Educators are always looking for ways to make learning more engaging and accessible. Thinglink is an interactive media platform that allows instructors to turn visual content into clickable interactive experiences. By adding “hot spots,” instructors can embed text, audio, video, or links to web resources.
AI has opened a world of new opportunities for student learning. I have discussed how instructors can easily add interactions to their learning material, tutors to their classroom, and digital laboratory simulations that allow students to test how a process changes with different inputs. But
Generative AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot are, at their best, a bit like the computer aboard the Enterprise in Star Trek. In the show, the crew can ask a question in ordinary language and get an answer. But the system only responds to
Online teaching inherently involves technology. It is part of the deal. But all too often, technology can make us feel more distant from our students. It can be a barrier preventing connection instead of a tool to facilitate connection. If you have ever faced a
As coauthor Joe Keller prepared to revise his syllabus for the upcoming semester, he kept thinking about a moment from a previous course. A student turned in a research paper so polished he assumed they had help—and he was right. It was not plagiarism, but
Video is arguably the most powerful, attention-grabbing way to communicate online. But developing video has traditionally required sophisticated equipment and expertise that is beyond the reach of most faculty—to say nothing of how time-consuming or frustrating the process can be.
AI has become a part of nearly all facets of teaching, from lesson development to exam creation to answering student questions. But grading is the last bastion of education where it has yet to make meaningful inroads. This is partly due to the visceral reaction
We’ve long known that reading long blocks of text can lead to wandering minds and lower retention. It’s better to break up explanatory text with images, especially ones that summarize main points. This allows students to see the big picture, and the visual analog to
Many faculty members are focused on keeping AI out of the classroom. However, the real focus should be teaching students how to use it productively. Technology has always relieved humans of menial tasks to free them for higher-level ones. The calculator did not end the
The allure of the copy-and-paste approach to course design is ever present. Many of us, out of what often feels like sheer necessity, have fully embraced the comfort of teaching from muscle memory, recalling with ease the structure and rhythms of a course and therefore
