Annual Summer Institute

Keynote Presentation: Pedagogical Practice in the New Era of AI

Presenter: Dr. C. Edward Watson, Associate Vice President for Curricular and Pedagogical Innovation and Executive Director of Open Educational Resources and Digital Innovation at AAC&U

Description: Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others, have had an astonishingly quick impact on the ways we learn, work, think, and create, and this evolution is clearly apparent on college campuses.  As early as January 2023, approximately 9 out of 10 college students reported using ChatGPT, and that number, as well as student competency with AI, has only grown since then. Throughout the academic year, AI will be present in our classrooms, and there are a range of opportunities and challenges as a result.  Drawing from the presenter’s new book, Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (Johns Hopkins University Press), this keynote is designed to provide participants with clear guidance as they prepare for the coming semester.  After a brief overview of the AI landscape, this session will shift to provide clear recommendations for pedagogical and classroom practice, including policy decisions, syllabus statements, grading, and academic integrity.  Assignment design will be a hallmark of this keynote, and attendees can anticipate a discussion of if, when, and how we might embrace AI to achieve the learning goals of our course.  Examples will be provided throughout.

During this time slot, you will be free to choose one of the following breakout sessions to attend!

1. Stop and Think: A Critical Information Literacy Perspective on AI

Presenters: Catherine Baird, Online and Outreach Services Librarian, Jacob Bilek, Research & Instruction Librarian (STEM), and Justin Savage, Research and Reference Librarian

Description: In the Fall of 2024, the University will launch the SEEDS curriculum as its new general education program. The curriculum consists of five overarching values, one of which is Educated Citizenry/Critical Information Literacy. As defined by the curriculum, Educated Citizenry/Critical Information Literacy is the value through which “students will learn to assess, produce, and communicate knowledge as informed and responsible citizens, and learn to critically evaluate the sociopolitical structures that influence information creation.”

Librarians have long considered the importance of information literacy as a building block of lifelong learning for students. Whereas information literacy emphasizes the skills and competencies necessary for learners to successfully interact with the information ecosystem that surrounds them, critical information literacy takes a step back and prompts learners to interrogate the structures of power that govern the ways in which individuals consume, produce, and disseminate information. This interrogation is further complicated by the recent proliferation of readily-available artificial intelligence tools, which have large implications for research, teaching, and learning. In this presentation, University librarians will discuss the impacts and implications of artificial intelligence through a critical information literacy lens, as well as provide examples for ways to approach AI in the classroom. Participants will be prompted to consider the following:

• To what extent is AI trustworthy?
• Is AI a creator of knowledge?
• How do we as educators measure learning?
• What are the environmental impacts of AI?
• What other ethical considerations are necessary when using or promoting AI?

2. Engagement Unbound: Strategies for Captivating Today’s Students & Learners

Presenter: Earl Brown, Instructional Specialist, Information Management and Business Analytics

Description: In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, fostering genuine student engagement has become a paramount challenge. As educators, we must continually adapt our approaches to captivate the minds and hearts of our modern learners, empowering them to actively participate in their educational journey.

This interactive workshop, “Engagement Unbound: Strategies for Captivating Today’s Students & Learners,” offers a transformative experience for participants, blending cutting-edge pedagogical techniques with hands-on activities and collaborative problem-solving.

Drawing from a wealth of experience and extensive research, Instructional Specialist Earl Brown, who teaches Strategic Business Communications in the School of Business, will guide participants through a comprehensive exploration of practical strategies and best practices designed to enhance student engagement, interaction, and interest in the classroom and beyond.

3. Creating Positive Change in the Lives of our Students Through the Use of a Model on Organizational Change

Presenter: Dr. Christie Cruse, Associate Professor, Coordinator of Business

Description: In both our professional and personal lives, change is a pathway to growth. Embracing change and taking advantage of new opportunities helps us to gain knowledge, acquire new skills, and builds confidence and self-esteem. It encourages us to step out of our comfort zone and stay ahead of the curve. The goal is to shape us into the best versions of ourselves. This presentation will discuss how when students accept the challenge of change, just like organizations do, they grow as individuals and help them to reassess their values, goals, and ambitions for the future.

During this time slot, you will be free to choose one of the following breakout sessions to attend!

