Teaching Excellence and Innovation Day

7:45 – 8:15 AM

Breakfast

8:15 – 8:30 AM

Welcome – Provost Maggy Tomova, Provost of Augusta University
Location: JSAC Ballroom (Room 155)

8:30 – 10:00 AM

Plenary Session Title: How Learning Works: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching*
Facilitator: Michele DiPietro, Kennesaw State University
Location: JSAC Ballroom (Room 155)
Description: A tenet of learner-centered teaching is that learning is the litmus test of any pedagogy. Therefore, one of the most important investments professors can make is to understand the learning process so that their teaching is conducive to student success. This keynote is based on the newly-released second edition of How Learning Works, which synthesizes 60+ years of research on learning from the cognitive, motivational, and developmental perspectives into eight integrated principles. This interactive workshop will illustrate highlights from the eight principles with demonstrations, reflections, and other activities to enhance participants’ teaching.

* Counts toward CII Teaching Excellence for Student Success Certificate

10:00 – 10:15 AM

Break

10:15 – 11:30 AM

Concurrent Sessions (75 minutes)

SoTL: Connecting Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship *
Facilitators: Deborah Richardson and Rob Bledsoe, Augusta University
Location: JSAC Ballroom (Room 155)

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is recognized internationally as a significant field of research and a route to demonstrating commitment to scholarly teaching. As such, SoTL has been incorporated by both the USG and Augusta University into their guidelines for tenure and promotion. This session will engage participants in discussions of the value and practice of SoTL from the perspectives of long-time practitioners and of faculty members considering how SoTL may fit in their professional trajectory. We will also address current institutional support(s) for SoTL work at AU.

* Counts toward CII Teaching Excellence for Student Success Certificate

Dice & Design: A Playful and Collaborative Imaginary Course Design “Workshop” *
Facilitator: Mary Peabody, Georgia State University
Location: JSAC – Coffeehouse (Room 235)

A collaborative & creative session where dice rolls spark imaginative curriculum design. Attendees will develop imaginary (and often less-than-sensical) courses with unique outcomes, assessments, and delivery methods. This session reinforces learner-centered, career-relevant, and aligned curriculum & assessment in a way that is creative, encourages peer interaction, and provides a framework that will stick with participants well into the future.

* Counts toward CII Teaching Excellence for Student Success Certificate

From Content to Connection: Using D2L Brightspace Creator+ to Design More Engaging Learning Experiences *
Location: Butler Meeting Room (Room 227)

Bring your laptop or tablet to try out these tools in a course of your own and receive real-time help from D2L during breakout sessions!

Learn how D2L Brightspace Creator+ can help instructors transform course content into more engaging, accessible, and interactive learning experiences. This hands-on professional development session will introduce practical strategies for using Creator+ tools—including interactive elements, multimedia, and enhanced content design—to improve clarity, participation, and learner connection within Brightspace courses.

Participants will explore examples of Creator+ during breakout sessions and identify opportunities to enhance an existing learning activities.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Identify Creator+ tools that support engagement and active learning.
• Apply basic Creator+ design strategies to improve course content.
• Develop a plan for enhancing one existing Brightspace lesson or activity.

* Counts toward CII Tech Savvy Teaching Certificate

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM

Lunch – A Word from Our Sponsor – D2L Brightspace
Location: JSAC Ballroom (Room 155)

12:30 – 1:45 PM

Keynote: "BC/AC: Teaching Before and After ChatGPT" *
Facilitator: David Joyner, Georgia Institute of Technology
Location: JSAC Ballroom (Room 155)
 
This talk offers a grounded, historically-informed look at how generative AI has reshaped teaching and learning since ChatGPT's arrival in 2022— what we overestimated, what we caught us off guard, and what we got right. The talk will survey the current landscape of AI use in classrooms, including real tools and faculty experiments organized around using, teaching, and reacting to AI. The talk then looks ahead to five key challenges and opportunities, leaving attendees with a practical framework for thinking about where AI fits in education practice going forward, grounded in honest skepticism and cautious optimism rather than hype.

* Counts toward CII Teaching Excellence for Student Success Certificate

1:45 – 2:00 PM

Break

2:00 -  3:00 PM

Vibe Coding with AI: Creating Interactive Learning Tools Without Writing Code *
Facilitators: Jeff Mastromonico and Arthur Takahashi, Augusta University
Location: JSAC Ballroom (Room 155)

Bring your laptop for this interactive session!
What if building interactive learning tools didn’t require knowing how to code? In this session, you’ll explore vibe coding — the art of talking with generative AI to co-design and edit code. Together, we’ll walk through hands-on prompting strategies to build the beginnings of tools like text-based simulations, interactive graphs, and short digital games. Please bring your devices and come ready to use your favorite GenAI tool to vibe code with us. You’ll leave with a starter prototype, a prompt framework for vibe coding, and the confidence to turn conversations with AI into interactive instructional materials. (Title and description generated with ChatGPT GPT-5).

* Counts toward CII Teaching Excellence for Student Success Certificate

3:00 -  3:15 PM

Wrap up and adjourn