Concurrent Session 8

Wednesday, April 30
1:50–2:45 pm ADT

Dalhousie Student Union Building, Dalhousie University

Room 270

1:50–2:45 pm

Using AI in the University Classroom: Ideas, Best Practices, and Challenges
Conversation Circle (55 minutes)
Dr. Susan Graham (she/her), University of Prince Edward Island

  • AI is revolutionizing teaching and learning. Rather than shunning or banning AI, many faculty members are doing interesting, creative, and effective things with AI in their classes. This conversation circle will be an opportunity for people to share the innovative things that are happening in classrooms around the region and across disciplines. I will share the various ways I am using AI in my undergraduate and graduate marketing courses (with mixed results and key takeaways) and will pose discussion questions as a vehicle for others to share their experiences. The goal is for participants to leave the interactive session with some new ideas about best (or worst) practices regarding using AI in our classrooms.

    Keywords
    AI, teaching & learning, best practices

Room 224

1:50–2:45 pm

Applying Restorative Practices in Community
Conversation Circle (55 minutes)
Cheryl Veinotte-Mackey (she/her), Mount Allison University

  • Interested in infusing community engaged learning experiences in your teaching and learning practice, but uncertain of how much work might be involved? Or perhaps you are also interested in how restorative approaches can be used to address community issues? If so, this circle discussion will walk through an example of a CEWIL iHUB (Community Engaged Workplace Integrated Learning Innovation Hub) grant where students collaborated with five community partners delivering holistic social services and had an opportunity to apply restorative practices that were the focus of their course via a range of projects with their community partners. Dual learning will take place around how to implement and assess community engaged learning experiences as well as introductory level learning related to the use of restorative approaches and practices as a means to promote healing and balance within our communities.

    Keywords
    Restorative, community engaged learning, partnerships

Room 307

1:50–2:45 pm

Modeling Excellence for Students
Interactive workshop (55 minute)
Dr. Elizabeth Wells (she/her) and Toni Roberts (any pronouns), Mount Allison University

  • We often find ourselves modeling our behaviors and attitudes after those we admire, such as mentors, advisors, or trusted friends. Similarly, students can act as role models for their peers, shaping a culture of learning and growth within a community. This session explores how the work and behaviors of students can serve as powerful examples for both their contemporaries and future cohorts, fostering a vibrant and supportive community of practice. We will provide a theoretical foundation and a practical framework for establishing peer communities grounded in collaboration, mutual support, and shared commitment to formative development. Through interactive discussions and activities, participants will work in small groups to develop their own set of criteria and descriptors that define models of achievement. By the end of the session, attendees will gain insights into building peer networks that encourage continuous learning, reflection, and shared success.

    Keywords
    peer learning; community; formative evaluation

Room 303

1:50–2:15 pm

Enhancing Learning and Collaboration with a Classroom Magazine Project
Practice session (25 minutes)
Karen Crosby and Christelinda Laureijs (Mount Allison University)

  • Small university classrooms present exciting opportunities for students to engage in intimate and collaborative projects that build connections and enhance learning. For the past two years, students in my upper year physiology courses have created a magazine as their capstone project, which is then submitted by the class. Each part of the magazine, including advertisements, articles, and illustrations, was the result of diverse collaborations between students, community members, and myself. Students interviewed health professionals, asked patients about their lived experiences, and explored the literature on topics relating to the course content. They then reviewed each other’s work and edited the magazine together. The resulting magazines were professionally printed and distributed across campus and the community. We will share what we have learned through this process, from both a faculty member and a student perspective. We hope that this successful project will inspire you to consider how you can also incorporate projects that enhance student learning while building connections between students and community members. 

    Keywords
    Magazine, student connections, biology

2:20–2:45 pm

Spaced and Interleaved Programming Practice: The Role of Generative AI Tools
Research presentation session (25 minutes)

Presenters: Eric Poitras (he/him) and Jeffry Paul Suresh Durai (Dalhousie University)
Non-presenting Authors: Marta Kryven, Dalhousie University and Michael Pin-Chuan Lin, Mount Saint Vincent University  

  • Students learn to read, write, and revise code through focused, repetitive practice, with the goal of improving their skills through constructive feedback. There is a consensus among learning scientists that distributing practice of the same skill over time, as well as mixing different skills within the same practice session, promotes meaningful learning. In this study, we examined ninety-four undergraduate students who completed formative exercises with the assistance of an AI coding assistant, equipped with guardrails to guide them toward solutions without providing direct answers. Learning outcomes were assessed using retention and transfer tests, solved without assistance. Our regression models indicate the use of generative AI does not significantly affect performance, while the amount of practice    in solving code writing problems is the most influential factor. We invite attendees to discuss the implications of spacing and interleaving practice, and how students can be trained to use generative AI tools effectively to learn across disciplines.

    The following correction was made to define guardrails:

    In this study, we examined ninety-four undergraduate students who completed formative exercises with the assistance of an AI coding assistant, equipped with guardrails to guide them toward solutions without providing direct answers.

    Keywords
    Generative Artificial Intelligence, Introductory Programming, Spacing, Interleaving, Skill Acquisition