TEACHx 2025: Full Schedule

1:00pm CDT

From Knowing to Doing: GenAI-Powered Study and Time Management Support

Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT

Does getting your students to implement study and time management skills feel like a Sisyphean feat? How do we bridge the gap between students "knowing" how to study and actually utilizing beneficial study methods? LLM-based chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot have the potential to be personalized tutors for our students but bring with them the potential for hallucinations and false illusions of learning. The Personal Academic Wildcat Support (PAWS) project is building prompts that convert an AI tool into a learning expert that coaches students to use effective learning strategies on their upcoming assessments. Unlike many AI study tutors, the focus is not on teaching course content, but on supporting students in implementing personalized study and time management strategies. The goal is not to replace the human connection between advisors/instructors and students or pre-existing institutional study resources, but rather to provide an additional support system to help students reflect on their learning and embed new skills and habits into their everyday routine. In this session, we'll share the ongoing research leading to our template prompts and walk through customizing these prompts for your specific needs. You'll walk away with personalized prompts that directly address your students' studying challenges.

Speakers

Rachel Goc

Learning Engineer, Northwestern IT Teaching & Learning Technologies

Chamille Lescott

Assistant Professor of Instruction, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Northwestern Room B

Workshop

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

2:45pm CDT

B-Side Insights: Using AI-Powered Remixes to Critically Examine Language

Wednesday May 21, 2025 2:45pm - 3:30pm CDT

Rock Room

Join us for an interactive session exploring how AI can be used as a tool for critical literacy. Across subjects, teachers want to support students in expanding their communicative abilities in different contexts while also gaining awareness of underlying assumptions and expectations around language. As professors in Developmental Education, we have been using generative AI tools in our classrooms because we want our students to be digitally prepared. At the same time, we want to find balance between the positive uses of AI and concerns about how AI's can impact language by homogenizing our communication. Participants will try some of the activities from our classroom, using generative AI tools to remix texts and analyze the results to gain insights. We will demonstrate how using AI to adapt text can help students compare language contexts, enhance communication skills, and critically examine the rules around language use. Join us for an engaging session where we explore the transformative power of AI in language analysis. This interactive experience is designed to provide hands-on practice with generative AI tools that can help students analyze the contexts for language use and apply various stylistic transformations.

Speakers

Eric VanDemark

Director of Developmental Education, National Louis University

Lauren Anderson

Assistant Professor of Developmental Education, National Louis University

Wednesday May 21, 2025 2:45pm - 3:30pm CDT
Rock Room

Interactive Presentation

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

2:45pm CDT

PAPPL: Introducing the Personalized AI-Powered Progressive Learning System

Wednesday May 21, 2025 2:45pm - 3:30pm CDT

Northwestern Room B

Join us for an exciting session where we will explore how an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based assessment platform can truly elevate student engagement! We are thrilled to introduce the beta version of PAPPL (Personalized AI-Powered Progressive Learning), a robust tool that aids students by providing personalized AI-generated hints tailored to their interactions with the questions to help provide a personalized learning experience. Instructors will also benefit from valuable analytics, all designed to foster a supportive learning environment. By merging cutting-edge AI technology with inclusive teaching strategies, PAPPL offers customized feedback and tracks each student's progress on their journey to mastery. This tool not only alleviates burnout but also empowers students, boosting their confidence throughout their learning process. We look forward to engaging with you as we present PAPPL's capabilities, including how students can interact with this tool and what analytics can be generated by this system. Whether you are an instructor or a student across all levels and majors, join us in exploring a tutor powered by AI and thoughtful assessment to create meaningful learning experiences. Come and be part of this engaging discussion!

Speakers

Shayan Bafandkar

Ph.D. Student, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Alireza Talebpour

Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Wednesday May 21, 2025 2:45pm - 3:30pm CDT
Northwestern Room B

Interactive Presentation

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

2:45pm CDT

Innovating Higher Education: Embracing Accessibility and AI in Teaching

Wednesday May 21, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT

Louis Room A

Session 1: Embracing Digital Accessibility — Why It Matters and How Instructure Builds for It
Duration: 45 minute session

Explore the importance of digital accessibility in higher education and learn about Instructure’s process and program for developing accessible applications. This session will cover the benefits of inclusive design, showcase Instructure’s approach to building accessible features, and discuss how accessible technology creates equitable learning opportunities for all students. Participate in discussions on common challenges and practical strategies for integrating accessibility into your teaching and course development.

