Author: Carolyn Speer

The Winter Teaching Today provides an opportunity to learn more about the January Academic Resources Conference and the many ways it will be tackling issues surrounding digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

Thank you for being a regular reader of Teaching Today, and as always, if you see something you find interesting, please share it with a friend. Have questions about Teaching Today, or want to subscribe? Please email the Office of Instructional Resources at OIR@wichita.edu.

The Academic Resources Conference (ARC) is back for a week of events Jan. 9-13. In addition to technical training, the conference will focus on the impact digital transformation has on education. The whole campus community is invited.

All ARC events are free and take place via Zoom. You can see the full schedule of sessions, panels and discussions and grab calendar invites on the ARC session page.

A sneak peek at some can’t-miss sessions:

• At 10 a.m. Jan. 9, President Rick Muma will speak on Digital Transformation and its impact on education. The conference will then offer 12 other sessions with some kind of digital transformation or artificial intelligence focus. This discussion culminates in a presentation on the “Ethics of Big Data,” presented by Dr. Susan Castro at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13.
• Roy and Polly Wenzl join the conference at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11 to show how “Narrative Storytelling is a Skill You Can Learn.”
• Technical training and information opportunities include hearing about Navigate from Kim Sandlin from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11 and ArcGIS with Ethan Lindsay from 2 to 3 p.m. Jan. 12. There will also be Blackboard, Panopto and Watermark training opportunities throughout the week.
• Monday-Thursday, there is a lunch-and-learn Panel Hour from noon-12:50 p.m. We will discuss equity and digital transformation (Monday), creative intelligence and AI (Tuesday), the future of work (Wednesday), and academic honesty and AI (Thursday).
• From 1 to 1:50 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, there will be an ARC book club where participants will discuss the book “Robot Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” (available free through University Libraries).

All events will also be recorded, so make sure to check out the schedule to see what you can attend live or virtually. ARC is presented by the Office of Instructional Resources.

Questions? Email OIR@wichita.edu.

The November edition of Teaching Today is all about gratitude.

In this edition, Provost Shirley Lefever extends her thanks to Wichita State instructors. In addition, Office of Instructional Resources staff and contributors thank those who make our everyday lives at WSU better in large and small ways.

Have a look, and maybe you’ll see your name in a gratitude shout-out section.

If you have questions about Teaching Today or would like to subscribe, please email OIR@wichita.edu.

Each month, the Office of Instructional Resources publishes a teaching-centered newsletter called Teaching Today. The October issue of Teaching Today addresses the important topic of digital transformation, and we are excited to share this conversation with our campus industry partners.

In this issue, we take on as many aspects of digital transformation as we can with topics such as high-performance computing, the influence of AI on teaching and learning, and practical applications of these technologies with approachable tools like ArcGIS and even some cool Microsoft 365 features. Along the way, we have lots of examples of how humans and AI can partner to create original creative work.

If you are interested in getting future issues of Teaching Today, please subscribe by emailing Wichita State’s Office of Instructional Resources at OIR@wichita.edu.

The October issue of Teaching Today addresses the very important topic of digital transformation. From what it is to where it’s going, we cover as many aspects of digital transformation as we could.

This month’s issue is huge! It also has many guests including Terrance Figy (high-performance computing), David Macdonald (music and artificial intelligence), Ethan Lindsay (Arc GIS), Ali Levine (Microsoft 365’s cool features), and Provost Shirley Lefever (digital transformation and education).

We hope you enjoy this issue, and as always, if you see something you like, please share it with a friend.

Anyone can subscribe to Teaching Today by simply emailing the Office of Instructional Resources at OIR@wichita.edu.

The September issue of Teaching Today is now available. The September 2022 issue has information about WSU’s Preventing Suicide training, the upcoming January Academic Resources Conference and information about the Course Messages feature in Blackboard.

The summer issue of Teaching Today is available and has everything you need to know about the upcoming Academic Resources Conference.

For example, did you know that all WSU staff and instructors are invited to the ARC? That’s right, the ARC has something for everyone. Learn more about upcoming sessions and read all about the newest changes to the Ultra Course Format grade book.

