Reading Time: 2 minutesEvery industry has its jargon, and if you’re not familiar with the industry, it could sound like a foreign language. Maybe you don’t realize how much jargon you use, so step back the next time you’re in a department meeting and try to listen as someone who’s never been in the room before. It can be a very intimidating experience. That’s how students sometimes feel when they’re just starting out in their major. They’re navigating through unchartered waters in the middle of a storm, and they’re only understanding maybe every third word being shouted to them by their captain. So, how do you help students learn these…
-
-
2024 AECT Reflection: Student Usage of GAI, Part 2
Reading Time: 2 minutesA big concern among educators and practitioners is that students are using Generative AI to cheat, and this is a legitimate concern. With the vast amount of data that the LLMs have access to, students could easily type in “What is the name of the rabid dog that Atticus shoots in the street?” and get an answer in a split second. However, based on the presentations I have seen thus far, the presumption that students are using GAI to cheat is unfounded. In a previous post, I discussed what I learned from a session about student ethics in using ChatGPT for writing assignments. Another session I attended…
-
AECT Reflection: Rob McDole on Seize the DAI
Reading Time: 2 minutesLike my colleagues, I spent three days at the AECT conference. I had contemplated not going because of mental fatigue. But I decided David Wiley—Chief Academic Officer for Lumen Learning and former president of AECT—may have something interesting to say about AI. As I approached his session, it was standing room only. Attendees filled the seats and others stood in the back and in the doorways. I found a table right outside and put my headphones in and joined the Zoom session from my iPad. I felt a little like Zacchaeus. From the start, the session was different from what Mr. Wiley had originally planned. He intended…
-
AECT Reflection: Haisong Ye on Mental Fatigue and Its Implication in Course Design
Reading Time: 2 minutesAttending a conference was fun but also cognitively demanding. Rob McDole, Jared Pyles, and I attended three full-day sessions at the AECT annual convention in Orlando in October. Every morning after three sessions, I felt I was experiencing mental fatigue. Interestingly, one session I attended was a study conducted by Inan Fetching from Texas Tech University on how course workload and perceived course value would impact students’ mental fatigue. In Fetching’s study, he collected data from student surveys of over 500 online students who enrolled in undergraduate online courses. Among the participants, more than 60% were employed (32% were employed full-time and 30% were employed part-time). A total…
-
AECT Reflection: Jared Pyles on Quality Assurance Frameworks
Reading Time: 2 minutesFresh from the AECT conference in Orlando, I find myself swimming in a sea of thoughts and questions surrounding the role of Quality Assurance (QA) frameworks in higher education, such as Quality Matters and OSCQR. We at CTL work with faculty and constantly strive to provide the best learning experience for our students. But as we navigate the complex waters of QA, we’re left wondering: Are these frameworks helping or hindering our efforts? This was a hot topic at AECT this year, and one of the most pressing concerns that was surfaced is whether QA frameworks stifle faculty creativity. Educators value their ability to engage students in…