We found 273 results that contain "writing"
Posted on: PREP Matrix
Writing the Dissertation
This playlist begins with an overview of the dissertation, moves into writing resources, and ends with some specific resources for technology concerns
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Posted on: #iteachmsu
A "Complete" Guide to Writing Syllabi: A Constant Cycle
The syllabus in a college class serves as the first impression between a course and its students. It often wears many hats acting as: a schedule, list of rules, summary of course policies, semi-grading rubric, and various other roles depending on its author. Due to the heavy lifting it provides to a course and its structure a plethora of research has been conducted on its value, and Universities often hold seminars each year on the process of creating and drafting syllabi for their staff. To understand how students and instructors view the role of syllabi in the classroom authors Gauthier, Banner, And Winer attempt introduce a framework in their piece: “What is the syllabus for? Revealing tensions through a scoping review of syllabus uses”
In it, they identify nine interconnected uses which are then categorized into three primary purposes or tools: an Administrative Tool, a Learning Tool, and a Teaching Tool. The goal of this project is to take their writing and configure the information into a writing guide to help instructors write/develop/improve their own syllabi for their own courses. While this may appear as though this is designed as a developmental tool (because in part, it is), it is my goal that this project truly captures the necessity of treating the creation of syllabus as a fluid, recursive and reflective process. As we develop as instructors, and the student bodies we teach change through the times, so must our syllabi change with it.
In it, they identify nine interconnected uses which are then categorized into three primary purposes or tools: an Administrative Tool, a Learning Tool, and a Teaching Tool. The goal of this project is to take their writing and configure the information into a writing guide to help instructors write/develop/improve their own syllabi for their own courses. While this may appear as though this is designed as a developmental tool (because in part, it is), it is my goal that this project truly captures the necessity of treating the creation of syllabus as a fluid, recursive and reflective process. As we develop as instructors, and the student bodies we teach change through the times, so must our syllabi change with it.
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Posted on: PREP Matrix
Surviving the Dissertation
This playlist begins with an overview of the dissertation, moves into particular resources regarding continuing writing, and ends with resources about general motivation.
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Posted on: PREP Matrix
Setting Expectations
This playlist begins a discussion of how to be a successful graduate student, moves into resources on creating an effective and realistic writing habit, and ends with links to MSU’s official policies, procedures, and expectations when it comes to graduate students and graduate life at MSU as well as graduate student organizations that support you at MSU.
NAVIGATING CONTEXT
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Teaching Multilingual Learners: An Introduction to Translingual Pedagogy
A playlist of experiences and resources connected to "Teaching Multilingual Learners: An Introduction to Translingual Pedagogy" workshop developed and facilitated by Drs. Joyce Meier and Cheryl Caesar- educators in the College of Arts and Letters' First Year Writing program.
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Posted on: GenAI & Education
Using AI in Teaching & Learning
Resources for exploring the use of AI, and specifically large language models similar to ChatGPT, in teaching and learning. This is inclusive of its uses for instructors (e.g., lesson planning, rubric generation, etc.) and for students (e.g., writing assignments, comparison exercises, etc.)
Posted on: PREP Matrix
Writing Center at MSU
The Writing Center at Michigan State University offers one-on-one and group consultations for graduate students at any stage of their degree program.
Posted by: Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Online Writing Instruction: Personal, Accessible, Responsive, and Strategic
Topic Area: Information Session
Presented by: Casey McArdle, Jessie Borgman
Abstract:
Casey McArdle and Jessie Borgman will share what they have learned over their years of experience teaching online in this session and will present on their approach to teaching writing online via PARS: Personal, Accessible, Responsive, Strategic. This session will go in depth with each letter and provide an opportunity for participants to see the approach in action via examples and give attendees an opportunity to ask questions. McArdle and Borgman will offer several quick and easy strategies that online instructors and administrators can incorporate into their classes to facilitate a better user experience for both faculty and students. This session and the PARS approach, while developed for teaching writing online, can be applied to numerous disciplines. They have two recently published books, one that discusses the PARS approach and how it can be applied to teaching online, and another that is an edited collection of educators who have applied PARS to their online classrooms. This session will consist of a brief presentation of the PARS approach, a few small activities, and then a question and answer portion.