1. The Power of the Prompt: Hands-On with AI Tools & Prompt Engineering

Presenters: Joe Yankus, Instructional Designer, and Gina Policastro, Instructional Designer

Description: AI text generators are only as strong as the prompts you ask, making the concept of “prompt engineering” a relevant and timely skill amidst today’s world of AI. In this session, learn about popular AI text tools and tips for engineering specific and effective prompts, with hands-on practice and demonstrations.

2. Getting Started With Simple Syllabus: Customizing Syllabi for Courses and Departments

Presenters: Dr. Dana Levitt, Professor and Chairperson of Counseling, and Pam Fallivene, Lead Technology Trainer

Description: This session introduces the Montclair Syllabus Template for Fall 2024, and the system that powers it, Simple Syllabus. Montclair Syllabus is designed to help instructors create clear and user-friendly syllabi. The Simple Syllabus platform also enables departments, chairs, and course coordinators to customize and collect course syllabi en masse. We will provide a brief overview, explain the rationale behind the template, and offer basic instructions on how to use it. We will also hear from Chairperson Dana Levitt, who will share how Simple Syllabus has impacted the Counseling Department’s practices.

3. Breaking Barriers: How Userway Transforms University Libraries’ Research Guides

Presenters: Kevin Handeli, Web Services and Systems Specialist for University Libraries, and Meghan Hearns, Director of the Disability Resource Center

Description: In today’s digital age, web accessibility has become a paramount consideration for organizations across various units. Ensuring that online content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, is a value we hold high at Montclair. As part of our commitment to inclusivity, we have implemented Userway, an innovative accessibility widget, into University Libraries research guides.

Userway is a powerful accessibility solution that addresses many of the challenges faced by users with disabilities. By integrating Userway into our research guides, we can enhance accessibility in several ways. The widget offers features such as text resizing, screen reader compatibility, and customizable contrast options, empowering users with disabilities to customize their browsing experience according to their unique needs and preferences. By providing a more accessible online environment, we can reach a broader audience and ensure that all users, regardless of their abilities, can benefit from our research resources.

During this presentation, viewers will understand what it is like to experience ways the web can be made more accessible to those who require accommodations that will make their access to our research guides a much better experience. Various tools will be demonstrated along with explanations on how they can help users with a variety of disabilities.

This presentation aims to highlight the importance of web accessibility and showcase how Userway facilitates easier access to our research resources for users with disabilities.

Promoting Student Mental Health and Well-Being

Presenter: Dr. Sudha Wadhwani, Staff Psychologist/Coordinator of Equity, Inclusion and Community Initiatives, Counseling and Psychological Services

Description: Dr. Sudha Wadhwani will provide information on CAPS resources, as well as tips on creating an environment that supports the mental health and well-being of our students, in and out of the classroom. Join us in working together to foster a community of caring for our wonderful Montclair students!

During this time slot, you will be free to choose one of the following breakout sessions to attend!

1. Human-Machine Interaction and 3D Technology for Intelligent Machines

Presenter: Dr. Rui Li, Assistant Professor, MSU Multimodal Interaction and Affective Computing Lab (MIAC Lab), School of Computing

Description: Human-machine interaction (HMI), sometimes termed human-computer interaction (HCI), is an interdisciplinary topic that explores human-centered solutions for user-friendly and natural communication, interaction, and collaboration between humans and machines. This presentation will discuss how multimodal information can be processed and generated to enhance the user-friendly interaction between intelligent machines and humans, especially for non-expert users. Within this multimodal information, 3D information as one of the most important HMI components will be further discussed in detail. Towards the end of the presentation, selected students’ interactive 3D projects from the game development courses of the School of Computing at CSAM College will be showcased.

2. From Chaos to Order or How to Remain True to Yourself and Survive in Times of Radical Change

Presenter: Dr. Pavlo Lushyn, Research Professor of Educational Foundations

Description: After experiencing the Pandemic and a strong wave of Artificial Intelligence, many feel not only a disruption of gradual progress in the existing educational space, but also a significant shortening of life and professional prospects. The latter is a sign of a traumatic process or, in terms of complex systems theory, a sense of chaos. Currently, there is accumulated experience in examining traumatic phenomena as well as chaos in terms of post-traumatic growth or the emergence of a new order, a new norm. In the presentation, we will consider the experience of implementing this process in the conditions of the existing education system, particularly in the education of students and professors of various ages.

