Education Commons^™

Ai Beyond The Screen: Exploring Physical Ai, Tami Armstrong, Public Affairs, Dr. Ashwin Mohan, Ai Center

Professional Learning Day

What happens when AI moves beyond the screen and interacts with the physical world? Last year, Dr. Ashwin Mohan worked with a group of IMSA sophomores to explore Physical AI and develop hands-on activities using simple, low-cost tools. In this interactive session, participants will experience their work firsthand and learn how AI can learn from feedback and adapt. No coding or technical background is required: Just curiosity about AI, student innovation, and hands-on learning.

My Travels, Experiences, And Teaching Possibilities, Dr. Lee Eysturlid, Academics

Professional Learning Day

No abstract provided.

What’S Happening At The Chicago Hub?, Frank Kadri, Outreach

Professional Learning Day

Are you curious about what’s going on at IMSA’s newest hub location? After just one year, IMSA is already making an impact in Chicago. Chat with Chicago Hub manager Frank Kadri about what’s happening, and more importantly, what’s to come, including building a navigation app/website for STEM activities, experiences, partners, and providers that pairs with school selection for elementary and high schools across the city.

Budget Basics, Brien Martin,Business Office

Professional Learning Day

An overview of budgeting in general, explaining what budgets are used for, how they may be built, suggestions for managing a budget (or multiple budgets), and an overview of the IMSA budget process, which is being revised and revamped as we head into FY2028

Building Culture: The Calaverita Engineering Challenge, David Hernandez

Professional Learning Day

In this session, we will explore the cultural significance of “Calaveritas” (sugar skull), an important artistic element of “Día de los Muertos” in Mexican culture. Visitors will investigate the engineering design and production process used to create decorative “Calaveritas”, exploring materials, structure, aesthetics, and manufacturing techniques. Through the design process, participants will create their own “Calaverita” while connecting culture, art, engineering, and technology to understand how traditional designs can inspire modern creative production.

Make It Matter: Designing Meaningful Professional Learning, Cassandra Armstrong, Lindsey Herlehy

Professional Learning Day

You know your content. You have an idea. Maybe you even have a slide deck. But how do you turn that expertise into a 60-minute professional learning experience that educators will actually find valuable? This session will guide participants through the process of designing, preparing, and facilitating a professional learning session-- particularly for Institute Day. We'll explore what makes professional learning engaging and useful, consider how to move beyond "sit and get," and use a simple planning framework to turn an idea into an actionable session. Participants will have time to work on their own Institute Day proposal and leave …

Interactive Review Of Imsa’S Emergency Operations Plan, Stefan Bjes,Campus Safety

Professional Learning Day

Emergency preparedness relies on collective confidence and clear communication across departments. This session serves as a "work in progress" collaboration to present IMSA’s refreshed Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and workshop the best strategies for communicating these protocols to the broader staff body. Participants will explore core components of the plan—spanning severe weather, facility emergencies, and campus safety threats—while actively testing how to make these procedures engaging, accessible, and actionable for everyone on campus.

Ai Agents, Dr. Phadmakar Patankar, Academics

Professional Learning Day

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Sign-Out: Reaching Across Imsa, Courtney Caruthers , Student Affairs

Professional Learning Day

REACH: a sign-out system and MUCH more! This session explores why IMSA is implementing REACH, how it supports Residence Life operations, and where its impact intersects with Academics, Student Affairs, families, and other campus partners. Participants will see how REACH can connect people, processes, and information to strengthen student support, while exploring what we are learning through implementation and where opportunities for greater collaboration may exist.

Engaging In And Chaperoning Imsa Experiences, Brandon Ducoing, Emma Wilson Parker, Student Affairs

Professional Learning Day

IMSA’s student experience extends beyond the classroom, and adult presence plays an important role in making those experiences meaningful. This session will explore how faculty and staff can engage with students through events, activities, traditions, and other experiences. We’ll discuss what it means to be an effective chaperone, how to support student independence while maintaining appropriate supervision, and ways faculty and staff can get involved in experiences like CLASH of the Halls.

