In this edition of the Pew FTLC Newsletter:

We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely. - E. O. Wilson 

Express Yourself and Work With Others. For a host of reasons, I am currently re-reading Fareed Zakaria’s 2015 In Defense of a Liberal Education. In describing the durable skills that a liberal education provides, he used the simple phrase that begins this paragraph. Might we boil down the purpose of higher education to these two items? Might this language help students understand the point of general education? Clearly, there is plenty to expand upon and explain, but I believe that much is captured by this simple phrase. Try it out and let me know what think! The book begins with the E.O. Wilson quotation above that seems to become more relevant each day. 

Along similar lines, I came across a class activity that supports the goals of a liberal education and also sounds just risky enough to be interesting. I invite you to explore the LinkedIn post and discussion in the comments, but the general idea is that students are invited to sign up to give 5-minute recaps of the previous class period at the start of class. The format is up to the student and scaffolded support is provided, but I love the fact that approach transfers the synthesis responsibility to those who need the practice (rather than the instructor), provides a space for students to practice expressing themselves, and invites dialog not only based on the recap itself but on the various approaches that students take to the assignment. Such an activity could be adapted to an asynchronous and/or written format, but the real-time aspect is what I find particularly important.  

Meta-analysis Cottage Industry. I spend a fair amount of time deep in educational literature and it can be challenging to wade through disparate methodologies, consider wildly varying study sample sizes, and follow the rabbit trails of supporting literature. Don’t get me wrong, this work is important and joyful, but I don’t mind when I come across the occasional meta-analysis that saves me some time. I didn’t think that I would ever encounter the phrase “meta-analysis cottage industry” in reference to AI-related education research. As I hope you will understand, I want to be very careful with conclusions being drawn about the impact of AI on student learning. Nearly every day, I come across articles offering diametrically opposing claims. So, it was with interest that I read this recent piece cautioning about AI in education meta-analyses, in particular. Suffice it to say that more research is needed.  

Digital Accessibility Corner. In alignment with the Digital Literacy Initiative, I offer here the next installment in support of the why and the what of our goals for digital accessibility. As always, don’t forget the Digital Accessibility Committee resource page. Did you know that there are accessibility checkers built into a number of GV-supported platforms? Helpful instructional videos can be found on the Video Guides: Check Accessibility page. I encourage folks to dive deeper into the capabilities of Blackboard Ally; eLearning is offering a 30-minute webinar, What’s Up With My Ally Score? that I recommend checking out.  

Let’s talk more about PDFs. Are you uploading PDFs of journal articles to your Blackboard courses? Link to library resources instead! Doing so has these benefits:

1. The library's vendors have made their PDFs accessible. Linking to articles and eBooks in our collection means you don't have to worry about PDF accessibility. 
2. Linking ensures that the library knows you are using our materials.  We don’t know whether students are downloading PDFs directly from Blackboard, but we do track usage of articles and eBooks accessed through library resources. We want to make sure collections budgets support teaching and go towards items that get used.  
3. Linking avoids copyright complications. Posting a PDF to share on Blackboard may not be allowed by licensing or copyright, but links are fine.

Have questions? Reach out to your liaison librarian. And search for articles, eBooks, and more. 

-Christine  

As we dive into the final stretch of the semester, we are piloting our Thank A Professor Project.

Students can share a short or long thank you note to a professor, librarian, or mentor in their life that has made an impact during their time at GVSU. The form allows students to submit with or without their name, and we will handle delivering the notes.

Share our form with your students so they can write a note today!

Join Lindsay Ellis, Director of Supplemental Writing Skills, for a Supplemental Writing Skills Assessment Workshop. 

Two workshops will be held:

Monday, November 16 from 4:00-5:00pm at DEV 502C.

Tuesday, November 17 from 4:00-5:00pm at JHZ 3068.

Please fill out the RSVP to let us know if you can attend.

If you are currently assessing a General Education class in Fall 2026, drop in JHZ 3000 anytime between 2 and 4:30pm on Monday, November 30, for snacks and work time. Members of the General Education Committee will be there to answer any questions you might have as you work on your assessment findings and report. Data is due at the beginning of January, and this is a timely opportunity to dedicate time to this shared task in community with colleagues.

Carve out time to focus on your writing goals in a structured, supportive environment and join the Fall Remote Writing Challenge.

We’re hosting 1.5-hour writing sessions on Zoom on the Thursdays below from 2:00 - 3:30PM. Register for one, a few, or all of the dates. Each session includes 15 minutes for introductions and goal-setting, 1 hour of focused writing time, and 15 minutes to share successes and reflections.

Whether you're working on articles, scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), book chapters, professional documents, syllabi, or other writing projects, these sessions provide accountability and momentum to help you make progress. We’ll provide a quiet, distraction-free space. Writing can feel solitary, but with a supportive community, the process becomes more motivating, productive, and even fun! All faculty and staff are welcome. 

For dates and information on our writing challenges, visit the Faculty Writing Challenges webpage.

Ready, Set, Submit! Navigating the External Grant Application Process at GVSU

Interested in pursuing external grant funding? Join the Office of Sponsored Programs for a practical, one-hour workshop covering the steps and requirements for preparing and submitting a university-approved grant application at GVSU. Learn about working with OSP, developing proposal budgets, completing internal approvals, and meeting institutional review deadlines. Whether you're new to grant seeking or looking for a refresher, this session will get you ready to submit! Interested in attending? Email your RSVP to osp@gvsu.edu with “Ready, Set, Submit!” in the subject line.

Date: Friday, December 4, 2026
Time: 10:00–11:00 AM
Location: Zumberge Hall JHZ 3000

Coffee, tea, and snacks will be provided!