3. The Strong Student Campaign: Explicitly Teaching Your Students the Skills They Need to Succeed

Presenter: Dr. Catherine Keohane, Associate Director of Teaching and Learning, Academic Affairs

Description: Strong students practice essential “studenting” skills that enable them to be successful in their courses. While faculty might assume their students already possess these skills, it is vital that they help students cultivate and hone them. In this session, Dr. Catherine Keohane of the Office for Faculty Excellence will discuss the rationale behind the “Strong Student Campaign” and share simple strategies that faculty can use to help their students be strong students. Join us to learn about the campaign, how you can incorporate it (simply and easily) into your fall course, and give feedback on how we can make it even stronger.

Implementing an Online Program: Designing, Evolving & Managing

Presenters: Dr. Kimberly Hollister, Dean of the Feliciano School of Business, Dr. Lucy Sant’Anna Takagi, GPC for an MA/Certificate Refresh in Social Work and Child Advocacy, Dr. Joseph Oluwole, Chairperson in Educational Leadership, and Tara Campos, Program Administrator & Advisor for the Online Program for Educational Leadership

Description: The Educational Leadership (ELAD) and Child Advocacy (CHAD) programs are two of Montclair State University’s original online programs. Representatives from the CHAD & ELAD programs will discuss their program management, specifically highlighting course development, and the decision making that goes into this process. As both programs have also recently embarked on redesigns of their course offerings, they will also discuss the lessons they have learned as they have experienced the process.

During this time slot, you will be free to choose one of the following breakout sessions to attend!

1. From Classroom to Career: Integrated Career and Academic Techniques to Develop Students’ Employability Skills

Presenter: Dr. Chantelle K. Wright, Executive Director for Experiential Education and Career Connections

Description: Evolving job markets and students’ demands for lucrative, early careers require that colleges utilize innovative techniques that weave career preparation with classroom learning at all student levels. Moreover, students value their instructor’s expertise for career advice and rely on their faculty’s expertise for professional decisions. This presentation will demonstrate how faculty can support students’ career preparedness using simple, low effort techniques. Faculty will learn how to make small tweaks to class syllabi that reinforce career competencies and identify and test tools that support student career planning. Participants are encouraged to bring current course syllabi to the session so that they are able to fully engage in the syllabus restructure portion of the session.

2. Poll Everywhere & Student Engagement

Presenter: Kaylee Clark, Customer Success Manager at Poll Everywhere

Description: Welcome to Poll Everywhere! Join us to take your classroom presentations to the next level and learn the basics of using our engagement system.

You’ll learn about our activity types, creating and running your first activities, and best practices for keeping your students active and engaged in the classroom.

3. Access This Way: an Access Scavenger Hunt at Montclair

Presenters: Dr. Elaine Gerber, Associate Professor of Anthropology, and Judy Lieff, Adjunct in the School of Communication and Media

Description: In Spring 2023, FMTV 222 (Sch of Comm/Media) and ANTH 205 (Disability in U.S. Popular Culture, CHSS) collaborated to create and film a scavenger hunt that focused on accessibility across campus. Production teams filmed anthropology students on a team-based “fact-finding” hunt at three campus buildings. Our goal was to create an interactive Map with short video segments from the project. This map could be used for continued course development, as well as providing enhanced access for the campus community. Another goal was to create a short video or “trailer” about the project that could be educational as well as helpful for fundraising or branding efforts. One conclusion from the project: accessibility exists in many forms; this provides a learning opportunity for students, to see concrete examples of accessibility in their own backyard, often cited as an experience they “can’t unsee.” Further, with the excitement and filming of the ‘hunt,’ students had such fun they forgot they were also learning! Another conclusion: some accessibility exists, but many people are unaware of it due to poor communications; thus, this project can help to make those features more notable and raise awareness about positive features our campus offers regarding inclusion. Lastly, it helps to highlight where more work needs to be done to improve accessibility: particularly around wayfinding and with non-physical access features. Sample clips will be provided. Both a template of the accessible map and the video trailer will be shown. In presenting, we also seek further assistance with technology options/platforms for best displaying this content in the future, and to find additional collaborators interested in mapping and video technology that students can continue to use and build content about Montclair State University.

