. The work described here details project based learning activities for three courses in aerospace engineering. In Instrumentation and Experimental Methods, the students are tasked with integrating 3 fundamental electronic components of their choice with a microcontroller to build a final product. In Spacecraft Design, the students are tasked with building and launching a hobbyist grade rocket while also taking altitude data during the flight. In Principles of Aircraft Design the students must build and fly a radio controlled aircraft. They must also take accelerometer and GPS data during their flight.
