students - Educational Technology at Langara College

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) Resources

January 10, 2024March 13, 2024 susanbonham

AI generated image of a humanoid robot teacher with a pointer in a classroom, standing in front of a blackboard with equations — Image generated by DALL-E.

Whether you are a superuser or a novice, the number of resources on generative artificial intelligence can be overwhelming. EdTech and TCDC have curated some that we’d like to recommend.

How to access Copilot (Microsoft)
- Interested in trying a generative AI tool or using it in your course? ChatGPT and Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) are currently available in Canada. Langara College students and employees have access to a premium version of Copilot through Microsoft Enterprise and the Edge browser. Microsoft’s FAQs provide information on how to access Copilot through Microsoft Edge.

Practical AI for Instructors and Students (Ethan Mollick/Wharton School, August 2023)
- If you’re looking for a great primer on AI, this series of five videos is worth the watch. Each video is approximately 10 minutes so the whole series can be viewed in under an hour. Topics include: 1) an introduction to AI; 2) what large language model (LLM) platforms like ChatGPT are and how to start using them; 3) how to prompt AI; 4) how instructors can leverage AI; and 5) how students can use AI.
- Note: this series references four LLMs: ChatGPT, BingCopilot, Bard, and Claude. Bard and Claude are not yet available in Canada.

AI Primer by Educause
- This article is a reading (and viewing) list that links to resources that do a deeper dive into generative AI. A good resource for those who know the basics and would like to learn more.

Welcome to AI in Education (University of Sydney)
- This is the University of Sydney’s AI resource for students. It can also be a good resource for faculty who want to start with the basics. The modules include: Introduction to AI, Prompts to Help You Learn, Prompts to Help you Create, Prompts to Help you Progress, and Guidelines for Using Generative AI.
Incorporating AI in Learning Assessments: A Guided Pathway (Sean McMinn, June 2023)
- This dynamic flowchart can be a guide for educators who are interested in incorporating AI tools into assessment activities. According to the creators, the chart “begins with a decision on AI usage, then splits into two routes: one explores the pedagogical impact and appropriate use of AI tools, while the other offers a range of traditional assessment techniques. The chart emphasizes ethical considerations, academic integrity, and equal tool access throughout.”
What to do about assessments if we can’t out-design or out-run AI? (Danny Liu and Adam Bridgeman, University of Sydney, July 2023)
Are Your Students Ready for AI?: A Four-Step Framework to Prepare Learners for a ChatGPT World (Oguz A. Acar, Harvard Business Publishing, June 2023)
- A short read that’s practical and clear. The article argues that students will be using generative AI in their careers and outlines a framework on how to prepare them.
Advancing Meaningful Learning in the age of AI (Oregon State University Ecampus)
- This article reconsiders Bloom’s Taxonomy given the existence of AI.
AI-generated misinformation: 3 teachable skills to help address it (Jaigris Hodson, The Conversation, October 2023)
An introduction to prompting generative AI like ChatGPT for teaching and learning (Seb Dianati and Suman Laudari, The Times Higher Education | Inside Higher Education, August 2023)
Flowchart: Quick Start Guide for Using Artificial Intelligence (UBC)
- UBC adapted this flowchart from a UNESCO resource and is designed to help students approach AI use with academic integrity.

EdTech and TCDC also regularly offer professional learning opportunities on AI topics. Check the PD Events Calendar for current offerings.

As always, if you’re planning to integrate AI into your course, please be aware that:

There are privacy concerns with AI platforms. We recommend using caution when inputting – or having your students input – private, personal, or sensitive information (e.g. resumes or other identifying data).
For those using assistive technology such as screen readers, some AI platforms are more accessible than others. For more information, please see Accessibility of AI Interfaces by Langara Assistive Technologist, Luke McKnight.

If you would like more recommendations for AI resources, or any other AI-related support, please contact EdTech or TCDC.

EdTech Digital Media Can Help You Create Engaging Content for Your Courses

November 14, 2023March 13, 2024 Julian Prior

Are you looking for ways to enhance your online teaching and learning experience? Do you want to create media-rich content that captures the attention and interest of your students? If so, you should check out EdTech’s Digital Media services at Langara College.

EdTech Digital Media provides support and resources for Langara faculty and instructional staff who want to translate their ideas into educational, professional, and engaging media content. Whether you want to do it yourself or get some expert help, EdTech Digital Media has something for you.

