Digital Teaching Symposium

This session explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can used to implement the Five E instructional model of competency-based education—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate—to enhance classroom engagement and competencies development in business courses. AI tools are increasingly adding value to personalized learning of our students suitable to their aptitude and to delivery of immediate feedback for the skills mastery required to enter the job market. This integration of AI with the Five E model fosters a more adaptive, engaging, and competency-focused approach to teaching business.

One way to help students succeed in a course, whether in-person or online, is to prepare an organized Blackboard course setup. Attendees will walk away from this session with five specific structures for organizing their Blackboard course. By using the strategies in this session, students will spend less time looking on Blackboard, less time emailing instructors questions about finding things on Blackboard, and more time engaging in learning.

The digital learning environment presents daily challenges in designing your assessments purposefully. In this keynote, the balance of the quality pyramid of Sluijsmans/Ten Brincke with the Blackboard learning environment will be demonstrated, as well as how you can enhance the quality of your assessments with a few simple adjustments or good preparation. Also provided will be tips to make educational policies visible in the assessments, and information on how to incorporate the predetermined weightings into the learning environment and give Blackboard evaluations a concrete role based on Miller’s cognitive levels.

Novice facilitators often think of online pedagogy as skills required to facilitate synchronous sessions. In reality, one of the greatest contributions to offering a meaningful online learning experience is the storyboarding efforts that precede Blackboard development and the actual implementation phase. In this session, attendees will learn how thorough storyboarding leads to constructive alignment, well-thought-through assessment practices, relevant learning tools integration, and quicker turnaround time during the development (LMS build) phase. A brief look at how AI can support storyboarding will also be discussed.

This keynote will focus on a transformative framework designed to bring together key stakeholders voices to shape the future of technology, including AI, in education. Through several case studies, we'll dive into the challenges that countries and institutions face—and uncover inspiring success stories of digital transformation that have made a real impact on learning.

Imagine a world where every student feels connected, supported, and engaged, even from behind their screens. This isn’t just a dream—it can be reality with the innovative use of social feeds in asynchronous online courses. Asynchronous learning has revolutionized education, offering flexibility and access to those most in need. However, this format often leaves students navigating their educational journey in isolation, feeling detached from the learning community. This presentation explores how integrating a social feed within Blackboard can transform student experiences by enhancing the three core presences of the Community of Inquiry framework: social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence. Join this session to discover how to turn the silent spaces of online learning into bustling hubs of conversation, collaboration, and community.

In the modern learning management system (LMS), marks from gradable items and calculations are used by a range of sub-programs for focused interventions. This presentation will explore the pivotal role of correctly setting up the Gradebook in the LMS for effective assessment in higher education. This session aims to share the lessons learned from the first semester of implementation, best practices, and feedback from lecturers who have completed one module using the new LMS.

The purpose of this presentation is to supply scholarly research regarding the utility of flip teaching, along with suggestions for how to implement flip teaching in in both synchronous and asynchronous classrooms.

There is a need to create learning environments and educational strategies utilizing UDL approaches for developing academic and social emotional skills that meet the needs of people of people with or without disabilities and that focus on their cultural linguistic or ability diversity. UDL requires providing enhancements to, or changing methods of, interacting with the technology needed to accomplish tasks. UDL recognizes that if students can't access information, they can't learn it. After this session, attendees will be able to experience and describe what it feels like to have a disability; identify, describe, and gain access to UDL apps for vision, hearing, speech, learning, literacy, social, emotional, physical, and motor skills; and choose, describe, and create classroom lessons and strategies utilizing one or more apps from the UDL toolkit.

Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI): what it is it? How can instructors be sure they are in compliance with the distance education instructional requirements, as outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR 34.600.2)? This session covers the definition of RSI; the instructional expectations of online course delivery, as per the Department of Education; as well as a discussion on the common “RSI imposters” instructors mistakenly use in the virtual environment. After attending this session, participants will be able to tell the difference between correspondence course interactions and distance education course interactions, minimizing the risk of negative Title IV funding audit outcomes for their institutions.

This presentation covers basic tips that any instructor can use along with their institution’s learning management system (LMS), such as Blackboard, to establish presence in their (online) courses. Presence can be achieved with structured course announcements, discussion board participation (by the instructor), along with embedded videos (e.g., songs) and free GIFS. Such uses add/demonstrate emotion(s) which in turn help not only to establish presence but also to build rapport with students.

This session explores how AI integrated into Blackboard is transforming various aspects of teaching and learning. Through real-world examples, attendees will see how AI assists with efficient course module creation, automated assessments, and improved learning experiences. We will also cover best practices for using AI tools responsibly and both its benefits and challenges, emphasizing the critical role of human oversight in ensuring the quality and relevance of AI-generated content.

