“I thought that if I could show the students exactly what I was trying to describe using 3D models, the students would have a better understanding from the start,” said Danielle Franco, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry. Franco was one of the first instructors to trial the technology with her class in fall 2022.����

The Delphi Center has capabilities to support extended reality (XR), which is the umbrella term for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR). They currently support VR for interested instructors and hope to evolve into supporting AR and MR, too. With the Delphi Center’s XR headsets, instructors can create immersive environments that enable learners to explore and interact with content in an engaging way, such as virtually manipulating life-size molecules. In a post-session survey, the majority of students said XR helped them learn about chemistry and they felt more engaged in the XR session than they do in chemistry class when they do not use XR.��

XR technology is more than a buzzword. When implemented in sound pedagogical strategies, it is an exceptional tool for instruction used to engage and retain students, as well as assist in meeting learning outcomes. This technology can support learners to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills while facilitating a more engaging and enjoyable learning experience. XR also provides learners the opportunity to prepare for real-world experiences in a safe and controlled environment, allowing them to gain experience and confidence while simultaneously limiting distractions, such as cell phones, during the session.����

Jordan Gabbard and Lucian Rothe, professors of German in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages, used XR technology to create an experiential learning session for their students to interact as if they were walking the streets of a German city. This activity also provided equitable access to all students, removing barriers for students that may not be able to study abroad for financial reasons, family responsibilities or other factors.��

“VR/XR gives us the opportunity to create interactive and fully immersive environments for our students, and to allow our students to experience and be immersed in the sights and sounds of authentic, German-speaking locations,”��Gabbard and Rothe said. “These types of activities can’t be fully recreated in the traditional classroom, so access to XR technology really does give us new and unique learning tools to use with our students.”

The German students’ post-session survey results echoed the sentiments shared in Franco’s Chemistry class, agreeing that they felt it was a tool that assisted their learning and that they would like to use the XR equipment again in the future.����

This year, these instructors plan to continue utilizing XR activities in the Teaching Innovation Learning Lab (TILL). The Delphi Center is currently working with additional faculty who are looking to include innovative XR content in their different fields of study and welcome more instructors to use this tool.��

All UofL instructors who are interested in XR technologies, no matter their level of XR experience, are welcome to connect with the Delphi Center in pursuing XR teaching opportunities. The Delphi Center team offers one-on-one assistance with each instructor to provide resources and collaborate on effective XR activities that align with the instructor’s content. The Delphi Center continues to explore more opportunities with instructors such as XR content creation, workshops and possibly a Faculty Learning Community.��

The XR headsets are available for instructors to use in the TILL on the third floor of Ekstrom Library. Learn more about teaching with XR in the TILL and other opportunities within XR through the Delphi Center .����

For more information on XR and how it is impacting the way students learn, look for the summer 2023 issue of UofL Magazine out later this year.��

By Brooke Whitaker, Delphi Center

The 2022 award recipients are Danielle Franco, associate professor in chemistry; David Johnson, assistant professor in health management and systems sciences; Daniela Terson de Paleville, associate professor in health and sport sciences; and a group submission by Natalie Christian, Rachel Pigg, Mikus Abolins-Abols and Jeffery Masters in biology.��

Now in its second year, the TILL Teaching Innovation Award grants winners $1,000 and an invitation to share their work at the annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning conference.��

��“I continue to be impressed by the innovative methods our faculty are investigating to help students learn,” said Marie Brown, interim associate provost for teaching and innovation. “At the Delphi Center, we see first hand how much work instructors put into designing their courses. We want to recognize those who are exploring new ways to meet student needs.”��

“By its nature, teaching is an iterative process,” Christian added. “We always learn from our successes and our failures in the classroom, and can use that information to make our courses better.”

Christian was recognized with colleagues Abolins-Abols, Masters and Pigg for their work restructuring the intro biology curriculum to include course-based undergraduate research experiences.��

For Terson de Paleville, who won for designing active learning course activities centered around the flipped classroom and team-based assignments, teaching innovation is critical to creating an inclusive classroom.

“One size does not fit all in education,” she said. “The same material can be presented in many ways, or even better, can be discovered and understood by students of all ages, cultural, ethnic, and previous academic backgrounds, students with disabilities, neurotypical and neurodiverse students.”��

Franco found that going the extra mile to provide students with new ways to engage with course material, such as the virtual reality simulations she created for her chemistry course, made the concepts more accessible to students.

“The most rewarding part of implementing this innovation is the feedback from students,” she said. “They thought that the simulations were very engaging and helpful.”��

One of the criteria used by the award selection committee is the potential for other instructors to adopt the teaching strategy across diverse academic disciplines. Johnson won for such an innovation, the development of a versatile assignment and evaluation rubric using the principles of the Paul-Elder model of critical thinking.��

“Our hope is that by celebrating innovation in teaching faculty across campus will be empowered to explore new strategies in their own courses,” Brown said. “It’s an exciting time for instructional innovation, and I look forward to seeing what strategies, tools and practices our talented faculty implement in the year ahead.”��

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Story written by Brooke Whitaker, marketing manager at UofL’s Delphi Center.��

UofL News had the chance to learn a little more about Anderson, including what most excites her about UofL’s innovative TILL.��

UofL News: What is your previous higher ed experience?

