Zoom AI Companion

Contributors: Emmett Crass, Isabel Elizalde, Eleanor Hart, Megan McFarland

Zoom AI features are disabled by default. As a host of a meeting, you can choose to enable some or all of these features.

Overview of the Zoom AI Features

When hosting a meeting, all faculty, staff, and students have access to enable a suite of Zoom AI tools that can enhance teaching and classroom management:

    • Zoom AI Companion: During live meetings, participants can use this in-meeting chat to ask questions like "catch me up," see action items, and find out if their name was mentioned. These features keep everyone engaged in the discussion and make it easy to stay on task.
    • Zoom AI Meeting Summary: After each meeting, you’ll receive a summarized version of the transcript, key takeaways, and action items. You can share this meeting summary with your students as a helpful resource.
    • Zoom AI Smart Recordings: When you record your lectures, this feature automatically creates chapters, highlights, and next steps. If you choose to share these recordings with your students, they can be excellent resources that make it easy to navigate and review key content.

How do I enable the Zoom AI features?

At PSU, Zoom AI features are disabled by default. The meeting host manages these features, which are found under Account Settings in Zoom.

If you choose to enable these features, we encourage you to join our Zoom AI Companion User Group to provide feedback and share how you have integrated it into your teaching, learning, and work.

How can I use the Zoom AI companion features in my teaching?

Zoom AI offers several benefits for you to consider when designing and facilitating your course.

Zoom AI can be helpful for students with disabilities who receive formal accommodations through the Disability Resource Center (DRC). Automatic transcription, real-time captioning, and AI-generated notes can support students with a wide range of physical and cognitive disabilities, such as hearing impairments or ADHD. These features can help students with disabilities follow lectures and discussions independently, which can reduce the need for human note-takers or other more formal accommodations.

Using Zoom AI ensures students rely on institutionally approved tools rather than third-party services, such as Otter.ai. This helps protect student data and keeps your course compliant with university policies and data privacy standards, such as FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

Because Zoom is widely used at PSU for hybrid, online, and in-person classes, Zoom AI fits right into a familiar environment. This eliminates the need for students to learn to use new platforms and reduces friction by keeping all course tools in one place.

With automatic meeting summaries, searchable transcripts, and AI-generated highlights, students can review material more effectively. This leads to better retention and understanding and can be particularly useful for those who need to revisit complex content.

Using Zoom AI could reduce the need for costly third-party tools. Because PSU already has an enterprise Zoom contract, extending these features to your students could be more cost-effective and eliminate the financial burden of subscribing to paid tools.

The Zoom AI Companion supports a range of learning styles—visual, auditory, and textual. With features like voice-to-text transcription and keyword summaries, students can adapt the tool to their individual needs.

What should I consider when using Zoom AI features?

The following are potential risks and mitigation strategies when considering using Zoom AI in your course design. 

Students may rely too heavily on AI-generated transcripts and summaries, which could reduce engagement during live lectures. There’s a risk that students might rely solely on AI-generated summaries and transcripts without engaging deeply with the content.

Mitigation

Encourage students to use the AI companion to supplement their notes instead of using them as a replacement.

Students may misuse the AI features to seek answers during Zoom meetings, which could compromise academic integrity.

Mitigation

Zoom AI only summarizes content shared during the meeting; it will not disclose information tied to previous meeting summaries or the Internet. If needed, you can disable the AI summary for specific portions of your lecture or discussion.

While Zoom’s AI technology can provide real-time transcription and captions, it is not foolproof. Zoom AI might misinterpret complex terminology, accents, or fast-paced conversations, which could lead to inaccuracies that negatively impact the learning process. This is particularly critical in course content delivery where precise language and concepts are essential for understanding.

Mitigation

We recommend setting your account settings to share the meeting summary only with the meeting host by default, edit the summary for accuracy post-meeting, and then share it with students when it is ready.

While AI tools can support note-taking and study aids, they might unintentionally reduce human interaction in the classroom. This could affect the dynamics between instructors and students, leading to less active discussion, clarification of doubts, or engagement with human support services like tutors.

Mitigation

Consider including active learning activities encouraging student interaction, such as knowledge checks, think-pair-share, or exit tickets.

We encourage you to consider using AI tools to enhance learning and accessibility rather than to replace human interaction entirely. This feature is not enabled by default. You can decide whether to use it in your courses.

Some students may not have reliable access to the Internet or the necessary technology to benefit from the Zoom AI Companion fully. This could inadvertently widen the digital divide and put students from low-income backgrounds or regions with limited technology infrastructure at a disadvantage.

Mitigation

Avoid requiring or enforcing students’ use of this technology. Make the transcript available to students after the session, but try not to single out any student possibly facing technology challenges. We recommend sharing information with your students on accessing resources provided by the PSU Library, which include laptop and technology checkout options.

AI algorithms can sometimes exhibit bias based on the data they are trained on. In academic settings, this could lead to unequal treatment in transcription quality or highlight features for students with non-standard accents or dialects, which may further marginalize certain student populations.

Mitigation

Review the transcript for accuracy, spelling, and grammar to ensure it reflects your intended audience.

As AI tools collect and process large amounts of data, there may be concerns regarding how student data is stored, used, and protected. Although Zoom complies with FERPA, introducing AI tools could raise new privacy concerns or vulnerabilities, especially if sensitive student information is captured.

Mitigation

For confidential conversations, consider disabling the AI Companion and Summary during the meeting. Additionally, you might want to share the summary only with the host by default. This will ensure that you control when and how the data is shared.

You are encouraged to add a syllabus statement regarding the use of Zoom AI features to ensure students know that what they say may be included in a transcript summary with their name attached.

While student data is protected, we advise against engaging in conversations about student grades or anything FERPA-protected with the AI summary enabled. We also encourage you to ensure that only the host receives the AI summary for double reassurance.

Recommended Syllabus Statement for Using Zoom AI

“We will be using the Zoom AI features for virtual meetings, recordings, and transcriptions in this course. Our use of these tools is governed by FERPA, PSU’s Acceptable Use Policy, and the Student Code of Conduct. Meeting records, recordings, and transcripts will be stored securely by PSU. You may not share recordings or transcripts outside of this course without explicit instructor permission.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can students use this feature to record my lectures?
A: No. This feature is enabled and controlled by you as the host.

Q: Will Zoom AI own or infringe any copyright of the content I share during a Zoom meeting with this feature enabled?
A: No. Zoom AI does not claim ownership of your content. For more information, we recommend reviewing the How Zoom AI Companion features handle your data guide.

Q: Will Zoom use my audio, video, content, etc., to train its AI?
A: No. Zoom does not use your audio, video, chat, screen sharing, attachments, or other communications-like customer content (such as poll results, whiteboard, and reactions) to train Zoom or its third-party artificial intelligence models.


Promoting Academic Integrity

Contributors: Megan McFarland, Ashlie Kauffman Sarsgard

Academic integrity is a cornerstone of ethical learning and scholarship. It guides students and educators in producing original work while respecting the intellectual contributions of others. But like any skill, academic integrity must be taught, practiced, and perfected. This article explores the essential principles of academic integrity, its challenges in relation to technological advances, and strategies that can help promote authentic learning.

Academic Integrity at PSU

Academic integrity refers to the ethical standards and practices that guide students and educators in producing original work and properly acknowledging the contributions of others. At its core, academic integrity is about honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility within academic settings. These core values ensure that students are learning in a way that respects intellectual property and rewards genuine effort. At PSU, the Dean of Student Life highlights the importance of integrity in academic work and explains that plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of dishonesty are not only violations of university policy but also a detriment to the learning process. PSU provides students with several definitions of misconduct along with examples of plagiarism, such as copying another student’s work or failing to properly cite sources.

