23rd Annual Instructional Design Conference

Welcome and closing

What can AI do for you and your students’ learning?

By now most have heard, or maybe even experienced, the boom of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in writing with the release of ChatGPT. Like previous advances, the power of AI presents abundant challenges to traditional teaching and learning. It also provides a moment to pause and reflect, to consider what AI can do, what it can’t do, and to react not to AI as a threat to education, but as a means to enhance classroom experiences through intentional design in a changing landscape.

TCNJ panelists will moderate a conversation regarding emerging discussions and observations of AI on campus, including academic integrity concerns. There will be an opportunity for reflection on topics raised by the keynote address. It promises to offer a robust platform to examine this exciting emerging trend in higher education pedagogy. Panelists represent Design and Creative Technology. Marketing and Interdisciplinary Business, Gitenstein Library, Academic Affairs, College-Wide Academics, and Computer Science. Moderated by Judi Cook.

In this fast-paced format, presenters share outcomes of technology initiatives funded by CETL’s mini-grant initiative. Featured speakers:

Using the Piazza Q & A System to Reinforce Learning

Felicia Steele, English

A CETL minigrant funded use of the system Piazza in my introductory linguistics courses. The Q & A system encourages reflection and provides an asynchronous, fully searchable, method for providing students with feedback on questions. It also provides a way for students to share their insights and gradually become co-instructors in the course.

A Virtual Reality Journey Prior to Study Abroad

Celia Liu, World Languages and Cultures

Language educators are leveraging Oculus technology to provide an immersive and interactive learning experience that surpasses traditional classroom lectures. At TCNJ, students can now explore the world first-hand through virtual reality. Before deciding to study abroad in a foreign country, our instructor introduced the Oculus experience to alleviate students’ anxiety. With this technology, students were able to virtually visit the hosting institution’s campus, explore their dormitory, and even “window-shopping” at the night market for street food! These engaging and interactive learning experiences have boosted students’ confidence in navigating the complexities of a foreign culture. As a result, students are now more excited and better prepared to study abroad.

Immersive Learning and the Metaverse (Virtual Reality)

David Saul, Accounting & Information Systems

Virtual Reality is one of the foundational technologies for developing the metaverse and for immersive interaction within it. This project raises awareness on new technology and techniques to make use of immersive (VR) cases in the way that Harvard cases or textbook scenarios are currently used today. We have conducted a demonstration of the immersive learning environment to gain first-hand experience and assess its efficacy.

Following the 2020 census, the US Census Bureau updated its data portal (data.census.gov) to be more user-friendly. The portal offers easy access to profiles for US states, counties, and municipalities that bring together statistics about a wide variety of aspects of American life and diversity. In Sociology 101, we designed a series of activities to introduce students to the profiles and better understand how to find and compare demographic data in a way that is interesting and relevant to them. In this session, we will explore the tool and how it can help students build data literacy skills for courses in the social sciences, public health, marketing, education or any other class where regional or geographic demographic variation is of interest. We will simulate the guided activity we designed and share details about the independent follow-up assignment through which students got comfortable finding and using this data and connecting it to course content.

In response to the rising costs of higher education, a recent NJ statute has required public institutions of higher education to submit to the state a plan for expanding the use of open textbooks and digital materials. Although not widely known, the development and curation of quality Open Educational Resources (OERs) has grown significantly in the past 10 years. In this presentation I will review engines available to search for quality open educational resources in curated indexes, how to remix and adapt existing materials for your classes, and how to prepare and publish your own materials as OERs so the greatest number of students benefit from your hard work, and you receive proper credit. I will also describe the forthcoming RFP for Improving TCNJ Curricular Appeal with OER.