NWeLearn 2024

The growth of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform industry and redefine the landscape of higher education. This session explores how our smaller university is leveraging its unique strengths to develop a comprehensive AI strategy. We'll discuss fostering collaboration between administration, faculty, and students, ensuring everyone has a voice in shaping our AI future.

In the age of instant messaging, social media, and sleek productivity apps, email might feel like an outdated relic to the modern college student. Despite being a crucial communication tool in the professional world, email falls short in meeting the expectations and needs of today's tech-savvy students.

Recognizing the challenges that come with email, many educators have moved on to non-compliant solutions like text messaging, WhatsApp, and GroupMe in an attempt to reach their students and improve learning outcomes. Unfortunately, students are bombarded with messages on these social platforms and most important messages are being left unread or deleted and marked as junk!

Join Pronto as they review communication and technology best practices. This data-driven discussion will include a deep-dive into the problems with phone, email, and text messaging while also providing a hands-on review of Pronto’s fully integrated messaging tool that has connected institutions with millions of students – instantly.

During this session we will introduce a variety of viewpoints about the expanding use of technology in education, such as AI, XR, and VR. We will look at some exciting XR and AI examples created at Bellevue College by faculty and staff, and we will discuss what you see as appropriate use for AI in education. This session will include a hands-on activity that offers food for thought about best AI practices. The idea is to encourage the use of technology with focused intention, rather than just for the fear of missing out (FOMO).

How do you process software requests purchases? What are your organization policies? As part of our new UWFT (University of Washington Financial Transformation) process and the launch of Workday® Finance in summer 2023, we redesigned our software request procurement process.
In this presentation, I’ll share the basic overarching methodologies and policies that govern our software purchase requests and my work in accessibility assessments at the UW Bothell campus and share changes we have made to comply with the new Title II of the ADA requirements.

Data access and querying has become more important than ever. As leadership across the country look to the LMS for answers to initiative-based questions, who do they turn to? What are they asking? Where is the data we are looking for? How frequently is the data needed? How do we best query, validate, and visualize our data?

In this session we will discuss ideas around Data Architecture, Data Pipelines, Querying Data for Visualization, and Leveraging AI through our New Offering, Intelligent Insights, to generate reports inside Canvas LMS and Canvas Data 2.

In today's educational landscape, digital badges and micro-credentials are vital for acknowledging continuous learning and professional skills. This session will delve into Lane Community College's strategic implementation of a badge and micro-credential system, providing attendees with a clear blueprint of the steps taken from inception to execution. Participants will gain a deep understanding of the system's structure, the methodologies employed, and the essential elements that have contributed to its integration.

The central theme of our discussion will be to assist faculty in understanding how to effectively use AI to create and update curriculum. We aim to delve into the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in revolutionizing the way we approach education at the college level. We will explore how AI can be integrated into various aspects of the curriculum, from course content and teaching methodologies to student assessment and administrative support/services.
Our goal is to shed new light on innovative pedagogy/andragogy in a rapidly changing higher education landscape. We will explore how AI can be used to foster innovative teaching and learning strategies, considering the unique needs and characteristics of nontraditional, adult learners. We will also ponder the broader implications of these changes for the higher education industry as a whole.
This session will be conducted in a discussion format, promoting an open conversation and exchange of ideas among participants. The session will be facilitated by moderators from Central Washington University’s IT Management Department.
Discussion Points

• Understanding AI: What is AI and what potential does it hold for education?
• AI in the Classroom: How can AI be used to enhance teaching and learning in the college setting?
• AI and Curriculum Design: How can AI inform the development of a modern, relevant curriculum?
• AI and Assessment: How can AI be used to improve student assessment and feedback?
• Ethical Considerations: What are the ethical considerations when integrating AI into education?

The four members of this panel have been exploring various XR technologies for teaching and learning in higher education over the past 5-7 years. XR encompasses a wide range of related technology-enhanced experiences that represent information in a 3-dimensional, multi-sensory format. Each member has unique 'tales from the trenches' to share. All are members of the steering committee for the NW XR EDU network, an organization supported by an NSF grant, working to build a community of interest in spatial computing. Join us to discover how you can get involved!