Like any learned skill, academic honesty must be taught, practiced, and reinforced. At PSU, students are introduced to the importance of academic honesty through faculty guidance and resources, especially in writing-intensive courses. Both the English Department and the Writing Center emphasize the importance of citation, research integrity, and viewing writing as an iterative process. The Writing Center offers one-on-one consultations, workshops, and online resources to help students perfect these skills. For example, writing tutors can help students understand proper citation practices, such as how to paraphrase and use quotation marks effectively when directly quoting sources. Students also have access to asynchronous resources, such as tutorials on various citation styles, strategies for avoiding plagiarism, and guidance on the writing process from brainstorming to revision. The goal is to help students think of writing as a process of entering academic conversations where crediting sources is essential.

Cultural Perspectives on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

The concept of academic integrity can vary widely across cultures, leading to different expectations and practices in academic environments. In some cultures, memorizing information or using common knowledge without citation is seen as a sign of mastery, whereas in the U.S., failing to cite sources is often regarded as plagiarism. For students from diverse backgrounds, these differences can create confusion when navigating academic expectations. PSU faculty can play a crucial role in helping students understand that citing sources is like giving credit to other contributors in a broader scholarly conversation. This practice can be compared to actions on social media, where linking or tagging others’ content shows respect and recognition of their contributions. Framing academic integrity in this way—where citing sources reflects a respect for others’ voices—can help students see the value in these practices.

What causes academic dishonesty?

Research tells us that academic dishonesty is often rooted in a lack of skill, time, resources, and confidence rather than ill will. Common causes of academic dishonesty include time pressure, lack of preparation, and personal stress, especially for students managing high academic workloads, jobs, or families. Systemic trauma and instability, such as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, amplify these pressures, which leads to an increase in misconduct. In these kinds of situations, students often feel that cheating is the only way to maintain their academic standing.

Research overwhelmingly shows that students with higher levels of outside stress are more likely to engage in misconduct, particularly when academic tasks feel overwhelming or unclear. Time pressure, a major concern for students balancing coursework, jobs, and other personal commitments, often leads to poor decision-making. When students feel overwhelmed by deadlines or unclear expectations, they might resort to shortcuts like plagiarism or unauthorized collaboration. Additionally, students who lack confidence in their abilities or fear failure may turn to academic misconduct to maintain competitive standing or meet familial expectations. Factors like inadequate preparation in academic research, unfamiliarity with proper citation practices, and believing that peers are also engaging in misconduct can further drive dishonest behavior. Addressing these stressors through skill building, course design, communication, relationship building, and access to resources can help students meet academic standards without resorting to dishonesty.

How do we promote academic integrity and prevent academic dishonesty?

Encouraging and fostering academic integrity often requires a multi-pronged approach. Common strategies include the use of technology platforms (like originality checkers and proctoring software) and inclusive pedagogical approaches that cultivate genuine belonging, motivation, and engagement. We explore a range of these techniques below.

Technology-Based Approaches

Originality and plagiarism checkers—such as Turnitin and Google Assignments Originality Reports—are tools commonly used to ensure that students’ work is original and uses standardized academic conventions to incorporate and cite research. The main benefit of these tools is deterring students from submitting work that is not their own.

Concerns about using these tools include valid questions about student privacy, the bias inherent in for-profit companies who wield strong influences over pedagogy and student experience in higher education, and misinterpretations of results that can lead to students being falsely accused of plagiarism.

Another concern is the longevity of these tools when higher education budgets are being cut and frequent technological developments and mergers can affect the availability of such tools. Originality and plagiarism checkers therefore require faculty to carefully consider benefits, drawbacks, risks, and uses.

Best Practices for Use

Originality checkers are best used as an option to assist students with writing drafts instead of with final assignments. During the drafting process, students can submit work through an originality checker to assess how well they have summarized or paraphrased their resources or to determine if they have left out necessary citations. They can view the common phrases that an originality checker might identify as plagiarism (because of the frequency with which these appear in other sources) and consider how to make their word choices and sentence structures more unique. Incorporating a drafting process in a writing assignment can ultimately assist not only with scaffolding assignments and time management for students but also with an active self-assessment process that improves their work and deters academic dishonesty.

To protect student privacy when using an originality checker, do not ask students to submit personal reflections or any work that contains personal information beyond their names. This is especially important if the work is stored in a repository.

To summarize, best practices for use include:

  • Allow students unlimited attempts to use the originality checker software to improve their writing and citation skills
  • Offer multiple assignment submissions where students can select whether or not to use originality checkers to support their writing
  • Advise students against submitting drafts to repositories to avoid self-plagiarism
    Make originality checker use on assignment submissions non-graded and unlimited throughout the term
  • Offer originality checkers as a resource for ungraded parts of the writing process (e.g. first drafts) instead of for final and/or graded versions of the assignment
  • Reserve originality checker use for papers requiring citations instead of for personal reflections or other writing that contains individually-identifying information
  • Be transparent about expectations for original work and how you are using these kinds of checkers

For more information on how Turnitin can be used at PSU, check out: Turnitin at Portland State University | OAI+.

In an industry response to concerns around academic integrity and generative AI use, a multitude of AI detection tools are now readily available. These tools claim to be able to detect AI writing versus student-generated writing, although their accuracy varies considerably. While many tools claim high accuracy rates in identifying AI-generated content, it is not uncommon for third-party evaluations to reveal a significant rate of false positives. As such, even detectors with strong records in identifying AI-generated content may mislabel human-authored text as AI-generated. False positives carry the risk of significantly eroding student trust and motivation. Perhaps most alarming, early research and anecdotal evidence indicates that false positives are more likely to occur among students who are English Language Learners or students with cognitive, developmental, or psychiatric disabilities.

We encourage faculty to consult with their respective departments or schools to determine if there are any required AI syllabus statements or specific guidelines applicable to their discipline. Any and all generative AI approaches should be aligned with PSU’s Academic Misconduct Policy.

As an alternative to the physical monitoring which takes place during in-person exam proctoring, exam proctoring software allows student behavior to be monitored virtually. The use of exam proctoring software is driven by a variety of factors: large courses, a large teaching load, exam reuse from term to term, barriers to closely monitoring student completion of exams, lack of grading time, etc. For faculty, this software can create a sense of security, especially for online exams.

Both students and faculty, however, have voiced concerns about using this type of proctoring software. The main concern is student privacy. Among other functions, the software records students and their environments. This can feel invasive to students and erode trust. Additionally, the software records physical behaviors such as eye and head movements in order to hypothesize the likelihood that a student engaged in academic dishonesty. While this may appear helpful on the surface, these metrics can unfairly punish disabled students whose bodies often work differently than the software expects (e.g. looking around frequently). Though students with disabilities can go through the formal ADA accommodation request process to circumvent this, studies show that the majority of disabled students cannot and do not access this nor are they mandated to if they choose not to.

Finally, it’s worth noting that even in the most ideal circumstances, exam proctoring software is not foolproof. A variety of products exist that can “trick” this kind of software and render its accuracy even less reliable.

Alternatives for Use

Besides the tools described above, what other tech strategies are possible? When using Canvas for tests, exams, and quizzes, there are several methods of adapting the Canvas Quiz settings to assist with ensuring integrity. While it is advisable to be transparent about whatever settings are enabled on a quiz, test, or exam, faculty can:

  • Use Item Banks (New Quizzes) or Question Banks (Classic Quizzes): These allow faculty to pull from a repository of questions to provide students with tests and quizzes that are different from one another.
  • Restrict students via Canvas Quiz settings from seeing correct (or even incorrect) answers after they complete an exam.
  • Shuffle or randomize quiz questions so each student answers the questions in a different order.
  • Allow students two attempts to answer every question with correct and incorrect feedback provided.

Looking for other ways Canvas can support authentic learning in your large class? Check out Best Practices for Large Courses in Canvas.

Pedagogy-Based Approaches

A key strategy for fostering academic integrity is scaffolding assignments, which helps students break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. By integrating elements such as outlines, drafts, peer reviews, and final submissions, scaffolding reduces the pressure associated with high-stakes assignments, thus discouraging academic misconduct. Low-stakes assessments are another critical tool because they allow students to practice skills and concepts without the pressure of a major grade. These assessments—non-graded quizzes, reflections, and exit tickets, for example—help students build competency over time and promote a learning environment focused on growth instead of performance. Offering diverse assessment types, such as presentations, projects, and group work, further reduces opportunities for academic dishonesty because students are evaluated in a variety of ways that require original thinking.