Grandma's Hands, Eric Rand

Teaching Social Studies in the Peach State

The purpose of this collaborative community based cookbook project is to archive personal memories, recipes, and experiences that contribute to the story of America. Educators are positioning students to become local historians by interacting with elders in their families or communities retrieving lost or unknown narratives regarding the different dishes. This manuscript provides educators with detailed teacher notes through 4 phases to help them and students work through the semester on the project building on additional knowledge learned through traditional course work. Students will use technology like voice recorders, and graphic design platforms to ground their finished product. Moreover educators …

The Adapted Socratic Circle As A Tool For Learning Sociological Social Psychology, Justin Huft

Feminist Pedagogy

This paper presents an adapted Socratic Circle as a feminist pedagogical strategy for teaching sociological social psychology. Unlike traditional Socratic methods that often privilege rapid recall, professorial authority, and dominant communication styles, this approach reimagines the circle as a collective practice of creating and applying knowledge. Students alternate between inner and outer groups, engaging both as discussants and evaluators, while formal assessment is distributed equally across professor, peers, and self-evaluations. This multi-source structure decentralizes authority, resists meritocratic norms, and affirms students as co-creators of knowledge. The feminist commitments of the activity are threefold. First, it centers process over product by …

Creating Student-Generated Infographics To Foster Civic Engagement Research In A First-Year Seminar, Carlton A. Usher

eJournal of Public Affairs

Infographics, visual tools like charts or diagrams, simplify complex data into accessible formats. This study explores how student-generated infographics foster civic engagement in a first-year seminar. Survey data from first-year students (N=29) revealed 85% rated the project highly valuable, and 87% reported improved retention of societal issues. While research was the least favored aspect, students praised the project’s creativity and peer-sharing potential, with 40% emphasizing its value for visual learning. Most expressed confidence in sharing their work publicly. These findings support the use of infographics as a pedagogical tool for enhancing civic engagement among first-year students navigating academic transitions. Future …

Structuring Clinical Readiness Through The Core Model In Csd Graduate Education, Camille Byrd O'Quin, Elaine Reyna, Angela M. Riccelli, Jessica Bonner, Judy Platt, Nicole Bing

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

This article introduces the CORE Clinical Orientation Model, a conceptual framework designed to support early clinical readiness in speech-language pathology graduate education. Grounded in the field's shift from traditional site-based apprenticeship models toward more structured, faculty-supported approaches, the model addresses documented variability in early clinical supervision and student preparedness. The CORE Model is organized around four interrelated pillars: Clinical Foundations, Ongoing Reflection, Rigorous Clinical Application, and Engaged & Intentional Mentorship. Although the model was developed alongside a graduate clinical orientation course, the course represents one implementation of the framework. This article describes the theoretical and professional foundations of the CORE …

Ai Tutor, Online Course, Or Both? A Randomized Experimental Pilot Study For Evaluation Capacity Building, Lendel Kade Narine, John M. Diaz

Extension Research

Extension lacks literature comparing standalone generative artificial intelligence (AI) with structured professional development for capacity building. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and Cognitive Load Theory, this study evaluated the effects of an asynchronous online course and a custom AI tutor on evaluation knowledge and self-efficacy among Cooperative Extension professionals. We conducted a randomized 2 × 2 factorial pilot study crossing access to an evaluation certificate course with access to a custom Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT). Of 144 registrants, 78 provided matched pre- and post-test data, with attrition differing across conditions. Data were analyzed using a three-way mixed factorial ANOVA. Course …

The Utilization Of Holographic Simulation For Specialized Patient Populations: A Feasibility Study, Laurie Neely, Jennifer E. Tucker, Amardeep Singh, Taylor Mort, Jeremy Fleischmann, Patrick Pabian

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique set of challenges for health care education programs to prepare students to care for specialized patient populations. Lab experiences that incorporated real patients were restricted due to risk of infection. The use of simulation-based learning increased as an alternative to prepare students for the clinical setting. The purpose of this study was to examine students’ perception of holographic simulation (HS) and confidence in clinical observation skills of motor milestones in children in preparation for clinical practice before and after use of HS in the classroom