Presented by: Casey McArdle, Jessie Borgman
Abstract:
Casey McArdle and Jessie Borgman will share what they have learned over their years of experience teaching online in this session and will present on their approach to teaching writing online via PARS: Personal, Accessible, Responsive, Strategic. This session will go in depth with each letter and provide an opportunity for participants to see the approach in action via examples and give attendees an opportunity to ask questions. McArdle and Borgman will offer several quick and easy strategies that online instructors and administrators can incorporate into their classes to facilitate a better user experience for both faculty and students. This session and the PARS approach, while developed for teaching writing online, can be applied to numerous disciplines. They have two recently published books, one that discusses the PARS approach and how it can be applied to teaching online, and another that is an edited collection of educators who have applied PARS to their online classrooms. This session will consist of a brief presentation of the PARS approach, a few small activities, and then a question and answer portion.
Authored by: Casey McArdle, Jessie Borgman
Disciplinary Content
Posted on: PREP Matrix
Job Search Writing
The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University provides advice related to job search letters, resumes, CVs, and video resumes for the non-academic job search.
Posted by: Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: PREP Matrix
Funding and Proposal Writing
Resources MSU Librarian John Harrison offers a list of resources related to funding and proposal writing including: Database Resources, Online Funding, Newsletters, Government Funders, Key MSU Web Sites, and Book Resources.
Posted by: Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: PREP Matrix
Writing Center Resources
The Writing Center at Claremont Graduate University offers resources for graduate students related to writing, citing sources, and presenting conference papers.
Posted by: Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Question Writing Discussion
This is an opportunity to share some of your exam questions and offer/receive feedback. You can share up to 10 questions - any format is welcome although multiple-choice and open-ended questions are covered most closely in this portion of the workshop.
1. POST at least ONE question.
2. PROVIDE FEEDBACK to others. Add comments or questions, suggest wording revisions, even rewrite the entire question if you are feeling the writing vibe. REFER BACK to the content shared in the workshop, particularly the DOS AND DON'TS of question writing.
3. READ COMMENTS left on your questions.
4. REVISE your questions. Try to keep track of why you are making revisions!
1. POST at least ONE question.
2. PROVIDE FEEDBACK to others. Add comments or questions, suggest wording revisions, even rewrite the entire question if you are feeling the writing vibe. REFER BACK to the content shared in the workshop, particularly the DOS AND DON'TS of question writing.
3. READ COMMENTS left on your questions.
4. REVISE your questions. Try to keep track of why you are making revisions!
Authored by: Julie Libarkin
Assessing Learning
Posted on: PREP Matrix
Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation
Dr. S. Joseph Levine of Michigan State University provides advice for creating a thesis or dissertation, tracking the process from the idea stage, to the proposal stage, to the writing stage, and finally to the defense.
Posted by: Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Writing Measurable Outcomes for Students from SOIREE
If you read the article on backward design, you might already have a list of inspiration to develop your learning outcomes for your course. To help you draft refined outcomes for your learners, let's dive into student learning outcomes!
Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes help students (and us!) to know what students will be able to demonstrate in knowledge, skills, and values upon completing a module or course. Clear outcomes provide the foundation for evaluating the effectiveness of teaching and learning.
There are three essential components of a measurable learning outcome:
Student learning behaviors
Assessment methods
Student performance criteria
Student Learning Behaviors
Focus on student behavior by using specific action verbs that are observable. This should focus on what the student will be able to demonstrate. This is the student-facing side of the objectives so that students know what their goals are for the module or course to self-reflect and track their own progress towards goals. Examples include:
Students will be able to identify and apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines to their current teaching context.
Students will be able to evaluate and create accessible content.
Students will be able to organize a course's structure using backward design.
To help you identify measurable verbs, you can reference this Bloom's Taxonomy Action Verbs resource.
Assessment Methods
Select appropriate assessment methods. You will likely consider multiple assessment methods. You should select the method that allows you to best determine the extent to which the stated learning outcome is achieved. We recommend employing a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods.
Example assessment methods:
Exit slips
Multimedia projects
Quizzes
Lab reports
Presentations
Essay
Tests
Practicum/internship feedback from field instructor or employer
Discussions
Student-produced videos
State, national, and international standardized assessments for licensing, etc.
You will learn more about assessment opportunities and practices on Day 3. For now, you might consider browsing this list from Iowa State University.
Student Performance Criteria
Select and clearly communicate the criteria that students will be evaluated with. Performance criteria express specific and measurable terms that are acceptable in your course. Here are a few examples of criteria for success based on a few standard assessment methods:
Scoring rubric: All students will score an average of 8.5/10. None will score less than 7.0.
Survey: 85% of students surveyed will demonstrate an increase in their understanding of UDL.
Test:75% of all students will score at or above the average across sections of the course. No more than 25% will score lower than one standard deviation from the section average.
Putting it all Together
Once we've identified the three essential components for the learning outcome, we can piece it together for our records and to guide our assessment of teaching and learning taking place in our course. Here is one example of how this might look:
Module objective (what the student sees): Students will be able to organize a course's structure using backward design.