Active learning and student-centered pedagogies, such as flipped classrooms, are also highly effective in promoting academic integrity. Flipped classrooms, where students engage with course material outside of class and spend in-class time applying that knowledge through discussion and activities, encourage a deeper understanding of course content and reduce reliance on traditional exams. Active learning approaches, which include case studies, group work, and problem-solving activities, engage students in critical thinking and collaborative learning, which minimize the risk of cheating. By focusing on application instead of rote memorization, these methods make it more difficult for students to engage in dishonest practices.

Project-based learning (PBL) fosters academic integrity by linking assessments to real-world applications and outcomes, thus motivating students to engage authentically with the material. PBL assignments often require collaboration, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving, reducing the opportunity and temptation to cheat. Furthermore, incorporating meta-teaching strategies where students are guided to reflect on their learning processes enhances self-awareness and personal accountability in their academic work. This helps students understand how to apply integrity in their studies because they become more aware of their personal goals and responsibilities when it comes to learning.

Alternative assessments, such as ungrading and labor-based grading, promote a focus on the learning process rather than final results. These methods emphasize feedback and reflection, which reduces performance anxiety and fosters deeper engagement with the material. In ungrading, students receive qualitative feedback instead of traditional letter grades. This helps shift the emphasis from achieving a particular grade to improving understanding and skills. Labor-based grading, which assesses students based on the effort and time they invest in their work, also fosters integrity by valuing persistence and growth over final outcomes. Reflection assignments also encourage students to engage in metacognitive thinking that helps them internalize the importance of ethical behavior in their academic journeys.

Clear and detailed assignment sheets, rubrics, and expectations can play a significant role in reducing academic misconduct. PSU’s Writing Center emphasizes that providing transparent guidelines helps students understand what is required and reduces ambiguity, which can lead to unintentional misconduct. Additionally, using low-effort cheating reduction methods, such as randomizing quiz questions or incorporating peer reviews, helps discourage dishonesty without requiring significant changes to course design. Combining these approaches ensures that students are supported and encouraged to engage ethically with their work.

Establishing a sense of safety in the classroom is crucial for fostering academic integrity. When students feel secure—both emotionally and intellectually—they are more likely to engage in honest academic practices. Faculty can create a safe learning environment by fostering an inclusive and supportive atmosphere that encourages students to take intellectual risks without fear of judgment or retribution. Trauma-informed teaching practices are particularly important, because they emphasize flexibility, understanding, and empathy—all of which help create an environment where students feel safe to ask for help instead of resorting to dishonest behaviors when they struggle academically.
Equity and inclusion practices are also central to creating a classroom where all students feel respected and valued, which in turn supports academic integrity. When students perceive that their identities and experiences are acknowledged and respected, they are more likely to engage meaningfully with their coursework. Faculty can incorporate equity practices, such as diversifying course content to reflect multiple perspectives and using inclusive language, to make the classroom a place where all students feel they belong. By creating an authentic sense of belonging, faculty reduce the likelihood that students will feel alienated or pressured to use plagiarism to foster that sense of belonging instead.

Fostering intrinsic motivation is another key factor in promoting academic integrity. Intrinsically motivated students are driven by their own desire to learn rather than by external pressures like grades or competition. Faculty can cultivate this type of motivation by designing courses that highlight the relevance of the material to students’ personal and professional lives. When students see the value in what they are learning, they are more likely to engage deeply with the material. Incorporating student-centered strategies that create space for a wide variety of cognitive and physical needs—such as Universal Design for Learning—can enhance intrinsic motivation by giving students more ownership over the learning process.

Engaging students through active learning strategies is also essential for promoting academic integrity. Techniques like collaborative projects, discussions, and problem-solving activities not only deepen students’ understanding but also create a sense of responsibility to their peers. This collaborative accountability can deter dishonest behavior as students feel their actions can impact the learning experiences of others.

Promoting academic integrity requires a multifaceted approach that includes clear communication, inclusive teaching practices, and effective use of technology. By fostering a supportive environment and cultivating intrinsic motivation, educators can help students navigate academic challenges with authentic engagement and ensure that integrity remains at the heart of the educational experience.


Turnitin at Portland State University

RECENT UPDATE: The standalone site for Turnitin is currently disabled. All Turnitin assignments must be facilitated through Canvas.

Contributors:Emmett Crass, Isabel Elizalde, Misty Hamideh

Turnitin is a software designed to verify the originality of student submissions in academic settings. Integrated into Canvas, Turnitin can be used to compare student submissions to an extensive database of academic papers, web pages, and other student work to identify content similarities. This tool supports educators in ensuring the authenticity of student work and assists students in understanding the importance of originality and proper citation practices in their academic papers.

Why Use Turnitin?

Turnitin is integrated with the Canvas Assignment tool, so it is quick and easy to enable it for use with your new or pre-existing assignments. Although Turnitin is typically thought of as a plagiarism detection tool, it can often be unreliable. Turnitin may mistakenly identify common phrases and properly cited work as plagiarism. Instead of relying on the tool solely to detect plagiarism, consider utilizing Turnitin as a tool to help improve your students’ writing. It can be used to:

    • Educate students on proper citation and references
    • Create scaffolded assessments for the research paper development process
    • Provide authentic inline feedback on students’ writing

Things to Consider When Using Turnitin

  • The standalone site for Turnitin is currently disabled. All Turnitin assignments must be facilitated through Canvas.
  • Turnitin’s AI detection feature is currently disabled. Please review Generative AI for Teaching for information on AI detection software limitations.
  • Student submissions WILL NOT be used to train Turnitin’s Large Language Mode (LLM), and the tool has been thoroughly vetted for security and student data protections as recommended by OIT.
  • Turnitin is optional and can be used on an assignment-by-assignment basis.
  • We have two options available for using Turnitin in Canvas: Plagiarism Framework and Turnitin LTI. Please view the LTI vs. Plagiarism Framework guide to determine which feature is best for you.

How Do I Use Turnitin in Canvas?

Consider the following when selecting a repository during assignment setup

  • Institutional repository: Student submissions are stored in a PSU-only database and are NEVER shared with outside institutions that leverage Turnitin.
  • Standard paper repository: Student submissions will be entered into Turnitin’s database of student papers. Other institutions that leverage Turnitin will be able to compare these submissions.
  • Do not store papers: Assignments will be compared against but will not be stored in any repository.

Student Use of Turnitin

If you use Turnitin for assignments, the following message will be presented to students prior to every submission in Canvas:

By checking this box, you acknowledge that:

  • Your paper will be shared with Turnitin to generate a similarity report ONLY. 
  • Your paper may be stored for comparison against future papers submitted at Portland State University as determined by your instructor.
  • Turnitin does not acquire any copyright or intellectual property on your paper contents.
  • If you elect to view your similarity report after your paper is submitted, you will be prompted to accept the Turnitin End User License Agreement (EULA). We recommend reviewing this carefully and every time it is presented to you as Turnitin may make updates since the last time you agreed to it.
  • The EULA agreement is between you, the individual user (not the university), and Turnitin, LLC, the company that licenses the tool to the university for integration through Canvas.
  • If you choose NOT to accept the Turnitin EULA, do not attempt to view your similarity report. However, your instructor will still be able to view the report.

Please review the available resources on writing from the Writing Center at Portland State University and speak to your instructor if you have any concerns with using this tool.

For more help with submitting an assignment with Turnitin, please contact help@pdx.edu.

Syllabus Statement When Using Turnitin

If using Turnitin in your course, include the following statement in your course syllabus:

Note: Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission review for textual similarity for the purpose of detecting unoriginal writing, including plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting unoriginal writing, including plagiarism of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the Turnitin Acceptable Use posted on the Turnitin.com website.

For more information on building your syllabus and to download a syllabus template containing the Turnitin statement, view Building an Effective Syllabus and Syllabus Template.

