| Wednesday, February 18, 2026
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Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back from the streets and sounds of Mardi Gras fervor! In the spirit of continued energy and excitement to elevate your teaching and learning, inside this issue you’ll find practical tools, timely reminders, and upcoming opportunities to support your work in and beyond the classroom.
Quick Wins with Copilot: Discover how you can save time generating clean QR codes for sharing information in seconds.
Spotlight on Transforming Tulane’s Student Experience with Adobe: Join the upcoming Adobe Innovation Café and other workshops designed to spark new ideas and deepen your practice.
Thoughtful Lens on AI Thinking: Read Blaine Fisher’s latest AI Article providing insights on engaging with emerging tools and trends in evidence-informed ways.
Essentials and Reminders: From managing Duo’s multi-factor authentication app to upcoming Teach Anywhere Office Hours, and workshops in between to keep your semester running smoothly.
We encourage you to explore the resources, attend events, and share your successes with the community to continue to enhance and improve teaching and learning!
On behalf of the ILC Team,
Best regards,
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Bobbie Garner-Coffie, MSW, MLA
Manager Instructional Technology, Innovative Learning Center
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Teach Anywhere Office Hours
Mondays and Thursdays
12pm to 1pm
No appointments necessary, both online via zoom and in the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Suite 300 for all pedagogy and academic technology needs.
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Did You Know?
Copilot Can Make QR Codes!
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Copilot isn’t just great for writing support—it can also handle quick, practical tasks that make your workday easier.
Need a QR code for a flyer, presentation, or online resource?
- Just tell Copilot the link, and it generates a ready‑to‑use QR code instantly.
These small conveniences add up, helping you share information quickly and professionally with almost no effort.
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Adobe Academic Innovation Cafe: Transforming the Student Experience at Tulane University
10am to 11am | Online | Register
Zoom Flair: Add Personality to Your Zoom Meetings
10am to 10:30am | Online | Register
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Building a Second Brain with AI
W.A.V.E. Series
1pm to 2:30pm | Hybrid | Register
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Helpful Strategies for Program Alignment: A Practical Guide to Curriculum Mapping
11am to 12pm | Hybrid | Register
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Beyond the Scroll: Increasing Readership and Participation
12:30pm to 1:30pm | In-Person | Register
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Beyond the Scroll: Increasing Readership and Participation
12pm to 1pm | Online | Register
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Duo Mobile App for Multi-factor Authentication
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Duo Security- Tulane’s Multifactor Authentication (MFA) provider used when accessing email, VPN, and most other cloud applications- has announced an important update that will affect anyone using the Duo Mobile App for Multifactor Authentication.
To ensure users are not locked out of Tulane resources, all users should check their Duo Mobile App version. Any Duo Mobile App that is not on version 4.85.0 or later (4.102.0.0 is ok since it is a later version than 4.85.0) by the end of February will be unable to use the Duo Mobile App for authentication and will be blocked from any resources protected by MFA. Check out the full announcement.
To check your Duo Mobile App Version and Install Updates:
- Open the Duo Mobile application on your device.
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Tap the three lines in the upper left corner of the application to open the menu.
- The version number will be at the bottom of the menu screen.
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How to Benchmark AI Without Getting Lost in the Buzz |
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By Blaine Fisher, Ph.D., MS, MA, NRP, PG-Cert
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Have you ever woken up and realized you do not remember a time before the smartphone? You remember what it was like to go to a library and look something up, not just open Google. You remember dial-up tones, Ask Jeeves, Hotbot, Yahoo, AOL. You remember unfolding a paper Rand McNally map instead of opening a Magellan GPS or printing directions from MapQuest.
A moment came when all that just was not a thing anymore. One day you went to sleep and the next morning the world had changed and you do not remember exactly when it happened. You just know it has always been that way now. That shift is what is happening with AI. It is already here. It is already woven into our lives.
But I think we lack awareness of the change. Imagine a simple example. You open an AI tool and ask it to help plan a family vacation. Instead of accepting the first answer, you start asking follow-up questions. You wonder why it suggested one hotel over another, or why the travel times look different from what you expected. You experiment with different prompts and compare results. That small act of poking, testing, and asking why is curiosity in action. It is the habit that keeps you engaged instead of drifting along while technology changes around you.
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That lack of awareness comes from a lack of curiosity and interest. Curiosity is a human instinct we need to preserve in a world where AI is becoming more common. Using AI well is not just about getting AI to do things for you. It is about using AI to learn, to grow, to understand more about the world and about yourself. Access to knowledge is one thing. Actually using that access to think is another.
Now let us talk about something practical. How do you keep up with AI? How do you know if a new model is worth paying attention to? How do you know if a model is good or if it is hype? The answer is benchmarking.
When we talk about benchmarks in AI, we mean tests and leaderboards that measure how well models perform on specific tasks. Companies use these benchmarks when they want to show that their model is better, faster, smarter, or more capable than the rest.
Here are some of the key benchmarks you should know about. These benchmarks were chosen because they represent different dimensions of AI performance, including reasoning, knowledge, practical usefulness, and human preference. I included direct links with the URLs so you can click through and explore for yourself.
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The Tulane Research, Innovation, and Creativity Summit (TRICS) is Tulane’s premier annual, university-wide showcase for research and innovation. Established in 2022 and building on the foundation of earlier discipline-specific events, TRICS showcases Tulane’s innovative research internally and externally through poster sessions, Lightning Talks, and distinguished keynotes.
We are thrilled to have you join us for an engaging exploration of the latest innovations, techniques, and best practices. This gathering brings together experts, thought leaders, and passionate participants to share insights and experiences.
Prepare to dive into a variety of sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities designed to broaden your knowledge and create meaningful connections. Let’s collaborate and grow together!
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Unlocking the Future of AI
January 2026
Highlights from the Zoom AI Education Summit
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Tulane University had the pleasure of hosting the Zoom AI Education Summit, a two-day gathering focused on the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence, collaboration technology, and higher education innovation. The event brought together IT professionals, faculty, AV specialists, and academic leaders to explore how Zoom’s platform and AI-powered tools are reshaping teaching, learning, and campus operations.
Across January 27–28, attendees engaged in hands-on workshops, technical deep dives, and discussions led by Zoom experts and industry partners. From classroom transformation to AI-enhanced collaboration, the summit offered valuable insights—so if you couldn’t make it, here are some of the highlights.
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This week-long series of events is designed to inspire, educate, and showcase the incredible data work happening across our campus.
From hands-on workshops and social gatherings to a stunning visual gallery and a prestigious contest, there’s something for everyone, regardless of your experience level.
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Contact the IT Service Desk
support.tulane.edu | help@tulane.edu | 504-988-8888
Hours | Mon - Fri 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM | Sat - Sun 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Use your Tulane email and password to access the support portal.
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