Session 2: Unlocking AI Features for Our Platform
Duration: 45 minute session

Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, AI has rocked education and asked us all to reconsider how we teach and how students learn. In this session, learn more about the current state of AI in education and about how Canvas’ open ecosystem is promoting innovation from Instructure, its EdTech partners, and from schools like Northwestern. You’ll see the latest AI features from Canvas, get a sneak peek of what’s coming next, and learn some practical tips for safely integrating AI into your classroom today. Join us to reimagine the future of teaching through innovative AI integration and inclusive accessibility practices—empowering faculty to create engaging, equitable, and personalized learning environments with Instructure.

Speakers

Melissa Loble

Chief Academic Officer, Instructure.com

Melissa Loble serves as the Senior Vice President, Customer Success & Partnerships for Instructure. In this capacity, she leads Instructure's customer success, services, support, and partnership organizations, all of which enable customers to successfully leverage Instructure’s... Read More →

Wednesday May 21, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT
Louis Room A

Workshop

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

8:30am CDT

Echo360: Transforming Student Engagement

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Rock Room

In today’s rapidly changing educational landscape, fostering active participation and enhancing student engagement remains a focal point in higher education. This session will explore EchoPoll’ impact on student engagement, providing case studies of demonstrated success, and how the solution’s interoperability with Echo360’s Learning Transformation Platform™ (LTP™) - the Echosystem™ - is transforming the future of education.

Through the power of the EchoSystem, the world’s and only first Learning Transformation Platform, Echo360 has delivered a wholistic approach to student engagement with EchoEngage. By leveraging real-time, interactive polling technology, EchoPoll, one of the two EchoEngage solutions, instructors around the world are transforming traditional classroom dynamics into a more accessible and personalized exchange of ideas.

EchoPoll empowers instructors to integrate data-driven engagement strategies into lectures in a new way, seamlessly adding polls, quizzes, and surveys into their live and recorded lessons. This real-time interaction, which can always be captured and distributed for asynchronous engagement and review, not only provides immediate feedback on student understanding but also promotes critical thinking and semester-long discussions. This technology ensures that every voice is heard, regardless of class size, and allows students to respond anonymously, which can improve participation rates and reduce the barriers to speaking up.

Speakers

James O'Donnell

Account Executive, Echo360

Michael Wright

Customer Success Manager, Echo360

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Rock Room

Interactive Presentation

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

8:30am CDT

Unlocking Deeper Learning: How AI Can Make That Happen!

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Lake Room

This presentation explores a novel approach to leveraging AI in education, not as a replacement for critical thinking, but as a catalyst for it. We'll delve into a case study where students used AI Large Language Models (LLMs) to analyze a business case, and then reflect on the AI's strengths and weaknesses. The surprising outcome? Students produced unusually insightful and lengthy reflections, demonstrating a level of engagement and ownership rarely seen in traditional assignments. This presentation will unpack the pedagogical principles behind this success, focusing on how AI-assisted assignments can naturally incorporate spiraling, spaced repetition, and agency -- three key elements for deep and lasting learning. Participants will leave with practical strategies for designing their own AI-enhanced assignments to promote deeper learning in their classrooms.

Speakers

William Burnett

Associate Instructor, University of Wisconsin, Parkside and Milwaukee

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Lake Room

Interactive Presentation

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

9:00am CDT

Emerging Technologies Lab

Thursday May 22, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT

Armadillo Room

Get ready to immerse yourself in a world of cutting-edge technology at the Reality Room! This drop-in event is your chance to experiment with the latest in augmented and virtual reality, photogrammetry, motion capture, and creative generative AI. You'll be able to try on augmented reality headsets, explore virtual reality simulators, create stunning 3D models with photogrammetry software, capture your every move with motion capture devices, and learn how to use AR/VR tools for prototyping. With inspiring guest speakers from various fields, you'll learn how these technologies can transform education, entertainment, and design. Come and experience a new reality that will leave you spellbound and ready to take your own projects to the next level.

Speakers

Kat Caribeaux

Doctoral Student, Northwestern University

Rodolfo Vieira

Developer Lead, Northwestern University

Zoran Ilic

Senior Academic Systems Engineer, Northwestern IT Media & Technology Innovation

Vince LaGrassa

Developer, Northwestern University

Orzu Tursnova

Full-Stack Software Developer, Northwestern University

Craig Stevens

PhD Candidate, Archaeology, Northwestern University

Thursday May 22, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Armadillo Room

Hands-on Lab

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

9:30am CDT

Educating Humans to Thrive in an AI World

Thursday May 22, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am CDT

Louis Room

It is hard to ignore the AI threats to economic, academic, political, environmental and psychological well-being. Higher education, however, finds itself in a unique position to understand and combat these threats: asking better questions and judging answers has always been at the center of a critical thinking education. Education manages the tension between learning to be fully human and preparing for a successful career. Since expertise is also essential to using AI well, we will need to prepare students to be experts in a world where AI can produce better work than many interns. Understanding how we might (or might not) use AI to support human thriving will be essential as we begin the process of maintaining the best of our tradition while rethinking curriculum for a new world.