Academic Misconduct and Turnitin

Turnitin should not be relied upon as a definitive source of truth that a student engaged in academic misconduct. Consider reviewing the Encouraging Academic Integrity through Course Design guide for more information.


Success Strategies for Graduate Teaching Assistants

Contributors: Kat Kane, Megan McFarland, Grant Scribner

The term “Graduate teaching assistant” (GTA) represents a broad range of labor performed by graduate students who typically either teach or support undergraduate courses. GTAs may teach their own courses, lead lab sessions, lead discussion sections, grade assignments, provide in-class support, or any combination of those duties. Expectations for teaching development as a GTA should account for the realities of life in graduate school, many of which are addressed in the sections below.

Learning to teach while bearing the weight of graduate school can feel overwhelming. Here, we want to make a simple argument about learning to teach: taking small, concrete steps based on experience and reflection is both possible as a GTA and will benefit both you and your students. This article acknowledges the unique role GTAs play in graduate school and offers strategies for Graduate Teaching Assistants to manage five of their most common challenges.

Please note: We use the term “GTA” in this article, but other student educators will likely find this content useful too.

Growing as a Novice Educator

Like traditional faculty, GTAs face time constraints and high-stakes deadlines along with intellectual, emotional, and financial stressors. Being in a graduate program simultaneously, however, places unique demands on a GTA’s time and resources. Because developing a teaching practice requires repeated practice over time, GTAs face a special challenge in this area. So how might a GTA develop as a novice teacher while keeping potential challenges in mind? Teaching development is a learning process that depends on a teacher’s ability to collect information, reflect, and adapt. For many novice teachers, the process begins with a brief assessment of teaching context and of yourself:

  • What are your personal strengths, and what do you have to offer students?
  • In your teaching context, what is within your control?
  • What hopes do you have for students in the course?
  • How will you try to incorporate who your students are (and who they hope to become) into your work as their teacher?

The answers to those questions will change over time, but thinking about how to answer them will lead you toward a path of development that has proved productive for teachers in many challenging contexts: reflective practice (Benedetti et al., 2023). Developing skills as a novice teacher doesn’t have to be “hard work”—it can happen with simple, common-sense moves like talking to colleagues or giving yourself a few moments to think about your teaching and to process recent experiences. A few ideas for incorporating reflective practice in manageable doses:

Collect informal student feedback

For example, something as simple as “How did that lab feel for you?” on an exit ticket can help you make informed choices before the next session.

Seek outside perspectives and dialogue

Ask a friend, colleague, or advisor for their take on a teaching question or a situation that came up in class. Chatting about questions and discussing the successes and challenges of your teaching has many benefits. Talking with others about your teaching can mitigate stress, lessen anxiety, and often leads to helpful insights. Simply asking a question is evidence of productive reflection on your part—your brain will continue working on it even after you have stopped giving the issue your full attention. Also, there’s no “extra work” like reading or writing involved!

Write short reflections after class

Write a sentence or two for yourself on a Google doc after each class. You can revisit your thoughts and reactions to the session when you aren’t feeling busy or tired. Looking back at the end of the term may also give you valuable (and heartening) information about how far you and your students traveled together.

Set and monitor short-term goals

Think of one small goal or objective before each class, then check in with yourself at the end to see if you accomplished it. Some teachers do this with their students, but your goal doesn’t have to be about their learning outcomes. It could be I will move around the room more or I will allow a longer silence before I jump in with the right answer.

Work-Life Balance

One of the main challenges facing graduate students, especially GTAs, is managing a near-endless list of tasks and expectations. Students engaged in research, teaching, scholarship, and life outside of academia are constantly balancing high expectations.

Overwork culture can impact GTAs in many different ways due to their dual roles in the university as students and educators. There can be immense pressure on college instructors to work long hours preparing for classes, engaging in research, and performing other academic work. Research also indicates that academia’s pressures fall disproportionately on BIPOC instructors, for whom “invisible labor” and mental health are especially impacted. The cognitive impacts of overwork culture are wide-ranging, including reduced performance, mental health crises, and even burnout.

GTAs looking to improve their work-life balance can practice setting and maintaining boundaries around how and when to decline extra work. They can also work on challenging their inner perfectionists, relying on their support networks, asking for help when needed, and extending grace to themselves when they make mistakes.

Prioritize human needs

Take time away from academia, get enough sleep, access PSU’s Basic Needs Hub, take breaks during work hours, and practice at least one self-kindness a day.

Establish clear priorities for work-related tasks and duties

Some tasks have higher stakes than others, and GTAs can learn how to expend energy on those that have the most impact. Knowing how to identify one’s own priorities and resource use in relation to the magnitude of a task’s outcome is a valuable skill.

Intentional screen time breaks

Take breaks from work communications and screen time.

Utilize interdependence

Seek support from peers and mentors for tips on balancing workload.

Mental Health

One of the main challenges facing graduate students, especially GTAs, is managing a near-endless list of tasks and expectations. Students engaged in research, teaching, scholarship, and life outside of academia are constantly balancing high expectations.

Overwork culture can impact GTAs in many different ways due to their dual roles in the university as students and educators. There can be immense pressure on college instructors to work long hours preparing for classes, engaging in research, and performing other academic work. Research also indicates that academia’s pressures fall disproportionately on BIPOC instructors, for whom “invisible labor” and mental health are especially impacted. The cognitive impacts of overwork culture are wide-ranging, including reduced performance, mental health crises, and even burnout.

Seek professional support

Know yourself and your brain

Learn to identify and manage anxiety/stress triggers. The first step to managing stress and anxiety is understanding what areas of your life cause them to increase. Try a worksheet to identify triggers, do some journaling, or talk with loved ones about what impacts your emotions. Once you’ve identified stressors, you can take steps (like boundary-setting, expressing your feelings, and self-care) to mitigate their impacts.

Nourish your body as well as your brain

Studies show that caring for your physical health has a positive impact on mental wellbeing and resilience. Many GTAs at PSU experience food insecurity, which can negatively impact cognition. Students can access the PSU food pantry located in the basement of Smith Memorial Student Union for free and as regularly as they wish. There are many resources available for finding nutrient-dense foods, cooking on a tight budget, and cost-saving grocery shopping. Also make note of PSU’s Basic Needs Hub.

Stay connected to community

If you’re unsure how to create community, check out the PSU clubs website for an extensive list of student organizations and events as well as cultural resources and support programs for students. Resources (not affiliated with PSU) for making friends in the city can be found here. Consider also joining Employee Resource Groups at PSU.

Embodied practice (mindfulness)

Practice attunement to your bodily needs, prioritize health, acknowledge when support is needed, and attempt to reduce cognitive load.

Navigating Power Dynamics

GTAs walk a fine line as graduate students and instructors: they are both mentors and mentees, experts and novices in their field. Helping students develop expertise is a core part of any graduate program, but GTAs are asked to represent that expertise as instructors in the midst of their own development as students. Developing identities as scholars and teachers while managing power dynamics in fields that remain largely unchanged even in the face of shifting demographics presents obvious problems—especially for GTAs who feel disempowered. Creating equitable relationships with mentors can include steps like setting clear expectations, checking in regularly regarding learning and teaching goals, establishing mutual respect, and maintaining a schedule for mentorship connections.

The academic profession is changing rapidly, creating a unique dynamic between GTAs, advisors, and the discipline itself. While advisors have a responsibility to offer authenticity, identity affirmation, and open conversation, there are steps graduate students themselves can take to cultivate positive, collaborative relationships:

Peer consultation

Having a supportive peer network can alleviate feelings of isolation and empower teaching assistants to navigate complex power dynamics with greater confidence and resilience. Peer consultation can look like regular group discussions, seeking advice from experienced colleagues, and participating in peer mentorship programs.

Discussing equity and power with one’s mentor

This proactive approach encourages transparency and mutual respect, and it enables teaching assistants to advocate for their needs and navigate power dynamics more effectively. These discussions can look like scheduling dedicated meetings to address these topics, using specific examples to illustrate each person’s concerns, and proposing collaborative solutions to foster a more equitable academic environment.

