Innovation Showcases
Artificial Intelligence - a Tool for Learning: Embracing New Tools View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Alisa Wilson, Harriette L Spiegel
Students enter college to advance their learning. Although there are many tools available to assist learning, artificial intelligence (AI) is one that is not frequently used. Why are professors not using AI in their classrooms? Do they think students will abuse the tool? Do they think students will not exercise their own minds to complete assignments? The truth is both students and professors alike use AI daily to make life easier. Learning is a way of life that can be made easier with AI.
Flip and Blend Your Class for Better Student Engagement View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Khalid Fethi
The FLEND methodology, an instructional design model that stands for Flip and Blend (integrated), has been developed through deep reflection on the fast- paced changes occurring in the world today. With intense competition in technology, artificial intelligence, business, medicine, and other fields, it is crucial for education to equip young learners with a diverse range of prerequisite skills that enable them to adapt to the demands of the 21st century. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, 'We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.' The core concept of FLEND is to provide a flexible and engaging learning experience in a digital-based class, enabling learners to explore, understand, analyze, evaluate, and assimilate content more quickly. Equally important, FLEND aims to develop highly essential skills, often referred to as the 5Cs: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and citizenship. These skills are invaluable and cannot be challenged by AI.
Featured Emerging Technology for Cultural Competency: An Exploration of How Emerging Technology Can Reinforce Intercultural Learning Practices View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Gabrielle Heard
Intercultural pedagogical practices can best be implemented through emerging technology. Cultural competency can be achieved in multicultural classrooms that are centralized in western countries. In classrooms where western culture is paramount, ostracizing teaching methods can result in miscommunication, shame, and segregation. Through gamification, video, and interactive learning, cultural understanding and mutual cultural respect can be achieved. Problems are first examined from the perspective of students who do not belong to the dominant culture of the classroom. The notion of culture is defined in personal narratives from students in high controlled religions and by new immigrant students. Afterwards, ideas of how intercultural pedagogy can eliminate bias and exclusion are introduced. Examples are given of how emerging technology has successfully resulted in cultural competence. Emerging technology methods include: 1) gamification through imagery and classroom participation. 2) Immersive instructional videos that emphasize humanity and familiarity within unknown cultures. 3) Interactive media with real world examples and characters that represent diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Using an Early Childhood Learning Community in an Effort to Retain Online Students View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Michelle Simecek, Stephanie Heald, Holly Lopez
University of Arizona Global Campus has five Early Childhood Education programs that currently serve 2,888 students, and the average one-year persistence rate across programs is approximately 47%. This Learning Community aims to impact retention by implementing two social engagement intervention strategies that provide a supportive space for the students in these five programs. The first strategy is to provide a virtual learning community available asynchronously in Canvas which will provide 1) a platform for students to interact with peers and instructors and 2) provide information on upcoming events and professional development resources related to the ECE field. The second strategy is to hold monthly synchronous meetings to provide an orientation to the five ECE programs and promote social interaction between peers and faculty. The goal of these interventions is to promote the kind of belonging and connectedness that supports academic growth and momentum which can contribute to long-term retention and ultimately, graduation. Researchers continue to track participation and data to determine how using this online community impacts student retention throughout their programs.