Add in the assessment method: By the end of the SOIREE program, students will produce an organized course map for at least one unit using backward design.
Add in the performance criteria: By the end of the SOIREE program, students will produce an organized course map for at least one unit using backward design and 100% of students will complete all categories for that unit in the template provided.
If you're writing measurable learning outcomes for the first time, it can be tricky to get into the swing of things. Arizona State University has developed an Objectives Builder Tool that can assist you in developing your skills.
SOIREE Team:
Design Lead: Sarah Wellman
Content Leads: Kate Sonka, Stephen Thomas, and Jeremy Van Hof
Content Authors: Jason Archer, Kevin Henley, David Howe, Summer Issawi, Leslie Johnson, Rashad Muhammad, Nick Noel, Candace Robertson, Scott Schopieray, Jessica Sender, Daniel Trego, Valeta Wensloff, and Sue Halick
Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes help students (and us!) to know what students will be able to demonstrate in knowledge, skills, and values upon completing a module or course. Clear outcomes provide the foundation for evaluating the effectiveness of teaching and learning.
There are three essential components of a measurable learning outcome:
Student learning behaviors
Assessment methods
Student performance criteria
Student Learning Behaviors
Focus on student behavior by using specific action verbs that are observable. This should focus on what the student will be able to demonstrate. This is the student-facing side of the objectives so that students know what their goals are for the module or course to self-reflect and track their own progress towards goals. Examples include:
Students will be able to identify and apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines to their current teaching context.
Students will be able to evaluate and create accessible content.
Students will be able to organize a course's structure using backward design.
To help you identify measurable verbs, you can reference this Bloom's Taxonomy Action Verbs resource.
Assessment Methods
Select appropriate assessment methods. You will likely consider multiple assessment methods. You should select the method that allows you to best determine the extent to which the stated learning outcome is achieved. We recommend employing a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods.
Example assessment methods:
Exit slips
Multimedia projects
Quizzes
Lab reports
Presentations
Essay
Tests
Practicum/internship feedback from field instructor or employer
Discussions
Student-produced videos
State, national, and international standardized assessments for licensing, etc.
You will learn more about assessment opportunities and practices on Day 3. For now, you might consider browsing this list from Iowa State University.
Student Performance Criteria
Select and clearly communicate the criteria that students will be evaluated with. Performance criteria express specific and measurable terms that are acceptable in your course. Here are a few examples of criteria for success based on a few standard assessment methods:
Scoring rubric: All students will score an average of 8.5/10. None will score less than 7.0.
Survey: 85% of students surveyed will demonstrate an increase in their understanding of UDL.
Test:75% of all students will score at or above the average across sections of the course. No more than 25% will score lower than one standard deviation from the section average.
Putting it all Together
Once we've identified the three essential components for the learning outcome, we can piece it together for our records and to guide our assessment of teaching and learning taking place in our course. Here is one example of how this might look:
Module objective (what the student sees): Students will be able to organize a course's structure using backward design.
Add in the assessment method: By the end of the SOIREE program, students will produce an organized course map for at least one unit using backward design.
Add in the performance criteria: By the end of the SOIREE program, students will produce an organized course map for at least one unit using backward design and 100% of students will complete all categories for that unit in the template provided.
If you're writing measurable learning outcomes for the first time, it can be tricky to get into the swing of things. Arizona State University has developed an Objectives Builder Tool that can assist you in developing your skills.
SOIREE Team:
Design Lead: Sarah Wellman
Content Leads: Kate Sonka, Stephen Thomas, and Jeremy Van Hof
Content Authors: Jason Archer, Kevin Henley, David Howe, Summer Issawi, Leslie Johnson, Rashad Muhammad, Nick Noel, Candace Robertson, Scott Schopieray, Jessica Sender, Daniel Trego, Valeta Wensloff, and Sue Halick
Authored by: SOIREE Team
Assessing Learning
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Writing Centers and Access: A Disability Justice Speaker Series" brings together the fields of composition, writing center studies, and disability studies to ask (and begin the process of answering) the question: How do writing centers engage the process of disability justice? Featuring world-renown disability studies scholars, the series seeks to generate conversation and provide community to teachers of writing, to writers, to writing center professionals, and to communities both on our campuses and beyond about the ways in which disability affects writers, writing, and higher education. The series is hosted by The Writing Center at MSU through the hard work of their Accessibility Committee, under the supervision of Dr. Karen Moroski-Rigney.
This series is still ongoing! The schedule and links to RSVP can be found in the upload below!