Establishing shared understanding

Establishing a shared understanding of key concepts ensures alignment on expectations and academic goals, which can reduce potential conflicts arising from miscommunication. Some strategies include jointly developing course syllabi, engaging in regular meetings to discuss instructional strategies, and aligning on assessment criteria and teaching goals.

Maintaining clear boundaries

Studies show that “leaving work at work” can greatly reduce burnout and increase professional performance. Maintaining clear boundaries helps GTAs assert their professional and personal limits and prevent potential overreach by their faculty advisors. This practice helps foster a respectful working relationship. Some strategies include setting and communicating specific work hours, establishing clear expectations for response times to emails, and delineating the scope of their responsibilities in written agreements.

Prioritizing engagement with external communities

Maintaining connections outside of the university allows GTAs to gain diverse perspectives and support while reducing reliance on their faculty advisor for validation and guidance. Some strategies include participating in local professional organizations, volunteering for community service projects, and attending conferences and workshops beyond their academic institution’s.

Career Readiness

Whether preparing for a career in academia or another professional field, graduate students are increasingly expected to have diverse skills beyond specialized knowledge of their fields. Hiring committees often expect research experience, publication skills, and pedagogical knowledge. GTAs, who are already juggling packed schedules, often struggle to budget time for professional development and other activities with which to bolster their CVs. Professional development, however, doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming.

There are many smaller, more accessible steps that students can take, such as regularly updating their CVs, accessing job-support resources at PSU, and reaching out to potential mentors or employers. Those looking for more in-depth professional development can investigate micro-credentialing programs, attend professional conferences or networking events, and work to build their resume skills.

Update job search documents

Regularly check CV for updated accuracy, create a template for a cover letter, and reach out to potential references.

Connect

Reach out to network with potential mentors/employers within the community. There are often career-building events, job fairs, and other networking events held at PSU.

Access resources

Join the CTC program to build teaching skills, access the PSU career center, or seek support from advisors for professional development in your specific field.

Focus on career competencies

NACE guidelines share the following skills as important for career development: self-development, critical thinking, equity and inclusion, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and technology literacy. Consider connecting with PSU Career Services for Students.

Di Benedetti, Matteo, Sarah Plumb, and Stephen B. M. Beck. “Effective Use of Peer Teaching and Self-Reflection for the Pedagogical Training of Graduate Teaching Assistants in Engineering.” European Journal of Engineering Education 48, no. 1 (January 2, 2023): 59–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2022.2054313.


Groups in Canvas

Contributors:Misty Hamideh

The Groups tool in Canvas allows instructors to create spaces where students can work together on collaborative assignments and participate in smaller group discussions. Using Groups can help both with classroom management and with fostering a sense of community within courses. 

When Should I Use Canvas Groups?

Canvas Groups can be used for any type of small group activity. Because the Groups tool integrates with Canvas Assignments and Discussions, it is easy to assign activities based on Group settings.

When you create groups, each group is given a “Group Site” that functions like a mini Canvas course, which only the students in the group and the instructor can access. In this Group Site, students can create their own discussions and announcements, share files, and create their own pages to share with each other.

Navigating groups can be tricky! When viewing a group activity, you navigate out of your main course page and onto the Group Site. To navigate back to your course, you can use your browser’s back button or re-enter your course from the dashboard. 

Let students know they can contact the OIT Help Desk for Canvas-related questions or share with them the Canvas Resources for Students page.

Some Activities That Could Benefit from Groups

Collaborative group projects can help break down more complex tasks and allow individuals to combine their unique skills and perspectives to address a topic and/or task. Here are some practices  to consider when planning your group project: 

    • Scaffold the assignment to include milestones throughout the term. This will help students stay engaged with the activity and can foster better communication among group members.
    • Consider suggesting that students adopt specific roles in their groups. This can help the teams identify the responsibilities of each member.
    • Offer choices in how groups present their final projects (e.g. writing a paper or recording a video). Employing this type of Universal Design for Learning practice can increase motivation and deepen learning.
    • Provide at least one opportunity for groups to get feedback either from you or another group before submitting the project for assessment. This kind of cross-group collaboration can help both teams clarify their work.
    • Consider offering students a chance to reflect on or self-evaluate their own group contributions and those of their team members.

Conducting differentiated discussions on readings within group settings encourages participants to explore topics that are more meaningful to them with classmates who share their interests. You can either assign students to specific groups or let students select their own groups based on their interests. Also consider providing a discussion space where each group can share important takeaways from their discussions with the entire class.

Breaking down large enrollment classes into smaller discussion groups allows for more meaningful interactions between students and instructors. This practice creates a supportive environment for personalized learning, increased student engagement, and effective communication.

How Do I Set Up Canvas Groups?

Create Groups

Begin by creating a group set, then add each of your students to a group.

  • A group set identifies the type of groups you are creating for your students. You can create multiple group sets, each for a different activity. For example, you might create one group set for project work and another for discussions. Each group set can be configured for that particular activity.
  • While a student can be a member of multiple groups, they can only be in one group per group set.
  • If you choose to create your course’s groups at the time you create your group set, groups will be created automatically. However, if you choose to create groups later, you will have to add your groups manually.
  • Be sure to include your course number in the title of your group set. Groups can be accessed from outside your Canvas course through the Groups tool, so including your course number will help students distinguish your groups from those belonging to other classes. For example, you might name your group set “ENG 101 Discussion Groups.” (Note: If you create your groups later, make sure the title of your group includes your course number so students can find it easily.)

Build Group Activity

Once you have created your groups, build your group activity. You can set up group assignments in discussions or as assignments. Canvas groups can also be linked to Hypothes.is assignments.

Check Your Groups

Student enrollment can change so much in the first two weeks of the term. It is important to check in periodically during this time to make sure recently enrolled students have been added to groups, and dropped students haven’t affected the balance of your groups.

Copying Courses That Use Groups

When using a course that has been copied from a previous term, all discussions and assignments that have been previously identified as group activities are assigned to the default Project Groups set. For this reason, you’ll need to recreate your desired group sets then reassign each group activity to the appropriate group. The University of Minnesota has a useful guide for resetting groups after a course import.

Now That I've Set Up My Groups, How Do I See My Students’ Work?

Both you and your students will have access to the groups through the group-affiliated activity or via the link to the Groups tool on the Global Navigation bar.

    • For group discussions: Students only see posts from their teammates, while you can visit each discussion group and see the posts of all your students.
    • For group assignments: Students can select a single member of their group to submit the assignment. You can then assign one grade that is added to the gradebook for each member of the team. Alternatively, if you select the Assign grades to each student individually checkbox at assignment setup, you can assign a separate grade for each individual student.

Note: Instructors can also visit each of the Group Homepages via the People tab in their courses.


Trauma-Informed Teaching: A Primer

Contributors:Megan McFarland

Based on the work of Dr. Janice Carello, author of Trauma-Informed Pedagogies: A Guide for Responding to Crisis and Inequality in Higher Education, this primer will review concrete applications of the seven key principles of Trauma-Informed Teaching. By experimenting with one or more of the following strategies, instructors can actively seek to remove barriers that inhibit student participation, avoid incidences of re-traumatization, and cultivate a supportive learning environment.

Trauma has many different meanings across a variety of contexts. The American Psychological Association, for example, defines trauma as “any distressing experience that induces significant fear, helplessness, dissociation, confusion, or other intense disruptive feelings, leading to enduring negative effects on attitudes, behavior, and overall functioning”. In other words, trauma refers to the lasting impacts of any situation that supersedes our nervous system’s ability to regulate. If safety and nervous system regulation is not restored, individuals and communities can continue to experience cognitive, behavioral, and functional impacts as if the trauma is still actively occurring.

Contrary to earlier definitions that focused on the impact of singular events (e.g., experiencing a natural disaster or witnessing a violent crime), our modern understanding of trauma acknowledges that it can also come from ongoing circumstances (e.g., poverty, the COVID-19 pandemic). In addition, the same events can be experienced differently based on cultural contexts as well as social and psychological variables unique to individuals and communities.

