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2025 Spring CITL Faculty Book Club: Teaching with AI
Connect with colleagues and explore innovative teaching strategies in the CITL Faculty Book Club, meeting virtually on Zoom. This semester, we’re reading / listening to an audio book - "Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (2024)" by Jose Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson. From interactive learning techniques to advanced assignment and assessment strategies, this comprehensive guide offers practical suggestions for integrating AI effectively into teaching and learning environments. Benefits of our book club include free access to the book, a CITL notebook, an Accredible badge, and the chance to suggest future reads. Faculty and post-docs are welcome! Register Here.
Check your calendar to determine if you can attend all of our Zoom meetings from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Thursday, January 30, Thursday, February 13, Thursday, February 27, and Thursday, March 13.
Join the Illinois Online Teaching Community on Microsoft Teams
Are you looking for a place to share your online teaching strategies and experiences, make meaningful connections, or find inspiration? We invite you to join our dynamic online teaching community here at Illinois on Microsoft Teams. Whether you want to join the conversation, post something interesting, or make a new friend by asking a question, our community is the perfect place for you. Come be a part of this exciting and supportive environment! Join us today and start connecting with others!
TA Reading Group
All TAs and students from all disciplines are invited to join the upcoming CITL 8-hour reading group led by Grad Affiliate Kathleen McGowan. This group will meet four times during this spring semester to discuss James M. Lang's text Small Teaching (2nd ed., 2021) and interact with some materials for the use of current and future classrooms.
Reading group hours will count towards a CITL Teaching Certificate. Please fill out this form to get matched with a group!
Kaltura Media Player Updated to Version 7
On Thursday, January 8, 2025, Kaltura’s media player was updated to version 7, offering new features like a transcript viewer, improved controls, and a cleaner layout. All videos in Media Space and added to Canvas or a website after the update will automatically play with version 7. Any video embedded in Canvas or on a website before Thursday, January 8, will continue to use version 2.
If users want to use the new player and features, they will need to re-embed the media by the same method they did originally. This will ensure continued support from Kaltura. Instructions can be found in Knowledge Base Article.
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Mark These Dates - The Spring 2025 Faculty Series on Teaching & Learning Begins February 12
Come join a dynamic learning community by participating in this specially designed seminar series for faculty (across all disciplines and rank). The theme is “Engaged, Evolving, and Energized Teaching & Learning: What, How, and Why". This series is open to first-time and previous attendees. Topics are: problem-based learning, multimedia assessments, documenting and assessing teaching excellence, and the teaching philosophy statement for promotion and tenure. And a great opportunity: there will be several “road trips” to visit classes of our exemplary teachers.
Dates and registration are now open on our CITL calendar. Click here for the flyer for an overview.
Upcoming CITL Workshops & Events
Explore these exciting workshops and events to enhance your teaching, engage students, and learn new skills!
