There will be examples of active learning strategies used in classes across the University; a conversation about using BodySwaps\u2014a virtual reality app\u2014to practice patient interactions at the Miller School of Medicine; and novel ways to help Canes study with AI agents.<\/p>\n
And these are just a few of the sessions available at the 11th annual Faculty Showcase<\/a> this Friday at the Lakeside Village Expo Center, hosted by the Platform for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PETAL).<\/p>\n \u201cFaculty who have attended in the past walk away feeling like they got some great ideas they could use in their classrooms,\u201d said Miriam Lipsky, director of PETAL and an adjunct lecturer in the School of Education and Human Development<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019s something for everyone and lots to choose from, so whether faculty can attend for an hour or the whole showcase, we\u2019d love to have them attend to learn about these innovative pedagogies.\u201d<\/p>\n The showcase is this Friday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and will feature a variety of discussion panels and roundtables, where faculty members will share new teaching methods or projects they have piloted recently.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s showcase will include a morning of learning circles, where participants can choose which new teaching strategies they want to learn more about, as well as a panel discussion with faculty who have recently piloted the use of student \u201cconsultants\u201d to partner with them on course redesign. After lunch, Eric Mazur<\/a>, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Harvard University, will offer a keynote lecture titled \u201cThe AI-ducation Problem.\u201d Mazur, who pioneered active learning to encourage students to work together in his physics courses, has since become a renowned education researcher.<\/p>\n Mazur also co-founded Perusall, a software platform that offers a collaborative online space for learning. His lecture will explore how powerful AI tools are disrupting the education world and exposing a decline in students\u2019 incentive to learn. To counteract this trend, Mazur believes schools and universities must re-center their curriculum to focus on human motivation, social learning, and the kinds of intellectual struggle and human skills that no machine can replace.<\/p>\n \u201cEric is an incredibly dynamic speaker and an internationally known educator. Every time he presents I have learned things I could apply to my classes,\u201d Lipsky added.<\/p>\n Last year, Mazur was the University\u2019s inaugural Ilene M. Dresner Distinguished Presidential Scholar, in a partnership between the School of Education and Human Development, the University President\u2019s Office, and PETAL. He spent time with 15 faculty members to help integrate active learning in their classes with the help of student consultants. This spring, PETAL will be relaunching a similar faculty learning community called Partners in Education, where students will be paired with faculty members who want to infuse more active learning into their classes, Lipsky said. Faculty can apply for this experience<\/a> before Nov. 5.<\/p>\n Other learning circles at the Faculty Showcase will include:<\/p>\n In-depth information about Canvas, a new learning management system at the University that is replacing Blackboard
\nHow to incorporate zines\u2014handmade, miniature magazines\u2014into any curriculum
\nHow experiential learning, digital mapping, and storytelling brought historic Sephardi spaces to life through a virtual reality experience<\/a>
\nHow collaborating with business partners can make learning more impactful
\nCooperative learning with international partners through the COIL program
\nCreating more inclusive learning spaces using Perusall software<\/p>\n