Being Human and Digitally Literate. What seems manageable at this moment is reading snippets of things and simply skimming. I generally prefer deeper, slower savorings of stories, perspectives, and scholarship…but, alas. I appreciate the number of conversations I’ve been in recently that touch on what it means to be in community–in person, online, and in more anonymous or asynchronous digital spaces. I am still a bit haunted by what I learned at a recent conference about the different ways that college students approach interactions in a “live” classroom space as compared to other facets of their digital lives. Let’s just say that the rules don’t necessarily apply as we might assume/hope. A somewhat related study released a few weeks ago from Elon University caught my eye, Being Human in 2035: How Are We Changing in the Age of AI?  Even if you aren’t interested in reading about AI right now, I highly recommend the list of 12 key human capacities and behaviors as a list worthy of reflection on what it means to be human. Do you ever print things out and post them in your office or on the fridge? Or am I just really old school? In any case, I am proud to say that this list made the cut, along with a few other gems that I would be delighted to show you should you stop by our office suite on the garden level of Zumberge Hall. We’d be happy to show you around and offer a cup of tea.

It likely comes as little surprise that many items that cross my desk address aspects of AI. Acknowledging that it may not hold universal appeal, I got a lot out of this recent EDUCAUSE article, Mapping a Multidimensional Framework for GenAI in Education. Let me offer the following snippet: “...this highlights the need to move beyond perception and cognition around AI, to a point where we consistently examine our own thinking about AI (metacognition) and critically evaluate our own and society's use of AI (epistemic cognition).” This statement seems delightfully resonant with what a liberal education approach brings to a (any) new (shiny) thing.  

Speaking of new things, a small group of faculty and staff has been hard at work as part of the Digital Literacy Initiative on Digital Literacy Summer Institutes to be offered June 24-26 and July 29-31. A call for facilitators and participants will be coming soon; we plan to kickstart a robust set of professional development offerings for faculty and staff around all things digital (including artificial intelligence), starting with the Summer Institutes and continuing throughout the coming academic year.

Reflection and Adaptation. What is the purpose of reflection? Okay, that was a trick question. I firmly believe that reflection is an integral component of learning. Throughout Pew FTLC offerings, not only do we promote reflective practice in teaching but in any/all faculty endeavors. So, we have updated our Pew FTLC Grants FAQs to be more explicit about the appropriateness of AI tools in the grant proposal and reflection submission process. Spoiler alert: please don’t. On a related note, you can find the recently updated university-wide AI acceptable use policy on a refreshed site: https://www.gvsu.edu/ai/.

For the past few years, the Pew FTLC has administered GV’s institutional membership to NCFDD, the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. While we have utilized their resources as much as possible in our Inclusive Excellence Initiative, the cost has become prohibitive and effective at the end of this month, the membership will expire. There is some overlap of NCFDD programming with other campus offerings and resources, including Academic Impressions, the Magna Digital Library, and the Inclusion and Equity Institute.  Additionally, this summer we are pleased to offer the Summer Writing Challenge described below, inspired in part by NCFDD. This fall, we will be rolling out additional opportunities, curated resources, and new faculty mentoring groups.

As we adapt to changing circumstances and make difficult decisions, I have taken notice of frequent mentions of adaptability. I must admit that the phrase “marketable skill” doesn’t immediately resonate, but I was compelled by this sensitive/sensible piece about teaching adaptability. I would love to hear how you might talk with students about the related concepts of adaptability, navigating change, addressing ill-defined challenges, and how a GV education is preparing for a range of possible futures.

Upcoming Learning Opportunities. We are busy preparing several major upcoming programs. Our May offerings are nearly full and thus our attention has turned in part to the Digital Literacy Summer Institutes mentioned above. Please save the dates for these Institutes: June 24-26 and July 29-31 and stay tuned for additional details. We are also nearly ready to announce the keynote speaker and call for proposals for the 31st Annual Fall Conference on Teaching and Learning to be held on Thursday August 14th. For now, please save the date and keep an eye out for an announcement in the coming weeks. 

Know also that we are here to assist you throughout the summer. Whether you are teaching a Spring/Summer course, reflecting on this past year, or are preparing for the fall, we are here for consultations (in person, Zoom, phone ((616) 331-3498), or email) or class observations, so don’t hesitate to reach out. I do hope that you are able to pause and enjoy the budding trees, returning birds, and the fresh spring air. I take great comfort in these signs of a new season and wish the same for you. 

Take good care, 

- Christine

Summer Writing Challenge
Join us on select Wednesdays this summer for 1.5-hour writing sessions in JHZ 3000 or on Zoom—your choice! Each session includes goal-setting, focused writing time, and a chance to share your progress. Just come with a writing goal!