Jennifer Anderson: For the past six years, I was an assistant professor of political science at Tennessee Tech University. I initially became interested in faculty development when I chaired a teaching and learning award committee there. I have taught a variety of courses using active and collaborative learning approaches, from large introductory classes to upper division seminars and simulation-based courses.

UofL News: What excites you most about TILL?��

Jennifer Anderson: I’m excited to share with faculty the many benefits that come from being an innovator in the classroom. I remember the excitement I felt when I first learned about teaching innovation through participating in a semester-long development institute for new faculty. Learning about effective teaching allowed me not only to be better at my job, but also to enjoy it so much more. I look forward to showcasing the TILL and its resources to empower UofL faculty.

UofL News: Is there a particular area of teaching innovation that you’re interested in exploring this year?��

Jennifer Anderson: Yes! As UofL looks forward to the opening of the new active learning classroom building (BACB) next year, we at the TILL will be exploring the many facets of active learning. What practical strategies can faculty use to engage their students in active learning classrooms? How can technology be a bridge to facilitate active learning? Questions like these will drive our programming at the TILL in 2017-18.

UofL News: What do you like best about UofL so far?��

Jennifer Anderson: The word ‘community’ came up so many times in my first month of working at UofL. Building community among faculty is one of our primary goals, but I believe we are successful because of the community that exists within the TILL leadership team and the Delphi Center more broadly. I love being a part of that team. Getting to work with dedicated, knowledgeable and passionate people certainly is the highlight so far.��

Email Jennifer Anderson or call 852-8503 to learn more about getting involved in the TILL. There are also Faculty Learning Communities set to begin in September. Faculty can through Aug. 25.��

Located on the third floor of Ekstrom Library, the TILL features an active learning classroom similar to what will be available in the new academic classroom building, currently under construction on Belknap Campus and scheduled to open in fall 2018. Faculty can practice using cutting-edge technology in the classroom, as well as observe innovative peers in action.

“The TILL is a welcoming experimental space that encourages and supports exploration in teaching,” said Dr. Marie Kendall Brown, associate director for teaching, learning and innovation. “The flexibility of the room and furniture, the low- and high–tech affordances of the space, and the energizing environment create a unique learning opportunity for faculty and students alike.”

Acting President Neville Pinto noted the impact a learning environment can have on students. “It’s about engaging students in the material,” he said. “That requires a different configuration of classroom, a different type of relationship between the teacher and student, and in most cases, requires a different format for the way the material is presented.”

A number of faculty have piloted courses in the TILL classroom during the fall semester. Dr. Jeff Hieb, associate professor in the J.B. Speed School of Engineering, taught an Engineering Analysis II course in the TILL.

“My students have enjoyed using their own devices (laptops, tablets, phones) as well as the room’s many white boards to collaborate with one another to solve the problems I give them during class,” Hieb said.��“I find the TILL offers new ways to increase student engagement. Instead of watching me work problems at the front of the room, students use the white boards and technology to collaboratively work out those same problems and learn from each other.”

“This classroom provides the opportunity to do a lot of group collaboration, which I think is extremely important for learning. You can see different viewpoints of problems or concepts from other students’ points of view,” said Jordan Weiner, a UofL student. “You don’t get that in a lot of classrooms.”

for faculty interested in bringing their classes to the TILL. More , while more information about the TILL is included in the video below.

With a fully renovated third floor as the ultimate goal, space is currently being cleared for construction of the Delphi Center’s new Teaching Innovative Learning Lab (TILL), which is set to open by the fall semester.��

Currently in the final design phases, the TILL will provide space and equipment for faculty to learn and experiment with innovative teaching methods. The new laboratory, which is part of the University’s 21^st Century Initiatives and supported by Interim University Provost Neville Pinto, will provide a large learning lab, collaborative spaces, conference rooms and offices for Delphi Center staff. Construction will proceed throughout the rest of the summer to prevent major disruption for students.

Some logistical changes will confront visitors in the near-term: several large study tables frequented by large groups have been moved to the second floor, where recently upgraded lighting will better serve group study.

Reference materials formerly shelved in the northeast have either been relocated to the Robotic Retrieval System (RRS), or replaced by expanded online databases available via the Libraries website. For example, databases such as , a digital repository of academic journals, books, and primary sources, has been expanded to offer access to new materials.

For the relocated physical reference books and other materials, Ekstrom plans to build a new arm within the RRS. Libraries Dean Bob Fox worked closely with the Provost and the Delphi Center to move this key library priority forward.

Remaining renovations to the third floor, including new study areas, furniture and other enhancements, are part of later phases of the project.