Academic Technology NEXUS
Learn how “LMC” Lisa Marie Coppoletta transformed her students’ public speaking anxiety to professional confidence in her Speech Communication course. This white paper details how structured preparation and collaborative reflection fosters confidence and produces polished presentations.
Discover how Okera Bishop utilized an AI-powered tutor to support exam preparation in an aysnchronous accounting course. This white paper details how this approach increased student confidence, eliminated failing exam scores, and reduced score variability, highlighting AI’s value for targeted practice.
AI@ACC Panel 1 brought together Alex Watkins, Toño Ramírez, Andy Kim, and Mavis Klemcke for a candid, laugh-a-little conversation about syllabus policies, student fears, and what transparency really means. Mentimeter results showed big love for openness and process over policing.
AI@ACC Panel Series is a four-part, cross-disciplinary, dialog-based conversation series developed through Austin Community College’s (ACC) participation in the AAC&U Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum. Grounded in national research, the series explores how artificial intelligence is shaping teaching, learning, assessment, and the future of work in higher education across teaching, support, and workforce roles.
Designed as a low-pressure entry point, this series centers real questions, lived experience, and diverse perspectives rather than tools, mandates, or hype. Ethical concerns, including bias, labor, environmental impact, and academic integrity, are acknowledged and respected throughout. No prior AI experience is expected. Questions and uncertainty are welcomed.
AI@ACC is a space for inquiry, not compliance. The series is exploratory and reflective rather than directive. While AI raises serious concerns, disengagement does not ultimately protect students. These conversations focus on helping educators and staff thoughtfully support students as they navigate evolving academic and workplace norms.
Follow along as Jaime Cantú compares traditional tests with AI chatbot assessments in his online Anatomy & Physiology courses. This white paper reveals how chatbots can foster deeper understanding, stronger explanation skills, and lower test anxiety through patient-centered dialogue.
Dear Instructional Designer,
I am an Adjunct Professor who has been at ACC for 20 years. I have always taught a 16-week course but I was just assigned a 12-week session for the first time. I am unsure how to best approach and manage this new session given the difference in length and would appreciate any guidance you can provide.
– Course Compressor
Dear Course Compressor,
I can certainly understand how this shift in course length presents a new challenge. Not to worry – here are some tips and resources to help you make this adjustment a smooth one for both you and your students.
Backward Design is how we usually look at course structure. We start with the learning outcomes, what we want the students to be able to demonstrate, and then figure out the materials, activities, and assessments that go with each objective. You can access an example ACC course map here, which I encourage you to fill out. You want to look at your 16 week course objectives and figure out what is absolutely required, what is important, and what is just “nice to know” and cut out some of those. Trying to fully condense a 16 week into 12 without cutting anything isn’t generally recommended because of cognitive load theory and the spacing effect.
Rethink if you want to move from weekly modules to “unit” modules. A typical pattern is to fold Weeks 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, etc., into combined modules with clearer themes.
Be clear to the students about what is going on. Explain that they are in an accelerated course so things are going to move faster than they may be used to. Remind the students that it will be imperative to stay on top of their work and outline in every module what they need to Read or Watch, what they need to Do, and what the Assessment will be. Connect the learning outcomes to those activities to help them understand why they are doing what they are doing. And give them a ballpark figure of how much time you are expecting each chunk to take. I like to create a PDF course schedule with the dates of the term and all the due dates so that they can print it or save it and cross things off.
You also want to use frequent, smaller check‑ins (quick quizzes, minute papers, short reflections) to monitor learning and catch problems early when things move faster. This is especially important because students in shortened terms can experience more stress and less recovery time between tasks.
It’s a lot to generate so I recommend leaning on Google Gemini for help. It’s in your Google Workspace Tools. Make sure you use your ACC linked account so that all of your course materials will stay secure and make sure to double check every single thing it generates for students because there can always be hallucinations and errors with generative AI.
I hope this helps you! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any further questions or to set up a 1:1 meeting.
Backwards by design,
Your Instructional Designer
Additional Resources:
Achieving the Dream Preparing Shortened Academic Terms (page 20-22)
Dear Instructional Designer,
My pilot this semester is using AI to help with grading discussion boards. Do you have any tips for making the most of these functions? I’d also love to hear from others who have tried AI for managing discussions and would be open to sharing their experiences.
–Discussion Dynamo
Dear Discussion Dynamo,
I haven’t personally used AI for grading discussions in Blackboard, but I have had a lot of experience with a tool called Packback—have you heard of it? At ACC, it started with just a few faculty members, but they loved it so much that we now have a license for the whole college.
Packback is designed to encourage deeper student engagement in discussion-based assignments. Instead of simply answering prompts, students are coached by the AI to ask curiosity-driven, well-supported questions. As they write, Packback provides real-time feedback, nudging them toward stronger critical thinking and clearer support for their ideas. It even flags issues like low-effort posts or potential academic integrity concerns, giving students a chance to revise before submitting. This means the quality of the posts you receive is much higher before you ever start grading.
For faculty, this support translates into less time moderating and a smoother grading process. The AI helps surface the most insightful contributions and ensures posts meet the required standards. Once you get comfortable with the workflow, you may find you spend very little time grading because Packback’s structure guides students through the steps before their post is complete.
It does take a shift in how you think about discussions since the focus moves from students answering questions to asking them. But this shift can really pay off, especially in large classes or courses where participation and critical thinking are core outcomes. If more classes in a department adopted it, students would quickly become comfortable with the approach and faculty would benefit from easier-to-grade, higher-quality discussions.