This series is still ongoing! The schedule and links to RSVP can be found in the upload below!
Posted by: Makena Neal
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
In what ways can mindfulness practices (reflective writing, noting) be integrated in student and instructor experiences across campus?
Posted by: Meghan Alanna Zanskas
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: Making learning fun...
We are writing to invite you to join the pilot program for H5P’s D2L integration and a few special features.
Through CTLI’s Catalyst Innovation Program, we are giving out a limited number of free H5P.com accounts for faculty/grad students for this academic year. This will allow you to create lots of different types of activities, assign them to your students through D2L, have their grades automatically populated in the Gradebook (if desired), and also receive data about how your students interacted with the content.
The D2L H5P basic integration lets you:
Insert activities with one click directly into a D2L course (no more embed codes requiring activities to be public or going through another provider like Pressbooks)
Connect select activities with the D2L Gradebook
+ our subscription also includes these special features:
Detailed reports on how learners interact with the activity, no matter where the H5P activity is in the course (as a topic or in a page)
Let learners resume activities (especially useful for larger content types like Interactive Video/Course Presentation/Interactive Book)
+ Smart Import feature (AI) lets you import audio/text/video and you will get quick transcripts and suggested activities pre-built that will shorten activity creation time (currently only in English, more languages to be added soon).
Any activities you create via our pilot account using Smart AI, for example, can certainly be exported out to a different regular H5P account(s).
Some of you might have also looked into nolej.io recently (very similar to Smart Import), but we have been told that H5P.com is much better with regards to compliance, privacy, security and stability.
You could contact me (gacs@msu.edu) or Shannon Quinn (sdquinn@msu.edu) to request an account, you will be given a form to fill out listing any D2L course shells (development courses or communities would work too) where you would like to test the H5P integration.
Through CTLI’s Catalyst Innovation Program, we are giving out a limited number of free H5P.com accounts for faculty/grad students for this academic year. This will allow you to create lots of different types of activities, assign them to your students through D2L, have their grades automatically populated in the Gradebook (if desired), and also receive data about how your students interacted with the content.
The D2L H5P basic integration lets you:
Insert activities with one click directly into a D2L course (no more embed codes requiring activities to be public or going through another provider like Pressbooks)
Connect select activities with the D2L Gradebook
+ our subscription also includes these special features:
Detailed reports on how learners interact with the activity, no matter where the H5P activity is in the course (as a topic or in a page)
Let learners resume activities (especially useful for larger content types like Interactive Video/Course Presentation/Interactive Book)
+ Smart Import feature (AI) lets you import audio/text/video and you will get quick transcripts and suggested activities pre-built that will shorten activity creation time (currently only in English, more languages to be added soon).
Any activities you create via our pilot account using Smart AI, for example, can certainly be exported out to a different regular H5P account(s).
Some of you might have also looked into nolej.io recently (very similar to Smart Import), but we have been told that H5P.com is much better with regards to compliance, privacy, security and stability.
You could contact me (gacs@msu.edu) or Shannon Quinn (sdquinn@msu.edu) to request an account, you will be given a form to fill out listing any D2L course shells (development courses or communities would work too) where you would like to test the H5P integration.
Posted by: Adam Gacs
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Labor-Based Grading Contracts: Building Equity and Inclusion in the Compassionate Writing Classroom
By Asao B. Inoue
Copy edited by Don Donahue. Designed by Mike Palmquist.
In Labor-Based Grading Contracts, Asao B. Inoue argues for the use of labor-based grading contracts along with compassionate practices to determine course grades as a way to do social justice work with students. He frames this practice by considering how Freirean problem-posing led him to experiment with grading contracts and explore the literature on grading contracts. Inoue offers a robust Marxian theory of labor that considers Hannah Arendt's theory of labor-work-action and Barbara Adam's concept of "timescapes." The heart of the book details the theoretical and practical ways labor-based grading contracts can be used and assessed for effectiveness in classrooms and programs. Inoue concludes the book by moving outside the classroom, considering how assessing writing in the socially just ways he offers in the book may provide a way to address the violence and discord seen in the world today.
Access FULL TEXT in attachment
Inoue, Asao B. (2019). Labor-Based Grading Contracts: Building Equity and Inclusion in the Compassionate Writing Classroom. The WAC Clearinghouse; University Press of Colorado. https://doi.org/10.37514/PER-B.2019.0216.0
Accessed via https://wac.colostate.edu/books/perspectives/labor/?fbclid=IwAR1ZJWZbLYuAU4aQhQ9xlBiIzbX60bGg_VGQwwnZImFUnofX1L5Il2Ec53w
By Asao B. Inoue
Copy edited by Don Donahue. Designed by Mike Palmquist.