Methods: Subjects included 36 second year Doctor …

Using Scenario-Based Generative Ai In A Social Studies Methods Course, Timothy Lintner, Ellis Reeves

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly transforming the landscape of educator preparation. This shift is especially evident in social studies. As emerging technologies like AI reshape how social studies is taught and learned, it is essential to incorporate them into course design and student outcomes. Simply put, we must ensure that the next generation of social studies educators can effectively use AI to create real-world, scenario-based learning experiences that foster inquiry and encourage student action-taking. This article examines how AI-supported, scenario-based learning was strategically integrated into a secondary social studies methods course at the University of South Carolina Aiken. From concept …

‘There Is No Continuity’: Assessment Of Pre-Service Teachers' Ability To Analyse Historical Sources In Two Ghanaian Public Universities, Anitha Oforiwah Adu-Boahen

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The paper examined student-teachers’ understanding of change and continuity in History. Using a convergent parallel mixed method approach, one hundred and thirty-five (135) student-teachers from two public universities examined images depicting classroom settings in Ghana’s educational system from different periods. Respondents were expected to show and explain the continuities and changes in the different periods in Ghanaian history. They were to focus on the disparities in ‘change’ and ‘continuities’ in classroom settings in the Ghanaian educational system over time. Again, student-teachers were expected to transform their knowledge of these changes into historical understanding by writing an interpretation from the sources. …

Using The Past To Better Understand The Present: Contextualizing Today’S History Wars, For Ourselves And For Our Students, Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This essay considers our contemporary moment in the context of the long history of the so-called "history wars" in the United States. It identifies four historical moments with ties to the present, and makes use of primary documents to discuss each time period. It also considers the ways in which historical activists such as Frederick Douglass and W. E. B. Du Bois advocated for honest history in the past, and the ways in which we might argue for nuanced historical thinking in the present. Teachers may find the documents of use for their own classrooms, and a brief appendix at …

Impact Of A 3d Virtual Dissection Tool On Written And Laboratory Exam Performance In Dpt Gross Anatomy, Jorge Eduardo Sarmiento, Heather Disney

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Introduction: Higher education institutions are incorporating 3D technology, such as the Anatomage Table, to supplement cadaveric dissection in gross anatomy courses. However, research on its impact on student learning outcomes remains limited.

Methods: This quantitative study examined differences in written and laboratory exam scores among Doctor of Physical Therapy students who used the Anatomage Table versus those who received traditional instruction. Guided by the adaptable learning theory framework for technology-enhanced learning, the study analyzed archival data from a five-campus U.S. university using the Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman’s rho.

Results: Findings revealed a statistically significant difference in written exam …

Learning From Curricular Innovations In Health Professions Education: A Scoping Review, Andrew J. Notebaert Dr., Sherrill Morris, Elizabeth Sterner, Beverly W. Henry

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Introduction: It is important to learn how health professions education (HPE) programs respond to recommendations across countries and disciplines, including their preparation of students to work in health care systems, the reorganization of programmatic curricula, and strategies to overcome challenges encountered in the change process.

Methods: Following the JBI scoping review methodology, we systematically reviewed literature from 2013 to 2024. We selected articles that specifically mentioned HPE curriculum modification for pre-licensure and clinical programs to address health care system problem(s). Data extraction included: aim/purpose of the study, intervention/implementation components, curricular scope, study population, context and participants, types of data …

Exploring Bias Filters As A Source Evaluation Tool, Mandi Goodsett, Ben Richards, David N. Rapp

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

Today's complex, algorithmically-driven information landscape can be difficult to navigate. While media literacy skills are important for negotiating this complexity, a pedagogical focus on misinformation and fact-checking can have the unintended effect of increasing already widespread cynicism, including among young people. In this exploratory study, we introduced college students to a new pedagogical concept: bias filters. Bias filters are aspects of the information creation process that help to reduce bias in the final product. The findings suggest that bias filters have considerable promise as an instructional tool, encouraging students to approach information sources with a more nuanced, less cynical perspective. …

Guided By Innovation: A Phenomenological Study Of Virtual Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Generative Artificial Intelligence Integration, Lisa M. Berry

