EVENTS  /  NEWS  /  RESOURCE HUB

Monday, November 17, 2025

 

I hope you've had a great semester so far!

 

This month, we're excited to share some fantastic resources to help you create secure and fair testing environments for your students. Whether you're just getting started with LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor or you're looking to level up your skills, we've got training options that will work for you.

 

We're also keeping our campus community safe by staying vigilant against phishing attempts—thank you for being our first line of defense!

 

As always, we're here to support you. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything.

 

Mike Griffith, PhD 

Executive Director -  Strategic Digital Innovation  | Information Technology 

Director - Innovative Learning Center 

Highlights

 

LockDown Browser & Respondus Monitor: Enhance Exam Integrity

If you’re not yet using LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor for online exams, check out these comprehensive webinars for a detailed demonstration of both applications.

• Why Use These Tools?
  • Deters Cheating: LockDown Browser restricts access to other websites, applications, and functions like printing or copying during exams.
  • Authenticates Student Identity: Respondus Monitor uses webcam and AI analysis to verify test-takers and flag suspicious behavior.
  • Protects Assessment Integrity: Ensures a secure testing environment in Canvas, reducing academic dishonesty.
  • Easy Setup for Instructors: Quickly enable LockDown Browser and Monitor for any Canvas quiz or exam.
  • Improves Student Preparedness: Practice quizzes and installation guidance help avoid technical issues on exam day.

Learn more in the ILC Resource Hub and view a pre-recorded webinar:
Webinar Resources: Instructor Training for LockDown Browser and Monitor: Using Respondus LockDown Browser

 

NEED TO REPORT A PHISHING EMAIL?  >>>>>  Forward it to security@tulane.edu

Did you receive a suspicious email? Phishing is the top social attack on organizations and the most common cause of data breaches. There is no concrete way to prevent phishing attacks, so awareness and proactive responses by our community will always be our strongest line of defense. Learn more with Tulane's cybersecurity.

Teach Anywhere Office Hours

 

Monday and Thursday | 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.

Course Design Clinic

 

Wednesday | December 3, 10 , and 17 | 1pm - 3pm

 

Are you planning a new course or refreshing one you've taught before?

 

Join us for the hands-on Course Design Clinic in December.  Whether you’re brainstorming ideas, refining learning outcomes, reworking assessments, developing new content, or prepping for the spring term, join CELT & ILC teams for hands-on instructional support.  Stay as little or as long as you like—bring your questions, goals, and in-progress plans. 

SIG: Canvas Admins: Drop-In, Discover & Discuss 

Tuesday, November 18 | 12pm - 12:30pm | Online

 

Calling all Canvas admins! Join this informal 30-minute session to swap tips, explore platform features, and talk through common challenges with the ILC and Tulane's Canvas Rep. We’ll kick things off with a quick update or “win,” then open the floor for discussion on permissions, outcomes, LTIs, and whatever else is on your radar. Come with questions—or just curiosity! 

(W.A.V.E.) AI-Assisted Decision-Making: Tools for Making Confident Choices 

Tuesday, December 2 | 1pm - 2:30pm | Hybrid

 

In this interactive workshop, participants will explore the fundamentals of Decision Intelligence, blending human intuition with AI's analytical capabilities to navigate complex choices confidently. Attendees will learn how to leverage AI tools effectively, mitigate cognitive biases, and maintain a human-centered approach in decision-making.

(W.A.V.E.) TopHat Ace: AI for Class Interactivity and Socratic Learning 

Tuesday, December 16 | 1pm - 2:30pm | Hybrid

 

A hands‑on showcase of Top Hat’s new ACE features: adaptive question authoring, auto‑graded short answers, sentiment analytics, and generative slide enrichment—plus tips to integrate ACE with Canvas and Tulane’s learning‑data policies.

By Blaine Fisher, Ph.D., MS, MA, NRP, PG-Cert

 

Last month I stepped out of the office and into the home turf of New Orleans youth robotics. This trip felt like the Innovative Learning Center doing what it does best, carrying technology, pedagogy, and curiosity out into the community. With Operation Spark and the Robotics Club hosted at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), I spent an evening with students who are building, programming, testing, breaking, fixing, and smiling their way through a global LEGO robotics competition. This season’s theme is archaeology, which could not be better suited to my background in Maya archaeology and my day job teaching AI and instructional technology. I was invited to give a talk on archaeology and technology, then I brought a cart full of Oculus Meta Quest headsets for a hands-on virtual expedition across the ancient world. We talked. We built. We explored. We learned.

 

Setting the Stage: LEGO Meets Engineering

 

Here is the competition in a nutshell. Each year LEGO and the organizers release a fresh map with custom challenges, not a recycled set from ten seasons ago. Students assemble mechanical modules that sit on the map. They also build a robot that they program to run a route on its own. The robot travels to a station, activates a mechanism, collects a token, triggers a lever, nudges a mine cart, or retrieves a delicate piece without knocking the whole thing over. Each clean task earns points. The score depends on accuracy, sequence, and reliability. The work looks like a carnival of plastic parts and tiny rubber tires, but underneath the bright colors is serious systems thinking.

 

This year’s theme is archaeology. The modules mirror problems from the field. A collapsible shaft that punishes clumsy movement. A mine cart that demands precise triggering. An artifact retrieval puzzle that rewards careful planning. The map invites the students to confront fragility and risk. If you treat the module like a brick wall, you lose points. If you treat it like an ancient textile, you stand a chance.

Practical Tools and Fresh Ideas to Power Your Teaching

 

Join us for an energizing look at the future of teaching and learning. Explore new innovations from Top Hat that make personalized, accessible learning easier to achieve. Plus, hear how faculty are using Top Hat and AI to spark discussion, streamline course prep, and make learning more interactive. Fresh ideas. Smart tools. Classroom-ready practices. It’s all part of Fall Refresh 2025.

 

Agenda

• 12:15 - 1:00 PM: The Future of Learning with Top Hat
• 1:00 - 1:45 PM: Faculty Show & Tell: Top Hat in Practice
• 2:00 - 3:00 PM: Reclaiming Reading: Motivating and Supporting Today’s College Readers
  • Dr. James Lang, educator and author of Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It

  • Surveys and headlines point to a troubling decline in student reading, even as research continues to affirm its vital role in comprehension, critical thinking, and creativity. So how do we get students to engage deeply with course texts—whether they’re tackling dense academic articles or AI-generated summaries? Learn what reading does to the brain, why it matters more than ever, and how you can help students build the stamina, skills, and motivation to read with purpose. You’ll leave with practical strategies—both low-tech and digital—to encourage reading and help students get more out of what they read.

 

Zoom AI Education Summit at Tulane University | January 2026!

 

Unlock the Future of Education with Zoom AI

 

Join us at the Zoom Education Summit at Tulane University for an exclusive in-person experience designed to help higher education institutions maximize the power of Zoom in their learning environments. This summit brings together educators, IT professionals, AV specialists, and industry experts to explore the latest tools and strategies for transforming education.

This year’s event features:

• Targeted Tracks for Faculty, IT Staff, and Room Technologists
• CTS Certification for AV professionals
• In-depth Sessions on Zoom AI and its impact on teaching and collaboration
• Networking Opportunities to share best practices with peers

Whether you're looking to enhance your hybrid learning environments, streamline communication, or dive into the future of AI in education, the Zoom Education Summit is your opportunity to stay ahead of the curve.

Don’t miss out – Register today and take the first step towards transforming your campus experience with Zoom.

Registration closes January 14th. Don’t miss your chance to join us!

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