In Labor-Based Grading Contracts, Asao B. Inoue argues for the use of labor-based grading contracts along with compassionate practices to determine course grades as a way to do social justice work with students. He frames this practice by considering how Freirean problem-posing led him to experiment with grading contracts and explore the literature on grading contracts. Inoue offers a robust Marxian theory of labor that considers Hannah Arendt's theory of labor-work-action and Barbara Adam's concept of "timescapes." The heart of the book details the theoretical and practical ways labor-based grading contracts can be used and assessed for effectiveness in classrooms and programs. Inoue concludes the book by moving outside the classroom, considering how assessing writing in the socially just ways he offers in the book may provide a way to address the violence and discord seen in the world today.
Access FULL TEXT in attachment
Inoue, Asao B. (2019). Labor-Based Grading Contracts: Building Equity and Inclusion in the Compassionate Writing Classroom. The WAC Clearinghouse; University Press of Colorado. https://doi.org/10.37514/PER-B.2019.0216.0
Accessed via https://wac.colostate.edu/books/perspectives/labor/?fbclid=IwAR1ZJWZbLYuAU4aQhQ9xlBiIzbX60bGg_VGQwwnZImFUnofX1L5Il2Ec53w
Posted by: Makena Neal
Assessing Learning
Posted on: GenAI & Education
AI Commons Bulletin 1/15/2025
Human-curated news about generative AI for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
🧬 Use Case: A Structured Framework Requiring ChatGPT Use
Graduate students used ChatGPT for a project, following specific steps and justifying their choices. The assessment emphasized critical thinking. Students appreciated the structured framework, which helped them learn ChatGPT’s use and weaknesses effectively.
Learn More: https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2024.2421997
🔍 Explore a Self-Directed Learning Bot
Did you know you can create a customized version of ChatGPT for your students? An example is LearnGuide, created to add self-directed learning to a problem-based learning (PBL) medical curriculum. Students learned as well as or better than those who did not use the tool.
Learn More: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-oZ8zdPaKp-learnguide
✏️ Writing Improved When Assisted by AI
Subjects wrote stories with ChatGPT-3’s assistance. Those who modified AI suggestions produced higher-quality, less biased writing than those who accepted or rejected them outright. Researchers attribute this to higher-order thinking during modification.
Learn More: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2412.07200
🚫 Why Academics Don’t Use AI
A survey of UK academics found half did not use AI tools in their work because:
They didn’t know how to use AI or if it was allowed
Ethical issues relating to how AI works
Lack of time and interest
They prefer to do work themselves
Reject AI as dehumanizing
AI is inaccurate and can’t be trusted
Learn More: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-024-00524-x
Bulletin items compiled by MJ Jackson and Sarah Freye with production assistance from Lisa Batchelder. Get the AI-Commons Bulletin on our Microsoft Teams channel, at aicommons.commons.msu.edu, or by email (send an email to aicommons@msu.edu with the word “subscribe”).
Human-curated news about generative AI for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
🧬 Use Case: A Structured Framework Requiring ChatGPT Use
Graduate students used ChatGPT for a project, following specific steps and justifying their choices. The assessment emphasized critical thinking. Students appreciated the structured framework, which helped them learn ChatGPT’s use and weaknesses effectively.
Learn More: https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2024.2421997
🔍 Explore a Self-Directed Learning Bot
Did you know you can create a customized version of ChatGPT for your students? An example is LearnGuide, created to add self-directed learning to a problem-based learning (PBL) medical curriculum. Students learned as well as or better than those who did not use the tool.
Learn More: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-oZ8zdPaKp-learnguide
✏️ Writing Improved When Assisted by AI
Subjects wrote stories with ChatGPT-3’s assistance. Those who modified AI suggestions produced higher-quality, less biased writing than those who accepted or rejected them outright. Researchers attribute this to higher-order thinking during modification.
Learn More: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2412.07200
🚫 Why Academics Don’t Use AI
A survey of UK academics found half did not use AI tools in their work because:
They didn’t know how to use AI or if it was allowed
Ethical issues relating to how AI works
Lack of time and interest
They prefer to do work themselves
Reject AI as dehumanizing
AI is inaccurate and can’t be trusted
Learn More: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-024-00524-x
Bulletin items compiled by MJ Jackson and Sarah Freye with production assistance from Lisa Batchelder. Get the AI-Commons Bulletin on our Microsoft Teams channel, at aicommons.commons.msu.edu, or by email (send an email to aicommons@msu.edu with the word “subscribe”).
