CTLA fellows in the news! 

The work of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment’s faculty fellows has recently been included in national news outlets.

In “The Professors Are Using ChatGPT, and Some Students Aren’t Happy About It,” the CTLA position statement is provided as a way to assist faculty in determining how to leverage the technology while maintaining a human connection. Paul Shovlin, lead GenAI fellow and assistant professor of English, who appears midway in the story, notes, “The value that we add as instructors is the feedback that we’re able to give students,” he said. “It’s the human connections that we forge with students as human beings who are reading their words and who are being impacted by them.”

In “Welcome to Campus. Here’s Your ChatGPT,” Professor Jared DeForest, GenAI fellow and chair of Environmental and Plant Biology, is featured as he “created his own tutoring bot, called SoilSage, which can answer students’ questions based on his published research papers and science knowledge. Limiting the chatbot to trusted information sources has improved its accuracy."

And in this National Public Radio Fresh Air interview, Times journalist Kashmir Hill refers to Ohio University and the CTLA faculty fellows for their investigation into how to effectively deploy AI in teaching and learning. (Forward to the 11 minute mark.)

Over 100 participants are engaging in the Teaching and Assessing Experiential Learning certification program, a presidential initiative supporting the Dynamic Strategy. Those pursuing certification are provided opportunities to:

• Design Impactful Experiences: Learn to create meaningful experiential learning opportunities, from internships and service-learning projects to research and global engagement.
• Encourage Reflection: Develop strategies that engage students in reflective practices, encouraging them to connect theory with practice.
• Promote Inclusive Learning Environments: Ensure that experiential opportunities are accessible and equitable for all students, aligning with Ohio University's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Assess Real-World Outcomes: Implement effective methods to measure the impact of experiential learning on student growth and career readiness.

The professional learning portion of the certification is delivered via Canvas asynchronously. OHIO faculty are featured throughout the course sharing their own experiential learning models.

Full-time faculty are eligible for up to a $1,000 stipend for completing parts 1 and 2 of the program. The program is open to all instructors, administrators and interested instructional support staff. Anyone teaching courses at OHIO may earn the certification. 

Applications are now being accepted for two fall 2025 Faculty Learning Communities (FLC). 

Alternative Grading: Rethinking Assessment will explore and critically evaluate alternative grading practices, such as Specifications Grading, Contract Grading and Ungrading, with the goal of fostering equitable and student-centered assessment approaches. Faculty will explore and develop innovative, student-centered grading approaches that prioritize learning, proficiency and meaningful feedback over traditional grading models that focus on the grade rather than learning. 

Facilitating Student Career Readiness will help faculty identify opportunities for enhancing confidence and skills in leading career-related conversations with students. The FLC will encourage participants to actively engage students in career-focused discussions and activities and to collaborate with institutional stakeholders engaged in career readiness work at OHIO. 

The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment invites OHIO faculty, administrators and instructional support staff to assist in assessing the effectiveness of our third year and to help us plan future activities, programs, and priorities.

The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete and includes both satisfaction questions and opportunities to provide input on future programming. After quality and satisfaction questions, survey completers will find open-ended comment boxes where they can share any additional thoughts. 

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