Faculty Focus

It’s hard to believe summer is over, but here we are: the first day of class. Twenty minutes in, by the time the professor reached the late work policy, the words had already started to blur.  Attendance. Office hours. Academic integrity. Weekly required readings. Discussion posts. Submissions. Final project. Ten percent off. No exceptions. Email within 24 hours. Use the most current APA or MLA format. Check the LMS.  The professor was explainin

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has generated both enthusiasm and apprehension among educators. This article argues that AI can serve as an adaptive pedagogical partner, enhancing formative assessment, reflection, and metacognitive learning. Through illustrative examples, the study demonstrates how AI can provide individualized feedback and foster deeper conceptual understanding. The discussion emphasizes the ethical and pedagogical implications of AI integrat

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has generated both enthusiasm and apprehension among educators. This article argues that AI can serve as an adaptive pedagogical partner, enhancing formative assessment, reflection, and metacognitive learning. Through illustrative examples, the study demonstrates how AI can provide individualized feedback and foster deeper conceptual understanding. The discussion emphasizes the ethical and pedagogical implications of AI integrat

Many nurses enter academia after spending years at the bedside as strong clinicians. Some have served as charge nurses, preceptors, or leaders, and eventually feel called to teaching as a new and meaningful way to make an impact. However, just like any new role, the transition from clinician to educator comes with uncertainty. It can be difficult to move from a space of confidence and mastery into a role filled with unfamiliar expectations and responsibilities.  Effective teach

We have to talk about what it’s going to mean, in an increasingly AI-saturated landscape, to teach without AI. Because one thing it won’t be is what we’re used to.  As we know, many people have serious concerns about the rapid spread of this new technology through our educational spaces. Some cite the wide array of dangers (environmental, economic, cognitive, democratic, etc.) it

We have to talk about what it’s going to mean, in an increasingly AI-saturated landscape, to teach without AI. Because one thing it won’t be is what we’re used to.  As we know, many people have serious concerns about the rapid spread of this new technology through our educational spaces. Some cite the wide array of dangers (environmental, economic, cognitive, democratic, etc.) it

One year ago, I was greeting my 30 third graders. Students came into the classroom with crayon colored artwork, miscellaneous items found outside, and were excited to tell me about their stories from yesterday and the fun video games they played last night. Now I stand as a college instructor teaching 19 undergraduate students from college freshman to seniors ready to graduate. They come into my morning class with air pods in, coffee in hand, and exhausted from late night intramural games and so

One year ago, I was greeting my 30 third graders. Students came into the classroom with crayon colored artwork, miscellaneous items found outside, and were excited to tell me about their stories from yesterday and the fun video games they played last night. Now I stand as a college instructor teaching 19 undergraduate students from college freshman to seniors ready to graduate. They come into my morning class with air pods in, coffee in hand, and exhausted from late night intramural games and so

My family was buying tickets to see one of their favorite bands. They debated whether to get one for me, knowing I’m not much of a live concert person. I surprised all of us and agreed to go. As we walked to the venue, I was fully expecting not to enjoy the night. I was wrong.  I didn’t know most of the band’s songs, yet I left feeling energized and light. I recognized that feeling immediately as the same one I experience after a particul

According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2025), the percent of students enrolled in distance education courses in postsecondary institutions in the fall of 2024 was 53.8%. Importantly and unfortunately, the withdrawal rate for this population far outpaces traditional students attending higher education institutions, requiring a closer examination of factors that can be addressed to improve retention in this population. In a comprehensive study repo

Whatever your institution’s policy on student AI use, whether strict prohibition, permitted use with disclosure, or something still being worked out, you face the same underlying challenge: when a submission raises questions about whether a student did their own thinking, you need a legitimate way to find out. AI detectors won’t give you one; research has shown they produce unacceptable false positive rates and carry particular bias against non-native English speakers (Liang

Whatever your institution’s policy on student AI use, whether strict prohibition, permitted use with disclosure, or something still being worked out, you face the same underlying challenge: when a submission raises questions about whether a student did their own thinking, you need a legitimate way to find out. AI detectors won’t give you one; research has shown they produce unacceptable false positive rates and carry particular bias against non-native English speakers (Liang

The first day of college teaching could be the most stressful moment ever in the teaching history of novice faculty members. Generally, the first day of teaching is intimidating for both faculty and students. According to Aydin (2021), it is common to experience anxiety on the first day of teaching, especially among newly experienced faculty members. Anxiety emotions are mixtures of conceptualizations such as cognitive, physiological, motivational, and expressive components. In addition to t

The first day of college teaching could be the most stressful moment ever in the teaching history of novice faculty members. Generally, the first day of teaching is intimidating for both faculty and students. According to Aydin (2021), it is common to experience anxiety on the first day of teaching, especially among newly experienced faculty members. Anxiety emotions are mixtures of conceptualizations such as cognitive, physiological, motivational, and expressive components. In addition to t

I teach a 300-level multimedia-design course, but last semester my most powerful teaching hack came from a 6-year-old. My daughter had scrawled two crayon figures—one with spiky blue hair, one with a superhero cape—and left them on the dining-room table. Instead of pinning them to the fridge, I uploaded the sketches to an “AI Image Combine” engine and typed:  “Place these two characters on opposite sides of a college lecture hall, manga style; the blue-haired student is sketching UI wire

I teach a 300-level multimedia-design course, but last semester my most powerful teaching hack came from a 6-year-old. My daughter had scrawled two crayon figures—one with spiky blue hair, one with a superhero cape—and left them on the dining-room table. Instead of pinning them to the fridge, I uploaded the sketches to an “AI Image Combine” engine and typed:  “Place these two characters on opposite sides of a college lecture hall, manga style; the blue-haired student is sketching UI wire

As online learning becomes more prevalent in higher education and professional development, User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design have become essential to the effectiveness of digital learning environments (Tawfik, 2020; Quintana, 2020). UX includes users’ perceptions and responses to a system and is shaped by factors such as usability, functionality, and context of interaction (Zaharias, 2012). UI refers to the visual presentation and interactive features that support access to an

Many college teachers want to respond to students’ identities and cultures with respect, accurate perceptions, and sensitivity. We may face challenges within ourselves that arise from being shaped by societal forces. A self-reflective, repeating process of “…awareness, analysis, action, and accountability” (The Adaway Group; Love 2010) helped me. I hope that sharing my experiences w

Many college teachers want to respond to students’ identities and cultures with respect, accurate perceptions, and sensitivity. We may face challenges within ourselves that arise from being shaped by societal forces. A self-reflective, repeating process of “…awareness, analysis, action, and accountability” (The Adaway Group; Love 2010) helped me. I hope that sharing my experiences w

As an educational leadership professor, I hear inspiring messages from colleagues all the time, and I understand the impulse to lead with the highlight reel. Wins matter, from measurable improvement and real growth to culture building, trust restored, and students graduating. Aspiring leaders need those stories because this work is hard, and hope is fuel.  But there is another curriculum I teach too, one that rarely makes it into the syllabus. The scar tissue. The heartaches, compro