Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up five resources to share with you on the topic of Instructor-AI Collaboration for Responsible and Enhanced Learning. Below, you'll find: An article on using AI teaching agents in classrooms to improve student collaboration and enhance learning experiences through human-AI teaming. An article highlighting AI's impact on student isolation and the importance of schools prioritizing human relationships with the help of AI-instructor collaboration.  A LinkedIn blog post on how AI can revolutionize education by creating collaborative classrooms, tackling teacher training, addressing tech glitches, ensuring student data privacy, and reducing costs through real-life case studies. An article on the benefits of student collaboration with AI on drawing performance, and emphasizing the significance of teacher guidance, storytelling, and continuous evaluation. A study on teachers using an AI assistant in collaborative learning activities shows increased adoption of intervention strategies and diversified coregulation methods to enhance teacher awareness and offer intervention options. Check them out and let us know what you think about instructor-AI collaboration in the comments below the post. Don't miss out on the upcoming webinar, "Fighting Fire with Fire: Navigating Student AI Use with AI-Enriched Assignments and Assessments" on February 16th to delve deeper into AI in education. Register today! ... View more

A Whole New World: Exploring AI's Impact on Future Pathways of Education: Tuesday, April 16 at 2pm ET Presented by Susan Winslow, Chief Executive Officer, Macmillan Learning Join us for an illuminating webinar featuring Macmillan Learning CEO, Susan Winslow, and a distinguished cohort of educators exploring the profound implications of AI in shaping educational and professional worlds, in particular AI-related competencies soon-to-be graduates will likely need to develop to succeed in many professional settings in the near future. This engaging session will also cover AI's influence on educational paradigms and provide a platform to contemplate strategic interventions that enhance student learning outcomes in rapidly evolving corporate and educational settings.    Watch the Recording ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up five resources to share with you on the topic of AI in Education from Student Perspectives. Below, you'll find: A video discussion on the integration of AI tools in higher education, emphasizing efficiency, expressing concerns about job displacement, and highlighting the importance of AI literacy for future job competitiveness. A webinar recording featuring a panel discussion where students share experiences on the use of generative AI tools in higher education, exploring the impact on learning experiences, academic performance, and addressing ethical concerns. An article on AI tools in NYC high schools, exploring opportunities, challenges, and concerns about cheating, while emphasizing the importance of balancing AI's potential with academic integrity. An article from BBC Young Reporters on the importance of incorporating lessons about AI in the education system to ensure responsible use without hindering creativity and critical thinking. A blog post on the impact of AI on education, focusing on student perspectives at Luther Burbank High School, highlighting pros and cons, and encouraging responsible use of AI in education. Check them out and let us know what you think about AI in education from student perspectives in the comments below the post. ... View more

AI Amplified Learning: Discipline-Specific Strategies Workshop: Thursday, March 21 at 1PM ET Presented by Jennifer Duncan, Matthew Bruce Ingram, Vaughn Scribner, and Matt Evans Enjoy an engaging AI Workshop tailored for college instructors ready to move beyond general principles and actively integrate AI-enhanced teaching strategies into their discipline. This workshop is designed to empower educators with practical insights and strategies for leveraging generative AI to enhance student engagement, streamline learning experiences, and foster innovative teaching methodologies. What You’ll Take Away: Move beyond general principles to understand, plan, and activate new AI-enhanced teaching strategies Concrete tactics for using generative AI to enhance student engagement Practical insights for streamlining learning experiences and fostering innovative teaching methodologies Hands-on practice in smaller discipline-specific groups with educator-coaches   Watch Session Now! ... View more

