Submissions (4)
Accepted (4):
Navigating AI with Digital Humanities: Short Presentations and Roundtable Discussion — Mara Kozelsky <mkozelsky@southalabama.edu>
The field of Digital humanities has existed from the invention of modern computing. Yet digital humanities scholarship and teaching struggle to attract faculty buy-in and institutional support at many universities. Where digital humanities programs do exist, they often remain siloed, isolated from potentially high-yield STEM partners. The AI revolution has created, however, a new urgency for a digitally-inflected humanities education at all levels. From general education through graduate education, as well as within STEM fields, digital humanities can help meet AI challenges to critical skill sets and independent thinking. In this roundtable, faculty presenters will share their teaching experience with the digital humanities. With appropriate permissions, they will showcase select student projects. A broad ranging Q&A will invite the audience to articulate how the digital humanities can help navigate AI. We invite attendees to identify opportunities, as well as obstacles in encouraging the “digital turn” in humanities education within their universities, and to share their own teaching experiences. Implicit is the idea that Digital Humanities instruction teaches digital information literacy, and is critical to navigating the ongoing AI revolution. ## Presenters - Mara Kozelsky <mkozelsky@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - John Halbrooks <jvhalbrooks@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - David Messenger <davidamessenger@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - Becky McLaughlin <bmclaugh@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama
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Preparing Future Professionals Through Undergraduate Faculty Development Internships — Wyndolyn Ludwikowski <wludwikowski@shc.edu>
We will address how we created an undergraduate internship in Faculty Development. This collaboration allowed Faculty Development interns to provide insight to faculty about what is beneficial for students in the classroom from a student’s perspective. Undergraduate interns facilitated mid-course check-ins to provide professors a reliable and honest opinion about their teaching strategies and gave suggestions as to what would be the most effective way of teaching. Attendees will learn how to create an impactful internship opportunity for undergraduate students, learning about the interns’ tasks, the methods for setting up internships like this one, and the learning outcomes the students attained from the internship. The proposal aligns with the conference theme because we will provide information to conference attendees about how we shaped our teaching and learning environment to benefit students, faculty members, the Psychology Program, and the College, blending workshops on human connection and ethical AI use. ## Presenters - Wyndolyn Ludwikowski <wludwikowski@shc.edu>, Spring Hill College - Dylan Santa Cruz <dylan.r.santacruz@email.shc.edu>, Spring Hill College - Wyndi Ludwikowski <wludwikowski@shc.edu>, Spring Hill College
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Rethinking Lab Preparedness: A Student-Informed Approach to Pre-Class Engagement — Jackie Howell <jackiehowell@southalabama.edu>
Laboratory instruction presents unique opportunities and challenges: instructors must motivate students to prepare in advance, as preparedness directly affects not only learning outcomes but also the efficiency and safety of hands-on activities. For the fourth consecutive year, our Faculty Learning Community (FLC) has brought South’s lab educators together to examine best practices in instructional support, enhancing student engagement, and collaboratively design meaningful, transparent lab experiences. This year, our FLC centered its work on understanding preparedness from the student perspective. We surveyed more than 1,000 students enrolled in 11 lab courses across four departments—Biology, Geology, Chemistry, and Physics—to better understand their preparation habits, perceived barriers, and support needs. In this roundtable session, we will share our survey design, key findings, and engage participants in discussing strategies and practical approaches for fostering meaningful pre-lab preparation and improving the overall laboratory learning experience. ## Presenters - Jackie Howell <jackiehowell@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - Erin Itza <eitza@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - Samantha Camarda <scamarda@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - Leigh Delany-Tucker <leighdelaney@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - Rachel Rodenberg <rodenberg@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - Richard O'Brien <robrien@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - Milorad Stojanovic <stojanovic@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - Marija Novovic <mnovovic@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - Lee Yokel <lyokel@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama
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Shaping Teaching and Learning Environments for Neurodiverse Postsecondary Education Learners — Abigail Baxter <abaxter@southalabama.edu>
“Neurodiversity” refers to the natural variation in how human brains function, learn, and process information. Neurodiversity should not be viewed as deficits nor disabilities but rather as a profile of individual human’s strengths and weaknesses. However, many neurodiverse students face barriers and challenges on college campuses in terms of their learning needs and social stigma. Additionally, postsecondary education faculty and staff express the need for assistance in developing strategies to promote inclusive postsecondary environments for all students. This interactive roundtable discussion focuses on students with neurodiversity in postsecondary education settings. Outcomes will include: knowledge of the characteristics of neurodiversity, shared experiences with neurodiverse postsecondary students, effective instructional strategies to assist learners with neurodiversity, and development of practical ways to support all learners (neurotypical and neurodiverse) and foster inclusive student-centered campus communities. ## Presenters - Linda Reeves, University of South Alabama - Abigail Baxter <abaxter@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama
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