The Academic Resources Conference (ARC) provides training and discussion opportunities for all WSU staff and instructors, and as always we are free and online. It’s easy to attend, and here is what we have prepared for today, Wednesday, Aug. 17:

• 9-9:50 a.m.: No live session. We suggest you watch this recording instead: What Can LinkedIn Learning Do For My Classes?
• 10-10:50 a.m.: “Getting Started With Blackboard” presented by Mary Morriss.
• 11-11:50 a.m.: “Getting Started with Panopto” presented by Carolyn Speer.
• Noon-12:50 p.m.: Panel Hour! “When a Vendor Comes Calling: What to do when you want to acquire anything digital” presented by Brett Morrill and John Jones.
• 1-3 p.m.: Direct Zoom link to drop-in, online lab time with the Office of Instructional Resources. (NOTE: This link is to the Zoom session area, not to a calendar invitation.) Come to us for Blackboard, Panopto, and other technical help! We also help with accessibility. Personal help is available on a first-come, first-served basis on Zoom.
• 1-1:50 p.m.: “Mental Health for Instructors” presented by Chris Leonard.
• 2:00-3:50 p.m.:  No ARC. Please attend the faculty/staff address in Woolsey Hall.
• 4:-4:50 p.m.: “Tenure and Promotion Process at WSU,” presented by Gery Markova
• 6-6:50 p.m.: “Getting Started with Blackboard” presented by Mary Morriss.

The Academic Resources Conference (ARC) offers a week of training to WSU staff and faculty three times a year. All ARCs have technical training, opportunities for discussion and sharing, and personalized help. All sessions are free and do not require registration. Get the Outlook invites with Zoom links for all of today’s sessions here:

• 9-9:50 a.m.: “I Have a Problem. How Do I Troubleshoot it?” presented by Carolyn Speer.
• 10-10:50 a.m.: “Give Me Some Space!: Cloud Storage Options at WSU,” presented by Ali Levine.
• 11-11:50 a.m.: “Add Panopto Quizzes to Your Videos” presented by John Hammer.
• Noon-12:50 p.m.: Panel Hour! “Inclusive University” Moderator: Jody Fiorini. Panel: Edil Torrez Rivera, Aaron Austin, Valerie Thompson, and Jenny Pearson.
• 1-3 p.m.: Direct link to drop-in, online lab time with the Office of Instructional Resources. (NOTE: This link is to the Zoom session area, not to a calendar invitation.) Come to us for Blackboard, Panopto, and other technical help. We also help with accessibility. Personal help available on a first-come, first-served basis on Zoom.
• 1-2:30 p.m.: “Preparing Neurodivergent Students to Enter the Workplace” presented by Specialisterne.
• 3-3:50 p.m.:  “Introduction to OneDrive” presented by Ali Levine.
• 4-4:50 p.m.: “Making the Most of University Libraries” presented by Meghann Kuhlmann and Aaron Bowen
• 6-6:50 p.m.: “Getting Started with Panopto” presented by Carolyn Speer.

The Academic Resources Conference (ARC) is open to all staff and faculty; and as always, it’s free and online. Here is what we have scheduled for today, Aug. 16:

• 9-9:50 a.m.: “AY 2022/23 Required Accessibility Training for Faculty” presented by John Jones.
• 10-10:50 a.m.: “Full Instructor Town Hall” presented by Provost Shirley Lefever and guests.
• 11-11:50 a.m.: “Title IX Updates” presented by Lucretia Taylor.
• Noon-12:50: Panel Hour! “Adult Students at WSU: Who are they and what do they need?” Panel: Anna Porcaro, Amber Anderson, Pam O’Neal.
• 1-3 p.m.: Direct Zoom link to Drop-in, online lab time with the Office of Instructional Resources. (NOTE: This link is to the Zoom session area, not to a calendar invitation.) Come to us for Blackboard, Panopto, and other technical help. We also help with accessibility. Personal help is available on a first-come, first-served basis on Zoom.
• 1-1:50 p.m.: “Meet Your Design School’ presented by John Hammer.
• 2-2:50 p.m.: “So, You Want to Try an ePortfolio?” presented by Chelsea Redger-Marquardt
• 3-3:50 p.m.:  “Creating Fillable Forms with Jotform” presented by Heather Merchant.
• 4-4:50 p.m.: “Nontraditional Grading Methods” presented by John Hammond
• 6-6:50 p.m.: “Time Savers: Zoom to Panopto and Respondus Test Builder” presented by Carolyn Speer.