"As educators, our responsibility is not to provide therapeutic interventions. Instead, we are responsible for teaching in ways that are informed by how trauma impacts thinking, learning, and being—both for our students and for ourselves."

As educators, our responsibility is not to provide therapeutic interventions. Instead, we are responsible for teaching in ways that are informed by how trauma impacts thinking, learning, and being—both for our students and for ourselves. This is where Trauma-Informed Teaching comes in. This teaching design and implementation approach is based on the assumption that individuals are more likely than not to have experienced some form of trauma in their lives (Buffalo Center for Social Research, 2021). This is especially true since the COVID-19 pandemic. Our brains and our students’ brains are simply different than they were prior to 2020, and our teaching must adapt accordingly to support successful instruction.

Principle 1: Physical, Emotional, Social, & Academic Safety

Efforts are made to create an atmosphere that is respectful of the need for safety, respect, and acceptance in both individual and group interactions, including feeling safe to make and learn from mistakes.

Establish a Supportive Environment

    • Arrange seating in a circle or in small groups to encourage face-to-face interactions and a sense of community.
    • Start each class with a brief mindfulness or relaxation exercise to create a positive and calm atmosphere.
    • Display a welcoming and inclusive statement on the syllabus that emphasizes respect for diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Offer Flexibility and Understanding

    • Implement a flexible attendance policy that considers unexpected challenges students might face.
    • Allow for alternative submission formats (e.g., written, video, or audio submissions) to accommodate different learning preferences and circumstances.
    • Provide opportunities for students to discuss any challenges they might be facing in a confidential and supportive manner.

Promote Community and Connection

    • Incorporate icebreaker activities during the first few classes to help students get to know each other and to build a sense of community.
    • Foster connections among students by establishing peer support groups for collaborative projects or study sessions.
    • Schedule regular one-on-one check-ins with students to discuss their progress, address concerns, and provide personalized support.

Principle 2: Trustworthiness & Transparency

Trust and transparency are enhanced by making expectations clear, ensuring consistency in practice, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and minimizing disappointment.

Consistent Policies

  • Establish consistent and fair policies for attendance, late submissions, and grading. Consistency promotes a sense of predictability and reliability, which contributes to a trustworthy learning environment.
  • Clearly communicate any changes to policies and the reasons behind them to maintain transparency.

Open Dialogue on Policies and Changes

  • Create opportunities for students to provide feedback on the course structure and policies. This can be through surveys, class discussions, or anonymous feedback mechanisms.
  • If changes to the course are necessary, explain the reasons for the adjustments and involve students in the decision-making process when appropriate. This promotes transparency and trustworthiness.

Feedback and Assessment Transparency

  • Provide clear and constructive feedback on assignments by highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. Transparent feedback helps students understand their performance and encourages a growth mindset.
  • Explain the reasoning behind grading decisions and offer insights into the evaluation process. This fosters trust in the assessment system.

Principle 3: Support & Connection

Individuals and groups are connected with appropriate peer and professional resources to help them succeed academically, personally, and professionally.

Resource Hubs

  • Create a dedicated section on the course website or learning management system with links to campus resources for mental health services, academic support, and counseling. Provide clear instructions on accessing these resources.
  • Include community resources as well as peer-led support groups based on academic needs, identities, or interests.

Flexible Communication Channels

  • Schedule virtual office hours and encourage students to sign up for one-on-one meetings to discuss any concerns, seek clarification on assignments, or share personal challenges affecting their academic performance.
  • Establish a communication protocol that accommodates different preferences. Offer options such as email, virtual office hours, a class discussion forum, or anonymous feedback forms. This will allow students to choose the method that best suits their comfort level.

Create Opportunities for Connection within your Course

Example Activity: Quick Connections

1. You will be randomly placed in two-person breakout rooms.

2. You will have two minutes in each room for each partner to share their answer to one of the following prompts:

      • What is the most recent thing you created?
      • What is your least favorite pasta shape?
      • What is your favorite thing about the person who annoys you the most? (no names, of course!)
      • What is the oldest object in your current space? The newest?
      • What is your favorite thing about being you?

3. You will repeat steps 1 and 2 for three total rounds.

4. Be ready to share one thing you learned about another cohort member when we return to the full group.

Principle 4: Collaboration & Mutuality

Opportunities exist to provide input, share power, and make decisions. Individuals and groups act as allies rather than adversaries to reach common goals.

Shared Decision-Making

      • Involve students in decisions related to the course, such as selecting topics for projects, choosing assessment methods, or suggesting changes to the syllabus. This promotes a sense of agency and mutual respect between the professor and students.
      • Engage students in discussions about classroom norms and expectations. Allow them to contribute ideas and collectively establish guidelines for respectful communication. This creates a collaborative and mutually agreed-upon learning environment.

Collaborative Problem-Solving Activities

      • Integrate problem-solving scenarios that require teamwork into the curriculum. For instance, assign a complex case study and challenge students to collaborate on potential solutions.
      • Assign groups of students to research and lead a class workshop on a specific topic related to the course. This collaborative approach not only provides an opportunity for shared learning but also allows students to contribute to the teaching process.

Be Aware of your Physical and Verbal Presence

      • Get on your students’ eye level and approach from the front to balance power instead of leaning over or approaching from behind.
      • Model self-regulation (e.g., “We’re having a tense moment, and I can feel my heart rate increasing. I’m going to pause and take a deep breath. You are welcome to do the same.”)
      • Match your vocal tone and volume to suit the activity.

Principal 5: Empowerment, Voice, & Choice

Individuals and groups are empowered to make choices and to develop confidence and competence.

Incorporate Personal Narratives

      • Encourage students to share personal experiences related to course content and allow them to connect their own stories to the material. This strategy provides a platform for individual voices and fosters a sense of empowerment and validation in the learning process.
      • Introduce reflective journal assignments where students can express their thoughts on the course material, their learning process, and its impact on their lives. This provides an additional platform for individual voices and fosters empowerment through self-expression.

Collaborative Problem-Solving Activities

      • Integrate problem-solving scenarios that require teamwork into the curriculum. For instance, assign a complex case study and challenge students to collaborate on potential solutions.
      • Assign groups of students to research and lead a class workshop on a specific topic related to the course. This collaborative approach not only provides an opportunity for shared learning but also allows students to contribute to the teaching process.

Embed Self- and Peer-Led Feedback Opportunities

      • Explicitly teach students how to give quality feedback on their own work as well as their classmates’ work.
      • Start with low-stakes practice on example assignments until students have developed comfort and trust.

Prompt Strategies and Choices

      • Remind students of available support and strategies when they might not be at their best (e.g., “Remember you can…,” “Last time, ____ seemed to work for you,” “What has worked for you in similar situations in the past? What hasn’t?”).
      • Provide choices for assignment format, work location, or the way students receive content to promote student autonomy and a sense of mutual power-sharing.

Principle 6: Social Justice

Individuals and groups strive to be aware of and responsive to forms of privilege and oppression in order to respect one another’s diverse experiences and identities.

Inclusive Course Materials and Experiences

      • Ensure that course materials represent diverse perspectives, experiences, and identities. Include readings, case studies, and examples that address issues related to privilege and oppression. This will foster awareness and understanding.
      • Invite guest speakers from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and insights. This exposes students to a range of perspectives and promotes an understanding of different forms of privilege and oppression.
      • Engage students in community-based projects that address social justice issues. This could involve partnerships with local organizations that would allow students to apply their learning to real-world situations and promote a sense of social responsibility.

Intersectional Analysis in Assignments

      • Encourage students to apply an intersectional analysis in assignments by considering how various aspects of identity, such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status, intersect and impact individuals differently. This approach deepens their understanding of privilege and oppression.
      • Incorporate assignments where students critically analyze media content for biases, stereotypes, and representations of privilege and oppression. This develops media literacy skills and promotes awareness of the impact of media on societal perceptions.
      • Assign self-reflection activities where students critically examine their own experiences, biases, and privileges.

