In response to concerns and questions about generative artificial intelligence and the classroom, we are excited to announce Critical AI Literacy: Advice for the New Semester.

This document was prepared by Lauren Goodlad, Sharon Stoerger, and the Rutgers AI Round Table Advisory Council. It includes (1) a brief introduction to "AI," followed by discussion of (2)"critical AI literacy," (3) implications of "generative AI" for academic integrity, (4) suggested updates for syllabi, and (5) a short list of potential resources.

We hope you find the advice helpful as you finalize your syllabi and get ready to begin teaching! You can see the full OTEAR AI web page with past and upcoming workshops on AI.

We are excited to announce an upcoming session with in-person offerings on each of the geographic campuses! 

Understanding Your Students' Engagement to Plan for the Fall  

The level of student engagement in courses has been a hot topic for many since Spring 2020 and continues to be of interest for instructors, departments, programs, and schools. In this work session, you will have the opportunity to look at student engagement indicators within your own course(s) from this past year. We will help you consider what this information means and start to consider changes to your course ahead of the Fall semester. Light refreshments will be served. 

• Camden Campus: July 11th, 12:30 - 2:00 pm - Camden Campus Center, South ABC 
• New Brunswick Campus: July 18th, 10 - 11:30 am - Institute of Food Nutrition & Health - Room 101
• Newark Campus: August 7th, 10 - 11:30 am - Center for Law and Justice (CLJ) 392 (there will be a virtual option for this session

Please register through this form for any the sessions. 

Wednesday, June 28, 2023
10:00am-11:30am

At the end of the Spring 2023 term, OTEAR surveyed instructors about their teaching experiences to better understand emerging challenges. In this presentation, we share our analysis of the Instructor Teaching Experience Survey and discuss how instructors experienced challenges related to student preparation, student engagement, and other issues.

To attend the presentation or receive the video recording, please register.

AI Round Table

Monday, June 12, 2023
11:00 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m.

We've been discussing AI concerns and issues. Let's also discuss promising strategies for the productive, creative, and ethical use of AI in our classrooms and with our students. Join us and special guest Associate Professor Joyce Valenza for an AI petting zoo, where we will explore and test-drive applications for productivity, research, and instructional design and consider the framing of new norms for integration the coming semester (You can learn more about Joyce's work here).

If you wish to attend the workshop or to receive the video recording, please register: 

AI Round Table: How AI & ChatGPT are Changing Education - A conversation with Inside Higher Ed's Susan D'Agostino (Virtual Presentation)
Monday, April 10th, 2023, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Susan D'Agostino is an educator turned journalist who covers technology issues for Inside Higher Ed. This year, she has been closely following developments in generative AI and education around the country and at international conferences, and is willing to share her insights with us. Join us for a conversation, facilitated by OTEAR, where we ask Dr. D'Agostino about issues of concern related to technology and the university. Please register and consider contributing a question for our speaker.

AI Round Table: ChatGPT Possibilities and Limitations in a Pedagogical Context (Interactive Live Demonstration)
Tuesday, March 28, 2023, 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

ChatGPT is a powerful generative AI tool that scans the texts of the Internet and returns answers to questions that are detailed and articulate, though often inaccurate or superficial. Since its release in late November 2022, it has been the subject of much discussion, especially amongst educators fretting about the integrity of their take-home assignments. In this interactive demonstration, we will feed ChatGPT a variety of prompts to find out just what it does well and what it does poorly. This session is meant to assist faculty in designing written prompts, reviewing student work, and understanding this new landscape. Register here.

Faith Zones and Religious Observations in the Classroom
Monday, March 27, 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

This workshop will provide instructors with the tools and knowledge to ensure that students of all religious backgrounds are respected, and their beliefs are taken into account when assigning work, scheduling class meetings, and setting deadlines. Presenters will focus on understanding religious diversity and will make connections to inclusive and respectful teaching practices. We hope this workshop will help provide faculty with the knowledge and skills to create a more inclusive and welcoming learning environment for all students. This session is brought to us by the NB Offices of the Dean of Students, sponsored by the University Senate, and is Part of the Classroom Inclusivity Series. To attend the workshop or to receive the video recording after the workshop, please register.

