All Posts By

Mark Deluca

Mark Deluca
In BoodleBox@Smeal

BoodleBox @ Smeal: Creating Custom AI Bots for Staff and Educators

In this 60-minute live virtual session, faculty and staff will learn to build custom AI bots in BoodleBox that are useful in their work as administrators and educators. We’ll explore practical use cases, and attendees will leave with new ideas and the ability to create bots tailored to their specific needs.

Smeal faculty and staff can request access to BoodleBox by completing the online request form. You do not need access to attend the training—anyone interested in learning more about the platform is welcome to join before submitting a request.

If you have already completed the BoodleBox access request form and accepted your invitation, you can sign in directly at https://boodlebox.ai/

Supporting Resources:

Mark Deluca
In Smeal Academy Newsletter

BoodleBox @ Smeal: Introduction to BoodleBox with the BoodleBox Training Team

In this 60-minute live virtual session, faculty and staff will learn to build custom AI bots in BoodleBox that are useful in their work as administrators and educators. We’ll explore practical use cases, and attendees will leave with new ideas and the ability to create bots tailored to their specific needs.

Smeal faculty and staff can request access to BoodleBox by completing the online request form. You do not need access to attend the training—anyone interested in learning more about the platform is welcome to join before submitting a request.

If you have already completed the BoodleBox access request form and accepted your invitation, you can sign in directly at https://boodlebox.ai/

Supporting Resources:

Mark Deluca
In BoodleBox@Smeal

BoodleBox @ Smeal: Introduction to BoodleBox

In this 75-minute live virtual session, faculty and staff will be introduced to BoodleBox, a collaborative AI platform designed to enhance teaching, learning, and campus innovation. Participants will explore how BoodleBox supports everyday academic and administrative workflows and engage in hands-on activities to experience its core features firsthand. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how BoodleBox can be applied across various roles and disciplines, as well as practical ideas for integrating it into their own work.

Smeal faculty and staff can request access to BoodleBox by completing the online request form. You do not need access to attend the training—anyone interested in learning more about the platform is welcome to join before submitting a request.

If you have already completed the BoodleBox access request form and accepted your invitation, you can sign in directly at https://boodlebox.ai/

Supporting Resources:

  • Getting Started Resources
  • Darth Boodle Bot – helps transfer your ChatGPT information and chat history to BoodleBox.
  • Mike Bot – helps identify where a custom bot could help streamline a process and then helps to create an outline and knowledge base for that custom bot.
Mark Deluca
In GenAI, Instructional Strategies & Student Engagement, Smeal Academy Sessions

GenAI Series: Effective Prompt Writing and Evaluation for Teaching and Learning

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is transforming education, providing new ways to enhance learning experiences, streamline content creation, and foster critical thinking. This interactive session introduces participants to key principles of effective prompt writing, describing how to craft clear, specific, and relevant prompts tailored to various teaching scenarios.

Participants gain insights into how to access available GenAI tools, learn how to craft prompts for desired outcomes, and discuss some of the considerations related to the use of GenAI applications in higher education. Through hands-on exercises and real-world examples, participants gain the skills needed to begin leveraging AI as a valuable educational tool.

 

RESOURCES:

Mark Deluca
In GenAI, Smeal Academy Sessions

GenAI Series: Beginning of Semester Update and Resources

This session was a discussion about University guidance and learn about resources and strategies that the eLDIG team created to support your course needs and Generative Artificial Intelligence policies. This session aimed to:

  • Share the latest updates on University guidance regarding the use of Generative AI (GenAI) in courses.
  • Discuss strategies for integrating GenAI policies into course assignments and syllabi.
  • Share information about and discuss the Provost’s AI-Enhanced Pedagogy Endorsement.

 

RESOURCES:

Mark Deluca
In EdTech Tools & Course Delivery, Instructional Strategies & Student Engagement, Smeal Academy Sessions

Let’s Talk: Online Discussion Tools

This session discusses tools, best practices, and strategies for online course discussions. We provide an overview of Canvas, Packback, Piazza, and Yellowdig discussion tools.