Principal 7: Resilience, Growth, & Change

Strengths and resilience are emphasized over deficiencies and pathology. Feedback is provided to convey optimism and to facilitate growth and change.

Focus on Strengths- and Effort-Based Feedback

      • When providing feedback on assignments, focus on highlighting students’ strengths and areas of improvement instead of emphasizing shortcomings. Frame suggestions for growth in a positive and constructive manner.
      • Provide feedback that acknowledges and praises students’ effort, perseverance, and dedication. Emphasizing the value of hard work in the learning process will reinforce a positive connection between effort and achievement.
      • Acknowledge and celebrate individual and collective achievements throughout the semester. Recognize milestones, both academic and personal, to reinforce a positive and supportive learning environment.

Encourage Future-Oriented Thinking

      • Incorporate goal-setting exercises at the beginning of the semester and revisit them periodically. Promote a sense of purpose and direction by encouraging students to set realistic academic and personal goals.
      • Engage students in discussions about the concept of a growth mindset. Foster a positive attitude towards overcoming obstacles by encouraging them to view challenges as opportunities for learning and development.

PSU Support Resources

The impact of trauma on students (and ourselves) often extends beyond what we as educators can support in the classroom. Check out the options below for ways to connect with various PSU resources:

Student Health and Counseling

PSU Cares

Not sure where to start? Submit a referral to the PSU CARES team.


DEI in STEM

What are diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how are they related to higher education?

You have probably encountered these terms a lot over the past few years. Although they are popular, their application varies depending on the situation. Overall, the primary goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion work are to: 

  • Promote the value of a wide variety of identities, abilities, value systems, and life experiences. 
  • Recognize that these experiences have not been valued equally and make changes to promote justice and healing. 
  • Create long-term, sustainable changes that allow everyone to fully access opportunities for success. 

By being mindful of common hurdles such as textbook cost, different styles of learning, and diverse life experiences, you can find out what students need for success in class. This article offers some resources to promote a collaborative, equitable learning environment where students and instructors alike are fully engaged and feel successful. 

DEI in STEM Programs

Researchers have tried to understand why some students are more successful in STEM classes than others. Some evidence suggests ZIP codes play an important role. Knowledgeable teachers and healthy physical environments for development tend to link together in resource-rich areas. Some of these areas are rural and some more urban. The most common factors are the quality of available education and social determinants of health (Tate, 2008). 

These resource-rich areas have benefitted from STEM leaders and innovators, so the emphasis on strong STEM education makes sense. However, this also means early STEM success has more to do with a student’s environment than personal interest or ability. Disparities that begin in K-12 education inform the opportunities available to students in higher education, both in college access and student engagement in classes. And as some ZIP codes progress while others stagnate, students with similar life experiences will continue to reinforce assumptions about who is “good” at STEM and who is not (Tate, 2008). 

Socio-economic factors — such as physical environment, family system environment, family income and occupation, and teacher experience at the K-12 level — impact not only who has access to higher education, but also the future of STEM fields (Phillips, 2019). “…[W]e note that STEM is the only field where Black and Latina/o youth are significantly more likely than their White peers to switch and earn a degree in another field…. In summary, we find evidence of White privilege in STEM degree attainment that is not mirrored in other major fields. (Riegle-Crumb et al., 2019).” Similarly, women who graduate from STEM programs are less likely to continue into STEM careers than men. Trans and genderqueer students are heavily under-represented. This means an even more homogenous group than the STEM student body is designing future technology and changing the world for everyone else. 

An important approach to innovative STEM classrooms is to include and support students from varied backgrounds and lived experiences. Inclusive classrooms help everyone stay engaged and passionate, pursuing their interests in the field. 

Anti-racist and inclusive practices, in the classroom and in STEM teaching, can be grounded both in pedagogy and in the instructor’s personal experience. Here are some reflective practices along with some resources available at PSU.

Incorporating Inclusive and Anti-Racist Practices into a STEM Course

Anti-Racist Reflection, Research, and Action as an Act of Self and Community Care

“Teachers must be actively committed to a process of self-actualization that promotes their own well-being if they are to teach in a manner that empowers students (hooks, 1994, p. 15).”

Teachers can only go as far in the classroom as they have in their own growth and cultivation of well-being. Creating equitable, diverse, and inclusive classrooms is not one-size-fits-all. Arguably, it’s most effective when instructors have grounded their approach in critical reflection and continued learning. bell hooks describes emphasizing the community of the classroom and instructors leading with vulnerability to create an environment where students are empowered, curious, and engaged in learning.

The more instructors pay attention to their own well-being, the more vulnerability is possible in the classroom. Here are resources for fostering an inclusive, responsive classroom environment that invites instructors to care for themselves and learn about anti-racism practices. 

Our identities and life experiences inform the way we teach and learn; it can be easy to accidentally alienate students who have different life experiences. Approaching students when maintaining  a growth mindset and reflective teaching practice can help instructors engage in the classroom as learners themselves. 

You might see diversity, equity, and inclusion discussed in ways that conflict with each other. This can be frustrating when you want to engage in this work effectively but without causing harm. When looking at DEI efforts abstractly — without the context of your own students in mind — choosing techniques may seem impossible. It can help to ask, “What does my learning community need to fully engage?” 

You might reflect on some of these questions as you think about how to best support your learning community: 

  • What are the traditional research or learning methods in my field? Do these methods create barriers based on race, gender, class, age, or ability? 
  • What are some guidelines for class engagement meaningful to me as an instructor? How can I create space for others with different values to express themselves? 
  • Are there elements of my job that limit or broaden my ability to create an inclusive classroom?

Engaged Pedagogy in the Classroom

Campus resource centers provide sample syllabus language and additional resources: 

Other OAI+ articles such as Building Your Syllabus

Reach out to STEM subject librarians for assistance finding resources from diverse authors and sources to supplement your syllabus. 

Some external lists to consider:

Surveys can be useful for gauging student interests, needs, and familiarity with the course material both before and throughout the term.

Consider scheduling mid-quarter student feedback (a teaching consultation) through OAI, to collect qualitative student feedback anonymously. 

Universal Design for Learning emphasizes creating more opportunities for students to learn course material by offering multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement.

Consider assignments that can both help you get more inclusive material and engage student interests. Some ideas: 

  • Ask students to find information about scientists of color or how the field has impacted groups who have been under-invested in. 
  • Ask students to write their own quiz or learning goals and discuss as a class how you can support each other to meet the objectives. 
  • Ask students to update the curriculum, or build their own curriculum based on what they learned in the course and their lived experiences. (Consider a negotiated syllabus.)

Beyond the Classroom: Structural Changes  

You might feel limited by what you can do in the classroom, knowing the structural inequalities that contribute to a lack of diversity. Here are some ideas for thinking about equity, diversity, and inclusion outside of a class environment. 

Movements making historically and systemically marginalized STEM professionals more visible are growing. Promoting these initiatives can be a great way to support marginalized students and expand everyone’s thinking. 

Students are often looking to instructors for guidance on how to create change. You may get questions about diversity already. Collaboration can be powerful and can help identify what is needed to prevent exclusion based on gender, race, class, ability, and other identities. Here are some suggestions for supporting this collaboration:  

  • Complete OAI’s Certificate of Innovation in College Teaching. This program helps current and future instructors think about accessibility, develop their own teaching pedagogy, and build a support network with other educators.  
  • Check out other professional development opportunities offered at OAI.
  • Build a network of former students who want to speak to your class and mentor students in the course.
  • If you have access to a Teaching Assistant (TA), promote hiring TAs who have different experiences than instructors, and work with your TA to build the syllabus. 
  • Meet with other instructors in your department to share resources and discuss opportunities to make the program more equitable and inclusive.  

hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. Routledge. https://www-taylorfrancis-com.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/books/mono/10.4324/9780203700280/teaching-transgress-bell-hooks

Phillips, A. (2019). The Quest for Diversity in Higher Education. Pepperdine Policy Review, 11, Article 4. https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/ppr/vol11/iss1/4

Riegle-Crumb, C, King, B., & Irizarry, Y. (2019). Does STEM Stand Out? Examining Racial/Ethnic Gaps in Persistence Across Postsecondary Fields. Educational Researcher, 48(3), 133–144. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/10.3102/0013189X19831006

Tate, W. F. (2008). “Geography of Opportunity”: Poverty, Place, and Educational Outcomes. Educational Researcher, 37(7), 397–411. https://www-proquest-com.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/docview/216911261


Generative AI for Teaching

Contributors:Megan McFarland

In this curated teaching with AI guide, you will find a variety of sources to support your exploration of generative AI for teaching. We cover tools like ChatGPT, build your understanding of their capabilities, and help with strategizing their integration into your courses. It’s crucial to recognize that generative AI tools are in a constant state of evolution, and this resource will be regularly updated to reflect that.