Fighting Fire with Fire: Navigating Student AI Use with AI-Enriched Assignments and Assessments: Friday, February 16 at 12pm ET Presented by Solina Lindahl and Scott Cohn Join us for an informative and hands-on virtual workshop where instructors will develop three pedagogical strategies for using generative AI to tackle three of the most pressing concerns that have arisen due to the wide availability of generative AI software: directing and encouraging responsible student use to meet specific learning outcomes; constructing and evaluating assignments that intelligently incorporate generative AI, and assessing student knowledge in the age of gen AI. Led by experienced educators, you will have the opportunity to learn from peers and practice developing class activities that help you use artificial intelligence to not only mitigate cheating, but also foster deeper student learning and engagement. What You’ll Take Away: A better understanding of how to utilize generative AI in the classroom to address common concerns and improve student learning. Three pedagogical strategies that can be implemented immediately, as well as practical ideas for incorporating generative AI into assignments and assessments. Inspiration to explore new ways of using technology for educational purposes. Access the recording today! ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up five resources to share with you on the topic of Leveraging AI to Drive Innovation in Education. Below, you'll find: An article discussing how the use of AI can transform curriculum design, enabling personalized learning with real-life examples. A list of 10 ways AI is enhancing the course design and development process, offering new capabilities to try out and improve personalized learning experiences. A LinkedIn post exploring how AI-driven personalization can create efficient student learning experiences, addressing ethical considerations and recommending a blended learning approach. A video on the impact of generative AI on education, envisioning a future where AI elevates discourse and fosters higher-order analytical skills. A study analyzing the use of adaptive learning systems in education, emphasizing their importance during the pandemic and calling for further research. Check them out and let us know what you think about leveraging AI to drive Innovation in education in the comments below the post. ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up five resources to share with you about Embracing AI and the Future of Education. Below, you'll find  An article on the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the education sector, highlighting the top 10 AI tools that are reshaping teaching and learning methods in 2024.  An opinion piece from Stanford University on the evolving world of generative AI tools and their implications for teaching and learning, encouraging thoughtful engagement for educators navigating AI in education. An article from EducationWeek exploring AI tools educators are using, beyond ChatGPT, and how they are transforming the teaching landscape. A curated list of the 15 best AI tools for education on the market, each evaluated based on criteria including user-friendliness, features, integration capabilities, and more. An article exploring the potential of AI in enhancing learning and presents 43 examples showcasing its applications in education. Check them out and let us know what you think about Embracing AI and the Future of Education in the comments below the post.  ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up four resources to share with you about Analyzing Student Performance with AI. Below, you'll find  A researched approach to using machine learning algorithms to monitor and support student performance throughout the course, as well as identifying key factors that impact final outcomes. An article exploring AI applications in the classroom, like digital attendance, intelligent scheduling, real-time grading, feedback, and predictive analysis for student performance and the crucial role educators play in this AI era. A LinkedIn article highlighting how the incorporation of AI in attendance systems enables real-time insights into student behaviors, improves accuracy, and detects unusual patterns.  An article on computer vision's use in developing an automated attendance solution for smart classrooms, with a focus on facial recognition. Check them out and let us know what you think about Analyzing Student Performance with AI in the comments below the post. ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up five resources to share with you about Personalized Learning with AI. Below, you'll find  An article on how AI is transforming traditional education by automating tasks, personalizing learning experiences, helping teachers improve courses, offering AI-based tutoring, providing valuable feedback, and reshaping teacher roles. A blog post by GettingSmart provides a comprehensive perspective on the role of AI in education and its invaluable contribution to delivering personalized learning experiences. A LinkedIn post showcasing the advantages of AI in education, such as personalized learning experiences, while also addressing concerns about biases in AI algorithms.  An article exploring tools that utilizes AI to generate custom reading passages and comprehension questions based on students' interests, creating an engaging learning experience that improves outcomes.  A blog post explores how AI can enhance education customization and also emphasizes the continued importance of human teachers in creating supportive learning environments. Check them out and let us know what you think about Personalized Learning with AI in the comments below the post. ... View more

At Macmillan Learning, inspiring what’s possible for every learner means building a platform that meets every learner where they are and supports them throughout their learning journey. As lifetime learners we understand that learning has no finish line. As developers of educational solutions, we are also never finished and must continually adapt as technology does. We are never done making learning possible for every student. Macmillan Learning’s teams have dedicated themselves to building an accessible Achieve that goes far beyond compliance checkboxes. Our efforts are constantly adapting to changing standards, new feedback from users, and industry developments. We’ve developed processes for addressing accessibility that rely not only on a network of trusted experts in accessibility but also on our users to tell us what makes our solutions accessible to them. While we were the first organization to have global certified accessible ebooks and our efforts have been recognized by the Accessible Books Consortium among others, we are not resting on our laurels.  This year, our detailed screen reader testing with assistive technology users led to improvement in backend code for everything from buttons to multiple choice questions with the goal of creating not just a compliant experience but an enjoyable and simple one. Engineering teams spent more time than ever learning about and using assistive technology in order to integrate into our testing and development processes.  We were thrilled to present Macmillan Learning Lab Simulations, which simulate experiences commonly incorporated in lab courses, at this year's CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. We wanted to highlight improvements to the experience with assistive technology, including keyboard-accessible drag and drop tools, detailed visual information for screen reader users, and a color-blind mode that preserves the accuracy of experiment results while clearly communicating color state. Just-in-time announcements for assistive technology users introduce dynamic changes: any student using the simulation knows what’s happening on the screen even as a chemical reaction is actively occurring, making the experience equally engaging for all users, no matter how they interact with the content.     Our focus extends beyond STEM, with accessibility updates to our Writing Tools as well. Numerical indicators associated with highlights and comments allow users to easily tie marginal comments to areas of the text without relying on color. An underline system to better call out text in a draft with feedback was implemented: all highlights will have dashed underline, unless there is an overlapping highlight, in which a solid underline will be used. Screen reader users now get additional notifications around whether feedback remains in a draft for review and can tab in and out of comment details.      This year also marked the launch of our accessibility principles. These five principles include “Innovation with Purpose.” As Macmillan Learning continues to create new learning solutions for students, we believe that the call to be innovative extends to embracing accessibility as an important element of every learning solution we provide. We also feel that transparency is an important part of our relationship with our users, which is why we include a Release Report Addendum to our voluntary product accessibility template (VPAT), updated monthly. Our commitment to this work is long term and ongoing, and we can’t be successful without continually talking with every user and sharing our successes with them. At the end of the day, accessibility is about individual access and opportunity, a mission we share as a team. ... View more

