2025 Posts

Orange brain with AI network and quote text: "...preliminary data suggested that initially relying on LLM help early on affected later performance, even if the LLM use stopped for the later task. That’s a powerful finding.”
August 12, 2025

When it Comes to AI in Education, Timing May Matter 

by Amanda Sturgill 

I’ve participated in several professional education opportunities this summer related to AI as a tool for higher education, and one of my biggest takeaways is that there is little agreement among faculty.   Even in a tiny academic unit of fewer…

Student using iPad with white text: "GenAI is a continuing evolution of inquiry and writing technologies, not something that’s entirely new.”
August 8, 2025

GenAI and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

by Jessie L. Moore

Each summer, the Center for Engaged Learning facilitates week-long meetings for three distinct international, multi-institutional, and multidisciplinary research seminars that foster collaborative scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) on focused engaged learning topics. During this summer’s research seminar meetings, generative…

Students can struggle to understand that who collects, who reports, and who disseminates information can all be different. These are questions students must learn to ask of their data, and answering those questions is a skill they must spend time practicing.”
August 5, 2025

Learning Your Data: Teaching with Data Biographies 

by Cora Wigger

“It’s not ethical to use a dataset without spending time getting a very good understanding of what the data means.”  Heather Kraus When I started teaching an applied statistics class for undergraduates, I resolved to give my students as much…

Two people talk in front of a screen witih an image that looks like a computer chip and says "AI." Text overlays read, "CEL Podcasts. Making College Worth It. Alumni Percpetions of Generative AI."
August 4, 2025

Alumni Perceptions of Generative AI

by Jessie L. Moore and Nolan Schultheis

Making College “Worth It” – Season 2, Episode 10 In this episode, Nolan and Jessie talk with Travis Maynard, Tim Peeples, and Paula Rosinski about their recent research on alumni perceptions of generative AI. Drs. Maynard, Peeples, and Rosinski share…

College students sitting around a desk with quote: "What we bring to the table isn't abstract; it’s layered, personal, and powerful."
August 1, 2025

Bringing Our Whole CELves to the Table 

by Tiffanie Grant, Azul Bellot, Ben Krasnow, Kaz Kelly, Kira Campagna, Amelia Weaver, and Sanai Crosby

Pull up a chair.  We’re glad you’re here. At this table, conversation matters, but so does who gets to speak and who gets heard. This isn’t just about having a seat—it’s about shaping the space together.  In higher education, decisions…

Tree with roots drawn on chalkboard with text: "In families and academic spheres, acknowledging those who came before us ensures their mentorship and influences endure through the enrichment of future generations.”
July 29, 2025

Genealogical Legacies: Comparing Academic and Family Influences 

by Sabrina L. Perkins and CJ Fleming

Recently, I (Sabrina) attended a workshop hosted by our Undergraduate Research Program (URP) on “equity-centered mentoring in undergraduate research.” The workshop was led by Associate Director CJ Fleming and other URP leaders, and focused on applying the “JEDI-B” framework to…

"An accommodation is meant to help students with disabilities during assessments without penalizing them for their disability.”
July 25, 2025

Accommodated, but Not Supported

by Kira Campagna

Writing this blog post has been in the works for a while now. I have been hesitant to continue writing it, as it evokes a range of personal feelings I have towards certain professors and my university as a whole….

"Instead of saying ‘it’s biased,’ we want students to be able to explain how something is biased, how we can learn from it, and how to use that knowledge to take steps to keep improving upon our understandings of the world.”
July 22, 2025

Data Literacy in Engaged Learning: Understanding Bias

by Amanda Kleintop and Cora Wigger

Over my career as a student and professor, I (Amanda) have come to learn, with the help of my colleague Dr. Cora Wigger that understanding bias in research is essential to understanding causes and perpetuation of racism. In my first…

Student taking exam with pen and paper. Quote "Without the support, I know I would have been much more overwhelmed than I already was.”
July 18, 2025

Standardized Exams + Disabilities   

by Kira Campagna

My goal for this blog post is to inform educators about the tedious process students may face to receive accommodations on standardized tests. I also want readers to consider the current role educators play in the accommodations process and the…

Blue puzzle piece with brain and gears with text: “I hope you can take a moment to appreciate how quickly challenges can stack up for neurodivergent students.”
July 15, 2025

Mental Health Through a Neurodivergent Lens 

by Ben Krasnow

Mental health and neurodivergence are tied together, and I want to hear more about it. In the simplest of terms, neurodivergent people are put under a lot of stress by moving through a world that is not designed with them…