Posted by: Sarah Freye
Posted on: GenAI & Education
AI Commons Bulletin 2/5/2025
Human-curated news about generative AI for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
📝 Try This: Teach Students How to Direct AI to Write an Entire Paper Well
Zufelt (2025) proposes an A to Z strategy for quality writing, whether done manually or with AI. Students follow stages: Gather & Summarize, Prompt & Draft, Curate, Revise & Edit, Review, and Format, with clear instructions at each step.
Learn More: http://doi.org/10.1177/23294906241309846
🤖 The Education Revolution Through AI
AI holds immense potential in education, offering opportunities for personalized learning, task automation, and adaptive teaching. However, challenges such as bias, ethical concerns, and data privacy must be carefully addressed. Its applications are vast, spanning research, teaching, and course design integration.
Learn More: http://octaedro.com/libro/the-education-revolution-through-artificial-intelligence/
💬 Engage With Your Colleagues to Establish Your Strategy for AI in Teaching and Learning
The BYU theatre education faculty proactively explored AI’s role in their curriculum, adopting a shared perspective of AI as a multiplier to enhance their work. They established and shared a set of values on AI use with students, fostering clarity and alignment.
Learn More: Jensen in ArtsPraxis vol. 11, no. 2, p. 43. http://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/artspraxis/2024/volume-11-issue-2.
🎭 Try This: Make a Discussion of AI Ethics More “Real” For Your Students With Personas
To make ethical AI discussions relatable, create characters representing diverse perspectives on AI’s impact. For each character, detail:
* What they’ve heard or read about AI
* Their direct experiences with AI
* Their opinions and statements about AI
* Actions they’ve taken regarding AI
* Their skill level as an influencer, user, or researcher
Learn More: Prietch, S. S., et al. (2024). http://doi.org/10.47756/aihc.y9i1.142
Bulletin items compiled by MJ Jackson and Sarah Freye with production assistance from Lisa Batchelder. Get the AI-Commons Bulletin on our Microsoft Teams channel, at aicommons.commons.msu.edu, or by email (send an email to aicommons@msu.edu with the word “subscribe”).
Human-curated news about generative AI for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
📝 Try This: Teach Students How to Direct AI to Write an Entire Paper Well
Zufelt (2025) proposes an A to Z strategy for quality writing, whether done manually or with AI. Students follow stages: Gather & Summarize, Prompt & Draft, Curate, Revise & Edit, Review, and Format, with clear instructions at each step.
Learn More: http://doi.org/10.1177/23294906241309846
🤖 The Education Revolution Through AI
AI holds immense potential in education, offering opportunities for personalized learning, task automation, and adaptive teaching. However, challenges such as bias, ethical concerns, and data privacy must be carefully addressed. Its applications are vast, spanning research, teaching, and course design integration.
Learn More: http://octaedro.com/libro/the-education-revolution-through-artificial-intelligence/
💬 Engage With Your Colleagues to Establish Your Strategy for AI in Teaching and Learning
The BYU theatre education faculty proactively explored AI’s role in their curriculum, adopting a shared perspective of AI as a multiplier to enhance their work. They established and shared a set of values on AI use with students, fostering clarity and alignment.
Learn More: Jensen in ArtsPraxis vol. 11, no. 2, p. 43. http://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/artspraxis/2024/volume-11-issue-2.
🎭 Try This: Make a Discussion of AI Ethics More “Real” For Your Students With Personas
To make ethical AI discussions relatable, create characters representing diverse perspectives on AI’s impact. For each character, detail:
* What they’ve heard or read about AI
* Their direct experiences with AI
* Their opinions and statements about AI
* Actions they’ve taken regarding AI
* Their skill level as an influencer, user, or researcher
Learn More: Prietch, S. S., et al. (2024). http://doi.org/10.47756/aihc.y9i1.142
Bulletin items compiled by MJ Jackson and Sarah Freye with production assistance from Lisa Batchelder. Get the AI-Commons Bulletin on our Microsoft Teams channel, at aicommons.commons.msu.edu, or by email (send an email to aicommons@msu.edu with the word “subscribe”).
Posted by: Michele (MJ) Jackson
Posted on: GenAI & Education
AI Commons Bulletin 3/12/2025
🔊 MSU IT Announces ChatGPT and Gemini “Coming Soon”
The new AI page on tech.msu.edu teases that Gemini and ChatGPT are “coming soon” But it is unclear if the applications will be available for purchase or if the campus community will have free access of the latest foundational models.
Learn More: https://tech.msu.edu/technology/ai/
✍️ Departments at Johns Hopkins Integrated AI into their Curriculum Development Process
It’s like experiential learning for faculty – integrate AI into a standard task that you need to do anyway. Also has a list of very concrete bite-sized learning objectives for learning to use AI, like: name 3 chatbots, start a chat, list 3 ways to make a better prompt.