Speakers

José Antonio Bowen

Educator, Musician, Scholar

José Antonio Bowen has been leading innovation and change for over 40 years at Stanford, Georgetown, and the University of Southampton (UK), as a dean at Miami and SMU, and as president of a top ten USN&WR most innovative college until 2019. He now runs Bowen Innovation Group L.L.C., and does innovation, leadership and inclusion consulting and training for Toyota, AT&T, Chevron, Pfizer, and other Fortune 500 companies.Bowen holds four degrees from Stanford University (in Chemistry, Music, and Humanities... Read More →

Thursday May 22, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
Louis Room

Keynote

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

10:00am CDT

Emerging Technologies Lab

Thursday May 22, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am CDT

Armadillo Room

Speakers

Kat Caribeaux

Doctoral Student, Northwestern University

Zoran Ilic

Senior Academic Systems Engineer, Northwestern IT Media & Technology Innovation

Vince LaGrassa

Developer, Northwestern University

Craig Stevens

PhD Candidate, Archaeology, Northwestern University

Orzu Tursnova

Full-Stack Software Developer, Northwestern University

Rodolfo Vieira

Developer Lead, Northwestern University

Thursday May 22, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
Armadillo Room

Hands-on Lab

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

10:45am CDT

Software Instruction to Support Digital Fluency in General Chemistry

Thursday May 22, 2025 10:45am - 11:30am CDT

Arch Room

Fluency in software is often assumed before students enter a course, but when students are challenged to perform concrete tasks, they struggle to work independently. In general chemistry lab courses we prioritize learning Microsoft Excel for data analysis and visualization early in the first quarter. While many students report prior experience with Excel, they struggle to execute the tasks required in a science lab course. To better support all students, we have integrated an in-class "data analysis" lab that allows them to gain fluency in the software with the support of their peers and teaching assistants. This requires some class time is devoted to active learning of the software; it also requires adequate training of the TAs. In this presentation, we will detail how we prioritize what tasks are done in class and what is expected to be independent work. While our example is in the teaching of Microsoft Excel, we aim to discuss objectives more generally to help participants assess their own relationship to the software of their choice. Bring your laptop!

Speakers

Veronica Berns

Associate Professor of Instruction, Northwestern University

Veronica Berns (she/her) earned her BA in Chemistry at Northwestern University in 2009 before her PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2014. Her doctoral thesis focused on the way atoms pack together in solids, specifically in compounds with multiple... Read More →

Katherine Gesmundo

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Northwestern University

Thursday May 22, 2025 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
Arch Room

Interactive Presentation

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

11:00am CDT

Emerging Technologies Lab

Thursday May 22, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT

Armadillo Room

Speakers

Kat Caribeaux

Doctoral Student, Northwestern University

Zoran Ilic

Senior Academic Systems Engineer, Northwestern IT Media & Technology Innovation

Vince LaGrassa

Developer, Northwestern University

Orzu Tursnova

Full-Stack Software Developer, Northwestern University

Craig Stevens

PhD Candidate, Archaeology, Northwestern University

Rodolfo Vieira

Developer Lead, Northwestern University

Thursday May 22, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Armadillo Room

Hands-on Lab

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

11:45am CDT

Teaching the Essential Skills of Tomorrow: Building Cloud and GenAI Literacy through AWS Sandboxes

Thursday May 22, 2025 11:45am - 11:52pm CDT

Louis Room

This session introduces educators to AWS teaching resources, specifically AWS Academy and AWS Innovation Sandboxes, designed to enhance classroom instruction in cloud computing and generative AI. We'll demonstrate how these tools can be integrated into your curriculum to provide hands-on experience with industry-leading technologies. Learn practical strategies for teaching students to effectively and responsibly use generative AI tools while developing crucial technical skills demanded by employers. This workshop introduces instructors to resources needed to prepare students for the evolving technological workplace.

Speakers

Carolyn Przybylinski

AWS Account Manager, AWS Worldwide Public Sector

Thursday May 22, 2025 11:45am - 11:52pm CDT
Louis Room

Lightning Talk

Subject AI and Digital Innovation

TEACHx 2025

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