EdgeCon Spring 2024

Room: BSC 100

New Jersey Institute of Technology is embracing AI to support everything from campus life to curriculum planning. In this presentation, you’ll see a glimpse of the future of student success enriched by AI. Along with their partner, Slalom, NJIT will debut their early-stage Digital Student Advisor. Ed Wozencroft, NJIT’s Vice President for Digital Strategy & CIO, will inspire you to think of the world of possibility for students and faculty… What If…?

Presenters:

• Stephen Walsh, Senior Director, Public & Social Impact, Slalom
• Ed Wozencroft, Chief Information Officer, VP for Digital Strategy, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Room: BSC 225 East

"MAGIC in Higher Education: Motivating, Active Learning, Gamifying, Imagining, and Collaborating,” a convergent parallel design, mixed-methods study, assessed how embedding play into the architecture of a classroom can improve the learning process for students. We aimed to identify if changing the natural passive environment of a classroom to an active, play-driven environment would influence learning outcomes. Considering low national retention and graduation rates within community colleges, we examined concepts highlighting embedded play in the lesson as an extrinsic motivator to augment the learning process.

We hypothesized that creating an abstract classroom learning environment, considering both passive and active learning can positively impact comprehension and the student learning experience. We collaborated with faculty and administration to investigate learning environments and teaching practices. We focused on the architecture and design of the classroom environment and how engaging students in play might strengthen its structure, increasing comprehension of the subject material. Our research revealed that play promotes positive experiences for students focusing on active learning.

The data exposed a dichotomy between teaching and learning; faculty primarily engage in passive lecture-based teaching, whereas students prefer active play-based learning. We recognized that a natural classroom environment is subjective depending on the discipline and pedagogy. Therefore, we engaged faculty to redesign a lecture to include play-based learning aligning with their discipline. The data from the active learning investigation revealed that participating in the playful activity significantly improved students’ understanding and application of the lesson’s content. Reflecting on our research and outcomes, we created a forum to showcase our data to faculty, administration, and students. This showcase has launched a play-based, active learning Community of Practice (CoP) for faculty professional development.

Presenters:

• Dr. Jennifer Gasparino, Associate Professor, Human Services & Phi Theta Kappa Advisor, Passaic County Community College
• Andy Perales, Program Coordinator, Teachers Excellence Project & Phi Theta Kappa Co-Advisor, Passaic County Community College
• Alexandra Della Fera, Associate Professor, English, Passaic County Community College
• John Paul Rodriguez, Assistant Professor, Computer Information Services, Passaic County Community College

Student Presenters:

• Bilal Gebril, President, Phi Theta Kappa
• Erick Vasquez Minaya, Provisional Membership Coordinator, Phi Theta Kappa
• Venus John, Honor in Action Co-Chair

Room: BSC 225 West

Digital accessibility is frequently approached reactively, wherein instructors generate course content, students submit accommodation letters, and the subsequent realization of content inaccessibility prompts efforts to modify and enhance accessibility. This method proves time-consuming and perpetuates the marginalization of students by reinforcing structural and environmental barriers to learning. Rather, embracing a proactive universal design perspective in addressing digital accessibility enables instructors to prioritize the diverse needs of learners during the creation of digital content and materials. This approach minimizes the necessity for accommodations, fostering a more inclusive learning environment from the outset. While achieving digital accessibility necessitates a comprehensive commitment at the systemic and institutional levels, instructors can adopt various practices within their classrooms to advance the creation and provision of accessible course materials. This interactive workshop will guide participants in contemplating the significance of digital accessibility in higher education and in exploring practical tools for implementing digital accessibility principles across physical, hybrid, and online learning environments, grounded in a universal design approach.

Presenter:

• Mel Katz, Accommodations Support Specialist for Curriculum and Assessment, The College of New Jersey

Room: BSC 104

Edge, in collaboration with our partner institutions, has launched the HPC, AI, and Data (HPC AID) Affinity Group. The group aims to expand knowledge access, community, and practice in HPC and Research Computing in support of AI and data intensive research and education.

Join us in our mission to share information and best practices related to High Performance Computing and Research Computing and Data. The group is open to anyone with focus on leveraging HPC and Data in support of Research and Education, so please invite peers or colleagues to join us.