Achieve continues to evolve to meet the diverse needs of the educational community and enrich your teaching and learning journey. New enhancements to Achieve for Spring 2024 are designed to maximize value, augment support, and streamline processes, bringing a new level of efficiency to the platform.  Below are a few of the features you can look forward to using the next time you teach with Achieve.    Meet accessibility needs through continuous improvements  Macmillan Learning’s commitment to inclusivity and equal learning opportunities shines through continuous accessibility improvements. Recent enhancements—including updates to Writing Tools, the Suggested Search feature, radio buttons, drop-down or collapsable menus, and PDF downloads—ensure all parts of Achieve are compatible with assistive technology and accessible to all learners.   Dive deeper into each student’s performance Gain a comprehensive overview of each student's performance with Achieve’s new Individual Student Gradebook View. It provides a snapshot of a student's progress across all assignments, scores, due dates, and completion dates, proving invaluable for office hours, post-class discussions, or determining the need for additional support. Get help where you need it most Providing both self-service and live agent assistance, Millie the Help Chatbot offers just-in-time support for you and your students within Achieve.  Find Millie at the ready through the chat icon or the “Chat With Us” option in Achieve’s Help Center. From getting started to learning how to use Achieve’s wealth of resources, Millie is here to make your Achieve journey smoother. ... View more

In Matt Ingram's vibrant communication studies class at Dakota State University, Achieve's video case studies take center stage. These dynamic resources seamlessly blend theory and practice, offering a diverse range of content, from real-life speeches to reenacted scenarios. What sets Achieve apart is its adaptability, strategically woven into the weekly rhythm by Matt to spark lively discussions and collaborative problem-solving sessions. Beyond assignments, Achieve becomes a catalyst for creativity, inspiring students to craft their own scenarios under Matt's guidance. This intentional approach empowers students to navigate communication complexities, fostering confidence and honing their skills. Achieve, in Matt Ingram's classroom, is more than a tool—it's a dynamic force transforming the learning experience into a journey of discovery and growth.  Click below to watch Matt discuss Achieve’s video case studies in greater depth! ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up five resources to share with you about The Future of Student Activities with AI. Below, you'll find  An article exploring how AI can impact extracurricular activities with personalized learning, enhanced instruction, and ability to create immersive experiences.  A ChatGPT generated vision of what a high school student's and teacher's day may look like in an AI-integrated environment. A blog post from Inspirit AI with testimonials from students who used their program to gain knowledge about AI and explore its practical aspects. A guide to starting an AI club at a school and the potential benefits such an organization can bring, from sparking students' interest in AI to helping them develop leadership skills. A video on the use of artificial intelligence in afterschool programs and its transformative capabilities, potential to disrupt education, and some success stories.  Check them out and let us know what you think about The Future of Student Activities with AI in the comments below the post.  ... View more

In this casual conversation, we meet Stephen Henry, a dedicated full-time faculty member at Houston Community College. Stephen's focus is on teaching biology, specifically genetics, anatomy, physiology, and general biology. What's notable about his teaching strategy with Achieve is the practical way it supports students. Achieve's learning curve is a helpful tool – if you answer a question incorrectly, it provides similar questions to help you fill those knowledge gaps. Moreover, reaching a certain point in the assessment means a solid 100 in your gradebook, which is always a plus. And the icing on the cake? Even after the due date, students can revisit questions and practice to boost their scores further. Stephen highlights the importance of customization to align with your teaching style, straightforward assignment scheduling, and seamless LMS integration. Achieve keeps evolving and improving, making it a win-win for both instructors and students. Speaking of students, Stephen uses iClicker to keep them engaged, showing that even the smallest grade improvements matter. Click below to watch Stephen’s full testimonial! ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up six resources to share with you on the topic of preparing students for a future of work with AI. Below, you'll find  A blog post from Inside Higher Ed that highlights the demand for generative AI skills and the crucial role of developing proficiency in AI to thrive in the workforce.  The story of one instructor’s experiment with ChatGPT after a student expressed fear that AI could replace the need for their major.  A LinkedIn article on the ways AI is revolutionizing the job application process by offering a more efficient and effective way to create and update resumes. *Consider sharing this one with your students who are searching for internships and jobs. An article from Jasper (an AI writing tool) that highlights educator Adam Levin, and his advocacy for the use of generative AI in education as a means of preparing students for the professional world.  A research paper on the evolving world of AI and the transformation that is possible through educator-employer partnerships, integrating 21st-century skills into state standards, and supporting displaced workers in finding new career paths. An on-demand webinar featuring a panel of educators and experts discussing how the age of AI will impact work and the ways in which we prepare students for it.  Check them out and let us know what you think about preparing students for a future of work with AI in the comments below the post. ... View more