Inclusive Teaching Workshop Series:
🔹 Navigating Classroom Discussion & Controversial Topics
📅 Tuesday, January 28 | ⏰ 9 - 9:50 a.m. | 📍 Armory 182
🔹 Using Feedback as a Framework for Student Learning and Customizable Support
📅 Tuesday, February 4 | ⏰ 9 - 9:50 a.m. | 📍 Armory 182
Spring 2025 Faculty Seminar Series on Teaching & Learning:
🔹 Session 1: Informal (IEF) & Formal (ICES) Student Feedback for Reflection & Improvement of Teaching & Learning: “I wish I had known that earlier”
📅 Wednesday, February 12 | ⏰ 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. | 📍 Armory 182
🔹 Session 2: Problem-Based Learning (PBL): Preparing Students to Problem-Solve Creatively and Effectively
📅 Wednesday, February 19 | ⏰ 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. | 📍 Armory 182
Special Workshops & Discussions:
🔹 Make Your Videos Accessible
📅 Tuesday, January 28 | ⏰ 2 - 3 p.m. | 💻 Online
🔹 Cultivating Online Learning Communities
📅 Wednesday, January 29 | ⏰ 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. | 💻 Online
🔹 CITL Faculty Book Club: Teaching With AI
📅 Thursday, January 30 | ⏰ 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. | 💻 Online
🔹 Learning and Memory in the Classroom
📅 Thursday, January 30 | ⏰ 1:30 - 3 p.m. | 📍 Armory 182
🔹 Introduction to AI Chat Bots (Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, and Others)
📅 Friday, January 31 | ⏰ 2 - 2:50 p.m. | 📍 Armory 172 & Online
🔹 Using Informal Early Feedback
📅 Tuesday, February 4 | ⏰ 2:30 - 4 p.m. | 💻 Online
🔹 Canvas Catalog and Professional Learning (The Art of Teaching Lunchtime Seminar Series)
📅 Thursday, February 6 | ⏰ noon - 1 p.m. | 💻 Zoom
Recurring Events:
🔹 Innovation Studio Open Hours
📅 Mondays & Tuesdays | ⏰ noon - 4 p.m. | 📍 Innovation Studio, Armory 172
🔹 Canvas Open Office Hours
📅 Thursdays | ⏰ 11 a.m. - noon | 💻 Online
Stay tuned for this spring's events! Bookmark the CITL Event Calendar for all upcoming workshops and the Training Services (formerly FAST3) Calendar for additional training opportunities.
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Teaching Strategies to Reach Generation Z Students
Faculty today are navigating shifting generational norms among Generation Z (Gen Z) students. These students have been shaped by evolving K-12 education, rapid societal and technological changes, and the global pandemic (Supiano, 2024). They arrive in college with different skill sets, high levels of anxiety, and varied learning habits, including the use of AI. It requires ongoing conversations with Gen Z students and adjusting our teaching strategies to meet students' learning needs. Here are some simple, effective ways to engage Gen Z learners (McMurtrie, 2024, 2025).
Gen Z Characteristics and Teaching Strategies
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Gen Z Characteristic
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Teaching Strategies
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Need for Relevance and "Why": Gen Z students want to understand the relevance and purpose of what they're learning, seeking immediate returns for their efforts and being more willing to ask "why."
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Use Active Learning Strategies: Employ interactive learning strategies, such as discussions on current events, role-playing, games, and real-life case studies, to make learning more engaging and relevant.
Design Authentic Assessments: Use assignments like business plans, scientific experiments, or projects addressing community challenges to highlight real-world relevance.
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Desire for Connection and Authenticity: Students seek genuine connections with professors who show they care and are relatable.
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Listen to and Engage with Students: Engage in dialogue with students to understand their perspectives and learning styles.
Storytelling: Connecting material to personal experiences and human stories, including your own, can increase motivation and engagement.
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Perfectionism and Pressure: Students feel immense pressure to perform perfectly, and some have a hard time dealing with anything less.
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Reduce Focus on Grades: Shift the emphasis from grades to process-based learning and intellectual growth. For example, provide completion grades for weekly assignments and offer additional feedback and credits rewarding students for improvement. You may also explore the upgrading assessment practice to focus on the learning process and individual reflection and growth.
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Openness and Authenticity: Gen Z students can be more open about their feelings, beliefs, and identities.
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Create an Inclusive and Relational Classroom: Build a positive and respectful environment where students feel seen and valued.
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Work/School Balance: Students may see work and school as equally important, and educators should help them connect the two.
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Provide Clear Guidance with Flexibility: It's important to provide clarity and structure in assignments and leave some room for exploration and independent thinking.
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In summary, to teach Gen Z effectively, show them why the material matters and connect it to their lives. Build authentic relationships, celebrate diversity, and focus on growth over perfection. With these strategies, you can create a classroom where students feel motivated and valued. If you would like to learn more about specific teaching strategies and tangible ways to create impactful learning experiences for students, please submit a contact form.
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