Greetings! As we wrap up a very wintry February, we're happy to share resources on AI and teaching, student access, and common mid-semester tasks. 100% human authored!

ChatGPT, AI, and Teaching

The world is abuzz with conversation about ChatGPT and other generative AI tools that can create human-like original content—written and otherwise. Most commentators seem to agree that AI will have a growing impact on education and professional work, introducing new opportunities and new challenges. One concern for educators has been the possibility that students can use AI, without authorization, to complete their assignments in a manner that is difficult to detect. To address this concern for USU faculty, the Provost's office sent an all-faculty email on February 10 with the following guidance:

"Faculty should exercise freedom to make informed decisions regarding the use of AI in [their] classes, and then clearly communicate expectations to students. ... Each instructor should:

• • Determine when and how AI tools are permissible to complete assignments
  • Communicate clearly with students now what is and is not appropriate use of AI in [their] specific class so students know what constitutes a violation of academic integrity."

The letter also directed faculty to CIDI's resource page on AI in the classroom, which focuses on not only tips for preventing unwanted AI use but also ideas for helping students use AI in constructive and beneficial ways. As with all emerging technologies, educators play a key role in helping individuals develop the skills and digital literacy necessary to put new tools to beneficial use.

In addition to the resource page, CIDI has created an online forum on AI and teaching on the MyUSU portal. If you are interested in discussing your questions, ideas, challenges, and successes with AI in teaching, please feel free to join!

On USU's Shared Value of Access

In our January newsletter, we referenced a series of shared USU values that form the basis of upcoming delivery method changes. They include student-centered thinking, access, balance, choice, and commitment. Last month we addressed student centeredness. This month we highlight the shared value of access.

As a land-grant institution, USU has a specific mission to provide research-based education and resources across the entire state. We have a strong history of innovation in meeting this mission. Our approaches have adapted as technology and society have changed, but a major focus has always been to help students have a rich and positive learning experience regardless of their background or location. In many cases, this has required significant logistical planning and technological innovation, plus an ongoing effort to understand differing cultures and varying local needs and circumstances.

Some courses at USU are intended to reach statewide and out-of-state audiences, while others are not. However, the principle of access goes beyond issues of geographic reach. A commitment to access means providing a welcoming instructional environment to students of diverse identities, backgrounds, and circumstances. It means considering students' ability to access content and technologies and ensuring accessibility for students of all abilities. It can also mean providing more affordable materials by using open educational resources. Fortunately, USU teachers are not left to themselves in achieving these ideals. CIDI, Digital Accessibility Services, USU Libraries, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion division, and many other offices are available to help. A consultation with one of CIDI's instructional designers is a great place to start.

Mid-Semester Resources

As Spring Break nears, here are a few resources to go along with common mid-semester tasks:

• Setting up mid-semester feedback survey
• Setting up proctored exams in Canvas
• Finding and messaging students who are struggling
• Setting up IDEA Objectives for Student Evaluations

Training Opportunities

• UETN Open Education Symposium, March 20-23: Learn how to use OER to boost student retention and achievement, find and adapt high quality resources, and create digital e-books. Register for the symposium.
• CIDI Workshops: CIDI continues to host workshops, taught via Zoom, throughout the Spring term. See all topics and register at teach.usu.edu.

Technology Updates

• Kaltura Videos Not Played for 4+ Years to be Removed: Beginning April 3, videos that are hosted in Kaltura (listed as My Media in Canvas or accessed at mymedia.usu.edu) will be deleted if they have not been played at all for four years or longer. This is to make Kaltura more manageable for users and networking systems. If you have videos in Kaltura that you wish to keep but have not shared or played for years, go to https://mymedia.usu.edu/user/login, login with your A#, and simply play the videos. You do not have to play them all the way through.

• Drag and Drop Option in Canvas Rich Text Editor: Coming March 1, you will be able to drag and drop images or file links into the Canvas rich text editor. You will also be able to copy/paste images.

Contact CIDI

For on-demand support with teaching technologies, contact CIDI at cidi@usu.edu, via chat, or at 435.797.9506. Schedule an appointment with an instructional designer to get help making your courses more engaging, usable, and accessible.

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