During this time slot, you will be free to choose one of the following breakout sessions to attend!

1. Promises and Pitfalls of XR in the Classroom

Presenter: Dr. John Soboslai, Assistant Professor of Religion

Description: Extended Reality (XR) technologies–which include virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)–are becoming easier to use and more accessible for higher education classrooms. With MSU’s continually expanding resources, it is an ideal time to begin considering the benefits and drawbacks of harnessing XR for classes of all disciplines. Drawing on lessons learned developing the Immersive Religion project, which creates XR resources for teaching about religious practices, this workshop will explore the current state of XR tech and its effective engagement in teaching and learning. We will cover general terminology, some currently available instructional experiences, and some tools appropriate for those first venturing into the space along with the possibilities for student-centered creation of XR resources. No experience with XR is necessary; bring your questions about what extended realities can offer you.

2. Reimagining Synchronous Class Meetings with InSpace

Presenters: Heather Edwards, Adjunct in the Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy, and Lynette Surie, Adjunct in Writing Studies

Description: Are you looking for ways to mitigate Zoom fatigue? InSpace, a Zoom alternative built specifically for educators with a suite of features to engage learners, is now available to all faculty in Canvas. Join Heather Edwards, Adjunct Faculty of Social Work and Child Advocacy, and Lynette Surie, Adjunct Faculty of Writing Studies, for a conversation on how they sharply increased student engagement in their courses using InSpace. Specific use cases and activity examples will be shared along with a brief demonstration of the product.

3. From the Syllabus to Alt-Text: Creating Accessible Courses

Presenter: Dr. Courtney Crimmins, Faculty Developer in the Office for Faculty Excellence, and Tim Pure, Assistant Director of the Disability Resource Center

Description:What steps can you take to ensure your classroom environment and course materials are accessible to all of your students? Join Disability Resource Center Assistant Director Timothy Pure and Office for Faculty Excellence Faculty Developer Dr. Courtney Crimmins to learn about the crucial steps you can take to make your course accessible. The session will walk you through a list of practical action items and offer guidance on essential accessibility tools and technologies. We will explore the crucial differences between accessibility and accommodation, discuss the importance of inclusive practices, and address common challenges instructors face.

During this time slot, you will be free to choose one of the following breakout sessions to attend!

1. The Doc is In: Using Docs and Slides to Create Active, Collaborative Learning Engagements

Presenter: Dr. Monica Glina, Adjunct Faculty in Educational Foundations

Description: Docs and Slides are for more than just narrative and presentations. Both can be used in unconventional ways to promote collaborative learning engagements. This session will demonstrate a variety of ways to use Docs and Slides to create active and empowering learning experiences that can be used synchronously and asynchronously.

2. Unleashing Your Canvas Course Design Superpowers

Presenter: Michelle Muldowney-Stevens, Manager of Customer Success at Cidi Labs

Description: Over the past few years, the amount of course content moved online has been astonishing with the student experience being, sadly, lackluster. Now that we’ve all had a moment to breathe let’s change that. DesignPLUS is here to save the day! DesignPLUS can help transform the courses you hurriedly moved online. Would you like the ability to crop and resize eye-catching banner images without leaving Canvas? What if you could easily organize your content in a way that eliminates your students’ feelings of despair when they encounter text overload? What if you could build your entire course shell, including templates, in minutes? Join us to learn how to do all of the above as well as how to present content in a consistent and appealing manner and increase learner engagement and retention. Attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop or tablet to the presentation for a hands-on experience. 

3. From Questions to Conversations: Exploring Canvas’ New Quizzes and Discussions Redesign

Presenters: Pam Fallivene, Lead Technology Trainer, and Abigail Hunte, Senior Technology Trainer

Description: Join us for an engaging and informative session focused on the latest updates to Canvas, designed to enhance your teaching and learning experience. This session will cover the new features and functionalities of Canvas’ New Quizzes and the redesigned Discussions interface. Whether you’re new to Canvas or a seasoned Canvas user, this session will provide valuable insights and practical tips to make the most out of these updates.