39 | DET/CHE 2024

In the ever-evolving field of educational technology, effective project management is critical to success. This workshop equips education professionals with practical tools and methodologies to lead ed tech projects efficiently. Participants will explore project management processes like Waterfall and Agile, learning to adapt them to technology initiatives in education. Through interactive exercises, attendees will develop a toolkit designed to manage common challenges, enhance stakeholder engagement, and ensure project success in today’s digital learning environments.

At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

1. Understand PM Processes for EdTech – Introduce the five stages of project management and how they apply to educational technology projects.
   
2. Master EdTech-Specific PM Methodologies – Review the Waterfall and Agile approaches, and how to adapt them to the fast(and slow!)-paced, evolving nature of ed tech projects.
   
3. Develop PM Strategies for EdTech Success – Offer actionable strategies to manage common challenges and stakeholder engagement in educational technology projects.

San Diego State University adopted a new student feedback system in Fall 2022, as our campus came together to transition from our homegrown enterprise resource planning system to PeopleSoft–the solution adopted across the California State University system. Part of this transition included replacing our in-house student evaluation system with commercially available software (Explorance Blue).

Please join us as we share many of the lessons learned on our journey, from planning, configuring, and launching Explorance Blue to continually improving the deployment of student feedback surveys at San Diego State University. We will also share general practices for process improvement and our vision for the future of gathering and analyzing survey data to drive improvement.

After attending the session, attendees will be able to:

• apply lessons learned in transitioning from a homegrown system to commercially available systems to technology transitions in their organizations.

• analyze the challenges involved in transitioning from a homegrown system to a commercially available software system.

• design an effective roadmap for implementing and continually improving a commercially available software system in their organizations.

Through grant funding provided via the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, eight system colleges are creating new direct assessment competency-based education (CBE) programs that will offer certificates and full AA degrees. This form of learning offers many benefits for both students and colleges, helping us all adapt to a changing economy and higher ed environment. But, creating a new CBE program is not a simple endeavor, especially “direct assessment” CBE at a public college. During this presentation, we will describe the potential benefits of CBE, how to address specific challenges in developing such a program, and how certain technologies can facilitate the process. Documents will be shared as resources to guide colleges in creating their own CBE programs. At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 1) Define what CBE is and describe how it can benefit students (and colleges)
2) Summarize the characteristics of the programs being developed in the CCC System
3) Explain how certain technologies can help a college develop and deliver CBE

In the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, effectively engaging faculty with technology and innovation is crucial for institutional success. This panel discussion offers a practical framework and actionable strategies to empower educators and foster a culture of experimentation and adoption. We will delve into the critical success factors for initiating and sustaining meaningful conversations with faculty about technology integration, equipping them with the tools to champion these discussions within their departments and organizations.

Attendees will gain valuable insights into various recommended activities to increase faculty engagement and build confidence in leveraging technology for pedagogical innovation. We will explore methods to help faculty develop personalized engagement plans tailored to their organization's needs and challenges. By showcasing real-world success stories and experiences from diverse institutions, we aim to inspire and enable peer organizations to replicate these achievements, fostering a broader community of practice.

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

1. About success factors of engaging with faculty about technology and innovation, enabling them to bring the discussion back to their team.
2. Recommended activities to increase faculty engagement and confidence in Technology, enabling them to create an organizational engagement plan.
3. Sharing their success stories and experiences from their organizations empowers peer institutions to replicate these successes.
4. Reduce technology resistance and build enthusiasm to explore new teaching technology, experimenting with and utilizing new technologies in their classrooms.
   
   Through this interactive session, audiences will learn how to reduce technology resistance among faculty, cultivate enthusiasm for exploring new teaching tools, and create supportive environments that encourage experimentation with innovative technologies in the classroom. By the end of the discussion, attendees will be equipped with a comprehensive toolkit to drive faculty engagement, promote technology adoption, and ultimately enhance student learning experiences and outcomes.

Getting instructors to embrace new teaching strategies can feel like herding cats—everyone generally clings to the familiar and scatters from the new. This presentation provides a comprehensive framework to tame the chaos and manage change effectively. By leveraging the Diffusion of Innovation theory and change management strategies, practical solutions will be offered to promote and sustain the adoption of not just educational innovations but any innovative pedagogical approach. With real-world examples from our OER initiative and a sprinkle of neuroscience-backed persuasion tactics, you'll learn how to turn skeptics into enthusiastic adopters to revolutionize your institution's teaching practices.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Gain actionable strategies to promote and sustain new teaching methods and technologies.
   