Learn More: Khamis, N., et al. (2025). More intelligent faculty development: Integrating GenAI in curriculum development programs. Medical Teacher, 1–3.
⚙️ AI Tools Are Being Used for All Stages of the Scientific Research Process
This working paper gives quite in-depth description of several AI tools being used for each of step of the research cycle: (1) lit review, (2) generating research ideas, (3) conducting experiments, (4) generating multimodal content, and (5) conducting peer-review. Recommended to get a good lay of the land.
Learn More: Eger, S., et al. (2025). Transforming Science with Large Language Models: A Survey on AI-assisted Scientific Discovery, Experimentation, Content Generation, and Evaluation.
📈 Grammarly Acquires Coda: From Writing Assistant to AI Productivity
Grammarly, popular with students and educators as a writing assistant software, just purchased the AI productivity company Coda. While Grammarly has previously positioned itself as a teaching tool for writing, this acquisition signals a move towards an AI productivity platform.
Learn More: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/company/grammarly-acquires-coda/
Bulletin items compiled by MJ Jackson and Sarah Freye with production assistance from Lisa Batchelder. Get the AI-Commons Bulletin on our Microsoft Teams channel, at aicommons.commons.msu.edu, or by email (send an email to aicommons@msu.edu with the word “subscribe”).
🔊 MSU IT Announces ChatGPT and Gemini “Coming Soon”
The new AI page on tech.msu.edu teases that Gemini and ChatGPT are “coming soon” But it is unclear if the applications will be available for purchase or if the campus community will have free access of the latest foundational models.
Learn More: https://tech.msu.edu/technology/ai/
✍️ Departments at Johns Hopkins Integrated AI into their Curriculum Development Process
It’s like experiential learning for faculty – integrate AI into a standard task that you need to do anyway. Also has a list of very concrete bite-sized learning objectives for learning to use AI, like: name 3 chatbots, start a chat, list 3 ways to make a better prompt.
Learn More: Khamis, N., et al. (2025). More intelligent faculty development: Integrating GenAI in curriculum development programs. Medical Teacher, 1–3.
⚙️ AI Tools Are Being Used for All Stages of the Scientific Research Process
This working paper gives quite in-depth description of several AI tools being used for each of step of the research cycle: (1) lit review, (2) generating research ideas, (3) conducting experiments, (4) generating multimodal content, and (5) conducting peer-review. Recommended to get a good lay of the land.
Learn More: Eger, S., et al. (2025). Transforming Science with Large Language Models: A Survey on AI-assisted Scientific Discovery, Experimentation, Content Generation, and Evaluation.
📈 Grammarly Acquires Coda: From Writing Assistant to AI Productivity
Grammarly, popular with students and educators as a writing assistant software, just purchased the AI productivity company Coda. While Grammarly has previously positioned itself as a teaching tool for writing, this acquisition signals a move towards an AI productivity platform.
Learn More: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/company/grammarly-acquires-coda/
Bulletin items compiled by MJ Jackson and Sarah Freye with production assistance from Lisa Batchelder. Get the AI-Commons Bulletin on our Microsoft Teams channel, at aicommons.commons.msu.edu, or by email (send an email to aicommons@msu.edu with the word “subscribe”).
Posted by: Sarah Freye
Posted on: #iteachmsu
In a conscious attempt during the last two or three years to include high impact teaching practices as part of the courses I teach here at MSU, I have my students write reflections on their individual assignments each week, team reflections for their three collaborative projects, and an individual semester reflection during Week 15. Here are the guidelines I provide each week to help individual students (or student learning teams) craft their reflections:
Guidelines for Writing an Effective Reflection and Self-Critique
For your team-based project reflection that is part of this assignment – or individually written semester reflection -- develop and refine two FULL pages in which you discuss the following:
• For you introduction, describe the project in general and your respective activities associated with it.
• Briefly describe the projects, process and skills you will talk about.
• Explain three aspects of the project that your team members found most enjoyable and why.
• Explain three processes used for the project described above. Describe how the processes were challenging and rewarding for your team members.
• What are one or possibly two things you might change about your contribution to the project in question. Why?
• Explain three skills your various team members gained or improved upon during the semester. These do not have to relate to what you have discussed already, but they can.
• Describe why you find these new or improved skills interesting, useful, enjoyable, and/or challenging.
• If there was a problem of some kind, how might you handle it more proactively next time around?
• In your conclusion, do not simply summarize what you have already said. Answer the implied “So, what?” question.