Teaching about diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I) can be met with hostility or denial. Experience in the classroom has shown that learners often question the validity or generalizability of statistics while dismissing personal experiences of discrimination as anecdotal or exceptional. Understanding that images have a powerful impact on learning, a lesson plan was created based on AI-generated images to convincingly demonstrate the reality of discrimination while also spurring students to think critically about AI. Using AI-generated images plays a key role in achieving the lesson’s learning objectives to confront beliefs of AI as objective and neutral, explain the interaction between training data and algorithmic bias, discuss the role of AI in perpetuating discrimination, and reflect on ways to reduce algorithmic bias. Through the presentation of this lesson plan, attendees will be inspired to creatively integrate AI generated images into class activities.

Have you heard of the Blackboard User Group? Join us at DTS 24 to learn about the benefits of being a member and the power of the group as we learn and explore topics of importance to Bb users around the globe. The Blackboard User Group leaders will facilitate this session by leading a discussion on DTS 24 session highlights, spotlighting examples of Bb User group sessions held this year, hearing from Bb users, as well as take requests from attendees for future presentation topics. You may even want to consider presenting a session on a Bb related topic you are passionate about. Standing meetings feature presentations, panels, and workshops from institutions and experts with time dedicated for questions. We invite you to join us and help our community grow!

The Blackboard User Group is led by:

• Paul Cave, University of Leeds
• Shelby Huddleston, Cowley College
• Julie Mulvey, Durham University
• Mary Beth Scumaci, Trocaire College

"Life finds a way," but will education? Join Anthology’s Senior Education Consultant, Sarah Hallam for this Jurassic Park-themed session where we’ll explore the powerful, unpredictable role of AI in higher education. From AI-driven assessments to adaptive learning, we’ll question which educational approaches will thrive and which risk extinction. This 40-minute virtual journey will feature live demos, debates, and hands-on experiences with AI tools to prepare a survival guide for academia's evolving landscape, bridging the digital divide and ensuring our academic ecosystem not only survives but flourishes.

Join Blackboard product experts for this exciting demonstration of the new features and capabilities in Blackboard designed to help you streamline course creation, boost student engagement and retention, and simplify grading processes. This session will show you how to use powerful tools including the AI Design Assistant, enhanced assessments and grading capabilities, and advanced content design options, batch editing and more.

This session will provide practical tips for college instructors seeking to nurture community among students and instructors within asynchronous spaces. The presenters for this session have collaborated in creating community building opportunities in asynchronous classroom communities. The session will share management tips and ideas for practitioners to nurture positive classroom communities among students who are not meeting synchronously and likely living vastly different lives and schedules.

This session will share lessons learned in creating and teaching an AI-infused English Composition 1 Course. The session will discuss and model how to set clear expectations for AI use in the classroom; create a classroom AI use policy; teach students how, when, and why to use AI; focus on the learning/writing process and AI use in this process; grade more authentically as a result; normalize ethical AI use; remove socio-economic barriers to learning with AI; model workplace use; and use AI to reinforce and reteach major course concepts. Attendees will gain a classroom policy sample, models for infused lessons, and insight on assessment changes that embrace the strengths of AI, while preserving authentic academic thought.

Having a strong START HERE module and can make or break a student's success in an online course. This presentation will cover the basics of how to create an inclusive, interactive START HERE module that covers everything from navigating in Blackboard to resources available for students in crisis.

As higher education continues to evolve in the digital age, innovative tools that foster critical thinking and personalized learning experiences are essential. The new AI Conversation feature within Blackboard is designed to meet these needs by offering a Socratic questioning exercise guided by AI. This session will explore how AI Conversation empowers students to delve deeper into topics, reflect on their learning, and engage in meaningful dialogues that enhance their critical thinking skills. We will demonstrate how instructors can create, customize, and review AI Conversations, allowing for a dynamic, student-centered learning environment.

Join this engaging and interactive session about an exciting journey transitioning from Moodle to Blackboard. Attendees will learn how the team mastered gradebook features, designed assignments, and created rubrics— both manually and leveraging Blackboard’s AI-powered rubric generation tools. Plus, there will be tips for preparing students and faculty and highlights of favorite tools like Ally for accessibility and other handy features. Whether attendees are planning a platform switch or looking to enhance their Blackboard skills, this 45-minute session will help them hit the ground running!

Asking open-ended questions as a form of student learning has been around for thousands of years. This asking of questions to encourage critical thinking, which has made a resurgence in the 21st century, gets its name from one of the most significant questioners of all time, Socrates, and is called the Socratic Seminar. Socratic Seminars are widely recognized for engaging students in critical thinking, collaboration, and personal connections. Unfortunately, many instructors do not feel confident they can prepare effective questions or feel like they have the class time to devote to this type of learning. Enter Blackboard AI Conversation. This new Blackboard feature allows students to experience the benefit of the Socratic Seminar through the integrated use of AI. This presentation will take a brief look at the benefit of integrating Socratic Seminars into the classroom, will provide examples of how Socratic Seminars can be used with various subject areas, and will demonstrate the power of Blackboard AI Conversation as a tool for students to expand their knowledge.

Respondus is at the forefront of online proctoring innovation, with new features being released each quarter. Don't miss this session where you'll see the latest enhancements for Respondus Monitor and LockDown Browser - and learn why 1,500 universities use these applications to prevent cheating during online tests in Blackboard Ultra and Original.