 

RESOURCES:

Mark Deluca
In Accessibility, Instructional Strategies & Student Engagement, Smeal Academy Sessions

Inclusive Tricks & Treats

In this session we give out an array of inclusive classroom treats that can be shared with your students to help everyone feel a greater sense of belonging. You will leave the session with a variety of tools you can implement right away!

Helpful Resources

Mark Deluca
In Instructional Strategies & Student Engagement, Smeal Academy Sessions

Final Touches for Fall

This session was designed to help faculty and staff who support faculty to put the finishing touches on Canvas for the upcoming semester. We cover some Canvas basics, a checklist of items that you don’t want to forget before publishing your course(s), and some best tips and practices to get the semester off to a great start.

Link to Session Slides

Mark Deluca
In Accessibility, EdTech Tools & Course Delivery, Smeal Academy Sessions

New Quizzes Overview

Penn State will be moving to “New Quizzes” that can be used in your live courses beginning in 2023, with a plan to sunset the Class Quiz Engine in 2024. Come hear about New Quizzes and how the new quiz engine compares to classic quizzes. We will also discuss some considerations, tips, and strategies for planning your migration to the new quiz engine.

Link to Session Slides

Helpful Resources

Mark Deluca
In Instructional Strategies & Student Engagement, Smeal Academy Sessions

Engaging Students via Microlearning

Link to Session Slides

Engaging Students via Microlearning

Are your students mentally stuffed to the gills from your course content? There are things you can do to help them!In this interactive Smeal Academy session, we’ll look at Microlearning (providing small, bite-size chunks of information in a timely manner) and how you might apply it to your course content. We’ll look at the theory behind Microlearning, provide some examples, and see how to apply it in Canvas.

Helpful Resources

Mark Deluca
In Instructional Strategies & Student Engagement, Smeal Academy Sessions

Microsoft Bookings Tips & Tricks

Join us for a Microsoft Bookings Lunch & Learn facilitated by Jessie Sorensen and Carrie Marcinkevage. Several members of the Smeal College of Business utilize MS Bookings for admissions, coaching/advising, and individual appointments. Participants are invited to share their tips and tricks for maximizing MS Bookings’ value and use.

Please note that rather than a first-time training for MS Bookings, this facilitated sharing session assumes basic knowledge and use.

Mark Deluca
In Accessibility, Instructional Strategies & Student Engagement, Smeal Academy Sessions

Inclusive Course Design

Join Jamie Campbell and Olivia Lewis from Smeal’s Office of Diversity Enhancement Programs as they share tips and strategies to make our classes more inclusive for Smeal’s diverse student body. We will discuss 5 specific things everyone can do to promote a feeling of belonging in our classrooms.

“HOW-TO” RESOURCES:

GENERAL RESOURCES AND TOOLS THAT FOSTER DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION : 

PHOTO RESOURCES THAT FOSTER DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:

Mark Deluca
In Instructional Strategies & Student Engagement, Smeal Academy Sessions

Spring BREAK Isn’t Just for Students: Relax, Reconnect, and Reset

Our busy lives pull us in so many directions. Taking time to relax, reconnect with ourselves, and reset is critical for being able to show up for others. In this session, we share a wide variety of resources you can use every day to feel calmer, more centered, and refreshed.

Links Shared in Presentation:

Mark Deluca
In eLDIG News

Issue playing YouTube videos from MS Office apps in Smeal and GPC classrooms

Description: A global issue with YouTube’s integration with Microsoft Office is currently preventing links to YouTube videos from Microsoft Office applications (such as Word and Powerpoint) from playing as expected in Smeal and General Purpose classroom podium computers using any browser. When attempting to visit YouTube links from MS Office applications users are instead redirected to a message stating “Your browsers is up to date” and are unable to play the video.

There are several options to circumvent this redirect:

  1. Manually copy links from MS Office applications and paste them into browser windows.
  2. Add YouTube video links to Kaltura Media Space, then paste those links into MS Office applications.
  3. Edit the YouTube video link as follows:
    1. Copy the YouTube video URL from the browser’s address window (for example,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhgyG0qHoAw)
    2. Remove “?v=” and add a “/” after “watch”
    3. Paste the new URL into your MS Office application (https://www.youtube.com/watch/MhgyG0qHoAw)