• Leave yourself (and your reader) with something to think about.
• Remember, this is not a forum to complain about other members of your team, assignments, the course, the instructor, or previous grades. Your team should reflect on its work habits, processes, and related choices made.
In addition to the guidelines above, I have also embedded a brief video from Essay Pro into each weekly course module, which includes additional explanation and examples of what reflective essays are and how to write them. Here is the link for those who might be interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH5W0iaayRo
Guidelines for Writing an Effective Reflection and Self-Critique
For your team-based project reflection that is part of this assignment – or individually written semester reflection -- develop and refine two FULL pages in which you discuss the following:
• For you introduction, describe the project in general and your respective activities associated with it.
• Briefly describe the projects, process and skills you will talk about.
• Explain three aspects of the project that your team members found most enjoyable and why.
• Explain three processes used for the project described above. Describe how the processes were challenging and rewarding for your team members.
• What are one or possibly two things you might change about your contribution to the project in question. Why?
• Explain three skills your various team members gained or improved upon during the semester. These do not have to relate to what you have discussed already, but they can.
• Describe why you find these new or improved skills interesting, useful, enjoyable, and/or challenging.
• If there was a problem of some kind, how might you handle it more proactively next time around?
• In your conclusion, do not simply summarize what you have already said. Answer the implied “So, what?” question.
• Leave yourself (and your reader) with something to think about.
• Remember, this is not a forum to complain about other members of your team, assignments, the course, the instructor, or previous grades. Your team should reflect on its work habits, processes, and related choices made.
In addition to the guidelines above, I have also embedded a brief video from Essay Pro into each weekly course module, which includes additional explanation and examples of what reflective essays are and how to write them. Here is the link for those who might be interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH5W0iaayRo
Posted by: Stokes Schwartz
Pedagogical Design
Host: MSU Libraries
MSU Libraries and The Poetry Room present Olivia Gatwood
Join the MSU Libraries and Lansing’s The Poetry Room for an afternoon of poetry, connection and conversation celebrating student, alumni and community voices. The event opens with performances from the MSU Poetry Club alongside recent alumni, spotlighting emerging talent and the power of being heard. The showcase will be followed by acclaimed poet, author and viral sensation Olivia Gatwood, whose work blends humor, intimacy and sharp social insight. Gatwood will share poems as well as excerpts from her 2024 novel “Whoever You Are, Honey,” offering an unfiltered look into her craft and creative journey. The afternoon will conclude with a Q&A — a mix of moderated conversation and audience participation — creating a rare opportunity to connect with one of today’s most dynamic literary voices.
Olivia Gatwood is the author of two poetry collections, “New American Best Friend” and “Life of the Party,” and co-writer of Adele’s music video “I Drink Wine.” She has received international recognition for her poetry, writing workshops and work as a Title IX-compliant educator in sexual assault prevention and recovery. Her performances have been featured on HBO, MTV, VH1, the BBC and more, with poems appearing in “The Poetry Foundation,” “Lambda Literary” and “The Missouri Review.” Originally from Albuquerque, she now lives in Los Angeles.
Event is free and open to all.
Navigating Context
Host: CTLI
Start with the End in Mind: Backward Design for Better Assessment
This workshop introduces the concept of alignment as a foundation for effective course and assessment design. Participants will learn how to write clear, measurable learning objectives, identify course materials and assessments that align with those objectives, and evaluate the overall coherence of course elements. The session emphasizes backward design as a practical approach to creating intentional, goal-driven learning experiences.
Upon completion of this learning experience, participants will be able to:
define the concept of alignment as it pertains to curriculum design and development
write appropriately stated learning objectives using best practices (e.g., learning taxonomy)
suggest course materials and assessments that are aligned with learning objectives
evaluate various parts of a course for alignment.
Navigating Context
EXPIRED
Host: CTLI
CTLI Plan-A-Thon
Join us for the CTLI Plan-a-thon! A day dedicated to preparing for a fall semester of teaching and learning. During the event you will have the opportunity to meet with CTLI Teaching Center and MSU IT consultants, work alone, collaborate on course planning or syllabus writing, and attend optional workshops. Stay for the whole day, a part of the day, or come and go as you're able. Connect with us in the ways that are most meaningful to you over warm beverages and conversation.
An optional hybrid-format breakout session includes:
Designing your Syllabus (hybrid from 10-11am)
Open Office hours will be available all day, focusing on pedagogical support and educational technology.
The in-person location for this session is the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation. Please join us in the Main Library, Room W207 (Training Room 1). For directions to W207, please visit the Room Locations page.
Navigating Context
EXPIRED