CTRL Newsletter

We have some exciting updates on the CTRL Lunch and Learn series and reminders for upcoming professional development opportunities!

Firstly, we are rescheduling the March 14 session on Brightspace’s new tools Creator+ and LUMI to March 28. In this session, David Harpine will show you how Creator+ simplifies multimedia creation and how you can use LUMI, a new AI-powered feature to help build better content, assessments, and activities quickly and efficiently.  

The original content scheduled for March 28 on AI Tools for Effective Project Planning is going to be moved to May. This will be a hands-on session for all faculty and staff introducing AI-powered tools in Microsoft that streamline project planning. Learn to use Microsoft Planner to organize tasks, craft SMART goals with AI-supported templates, and efficiently coordinate schedules to keep your projects on track. 

In addition to all the AI training we have offered this year, we were asked to provide more information about ethics and AI. On April 9, Luke Carter will lead us through an examination of ethical considerations and responsible use with AI-generated content. We'll take a closer look at how AI systems like large language models and diffusion models work, how they were created, and the impact they have on both how we share information and our physical environment. This session is geared towards all faculty and staff. 

Finally, the faculty have asked for more support for classes held in person. The topic that was most requested was Classroom Management. On March 25, from 12:30 - 1:45 PM, Caroline Silver will share practical strategies to create a productive and engaging learning environment. She will discuss real world challenges and explore best practices to support respectful and inclusive participation. 

All sessions will be held on Teams and recorded for your convenience. The schedule on our Lunch & Learn page has been updated to reflect these changes, and we will be sending out updates and invitations through our Microsoft calendar invitations by the end of Thursday, March 13th.

We also wanted to send out a reminder that Library 2.0, a social and educational network for librarians and educators, is hosting a mini-conference on Thursday, March 13th, from 3pm–6pm EST. The mini-conference, "AI & Libraries: Literacy, Ethics, and Responsible Use," is free and open to all. From Library2.0:

We invite librarians, educators, technologists, and thought leaders to explore the critical role that libraries can play in addressing both the opportunities and ethical challenges of AI. From encouraging digital literacy and ethical awareness to guiding the responsible use of AI, libraries are potentially at the forefront showing how emerging AI technologies can be used equitably and responsibly in their communities.

We will explore actionable insights to help navigate the complex ethical questions relating to AI and the unique role of libraries and librarians in addressing them. We will discuss practical strategies for integrating AI tools into library and education settings using ethical best practices while empowering users with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven world. And we’ll focus on how libraries can not only adapt to this rapidly changing landscape but can also act as catalysts for knowledge diffusion, shaping a more informed, and innovative future for all of our users.

To register for this event, please visit the Library 2.0 registration page. If you are unable to attend, but would like to receive a recording, you can sign up and Library 2.0 will send you the information once it is available.

Looking for ways to boost your course content with videos? Our Educational Media Production Specialist, Luke Carter, has put together a list of tips to help you plan video content that promotes student engagement. These tips can help you contextualize where and when video content would fit well in your class as well as offer some best practices for finding pre-made video or creating your own.

• Introduce Yourself. A short introductory video of yourself and your course are a great way to put a face to the name on the course shell and add a strong sense of connectivity that can sometimes be hard to foster in a fully online course.
• Introduce Your Content. Like an award show host presenting the next category, a short blurb about what a particular module or section is about is a great way to prime your learners and get them excited about what's to come.
• Demonstrations. Whether it's a screen recording showing the steps needed to upload an assignment to the LMS or a Bob Ross video walking you through how to paint scenic landscapes, video is a great tool for easily sharing visual instruction.
• Give Feedback. Short, personalized video messages are a fantastic way to give learners feedback on assignments, discussions, and more. Especially in fully online courses, this can go a long way in establishing your presence as an instructor when face-to-face learning isn't an option.
• Keep it Short and Segmented. Just as it can often feel easier to sit and watch through an entire season of 20-minute episodes of a tv series versus watching one 2.5 hour movie, learners tend to favor consuming educational media in small, bite-sized chunks. If you're looking to present lectures through video, consider breaking them up into several short videos, each covering one specific segment of the topic at hand.
• Use the Tools at Hand. Don't feel like you need to personally create every piece of media you want to use in a course. There are countless educational videos out there on YouTube and beyond that you can embed directly into your course (just be sure to vet and cite the original creator like you would any other academic source). You can also reach out to the CTRL to help with any and all of your video needs!

Want to learn more tips or work directly with the CTRL to design and record content? Reach out to Luke!