Augusta University Center for Instructional Innovation

🎙️ AI does not have to start with a full course redesign.

In Episode 42 of Speaking of Higher Ed, our June Summer Short revisits practical ways AI can support practice, feedback and engagement in course design.

Watch and listen using the link in the comments. You can also request this episode’s free Continuing the Conversation Activity on our show page.

🎙️ What happens when the work you care about starts to wear you down?

In Episode 41 of Speaking of Higher Ed, Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson, also known as Dr. PBJ, joins us to talk about faculty burnout, recovery, and reconnecting with purpose. The conversation explores compassion fatigue, boundaries, guilt around rest, and practical ways faculty can reset their rhythm before the next semester.

Watch or listen to the episode and request the free Continuing the Conversation Activity.

Watch and listen using the link in the comments. You can also request this episode’s free Continuing the Conversation Activity on our show page.

We are absolutely thrilled to celebrate several outstanding members of the Center for Instructional Innovation (CII) team who are officially part of the Spring Class of 2026!

Pictured here, we are incredibly proud to recognize our Augusta University graduates: Dr. Jeff Mastromonico and Dr. Stacy Kluge, who have both earned their EdD in Educational Innovation, and Aisling Reigle, who has earned her Master of Business Administration.

We also want to extend a huge congratulations to our colleague Owen Woodall (not pictured), who has earned his Master of Education in Instructional Technology from Georgia Southern University.

Balancing full-time roles in higher education while dedicating so much time and energy to advancing their own education is a tremendous accomplishment. We are incredibly proud of the hard work and commitment each of them has shown to their fields.

Please join us in wishing our graduates a huge congratulations in the comments below!

Meet Kalpana Ramgopal!

Kalpana was recently recognized for their excellence in community engagement and is helping place community engagement at the heart of teaching and learning at Augusta University. As a Faculty and Instructor Developer, she has launched a faculty learning community, led hands-on workshops and created practical resources that support faculty across disciplines in bringing community-connected experiences into their courses. Her work advances AU's strategic goals by strengthening collaboration between the classroom and the community. By cultivating and sustaining partnerships, Kalpana helps faculty turn ideas into action and expand experiential learning opportunities for students.

🎙How can AI help personalize learning without replacing good teaching?

In the latest episode of Speaking of Higher Ed, Arthur Takahashi talks with Dr. Rafael Pacheco about using AI to create more responsive learning experiences for students. They discuss the adaptive learning tool he developed, how it gives students immediate feedback and space to learn at their own pace, and why faculty still play an essential role in guiding critical thinking and human judgment.

Watch and listen using the link in the comments. You can also request this episode’s free Continuing the Conversation Activity on our show page.

Congratulations Dr. Stacy Kluge and Dr. Jeff Mastromonico on the successful defense of your dissertation! Your perseverance has paid off!

🎙️ Episode 39 of Speaking of Higher Ed is now available.
Jeff Mastromonico talks with Monica Cornetti about bringing gamification into your courses in ways that go beyond points and badges and support meaningful learning.

Watch and listen using the link in the comments. You can also request this episode’s free Continuing the Conversation Activity on our show page.

How can Generative AI expand what it means to teach, learn, and create openly? In this interactive 90-minute workshop, a faculty member, librarian, and instructional designer explore the intersections of GenAI, OER, and student-driven learning. Participants will unpack David Wiley’s concept of the Generative Textbook, discuss copyright, open licenses, and the public domain in the age of AI, and experiment with approaches that position students as co-authors of open content. Whether you’re curious or already creating, you’ll leave with ideas and strategies for integrating GenAI into your own open teaching practice. (Title and description generated with ChatGPT GPT-5).

Dates/time/location:

Health Sciences Campus – Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 11am-12:30pm - EC-2216
Summerville – Thursday, March 19, 2026, 11am-12:30pm - UH-355
Virtual - Friday, March 20, 11am-12:30pm

Registration Link: https://augusta.percipio.com/liveCourse/b9860297-b86b-4194-a418-1e7839cf2197

The Center for Instructional Innovation created the Boundless Teaching Award to recognize teaching that defies the limits of excellence. It is exemplified by a faculty’s enthusiasm, passion and effectiveness in positively impacting students in physical and or digital learning spaces.

Do you know a faculty member that you feel exemplifies this commitment to excellence in their teaching and toward their students?

Nominations for the Boundless Teaching Award are now open. You can make a nomination on the Boundless Teaching Website where you can also view past winners.

Nominations be accepted through March 31, 2026. Don’t miss the opportunity to recognize “teaching that defies the limits of excellence”.

Any feedback or questions please contact Aisling Reigle ([email protected]) in the Center for Instructional Innovation.

https://www.augusta.edu/innovation/teaching-awards-boundless.php