Here are some of the services that EdTech Digital Media offers:

Studio: You can book the EdTech Digital Media studio, a professional space equipped with a green screen, a lightboard, a teleprompter, podcasting mixing desk and various cameras and microphones. You can use the studio to record lectures, presentations, interviews, demonstrations, and more. To book our studio, email us at edtech@langara.ca
Audio & Video Production: Get assistance from the EdTech Digital Media team to produce high-quality audio and video content for your courses. The team can help you with scripting, storyboarding, filming, editing, and publishing your media projects.
Digital Media Consultation: Before using our studio or other services we ask that you consult with one or more of our EdTech Digital Media team to discuss your media needs and goals. The team can provide you with advice, feedback, and recommendations on how to best use media in your courses. Email edtech@langara.ca to schedule a consultation.
Drop-Ins: You can pop by the EdTech Digital Media studio during our scheduled drop-in times for a studio tour or to get quick help or tips on any media-related projects.
Green Screen: Use our green screen technology to create immersive and interactive videos for your courses. You can replace the green background with any image or video of your choice, such as a map, a diagram, a historical scene, or a virtual environment.
Lightboard: You can use our lightboard technology to create engaging and dynamic videos for your courses. You can write or draw on a transparent glass board with fluorescent markers, while facing the camera and your audience. The lightboard allows you to illustrate your concepts and ideas in a clear and captivating way.
Motion Graphics: Take advantage of our expertise in motion graphics technology to create animated and eye-catching videos for your courses. You can use motion graphics to explain complex or abstract concepts, to visualize data or processes, or to add some fun and creativity to your media content.
Podcasting: Use our podcasting setup to create audio-only content for your courses. You can use podcasting to share your insights, opinions, or stories, to interview guests or experts, or to provide supplementary or alternative material for your students. Come and talk to us with any ideas or questions you might have about this popular way to share content.
Screen Capture: You can use screen capture technology (on your own or with our guidance) to create video tutorials, demonstrations or mini-lectures for your courses. You can use screen capture to show your students how to use software, a website, or an online tool, or to walk them through a problem or a solution.
Slide Design: Work with our team to create effective, attractive and accessible slides for your courses.

If you are interested in any of these services, please visit the EdTech Digital Media page to learn more, to book a service, or to contact the team. EdTech Digital Media is here to support you and your media needs. We hope to see you soon!

The New Quiz Experience

November 10, 2023March 13, 2024 Briana Fraser

Brightspace has released a New Quiz Creation Experience, a similar appearance to what you find in the Assignment tool. Over the coming weeks, we’ll highlight a couple changes that you should be aware of.

Changes to Timing & Display View

By default, no time limit is set on new quizzes. Use Time Limit to set the amount of time students are given to complete the quiz once they have started it.

To set a time limit:

Click Set Time Limit to add a countdown clock to the quiz. If this box is left unchecked, no time limit will be set. Be aware that setting a time limit does not, on its own, enforce the time limit — it only shows a countdown clock for the student.

Timer Settings

Timer settings are made once “Set Time Limit” is checked. Click on Timer Settings to control how a quiz behave once students exceed the time limit.

Timer setting options include:

Automatically submit the quiz attempt
- This is the default on all new quizzes if the “Set Time Limit” box is checked. Quiz auto-submission automatically hands in quizzes on enforced time limit quizzes at the end of the set time.
Flag as “exceeded time limit” and allow the learner to continue working
- This option allows the student to continue working but adds an “exceeded time limit” notation to the quiz when submitted.
Do nothing: the time limit is not enforced
- The countdown clock is made available to students, but no time limit is enforced.

Old and New Experience Comparison

Previously Available Option	New Behaviour
Prevent the student from making further changes	Automatically submit the quiz attempt
Allow students to continue working but automatically score zero	Automatically submit the quiz attempt
Allow the student to continue working	Flag the attempt as exceeded time limit and allow the learner to continue working
A quiz that has a grace period	Grace period no longer available. Quiz now uses only the time limit set

Adding Time to a Quiz in Progress

Changes to the timer may result in the need to add time to a Brightspace quiz in progress. Adding time is done through the Special Access feature and requires students refresh their browsers for the new time setting to take effect.

To add time to a Quiz in progress:

Navigate to the Brightspace Manage Quizzes tab and click on the quiz name to edit.
Select Availability Dates & Conditions.
Click on the Manage Special Access link.

Ensure “Allow selected users special access to this quiz” is selected.
Click on Add Users to Special Access.
Scroll down to the Timing sections and check the box for “Override time limit.”
Enter the new time limit in the minutes field.

Scroll down to the Users section and check all the students’ names.

Click Save.
Click Save and Close.
Tell your students to refresh their browsers.

Watch Changes to the Brightspace Quiz Experience (video, 8:56) to learn more about the recent tool updates.

