Emerging Technologies

We are working with faculty and stakeholders to explore how emerging technologies can ethically enhance course design, assessment, academic integrity, and inclusivity.

We have partnered with faculty and stakeholders to explore practical use cases and pedagogical strategies with Gen AI. We collaboratively address common concerns around the use of Gen AI, such as academic integrity, accessibility, and ethical uses of the technology. Our three main areas of focus with Gen AI are as follows:  

  1. Gen AI for general teaching: Exploring implications of Gen AI on teaching and opportunities to augment course design and assessment. We partner with faculty from different disciplines to design assignments varied in nature that integrate the use of Copilot, Microsoft’s Gen AI tool. We invite faculty to visit our New Frontiers: Teaching with AI blog and learn of more ways to support student learning while reducing instructor workload.   
  2. Gen AI and Indigenous Knowledge: Exploring the connection between the use of Gen AI and Indigenous knowledge in a culturally appropriate manner by building safe and collaborative spaces. While Gen AI relies on digital resources to construct information, Indigenous knowledge is generally preserved orally. Furthermore, it may be privileged and only shared on a need-to-know basis. Thus, a User relying on AI for content by or about Indigenous peoples or cultures may find limited resources that describe a monoculture with limited, tokenistic output. An opportunity arises on how to address this information gap in a culturally appropriate manner.   
  3. Gen AI for service desk: The CTL offers just-in-time learning technology support for faculty and staff and is continuously exploring ways to make this service as efficient and streamlined as possible. We are currently exploring the effectiveness of integrating Gen AI into the back end of the service desk to see if it lends to a more streamlined, quick, and accurate provision of service. 

 

ⓘ More information: 

➤ What is Generative AI Overview to using Generative AI at UBC 

➤ AI in Teaching and Learning UBC AI tools, resources, events and faculty use-cases 

➤ UBC’s approach on Gen AI in teaching and Learning academic and provost home page on using Generative AI at UBC 

➤ Academic integrity and Gen AI UBC’s approach to the use of Generative AI and academic integrity 

➤ Generative AI Syllabus Language UBC’s recommendations as to when to allow the use of generative AI in course design 

➤ New Frontiers: Teaching with AI CTL Newsletter posts regarding Gen AI

We collaborate with Constellation to support faculty interested in integrating new media into their course design and delivery with an emphasis on pedagogical outcomes. Constellation is a suite of emerging media and technology learning spaces enabling UBC Okanagan students and faculty to push the boundaries of innovation in learning.

Constellation offers technical guidance while we partner on how to best utilize these tools to enhance learning outcomes. Constellation consists of six unique spaces including access to computers with Adobe Creative Suite, video production and editing tools; and the Visualization and Emerging Media Studio (VEMS) for immersive learning space with state-of-the-art VR/AR accessories allowing for peer collaboration and experiential learning. 

ⓘ More information: 

➤ Constellation home page for the UBC Okanagan emerging media labs 

➤ Examples of faculty proposed projects from the UBC Vancouver emerging media labs 

➤ Constellation spaces: Sawchuk Family Theatre, Makerspace, SoundBooth, Studio123, Digital Design Lab, VEMS. 

When faculty and students connect from remote locations, or when a remote guest is invited, a real-time, synchronous web conferencing solution is sought. It can also be captioned and recorded to use later as an asynchronous communication.  

Some key tools are: 

  • Zoom: A synchronous web conferencing tool that allows captioning and recording. 
  • Camtasia: A video screencast recording and editing tool to help you edit Zoom recordings or record a screencast with your voice-over narration. 
  • Kaltura: A Canvas embedded tool that allows you to upload, add captions, and share recordings, or record with your webcam and/or a screencast with your voice-over narration. 

For more in depth information around video capturing and editing, we invite you to visit Constellations, a suite of emerging media and technology learning spaces enabling UBC Okanagan students and faculty to push the boundaries of innovation and learning. 

ⓘ More information: 

➤ Creating engaging video for your course, a self-paced course on how to improve engagement and inclusion in online courses through good use of video. 

➤ Zoom live captioning, a step-by-step guide on how to assign a skilled captioner or use the automated captioning feature in Zoom.