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that involves machines generating content, including text, images, and more, based on patterns and data via user-entered prompts, such as questions or requests. In this way, generative AI is similar to a search engine but with the additional ability to synthesize multiple sources of information.

Generative AI works by analyzing vast datasets and identifying patterns to generate contextually relevant content. For example, ChatGPT uses a language model trained on a diverse range of internet text to generate written responses to user prompts.

Generative AI tools are versatile and can be used to:

  • Answer prompts and questions.
  • Summarize information.
  • Refine and revise content.
  • Foster creativity.
  • Assist with coding and debugging.
  • Manipulate datasets.
  • Facilitate interactive gaming experiences.

Generative AI tools also come with limitations, especially given the emergent nature of this technology. Some limitations include:

  • Inconsistencies in integrating genuine research into generated text or generating responses that are erroneous, oversimplified, unsophisticated, or biased when posed with questions or prompts. While many AI tools, such as Scite, can produce content with reference lists, these references may not always align with the generated text and may even be “hallucinated,” or imaginary. More recently developed tools like GPT-4 exhibit more sophisticated research integration capabilities.
  • Challenges in responding to prompts about current events. Generative AI tools are only as strong as their training data, and it takes time to integrate new information. For example, ChatGPT’s training data currently only extends up to 2021, but efforts are underway to update its knowledge base.

Generative AI and Academic Integrity

The remarkable capabilities and widespread accessibility of generative AI tools have sparked both excitement and fear within higher education, albeit not always in equal measure.

Promoting authentic learning and discouraging cheating, or “non-learning,” are two common goals for educators working with generative AI. Authentic learning, on one hand, involves immersive experiences that closely resemble real-world scenarios, which foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical skills. It encourages students to apply their knowledge in meaningful contexts, enhancing engagement and retention. In contrast, non-learning often involves rote memorization, surface-level comprehension, and minimal connection to real-life applications. It can inadvertently promote cheating and academic dishonesty due to its focus on repeating information rather than on understanding and application. With this in mind, it is clear that the conditions that either support or discourage cheating or “non-learning” have and will continue to exist regardless of generative AI.

While exploring the applications of generative AI to enhance teaching quality, it is also vital to remain focused on upholding principles of academic integrity and ethical conduct. Each instructor’s approach to generative AI in the classroom will vary according to your knowledge, skillset, and familiarity with this emerging technology, as well as the appropriate applications within your discipline. One way to define your approach for both yourself and your students is through an AI syllabus statement. In our Syllabus Template, you will find several suggested approaches and sample syllabus language, which can be adopted or adapted to align with your specific context.

Please note that the provided language is merely a suggestion. We encourage faculty to consult with their respective departments or schools to determine if there are any required AI syllabus statements or specific guidelines applicable to their discipline. Any and all generative AI approaches should be aligned with PSU’s Academic Misconduct Policy.

In an industry response to concerns around academic integrity and generative AI use, a multitude of AI detection tools are now readily available. These tools claim to be able to detect AI writing versus student-generated writing, although their accuracy varies considerably. While many tools claim high accuracy rates in identifying AI-generated content, it is not uncommon for third-party evaluations to reveal a significant rate of false positives. As such, even detectors with strong records in identifying AI-generated content may mislabel human-authored text as AI-generated. False positives carry the risk of significantly eroding student trust and motivation. Perhaps most alarming, early research and anecdotal evidence indicates that false positives are more likely to occur among students who are English Language Learners or students with cognitive, developmental, or psychiatric disabilities.

To incorporate generative AI effectively while fostering authentic learning and discouraging cheating, consider the following general strategies:

Engage Students in Ethical AI Discussions.

Begin by discussing the ethical use of AI, including its benefits and potential pitfalls, with students. Encourage students to reflect on AI’s role in education and in your discipline.

Collaborate with Students.

Involve students in defining ethical AI use within your course. This collaborative approach empowers students to take responsibility for maintaining academic integrity.

Transparently Share AI-Generated Content.

When using generative AI tools like ChatGPT, share the initial AI-generated responses with students before assignments. Encourage them to assess, evaluate, and improve these responses to promote higher-order thinking.

Designing authentic learning assessments with students’ lived experiences in mind can be an excellent way to provide guardrails around unethical AI use, while also offering clearer insight into what your students really know. Here are some ideas on how to get started:

Design Higher-Order Thinking Assessments.

Create tests and assignments that require critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, and creativity. These tasks are less susceptible to AI-driven cheating, as they demand students’ unique perspectives and insights.

  • Incorporate Multimedia Elements: In your assessment directions, encourage students to incorporate multimedia components into their work, such as videos, presentations, or infographics, which are challenging for AI to generate comprehensively.
  • Connect to Real-World Contexts: Make it challenging for AI to generate relevant responses without students’ authentic input by designing projects that relate to current events, specific class discussions, local issues, or students’ personal experiences.
  • Chunk Assignments and Emphasize Revision: Divide high-stakes, long-term assessments such as projects into smaller tasks with opportunities for planning, revision, and peer collaboration. This approach discourages last-minute AI-generated submissions.

By following these guidelines, faculty can harness the potential of generative AI to enhance learning while maintaining the integrity of their educational environments.

For more information on this subject, check out Encouraging Academic Integrity Through Course Design at OAI+.

Enhancing Teaching and Learning with Generative AI

Like any piece of technology, generative AI is just one of many tools you may choose from when designing your course. Some of the many potential instructional applications are:

    • Facilitate responses to frequently asked student questions or emails.
    • Generate exam questions and multiple-choice options.
    • Draft lesson plans and assignment guidelines.
    • Create reusable feedback comments for assignments.
    • Develop examples for students to evaluate and compare against their own work.
    • Demonstrate how generative AI can be a strong tutoring resource for reviewing complex concepts.
    • Produce real-time feedback on writing, particularly in language learning courses.
    • Condense qualitative student feedback from course evaluations

In addition to being a powerful tool for faculty, generative AI can make thinking and learning accessible to a wider range of students, including those with disabilities. Some ways you and your students might consider using generative AI are:

    • Using tools such as ChatGPT to create models or exemplars of assignments. Students may use these models to frame their own work or practice evaluating AI-generated work.
    • Using planning AI, such as Goblin Tools, to break down a complex assignment into manageable chunks.
    • Draft writing from an outline, or vice versa, to support task initiation.
    • Treat generative AI as a “second brain,” and ask it for help getting started on hard or daunting tasks.
    • Collaborate on a research strategy.
    • Guide students to use generative AI as an advanced proofreading and editing tool similar to Grammarly.

Setting Pronouns in Canvas

Back to Canvas Tutorials

All members of the PSU community may provide or update their preferred pronouns for use in the classroom or academic environment. The following steps outline how to ensure your pronouns are correct in Canvas. Learn more about sharing your pronouns in other systems at PSU.

  1. Go to myPSU.
  2. From the dashboard, select “View more in My Account” in your profile box.
  1. From the “My Account Resources” section, select “View/Update Gender, Pronouns, and Sexual Orientation.”
  1. Enter your preferred pronouns in the space provided, and select “Submit.”