AI and the University: Big Questions about Integrity and our Academic Future (Virtual Panel) 

Wednesday, March 1, 2023, 11:00am-12:30pm

New and ever improving AI technologies have changed the landscape of education. In this panel discussion we hear from representatives of key university units about the challenges that these tools pose for traditional educational practices and the opportunities they present for students and faculty alike. We will consider the ethical implications of AI in instruction, how faculty might responsibly use AI in their work, AI and the publishing industry, and how our university and other institutions should respond. Our panelists include:

• Michael Zwick, Senior Vice President for Research

• Barbara Bender, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Support and Graduate Student Services

• Joseph Deodato, Discovery Services Librarian, Rutgers University Libraries

• Sharon Stoerger, Assistant Dean for Programs and Assessment, School of Communication and Information

If you wish to attend the panel discussion or receive the video recording, please register.

https://rutgers.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAkd-6gqTkqEtOGZ-ATjRW449JU1rvST5-T

Preparing for Peer Review of Teaching (Virtual Interactive Workshop)

Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 9:00am-10:30am

Peer review of teaching is an important part of the advancement, reappointment, and promotion process for instructors of all ranks. This workshop is designed to prepare both reviewers tasked with conducting peer review and instructors who expect to be observed or reviewed. We will discuss peer review of in-person classroom instruction, peer review of online teaching, and peer review of course materials.

If you wish to attend the workshop or to receive the notes after the peer review workshop, please register.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Round Table (Presentation and Discussion)

Thursday, November 10th, 2022, 9:30am-11:00am

In this meeting of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Round Table, we hear about published SoTL work from our community, share our progress on ongoing research projects, and provide space to develop new ideas and collaborations. In this workshop, special guest Dr. Peter Basto will tell us about a successful SoTL project on Peer Review of Teaching in the School of Health Professions. If you would like to attend the roundtable workshop, please register. 

Reading Group on Bias in Student Feedback

Monday, January 30, 2023, 10:30am-12:30pm

In recent years, a slew of research articles have alleged that our students may be biased against instructors in their ratings of teaching. While these studies garnered attention for suggesting that women and marginalized groups are treated unfairly, they also reveal that influences on student feedback are complex and the available evidence sometimes contradictory. How convincing is evidence showing bias in student feedback, and how strong is the effect? What should we do about it? In this session we try to answer these questions by exploring and discussing the recent literature on student feedback. 

To attend this session, we ask that each participant read two articles in advance. The first is Kreitzer and Sweet-Cushman's, 2021 meta-analysis of the literature, which we will all read together. Participants will select a second article of their choice from our shared folder   (or may contribute a new article to the folder) on which they will be asked to briefly report.

If you wish to participate in and attend this reading group, please register (registration capped at 20 to facilitate discussion; this session will not be recorded).

 

We are excited to announce that the second year of the "Classroom Inclusivity Series" is beginning on August 1, 2022 and will run through the Spring 2023 term. The program is a collaboration between various units across Rutgers University, organized and facilitated by the Office of Teaching Evaluation & Assessment Research (formerly CTAAR) and the University Equity and Inclusion Office. The purpose of the program is to promote Inclusive Scholarship and Teaching (as identified by the Rutgers University Diversity Priorities), and in particular, to support a more well-rounded understanding of Classroom Inclusivity.

Throughout the 22-23 academic year, Rutgers University faculty, instructors, teaching assistants, post-docs and staff are invited to attend workshops provided by different units across the university. Workshops or training sessions included within the series will address the following competencies:

Competency 1: Understand and begin to address your and your students' identities, biases, prejudices, and fears and the impact they have on learning and the classroom environment.

Competency 2: Infuse inclusive teaching practices into your educational practices by course re-design or adopting new teaching activities.

Competency 3: Ensure course content, web pages, activities, and assessments are accessible to all students.

To learn more about the program and register for sessions, please visit the Classroom Inclusivity Series Website. We are excited that the program is now an approved badging program. 

Participants who attend three sessions (one from each competency), attend a Competency 1 discussion session, and submit a reflection will have the opportunity to earn a Badge for Lifelong Learning in Inclusive & Equitable Teaching. We hope this level 1 badge will be a useful piece of evidence for your teaching portfolio or professional portfolio to demonstrate your commitment to inclusive teaching. 

Those who have already completed the level 1 badge may earn a Level 2 Badge for Implementation of Inclusive Teaching by making instructional changes and developing a website sharing the process and results. More information about both badges can be found on our Canvas site.