News, Events, Annual Report

Faculty Sponsorship to Attend Conference on Teaching Excellence at Temple University, January 10-11, 2024 

1/10 - Academic Integrity in a Postplagiarism World: The Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Teaching, Learning, and Assessment with Dr. Sarah Eaton
1/11 - Teaching with Technology: Holistic Pedagogies in a Time of Change with Dr. Sharla Berry

VITAL supports a team of up to eight faculty members across disciplines to attend this regional conference focused on learning-centered teaching. Sponsored faculty members are asked to share a conference take-away, i.e., demonstrate a teaching practice that supports student learning as part of a VITAL and/or department program. Faculty who were sponsored in the past two years are not eligible to apply. Please note. Sponsorship applies to both days.

If you are interested in attending the conference, please complete this interest form by Mon., December 11 at the latest.

Link to conference site
Link to program agenda
Link to list of sponsored faculty

VITALITY 

Please consult to latest issue titled, Detecting AI: Suggestions to Develop Your Detection Skills

LMS Selection Update, VPTL communication, October 9

Student Illness, COVID Testing

As the colder season has begun, we may find that students are unable to come to class due to illness. You may find the following information helpful to share with your students: Masks are available to anyone at the desk in the Connelly Center. Departments and College offices may have masks available as well.

The Health Center site offers updates on illnesses that may affect Villanova's campus and the larger community. If students suspect that they may have COVID, they can make an appointment with the Health Center and request a free COVID test. If students test positive, the Health Center will notify the Dean's office of the student's home department and faculty will receive notices about students' absences. The students will need to follow CDC guidelines for isolating. COVID is treated as any serious illness in Villanova's excused absences policy.

Dr. Stefan A. Perun, AssociateDirector for Digital Learning Pedagogy

I am very excited to introduce myself in a new role at Villanova, Associate Director for Digital Learning Pedagogy in VITAL. I consider it a great privilege to have taught at Villanova for the last 10 years in the Department of Public Administration where many of my courses were fully online. I spent considerable time in my role as faculty working out how to use the available technology tools to facilitate student learning and help provide the distinctive Villanova experience in virtual courses.

In addition to my teaching experience, I will be building upon my previous experience as a Faculty Fellow for eLearning Pedagogy in VITAL. More...

Educator Considerations for A.I.

Villanova-Specific Resourses

• Updated code on academic integrity, August 15, 2023
  
• Recommendations for A.I. generators such as ChatGPT, July 27, 2023
• Guidelines for students regarding responsible academic use of A.I.-generated material, July 27, 2023
• Learning path about generative A.I. in LinkedIn Learning - freely available to all faculty, staff and students at Villanova 
• VITALITY titled Detecting AI: Developing Your Detection Skills, fall 23
• VITALITY titled On ChatGPT, spring 23

• Why You Should Rethink Your Resistance to ChatGPT. How to teach with AI tools in ways that meet faculty concerns about ethics and equity - D. Lewis, 11-13-23, The Chronicle of Higher Education
• The Potential of AI and ChatGPT: Empowering Learning and Communication in the Digital Age - E. Margarella, 10-02-23, Faculty Focus
  
• Friend or Foe? Using Artificial Intelligence to Empower Your Teaching, Faculty Focus podcast, 04/12/23
• How to Create Compelling Writing Assignments in a ChatGPT Age - J. Lang, 04-04-23, The Chronicle of Higher Education
• ChatGPT and Good Intentions in Higher Ed - A. Caines, Episode 452, 02-29-23, Teaching in Higher Ed podcast
• Teaching Writing in an Age of A.I. - J. Warner, Episode 449, 01-19-23, Teaching in Higher Ed podcast
• Educator Considerations for ChatGPT: Capabilities, limitations, considerations for using ChatGPT for teaching and learning
• "Designing Writing Assignments in the Face of AI" outlines methods of designing writing assignments in the face of AI incursion - E. Prochaska, 01-23-23, Faculty Focus
  

Get Started Using PollEverywhere

UNIT-IT has created a Knowledge Base article that walks through the three steps faculty need to follow to request a PollEverywhere presenter account and start using it in their courses. There are also links to learn how to use it and ongoing support. Link to access the Knowledge Base article.

