Union County Review

More than 300 participants gathered virtually last week for Kean University's first Conference on Teaching. The event, organized by Kean's Provost’s Office, aimed to explore effective teaching strategies and the role of AI in education.

The conference featured a keynote workshop titled "Playing with AI Across the Curriculum" led by Lindsay Doukopoulos, Ph.D., from Auburn University. Doukopoulos encouraged attendees to be "skeptical, but curious" about integrating AI into educational practices.

Kean Associate Provost for Faculty Development Laura Baecher, Ed.D., highlighted the conference's objective: “The goal of the conference was to anchor our community of faculty who can share resources, research and discourse about their instruction, within Kean and throughout the region.” She emphasized that this inaugural event allows Kean to learn from its instructors.

Participants expressed enthusiasm for the resources and tools provided during the conference. Over 90 percent indicated they would participate again next year. The program included 40 interactive sessions covering various topics such as group work dynamics and engaging students through strategic thinking exercises. Conversation Circles offered additional opportunities for discussing teaching challenges.

Presenters came from a range of academic institutions including Temple University, Rutgers University, Montclair State University, Rowan University, and Hunter College. Effie N. Christie, Ed.D., M.A., presented on changing traditional final papers into student-authored book chapters. Christie noted that students found this approach memorable compared to standard term papers.

Carol Smith-Cuevas led a session on using technology to create engaging video content through Canvas Studio. She emphasized preparation and relevance in using tech tools effectively. A poll after her session showed strong interest in further learning opportunities.

Smith-Cuevas also attended other segments of the conference including the welcome address and keynote presentation, stating she appreciated "the interaction and engagement."