📢 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Betsy Barre
AI and the Future of Learning: Key Questions for the Academy
Session Description
AI's emergence prompts essential, perhaps even existential, questions for higher education. Given AI’s potential to shift how humans teach, learn, and think, these questions extend well beyond our understandable anxieties about academic integrity. In this talk, Dr. Betsy Barre, Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching at Wake Forest University, will discuss the need to rethink our educational objectives; the potential of AI to both advance and complicate inclusive pedagogy; and why now, more than ever, interdisciplinary collaboration is non-negotiable. Join us as we unpack these complex questions and begin to chart a future that is aligned with our shared values.
Biography
Dr. Betsy Barre serves as the Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching at Wake Forest University, a role she has held since 2018. Prior to this, she made significant contributions at Rice University, transitioning from a Lecturer in the Program for Writing and Communication to roles of increasing responsibility within their Center for Teaching Excellence, culminating as its Associate Director. Earlier in her career, Dr. Barre held faculty positions in Philosophy and Religious Studies at Marymount Manhattan College and in Islamic Studies at Lake Forest College.
Dr. Barre is a recognized voice in higher education. She has penned articles, delivered talks, and been interviewed by numerous media outlets on subjects ranging from student evaluations of teaching and workload to the challenges of emergency remote teaching and the implications of artificial intelligence for higher education.
💬 Learning Circles
Learning Circles are designed for small group discussions of specialized topics, with the presenter leading the discussion. Several roundtable discussions happen concurrently, where presenters will lead three 30-minute repeat discussions, enabling attendees to visit multiple tables. There will be two sessions of Learning Circles with an opportunity for participants to visit a total of four tables.
Apply to present a Learning Circle
🤖 Teaching in the Age of AI: UM Faculty Panel
In this panel, faculty across various disciplines at UM will discuss innovative strategies and their experiences in integrating AI into the classroom. Panelists will discuss their successes, challenges, student impact, and recommendations for faculty wishing to implement this technology within their courses.
Presenters
🤝 Networking: Cafecito and Pastelitos
Stay to enjoy some Cuban coffee and pastries as you continue to interact with colleagues and make connections!
