Students walking around an imaginary college landscape with buildings, books, and larger-than-life computers.
Celena Kusch GenAI

AI Spark Tips: Personalize Student Coaching with AI

ContactNord’s AI Tutor Pro offers students opportunities to chat with AI to either check their knowledge and skills or deepen their knowledge on a topic. Students select their learning level (e.g., undergraduate or graduate), level of difficulty (introductory through advanced), their preferred language, and the topic or content they wish to explore.

AI Tutor Pro follows guidelines for coaching learners, not providing them answers, so instructors can trust that this interface will not write a paper for a student.

Bonus: At the end of their AI tutoring session, students can download their chat transcript and turn it in as an assignment in your course. Ask learners to add a reflection about the AI’s accuracy and/or bias to prompt students to think critically about the strengths and limitations of AI.

Learn More at AI Tutor Pro.

Screenshot of AI Tutor Pro by Contact Nord. Chat asks learners to "Help me learn more about...."
Image of a person studying at a computer and highlighting paper documents.
Lillian Reeves Faculty Development, Online Learning, Student Success, Uncategorized

Effective Strategies for Maymester and Summer Course Preparation

As the end of spring semester approaches, many faculty begin turning their attention to preparing for Maymester or the summer sessions. Converting 15 week courses into 8 week or 4 week format, however, presents a unique challenge. How can faculty nurture student understanding and provide meaningful feedback at such an accelerated pace? 

Continue reading “Effective Strategies for Maymester and Summer Course Preparation” →
Students walking around an imaginary college landscape with buildings, books, and larger-than-life computers.
Celena Kusch GenAI

AI Spark Tips: AI Conversations for Students

Guide students to prepare for interviews, debates, or meetings with marketing clients, patients in healthcare settings, or other professionals in your discipline using artificial intelligence. The AI Conversation tool, built into your Blackboard course, enables students to work with AI in a controlled environment. You set the topic, you define the conversation persona, select Role Play and read a record of your students’ chat.

Bonus: Your persona may be instructed to speak in languages other than English, and you may give them location-specific backgrounds to support learning in world language courses.

At the end of their chat, students respond to a reflection question you design to help them apply critical thinking and ethics to their AI use.

Learn More at Blackboard.

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Lillian Reeves Active Learning, ACUE, Faculty Development, ICYMI, Student Success, Technology, Uncategorized

Get Started with the ACUE Learning Lab Today!

What is the ACUE Learning Lab? USC Upstate’s year-long partnership with the ACUE Learning Lab provides faculty with access to 11 evidence-based Quick Study Courses, offering best-practice guidance to enhance student success and engagement.

What are Quick Study Courses? Quick Study Courses are comprised of short, effective videos and implementation guides collaboratively developed with subject-matter experts. Once faculty have engaged with the content, they are prompted to complete a short reflection.

How long does it take to complete a Quick Study Course? The courses are self-paced, and can be completed in 1-2 hours.  

Continue reading “Get Started with the ACUE Learning Lab Today!” →
image shows breakdown of grades and unsubmitted work, incomplete work, absences, and drafts.
Lillian Reeves Active Learning, Engaged Pedagogy, Faculty Development, Student Success, TILT, Uncategorized, Universal Design for Learning

Contract Grading Increases Student Engagement and Reduces Anxiety

Have you ever had a student approach you and ask, “Dr. Reeves, what do I need to do to get an A in your course?” I have. I often suggest reviewing the syllabus and the percentage points associated with each grade category. I suggest reviewing the rubrics, planning ahead for upcoming due dates, and working with a partner to stay motivated and in conversation about course topics. While these are useful suggestions, they don’t necessarily address the quality or quantity of work students must create or give them the autonomy and choice they crave to build the knowledge and skills necessary to take their thinking to the next level. One way to better answer this familiar question and increase student motivation, autonomy, and responsibility (Hiller and Heitapelto, 2001; Strong et al. 2004; Danielewicz and Elbow, 2009; Bonner 2016; Litterio 2018) may be to adopt contract grading. Though many of the contract grading studies have been designed for and implemented in courses with a writing component, the models are easily adapted for other types of courses, as well. If you’re interested in exploring some examples of contract grading, check out the 3 models below.  

Continue reading “Contract Grading Increases Student Engagement and Reduces Anxiety” →
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Lillian Reeves Faculty Development, Uncategorized

Winter Break Wellness: You Deserve It

After an equally rewarding and challenging semester, unexpectedly interrupted by a hurricane that many in our communities are still suffering from, we hope you’ll find some downtime for yourselves over the winter break. Whether you’re traveling or staying local, check out the resources below if you’re looking for the perfect, lowkey escape to unwind and relax.  

Continue reading “Winter Break Wellness: You Deserve It” →