Generative AI Tools & Privacy

November 9, 2023March 13, 2024 Briana Fraser

Generative AI applications generate new content, such as text, images, videos, music, and other forms of media, based on user inputs. These systems learn from vast datasets containing millions of examples to recognize patterns and structures, without needing explicit programming for each task. This learning enables them to produce new content that mirrors the style and characteristics of the data they trained on.

AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT can replicate human conversation. Specifically, ChatGPT is a sophisticated language model that understands and generates language by identifying patterns of word usage. It predicts the next words in a sequence, which proves useful for tasks ranging from writing emails and blogs to creating essays and programming code. Its adaptability to different writing and coding styles makes it a powerful and versatile tool. Major tech companies, such as Microsoft, are integrating ChatGPT into applications like MS Teams, Word, and PowerPoint, indicating a trend that other companies are likely to follow.

Despite their utility, these generative AI tools come with privacy risks for students. As these tools learn from the data they process, any personal information included in student assignments could be retained and used indefinitely. This poses several privacy issues: students may lose control over their personal data, face exposure to data breaches, and have their information used in ways they did not anticipate, especially when data is transferred across countries with varying privacy protections. To maintain privacy, it is crucial to handle student data transparently and with clear consent.

Detection tools like Turnitin now include features to identify content generated by AI, but these tools also collect and potentially store personal data for extended periods. While Turnitin has undergone privacy and risk evaluations, other emerging tools have not been similarly vetted, leaving their privacy implications unclear.

The ethical landscape of generative AI is complex, encompassing data bias concerns that can result in discriminatory outputs, and intellectual property issues, as these models often train on content without the original creators’ consent. Labour practices also present concerns: for example, OpenAI has faced criticism for the conditions of the workers it employs to filter out harmful content from its training data. Furthermore, the significant environmental impact of running large AI models, due to the energy required for training and data storage, raises sustainability questions. Users must stay well-informed and critical of AI platform outputs to ensure responsible and ethical use.

This article is part of a collaborative Data Privacy series by Langara’s Privacy Office and EdTech. If you have data privacy questions or would like to suggest a topic for the series, contact Joanne Rajotte (jrajotte@langara.ca), Manager of Records Management and Privacy, or Briana Fraser, Learning Technologist & Department Chair of EdTech

Brightspace Quiz Accommodation

November 1, 2023March 13, 2024 Luke McKnight

When you have a student that has an “extended time on exams and quizzes” accommodation, there is a single process to set up modified time for every Brightspace quiz.

To set modified time, use the Classlist in Brightspace and the Edit Accommodations feature beside an individual student’s name. Activate Modify Time Limit and then apply a multiplier of original time or add extra time in minutes. These modifications will apply to that student for the duration of the course.

For more detailed instructions, consult Setting up Quiz Accommodations on the Brightspace Instructor Help site or view the self-directed mini-course on Brightspace Accommodations.

To allow a student or group to write an exam or submit an assignment on a different day, use Special Access.

The Accommodation tool is one of many Brightspace features designed to manage your workload and assist your students. Visit Langara’s Brightspace Instructor Help site for more!

PebblePad: Unlocking Learning Potential

October 30, 2023March 13, 2024 susanbonham

PebblePad, Langara’s ePortfolio platform, is out of pilot phase and now one of our core tools. It’s well suited to support both open-ended creative assignments and guided authentic learning. If you are looking for a way for students to document, share, and reflect on learning experiences, or if you need them to evidence their skills, capabilities, and achievements, PebblePad can be a great fit. In this age of AI, instructors are also looking to PebblePad for process assignments.

Use at Langara

At Langara, PebblePad is currently used to support teaching and learning in Nursing, Recreation Studies, Library Technology, English, Geography, Publishing, Co-op, and Supply Chain Management, with more instructors and programs coming on board every semester.

The Affordances of PebblePad

Empowers students by providing a private and secure space to actively engage in their learning journey, promoting a sense of ownership and agency.
Promotes meaningful engagement in learning through critical thinking and reflection, contributing to a deeper understanding and retention of knowledge.
Helps students make connections in learning across multiple contexts: between individual courses, over an entire program, and with knowledge gained outside of formal learning contexts.
Supports students’ transition to future employment or academic pursuits by enabling them to identify knowledge, competencies, and creativity and then to showcase their projects and achievements.

How to Learn More

If you’re interested in PebblePad, the next introductory workshop is on January 11^th from 10:00-11:00. Participants will activate their accounts, learn the basics of PebblePad, discover how it’s being used in various departments, and get ideas about how it could be used in their own courses.