Dates: 5/7, 5/21, 6/4, 6/18, 7/2, 7/16
Time: 10:00–11:30 AM

Bonus: Each session you attend enters you in a book drawing at summer’s end!

SPRING/SUMMER LEARNING COMMUNITIES – Propose Yours Now!
What have you been curious about lately? A teaching approach you want to try? A big idea you’ve been turning over in your mind? Now’s the time to turn that spark into something meaningful—with colleagues by your side.

Spring/Summer Learning Communities (LCs) are small, faculty-led groups that gather around a shared topic for a semester or two. These communities create space for cross-campus connection, exploration, and real growth. Keep an eye on this page for opportunities to join. 

If you’ve got an idea—or just the start of one—we invite you to propose an LC for Spring/Summer 2025. Submit a Letter of Intent using our online form. And if you're wondering what’s possible, browse our Past LCs webpage for inspiration from years past.

We’re improving the functionality of Active Learning Classrooms, and we want your thoughts!

Teaching in Mackinac Hall at our Allendale campus? Or DeVos at our Downtown campus?  

Select rooms now have updated floor plans to reflect active learning layouts. We’ve also created Padlet boards for each room (scannable by QR posted each room and on each classroom webpage). We invite faculty to use the boards as a collaborative sharing space to see how other faculty and students use the space for active learning. Feel free to share how you like to arrange the furniture, or activities you do with students to utilize the space. 

Learn more about the project and next classrooms we plan to update on our Classroom Design for Active Learning webpage. 

Last chance to register! Claim your spot now! Application deadline: April 30.

We are delighted to announce an opportunity for GV faculty to sign up for select courses offered by the Association of Colleges and University Educators (ACUE). Through our institutional engagement with the AASCU Student Success Equity Intensive, 24 seats in dedicated sections of two ACUE courses have been reserved for GV faculty. The Pew FTLC has supported ACUE course engagements in the past and can attest to the fact that participants rated the experiences as being high quality and having meaningful impact. In 8-week courses that are fully online, asynchronous, and professionally facilitated, faculty spend approximately 2-3 hours of activity per week, including implementation of new practices. The course opportunities are:

PROMOTING ACTIVE LEARNING

September 2 – October 19

October 20 – December 14

DESIGNING LEARNER-CENTERED COURSES

May 19 – July 6

October 20 – December 14

Seats are open to tenure-track and affiliate faculty who have not previously taken the course and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. As we are being provided access to the courses along with other institutions in our AASCU cohort, availability may be limited. And while we acknowledge that fall semester may not be top of mind at the moment, an advance commitment is needed in order set up the courses. Access the ACUE Partnership Portal to apply for the ACUE course of your choice. If you have any questions about this opportunity or the registration process, please contact Christine Rener (renerc@gvsu.edu).

Hypothesis is a social annotation tool that transforms reading into an active, collaborative experience. Fully integrated with Blackboard’s grade book, Hypothesis makes it easy for GVSU faculty to assign, assess, and engage students with digital texts and YouTube video transcripts.

Students can highlight, comment, and respond to peers’ annotations directly within the reading, creating organic, asynchronous discussions that promote deeper understanding. This active engagement encourages students to revisit texts, strengthening critical reading skills and knowledge retention. Hypothesis is simple to use and works seamlessly with GVSU Save/VitalSource and JSTOR, allowing annotations within digital textbooks and academic resources students already access. Instructors can easily track participation and provide feedback through Blackboard, streamlining the grading process.

Hypothesis invites you to learn more by participating in their upcoming events & partner workshops. Faculty are also encouraged to review our knowledge base articles in our service portal for getting started information. 

Global Accessibility Awareness Day
May 15 | 10 am - 12 pm | Virtual Event

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is a worldwide event held annually on the third Thursday of May to raise awareness about digital accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities.  At this event, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with experts from University Libraries, Student Accessibility Resources, eLearning Technologies, and University Marketing to learn best practices for making your digital content accessible.

Join us virtually on 5/15 between 10 am and 12 pm.  Drop in for 10 minutes or stay the full two hours—whatever fits your schedule! Learn more and register at this website. 

Faculty Mental Health Ambassador Training - University Counseling Center
May 9 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Kirkhof Center Room 2270.

We are excited to invite you to the Faculty Mental Health Ambassador Training, an initiative designed to equip faculty with the knowledge and tools to support student mental health effectively. This session includes insights on student mental health trends, identifying distress, available resources, and QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper certification. With over 200 student ambassadors already trained, we're excited to expand this impactful program to faculty. Register here, and feel free to reach out with any questions.