As Gen AI (GAI) tools proliferated across the globe during the last few semesters, did you find yourself panicked, excited, or feeling a bit of both? Were you overwhelmed by the implications for academic integrity or overcome by a sense of wonder at the boundless potential to innovate our teaching, learning, and research? Your reactions … Continue reading Navigating the Future of Learning with Gen AI
AI Spark Tips: When Students Ask at 2 a.m.
How Blackboard's AVA Supports Learning Without Replacing You We've all done it. We know the answer is in the user guide or instruction manual, but we don't want to skim the whole document. Students feel the same way about the course syllabus. They know the answer is in the syllabus, but they don't know where … Continue reading AI Spark Tips: When Students Ask at 2 a.m.
5 Practices for Winter Well-Being
And just like that, Fall 2025 is drawing to a close. Over the past semester, you’ve published articles, presented at national and international conferences, completed—or begun—the ACUE Effective Teaching Certification, experimented with GenAI, made your courses more accessible, and shared your ideas and expertise with students and colleagues—all helping to make USC Upstate a more … Continue reading 5 Practices for Winter Well-Being
Blackboard Day 2026: Accessible Learning
Join us January 7, 2026 for our 7th Annual Blackboard Day in the Olin B. Sansbury Campus Life Center, Room 310, by accessing Zoom in the CAIFS PD Course, or by using the Zoom Link! Register Now 9 am to 9:45 am Welcome and Blackboard Learn Ultra Updates Join the Blackboard Support Team to learn … Continue reading Blackboard Day 2026: Accessible Learning
AI Spark Tips: Where AI and Learning Science Meet
In her most recent newsletter, "From Crutch to Coach?" Dr. Philippa Hardman, a scholar at the University of Cambridge, asks, does generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) "actually make us more capable, or just faster at outsourcing our thinking?" As we race to keep pace with AI-driven change, it can be hard to keep up with the … Continue reading AI Spark Tips: Where AI and Learning Science Meet
Introducing Achievements in Blackboard Ultra
If you’re looking for a fun, motivating way to boost student engagement, consider using the new Achievements feature in Blackboard Ultra. From the Achievements tab, faculty can create course achievement badges and set criteria for student success. While faculty can review which students have earned a course badge, students can also see the requirements for how to earn a badge and monitor their earned and unearned badges. Monitor Progress Toward Achieving … Continue reading Introducing Achievements in Blackboard Ultra
AI Spark Tips: Teaching through Real World Connections
When students see the relevance of course content in their own lives, they are often more motivated to study, strive for excellence, and succeed. Introducing practical applications can help students connect abstract disciplinary concepts to the kinds of questions they are already asking in real world contexts. Specialized Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools, like the … Continue reading AI Spark Tips: Teaching through Real World Connections