In addition to scheduled workshops, you’re welcome to reach out to EdTech anytime to learn more about PebblePad.

Accessibility Teaching Practices at Langara College

Accessibility of AI Interfaces

September 27, 2023March 21, 2024 Luke McKnight

The rapid spread of AI tools like ChatGPT and Bing have consumed the attention of educators, students, and researchers. Since the explosion of AI tools in late-2022, we have researched, read about, and attended events in an attempt to understand the dangers and opportunities of AI. One topic missing from the deluge of information is the accessibility of AI interfaces to users of assistive technology.

To augment this gulf, Langara’s assistive technologist tested 9 AI interfaces with automated testing tools and assistive technology.

Learn more about the evaluation process, results of testing, and recommendations on which AI tools are more accessible to users of assistive technology, read Accessibility of AI Interfaces.

For further discussion, comments, or questions please contact assistivetech@langara.ca.

Peer Assessment and Privacy Risks

September 13, 2023March 13, 2024 Briana Fraser

Instructors, have you considered how privacy, security, and confidentiality apply to teaching and learning, specifically the data you gather as part of assessment?

To support teaching and learning, you gather and analyze data about students all year and in many ways, including anecdotal notes, test results, grades, and observations. The tools we commonly use in teaching and learning, including Brightspace, gather information. The analytics collected and reports generated by teaching and learning tools are sophisticated and constantly changing. We should, therefore, carefully consider how we can better protect student data.

When considering privacy, instructors should keep in mind that all student personal information belongs to the student and should be kept private. Students trust their instructors to keep their data confidential and share it carefully. Instructors are responsible for holding every student’s data in confidence.  This information includes things like assessment results, grades, student numbers, and demographic information.

Although most students are digital natives, they aren’t necessarily digitally literate. Instructors can ensure students’ privacy by coaching them about what is appropriate to share and helping them understand the potential consequences of sharing personal information.

One area of teaching and learning in which you may not have adequately considered privacy or coached students to withhold personal information and respect confidentiality is peer assessment. Peer assessment or peer review provides a structured learning process for students to critique and provide feedback to each other on their work. It helps students develop lifelong skills in assessing and providing feedback to others and equips them with skills to self-assess and improve their own work. However, in sharing their work, students may also be sharing personal identifying information, such as student numbers, or personal experiences. To help protect students’ personal information and support confidentiality, we recommend that you consider the following points.

Privacy Considerations for Peer Assessment

If student work will be shared with peers, tell students not to disclose sensitive personal information. Sensitive personal information may include, for example, medical history, financial circumstances, traumatic life experiences, or their gender, race, religion, or ethnicity.
Inform students of ways in which their work will be assessed by their peers.
Consider having students evaluate anonymous assignments for more objective feedback. 
Coach students to exclude all identifiable information, including student number.
If students’ work is to be posted online, consider associated risks, such as
- another person posting the work somewhere else online without their consent; and
- the content being accessed by Generative AI tools like ChatGPT that trawl the internet to craft responses to users’ queries.

Brightspace – New Quiz Experience

September 5, 2023March 13, 2024 Briana Fraser

Brightspace has released a New Quiz Creation Experience, a similar appearance to what you find in the Assignment tool. We want to highlight a couple changes that you should be aware of:

Description is automatically visible – doesn’t need to be toggled on (but also can’t be hidden from students)
Custom pagination is not possible – here are the options: all questions on same page, by 1/5/10 question(s) or by section.

Watch the New Quiz Experience video for more details.

Accessible Teaching Practices

August 28, 2023March 13, 2024 Luke McKnight

Accessible BC Act – Start acting now.

On June 21st, 2021, the Accessible British Columbia Act came into effect. The intention of the act is to create accessibility standards that will reduce accessibility barriers and promote inclusion throughout the province. The act is being implemented in a phased rollout, with education one of the first sectors expected to comply. This mean that course content, such as presentation material, communications, documents, and videos will need to be made accessible to students with disabilities.

EdTech is publishing resources, offering workshops, and providing other learning opportunities for instructors and other employees to develop the skills needed to improve the accessibility of course materials.

Improving accessibility in the classroom.

When aiming to improve accessibility in the classroom, instructors need to consider learning spaces, course design, assessment, content, and delivery. Read Bridging the Gap to get a sense of the ways in which critical barriers to learning may be addressed.

Langara’s Assistive Technologist is here to help.

Langara instructors (and students) are uniquely supported in improving access with an Assistive Technologist. If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Luke McKnight, consider joining one of EdTech’s upcoming accessibility focused learning opportunities. Luke will be on hand to offer expert advice and support in improving accessibility.