VITALITY: VITAL Teaching Ideas with Focus on Mental Health

This two-part series highlights the importance of making mental health visible in their teaching and the steps faculty can take to make this a reality in their courses. It also offers sample dialogue that faculty might use to support students' mental well-being.

Part I: Making Mental Health Visible in Class
Part II: Talking with Students About Mental Health in Class

Link to access past VITALITY issues

Using Perusall: What has Worked for Me

with Dr. Eliza Gettel, Assistant Professor of History, September 2022 (video) - with permission (15:55)
Dr. Gettel demonstrates how she has used Perusall in her instruction, outlines her equitable grading process, and focuses on creating a learning community. 
Link to transcript
Perusall is being piloted by 21 faculty this academic year as part of the TIC grant program. 

Villanova Policy Library

The Villanova Policy Library (VPL) assists faculty, staff and students in better understanding the many University policies and procedures. The University Compliance Office continues to feature compliance-related policies. For example, the Academic Integrity Policy sets expectations for honest academic work and provides for equitable administrative procedures to address suspected violations of Villanova’s Code of Academic Integrity. Access VPL through MyNova.

Student Support Services

Faculty can now find all student support services on our campus unified on one website focused on supporting and elevating students, and assisting them in applying their learning through a multitude of academic services to support students in their academic success, wellbeing, and post-graduate careers. 

Teaching Podcasts

Social Learning Amplified: Brings candid conversations with educators who are finding new ways to engage students inside and outside the class. Each episode will give you real-life examples and practical strategies you can put into practice in your own courses. Hosted by Eric Mazur, internationally recognized educational innovator in Social Learning and Peer Instruction.

Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning: Guests share discoveries of “dead ideas”—ideas that are not true but that are often widely believed and embedded in the pedagogical choices we make. Hosted by Catherine Ross, CTL, Columbia University

Faculty Focus Live: Offers research-based teaching tips to boost your creativity and motivation hosted by Magna Publications. Current episode: Transforming Reading Assigments into Engaging Tasks and Elevating Student Success

Intentional Teaching with Derek Bruff: Aimed at faculty to help them develop foundational teaching skills and explore new ideas in teaching.

Tea for Teaching: Series of discussions of innovative and effective practices in teaching and learning. Hosted by State University of New York at Oswego.

Teaching in Higher Ed: Explores the art and science of being more effective at facilitating learning. Hosted by B. Stachowiak, Vangard University, CA.

On Cultivating Student Engagement in Higher Ed: Features faculty and course designers using creative approaches to enhance students' learning experiences and turn engagement "ON".  Hosted by Dr. Kathryn Berkow, University of Delaware.

How to Make Your Teaching More Inclusive, Chronicle of Higher Education

Want to reach all of your students? This guide considers how faculty can provide a learning environment and engage in communication that reaches all of their students. The teaching resource introduces key principles of Inclusive Teaching, offers ways to interact inclusively with students, provides approaches to Inclusive Course Design, and suggests ways to evaluate your inclusive teaching methods. Link to article.

Self-Paced, Online Program: Making Your Course Accessible in LMS

As you are aware, accessibility is a critical factor in students' success. How can you check and ensure that your course materials are accessible? What do you need to consider? We invite you to take this online self-paced program, Making Your Course Accessible in LMS. Co-developed by VITAL and LSS, the program establishes the legal framework for accessibility in education, articulates why we need to address accessibility issues proactively in our courses, and demonstrates how to create ADA-compliant courses in LMS. Please click on course enrollment to enroll in this online program offered in Bridge. 
Link to more details

Innovative Teaching at Villanova 

Link to Innovative Teaching site