2. Develop a deeper understanding of change management principles and the Diffusion of Innovation theory.
   
3. Learn neuroscience-backed persuasion techniques to effectively engage and motivate colleagues.

This session will investigate the opportunities and challenges related to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) within higher education, as well as a proposed solution to address the growing digital divide through the Equitable AI Alliance. The team will share how data from a longitudinal, multi-year survey helped inform the creation of GenAI resources for students, faculty, and staff across the San Diego State University ecosystem. Key areas of insight include addressing the AI digital divide, as well as the stigma surrounding GenAI use. Solutions presented will address training, support, and other GenAI resources to enhance students’ career readiness and workforce preparedness, thereby benefiting the overall economic health of California and beyond.

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

1. Utilize the SDSU AI Survey Data Dashboard to view insights and themes pertaining to the use of GenAI in the academic setting.
2. Leverage resources and effective practices shared through the Equitable AI Alliance.
3. Replicate training, support, and other GenAI resources to enhance students’ career readiness and workforce preparedness.

California Education Learning Lab’s Grand Challenge: Overcoming the Calculus Barrier to STEM Success will connect four major funded projects to improve learning outcomes and close racial and gender equity gaps in STEM degree attainment in the three segments of California Higher Education.

The C3 Grand Challenge Cohort Facilitator Team has been working closely with will help the Grand Challenge awarded teams for the past three years. This work includes sharing their project ideas, approaches, findings, data, and outcomes over the duration of the award three-year period. Additionally, the Cohort Facilitator Team, has focused their work this year on and developing work to facilitate webinars on use of a Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) rubric for development of online materials, model curriculum frameworks, searchable database of course assets, Open Educational Resource (OER) development, and Creative Commons licensing for publicly funded projects.

The Cohort Facilitator Team leverages opportunities to Convene, Connect, and Collaborate among the awardees groups..
California Education Learning Lab’s Grand Challenge The educational assets will be located in: LibreTexts and MERLOT providing open access to educators and learners.
Year three efforts of the Cohort Facilitator Team have focused on the following actions to finalize the 3-year project with the 4 awardee teams.

• Organizing and meta-tagging learning objects for searchability
• Support for meeting OER requirements of the grant
• Organizing curriculum into a model curriculum framework
• Optimizing curricular assets for storing educational assets: LibreTexts, and MERLOT.
• Creative Commons licensing in alignment with CELL Grand Challenge specifications
• Application of DEI principles to course design and faculty development
• Developing a searchable database for CELL Grand Challenge curricular assets
•  Inspire Conference: Luskin Center, October 2024

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Application of DEI principles to course design and faculty development
2. Developing a searchable database for CELL Grand Challenge curricular assets
3.  Organizing and meta-tagging learning objects for searchability

The California State University System deploys rich badging programs from both the Chancellor’s Office and from several CSUs. In this session, we’ll explore how badged Pathways can bridge the CSU System’s badging with each of its 23 campuses, and how California State University, Dominguez Hills is using its digital credentials to explore connecting with nationwide organizations such as OSHA.gov. We’ll answer several important considerations: 1) How are the various constituents measuring success? 2) What kinds of friction did they have to overcome as they built impactful badging programs? 3) Where are they going next?

At the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:

1. Identify various approaches for successful credentialing programs 
2. Recognize potential roadblocks to building impactful badging processes 
3. Prepare for next phases in badge program expansion

Many schools are facing the increased scrutiny to ensure compliance with regular and substantive interaction in distance education courses. As a result, many colleges are seeking ways to communicate these requirements to instructors, and to assess their status of RSI compliance in DE courses. The "substantive" part of regular and substantive interaction requires that any evaluation of RSI be qualitative as well as quantitative.

In this session, I will discuss Mt. SAC's efforts to create a systematic program for tracking RSI in distance education courses including the components, technology, and review process of the program. Mt. SAC is working on this following a 2024 accreditation review. As an instructional designer, I have been a part of the workgroup and contributed ideas for how to make the process efficient for professors, reviewers, and administrators. I would like to share our efforts, what worked and what didn't in creating an institutional RSI review process.

At the end of this session, participants will:

1. Hear about the requirements for regular substantive interaction and the ideas Mt. SAC generated to track them in online courses.
2. Learn about how Mt. SAC created a team of RSI reviewers and their roles. 
3. Learn how Mt. SAC leveraged technology to track and evaluate RSI in DE courses. 

In this presentation, we will explore the transformative potential of generative AI in the realm of note-taking and knowledge management. With a focus on two cutting-edge tools, Google NotebookLM and the Tana App, we will demonstrate how these AI-powered solutions can revolutionize the way students, professionals, and lifelong learners capture, organize, and synthesize information. Attendees will gain insights into the key features and capabilities of these tools, such as automated summarization, bi-directional linking, and customizable outlining. Through real-world examples and practical demonstrations, participants will learn how to leverage Google NotebookLM and the Tana App to enhance their productivity, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. By the end of the session, attendees will be equipped with the knowledge and resources necessary to integrate these generative AI tools into their personal or professional workflows, unlocking new possibilities for efficient and effective note-taking and knowledge management.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze the impact of generative AI on note-taking and knowledge management practices
2. Create a personal workflow incorporating Google NotebookLM and the Tana App for improved productivity
3. Evaluate the ethical implications and potential biases of using generative AI for note-taking and knowledge management.