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of elementary virtual teachers who integrate generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools in their pedagogical practices at a large elementary virtual school. Participants were purposively sampled because those in the specified virtual school program provided relevant, experience-based insights and allowed the researcher practical, feasible access (Creswell & Poth, 2018). The participant sample for this study consisted of virtual elementary teachers who taught students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers. The researcher followed Creswell and Poth’s (2018) data analysis spiral to systematically …

Building A Mini Medical School: An Evidence-Based Framework For Health Science Education Outreach, Alexandra S. Hausmann, Shirley F. Delair, Liliana P. Bronner

Medical Student Summer Research Program

No abstract provided.

The Case For Cases: From Compelling Stories To Responsible Reasoning And Adaptive Learning, Hashem Elassad, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Examples, stories, and cases connect abstract propositions with situations, yet their pedagogical usefulness does not establish their evidentiary adequacy. This conceptual article examines how case-based learning can support understanding, responsible judgment, and adaptive knowledge use without allowing memorable narratives to substitute for warranted inference. Building on an originating essay about the value of examples, the analysis integrates selected scholarship on case-based reasoning, worked examples, analogical comparison, narrative persuasion, epistemic cognition, and Cognitive Flexibility Theory. The methodology consists of purposive literature selection, conceptual differentiation, comparison of explanatory mechanisms, examination of boundary conditions, and development of an integrative instructional framework; it is …

Crossing Digital Borders: Student Success, Peer Mentorship And Ethical Ai Literacy In Community College Curricula, Adrian Bordoni, Jody A. Resko

Open Educational Resources

A changing job market set wthin the context of new Generative Articial Intelligence applications and technology requires academia to integrate, innovate and implement updated materials in their classes. Lack of training and awareness of ethical use of emerging technologies by students will be addressed, and best practices will be modeled, by Peer Mentors.

Faculty Coordinators will train 4 students to serve as Peer Mentors to develop materials as part of an interdisciplinary, career focused set of workshops. These workshops will be hosted in Education and Criminal Justice Classes in person- as well as a hybrid session in collaboration with Faculty …

The Lived Experience Of Secondary Charter-School Teachers Who Implement Artificial Intelligence In Their Daily Instructional Practices, Gabriela C. Villa

PhD in Education

Little is known about the lived experiences of secondary charter-school teachers in Broward County who use artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily instructional practices. To address this gap, the purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand teachers’ lived experiences with AI integration in their daily instructional practices. The study was guided by the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, which supported an understanding of how teachers integrated technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge when using AI. Using convenience sampling, 10 secondary charter-school teachers with teaching experience ranging from 5 to 21 years were recruited. Data were collected through semi-structured …

The Pal Compass For Navigating Ai In Education, Anny Fritzen Case, Christine Dawson, Deborah Vriend Van Duinen

Teacher Education Faculty Scholarship

A framework for reflecting on AI in Education through Purpose, Agency, and Learning.

Oral History As A Tool For First-Year Student Success, Justin Willis, Saul Araujo

Journal of Research Initiatives

First-year college students often face significant challenges as they transition into higher education, particularly when balancing academic responsibilities with employment. Many students work out of financial necessity, which can increase stress, limit campus engagement, and negatively affect academic performance and well-being. This qualitative case study explores how oral history methods can support first-year college students as they adjust to the demands of balancing education and work. Guided by Tinto’s Model of Student Retention and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, the study examines how firsthand narratives from individuals who have navigated similar challenges can foster reflection, resilience, and practical skill development. The …

Language For Learning: Examining Teacher Language In Reading Instruction, Madeleine Mejia, Amber Bechard

Journal of Research Initiatives

Teacher language plays a key role in literacy instruction because it shows what educators notice about students’ reading, how they interpret performance, and what they see as important for learning. However, common instructional phrases can sometimes reflect assumptions about what students know or can do or miss important parts of reading development. This article looks at teacher language as a way to reflect on these assumptions, especially when teaching students with dyslexia or those who are bilingual or multilingual. Using research on literacy development, teacher knowledge, classroom talk, and humanizing teaching, the article introduces the Language for Learning Tool. This …