AI-powered pedagogy within Blackboard offers a promising avenue for enhancing teaching methods and student engagement. By leveraging the AI technologies integrated into Blackboard, educators can create more personalized, efficient, and engaging learning experiences. This session will provide valuable insights and practical applications for integrating AI into educational practices using Blackboard. Participants will learn actionable skills that they can immediately apply in their work or personal projects.

Join this session for a presentation on the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education. By embedding AI in student platforms, institutions can create customized learning journeys, enhance student engagement, and provide vital support for faculty. The session will share insights from the presenter’s experience with the Cengage AI-powered Student Assistant, underscore the critical role of faculty training in harnessing AI, and address the ethical challenges associated with AI in teaching.

Neurodivergent thinking in educational settings may initially challenge educators who are constrained by online learning platforms. In learning more about neurodiversity in higher education, educators can develop new approaches to content presentation and interactive exercises that enhance the learning process. By coupling digital tools and delivery mechanisms, instructors can be more inclusive in an environment of neurodivergent learners, who are estimated to comprise 10-30% of students in higher education. In this session, attendees will learn modern definitions of neurodiversity pertaining to the academic classroom, sources that define categories of neurodivergent and related research, ways to evaluate online learning tools in terms of effective use for a spectrum of learners, and awareness of social learning concepts applied to digital learning environments.

“THE BLOB will revolutionize teaching and make human teachers obsolete!” has been the current buzz phrase in education for the past century. Today THE BLOB is AI. But in the 1920s, THE BLOB was film. It was radio in the 1930s, television in the 1950s and 60s, and the World Wide Web (and then Web 2.0!) in the late 90s and early 2000s. A.I. is just the next technological step in the continuing evolution of education. This presentation will combine a practical demonstration of Blackboard's AI tools in the content of a community-college computer-science program, with a historical look at AI in the context of "the next new thing"—and what this might let us predict about what's coming next. Because history doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.

Living in the digital era, 21st-century learners are mainly characterized by their interest in advanced technology and digital tools. Microlectures aim to convey critical information, ideas, or concepts briefly and engagingly using multimedia elements. They are a popular format for online learning, training, or sharing expertise efficiently. This session will empower designers and facilitators with the knowledge and tools to enhance microlecture experiences collaboratively and will identify benefits and best practices and explore resources to create microlectures that ensure every learner feels valued and included in the learning process. Learn practical tips for designing, recording, and delivering microlectures that cater to diverse learning styles.

With several years of expertise in STEM education, Dr. Susmita Hazra will share her experience in various modes of teaching face-to-face, hybrid, and online STEM courses as well as conducting successful undergraduate research programs with Open Educational Resources (OER). Even though tons of OER are available online, they need to be streamlined according to the course learning objectives and help learners achieve their goals. In this presentation, she will cover how simple projects with OER can help build basic problem solving and critical thinking skills in STEM courses. Dr. Hazra will also cover her insight into the use of AI in future STEM education.

In an era of unprecedented technological advancement and rapidly evolving educational paradigms, the ability to strategically adapt has become a necessity for success. This keynote address explores the vital importance of developing an agility mindset, equipping individuals and institutions to thrive amidst constant change. Drawing upon collective wisdom, historical insights, and proven practices in digital learning, the session will introduce strategies for fostering a culture of innovation and enhancing our "agility quotient." Central to the discussion is a proven framework for adapting to innovation, focusing on three key areas: organizational and governance structure, operations and infrastructure, pedagogical and practice flexibility. Together we will examine how to prepare ourselves to pivot in the face of change, to see challenges as opportunities, and to lead the charge in educational innovation rather than simply react to it.

AI tools have become crucial in journalism and media writing. This session is designed to assist educators in teaching their students how to responsibly use these tools. It will explore best practices for integrating AI into journalism courses, focusing on ethical considerations and effective techniques for writing and research. Also shared will be practical insights and strategies based on real-life experience in journalism and media education, allowing educators to guide their students in using AI in journalism while upholding professional values.

Southern Cross University is a regional University in Northern NSW and the Gold Coast QLD, Australia, with a focus on Online education. We are the first in the APAC region to utilise Anthology Adopt. This presentation will highlight how Adopt was leveraged for communications and training for both students and staff during our shift to Ultra Base Navigation, and include pitfalls and insights learned along the way.

The nursing department recognized the growing need for faculty to integrate technology into their teaching practices to prepare nursing graduates with digital literacy and technological skills. To address this issue, the Teaching with Technology Committee (TTC) was established. This presentation will discuss the ongoing longitudinal, mixed-methods study being conducted to assess the TTC's impact on faculty proficiency and teaching practices, sharing any preliminary findings and lessons learned. Additionally, challenges encountered during the implementation of the committee and how these challenges have been managed will be addressed. The broader impact of the TTC on both faculty and student outcomes will be explored, including the effectiveness of the committee's initiatives in increasing confidence in technology. Plans for the TTC, including strategies to further support faculty in technology integration, will also be discussed.