This presentation explores the outcomes of a CSU-Wide Community of Practice focused on faculty engagement with data dashboards as a means of exploring equity gaps. Faculty from 11 CSU campuses engaged in a six-week community to unpack personal, institutional, and systemic bias in their practice. They explored solutions through co-creation with students and proposed course redesigns. The post-survey data is in after their redesigns were implemented with significant improvements in Equity Behaviors (EB) and Data Awareness (DA). Join the presenters as they connect specific stories, experiences, and course changes from faculty.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand how data dashboards can be more intentionally leveraged at college campuses.
   
2. Identify applicable strategies for engaging faculty in equity-minded pedagogy on their campuses.
   
3. Decide on various CSU campus approaches to data to explore and become more familiar with resources.

This presentation explores creating custom educational chatbots using GPTs and OER via PlayLab AI. By referencing uploaded class materials, these chatbots reduce bias, minimize hallucinations, and address copyright concerns.

Two scenarios demonstrate their potential:

1. A Socratic method chatbot referencing the class textbook, promoting critical thinking.
   
2. An assignment improvement chatbot for teachers, enhancing assessment quality and AI-resilience.
   

Benefits include:
• Reduced biases and inaccuracies
• Reliable, high-quality outputs
• Promotion of OER
• Ethical AI use

PlayLab AI, a nonprofit platform, enables educators to build AI tools without coding experience. The presentation will showcase its interface and demonstrate how these chatbots can be integrated into teaching practices for more engaging and effective educational experiences.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Consider the importance of using uploaded materials with custom chatbots to enhance reliability, reduce bias, and support ethical AI use in education. 
2. Identify specific applications of custom chatbots for student learning and teacher support, particularly in improving assignment design and classroom engagement. 
3. Evaluate the potential benefits and challenges of implementing custom AI chatbots using PlayLab AI, focusing on practical strategies for integration in educational contexts.
   

The open educational resource (OER) landscape is remarkably diverse, yet extended reality (XR)—which encompasses augmented, mixed, and virtual reality modalities—has remained largely absent. Recent technological advancements, reduced hardware costs, and a growing body of content have accelerated XR adoption. In this session, we unveil the Open Educational Extended Reality (OEXR) Library that was incubated within the California State University system as a resource for the collective higher education community to democratize this transformative technology and empower equitable access for all learners. Survey responses (n = 169) from 100 institutions spanning six continents were used to ensure functionality was designed to meet diverse user needs, from contributors to consumers. Respondents primarily consisted of staff, faculty, and administrators, with additional input from librarians, students, and industry partners. User priorities included robust search and discovery capabilities, interactive downloadable 3D assets for reuse, and resources related to learning objectives and assessment suggestions. Clear expectations for contributors and guidelines for creating and submitting XR content were also prioritized, as well as discovery mechanisms to enable the ability to categorize and tag content based on multiple criteria. Join us as we discuss the creation of the OEXR library and introduce it to the DET/CHE community as a resource for new possibilities across teaching, learning, and collaboration in higher education.

After participating in this session, participants will be able to:

1. Explore OEXR Library survey data dashboard to see how respondents plan to leverage XR assets and pedagogical materials.
2. Leverage the OEXR Library for educational use and gain familiarity with features that were prioritized from data collected from the EDUCAUSE community.
3. Contribute and collaborate with colleagues globally via the OEXR Library.

Over the last five years, UC Berkeley has harnessed the power of a campus-wide JupyterHub infrastructure, named DataHub, to significantly enhance the learning objectives of various courses across disciplines, including Engineering, Data Science, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. DataHub is a customized distribution of the open-source JupyterHub service, providing interactive computing environments to educators and students. Every semester, more than 60 courses from over 20 departments rely on DataHub which includes foundational courses in Data Science and quantitative courses from diverse disciplines. This presentation will explore the impact of DataHub on UC Berkeley’s educational landscape. 

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Attendees will learn how DataHub’s scalable infrastructure and cloud-based approach have streamlined access to computational tools, fostered a unified learning environment, and enhanced the overall educational experience for students and faculty alike.
   
2. Attendees will gain insights into how DataHub has been utilized across various disciplines at UC Berkeley, including Engineering, Data Science, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. This exploration will demonstrate how a unified computing environment can support a wide range of courses and academic requirements, enhancing the learning experience for both foundational and advanced courses
   
3. Attendees will learn about initiatives at UC Berkeley to improve the accessibility of Jupyter notebooks in DataHub, contributing to a platform that is inclusive and usable for all students, including those with disabilities.