Packback also includes a tool for essays that works with students as they draft, helping them improve their writing without doing the work for them. It’s a strong option if you’re looking to integrate AI into your teaching in a way that supports learning outcomes while reducing your workload.
Here are a couple of video resources if you’d like to learn more:
I hope this gives you a sense of how Packback can transform discussion into deeper learning opportunities for students while also simplifying grading for you.
To more curious questions,
Your Instructional Designer
Dear Instructional Designer,
With AI becoming such a big part of students’ lives, I’m not sure how to handle it in my classes. Should I ban it, allow it, or encourage students to use it? And how do I explain my approach clearly to students in my syllabus?
– Syllabus Strategist
Dear Syllabus Strategist,
Let’s talk about AI. It’s here, it’s evolving, and it’s already a part of our students’ lives. That’s why, as a college, we’ve decided to be proactive and create a framework for how we approach Artificial Intelligence in our classrooms.
You might be thinking, “Another thing to add to my syllabus?” I get it. But this isn’t just about adding a new rule; it’s about opening a dialogue with our students and thoughtfully integrating a technology that will undoubtedly shape their futures. This policy isn’t a top-down mandate. It was thoughtfully crafted by a committee of your peers—faculty and staff from across the college—who understand the realities of our classrooms.
So, how do you get started? Let’s break it down into a few simple steps. And to make it even easier, we’re going to use a simple and memorable “stoplight” model to guide your thinking. 🚦
First things first, take a moment to think about your course. What are your core learning objectives? What skills are you trying to build in your students? Now, consider your assignments in that context. Ask yourself:
Jot down some initial thoughts. There are no right or wrong answers here—it’s all about what’s best for your students and your course.
Now that you’ve reflected on your course, it’s time to choose your approach. Think of it like a stoplight:
🔴 Red Light (Prohibited): For some assignments, you may decide that any use of AI is inappropriate. This is your “red light.” It’s a clear signal to students that the work must be entirely their own.
🟡 Yellow Light (Permitted with Conditions): You might decide that AI can be used, but with certain limitations or requirements. This is your “yellow light.” For example, you might allow students to use AI for brainstorming but not for writing their final draft. Or you may require them to cite their use of AI.
🟢 Green Light (Required or Encouraged): In some cases, you might want to actively encourage or even require students to use AI. This is your “green light.” This is a great option for assignments where you want students to learn how to use AI tools responsibly and effectively. I think it’s great to give your students a chance to get familiar with how to use AI tools responsibly because they are going to be a big part of the future.
Now it’s time to put your policy in writing. A clear and concise syllabus statement is key to setting expectations from day one. If you’re new to AI, this is a great opportunity to experiment with a generative AI tool like Gemini. Here’s how:
Copy and paste the following prompt into the chat:
I am a faculty member at Austin Community College, and I need to create a syllabus statement about the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in my course. I have reviewed the college’s AI policy, which encourages faculty to choose a “prohibited,” “permitted,” or “required” approach.
Please help me draft a syllabus statement. I will provide you with the following information:
1. **My chosen approach:** [Choose one: Prohibited, Permitted, or Required]
2. **My rationale for this choice:** [Briefly explain why you chose this approach for your course]
3. **Specific guidelines or examples:** [List any specific rules, such as “You may use AI for brainstorming but not for writing your final paper,” or “You must cite any use of AI.”]
Based on my input, please generate a clear and friendly syllabus statement that I can include in my course materials.
Want another option? Our very own faculty member Herb Coleman has created a custom AI Syllabus Statement Bot that’s designed just for this purpose. It’s fast, easy, and tailored to our college’s policy. (You’ll need a ChatGPT account to use it.)
Your syllabus statement is a great start, but don’t stop there. Dedicate some time in the first week of class to have an open and honest conversation with your students about AI.
This proactive conversation can help prevent misunderstandings down the road and create a classroom culture of trust and transparency.
I know this is a new frontier for many of us, but you’re not in it alone. ACC is here to support you every step of the way. We offer:
We’re excited to embark on this journey with you. Let’s work together to create a learning environment that embraces innovation while upholding academic integrity.
Wishing you green lights ahead,
Your Instructional Designer
Dear Instructional Designer,
I have a lot of reading materials and student submissions I want to use for a literature review assignment but I’m struggling to organize everything and make it manageable. Any ideas on how to streamline this process?
-Overwhelmed Organizer
Dear Overwhelmed Organizer,
A tool you might find incredibly helpful is NotebookLM. It’s a research and organization tool that lets you upload your own materials, then uses AI to help you synthesize information, create outlines, and prepare resources. The beauty of NotebookLM is that it only pulls from your uploaded documents and footnotes exactly where it got the information so you stay in control of your sources.
For your literature review assignment, you could upload your readings and student submissions, then use NotebookLM to highlight key ideas, draft outlines, or even generate summaries that save you time without losing accuracy.
You can access NotebookLM here. To help you get started, I encourage you to check out this tutorial created by Dr. David McMurrey who teaches Business, Government & Technical Communications at ACC: Getting Started with NotebookLM.
I hope you find this tool helpful in taming large sets of materials while keeping the process transparent and manageable.
Happy synthesizing!
-Instructional Designer
Explore Arun John’s proposal to integrate immersive virtual reality (VR) into humanities courses, examining themes such as disability and displacement. This white paper showcases how VR fosters student engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and deepens empathy to enrich learning in the digital age.
Explore how ACC’s Health Sciences Division is preparing students and faculty for an AI-driven future. In this white paper, Estrella Berrera outlines how this symposium united experts, educators, and students to examine AI trends, ethics, and hands-on applications in healthcare and education.