DTEI Happy Hours

The Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation will be hosting a series of campus happy hours in Winter and Spring 2025 that focus on pressing educational topics. Each event will include an informal presentation from one or more UCI innovators and allow for discussion (with food and drink!) amongst attendees. All events will be on Fridays in AIRB 1030 unless otherwise specified.

The focus of each happy hour along with logistics can be found below. If you have questions, please reach out to dtei@uci.edu.

Jan 31 Inclusive and Equitable STEM Teaching

Date & Time: January 31, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm

RSVP to Event

Presenters:

  • Michael Dennin, Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning
  • Bob Pelayo, Associate Professor of Teaching, Department of Mathematics
  • Kim Edwards, Professor of Teaching, Department of Chemistry
  • Renee Link, Professor of Teaching, Department of Chemistry
Feb 14 Teaching Innovation: Compass Research Data

Falling in Love with Data: Valentine’s DTEI Happy Hour

Join DTEI and the Office of Data and Information Technology for a delightful blend of data analytics and Valentine’s Day charm! We invite you to explore the exciting world of data while enjoying refreshments in a festive atmosphere.

Time: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

We will cover: 

  • An introduction to UCI Compass Spark
  • Accessing Unizin data
  • Exploring the SDW anonymized database for research purposes

Sip, mingle, and discover new insights while having the chance to win Valentine’s Day-themed prizes.This event is sure to spark a love affair with analytics that will last long after the roses have wilted.

Don’t miss this opportunity to network with colleagues, enhance your research capabilities, and celebrate the season of love – data style!

RSVP today and prepare for a date with data you’ll never forget!


Presenters:

  • Valerie Jones, Director, Data & Information Management, OIT
  • Astrud Reed, Community of Practice Manager, OIT
  • Ray Vadnais, Senior User Experience Architect, OIT
  • Bernadette Theologidy, Manager, Student Analytics, OIT
Feb 28 Generative AI and Student Learning

Date & Time: February 28, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm

Presenters:

  • Waverly Tseng & Mark Warschauer (Education) will discuss how PapyrusAI, a generative AI-based writing assistant, has been implemented by writing instructors to support students’ critical thinking.
  • Ian Straughn (Anthropology) will present a case study exploring the challenges and opportunities students encounter with AI-assisted “reading.”
  • A team from our second cohort of Faculty Academy for Teaching Excellence (FATE) Fellows will outline their project aiming to better understand faculty and student perspectives of Generative AI.

RSVP to Event

Mar 14 Pedagogical Innovation & Student Success

Date & Time: March 14, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm

Presenters:

  • Larisa Castillo (Humanities Core) will share her Wellbeing Curriculum, which aims to build students’ awareness of resilience and wellbeing while helping them to discover personally supportive practices..
  • Tom Yeh (Computer Science) will present work examining the impacts of an interactive Large Language Model on novice programmers’ coding abilities. 
  • Ana Garcia-Vedrenne (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology) will discuss her efforts to support her instructional team of TAs and LAs so they are better able to implement a large scale course-based undergraduate research experience.

RSVP here

Mar 21 Scholarly Values, AI, and Teaching

Date & Time: March 21, from 4:00pm – 6:00pm

Location: Anteater Learning Pavilion Room 1600

UC Irvine’s campuswide theme for this academic year is The Scholarly Values. As an institution we have highlighted four of our scholarly values as being the Anteater Virtues. At this event, our panelists and the audience will engage in a conversation of how the latest advances in AI impact the teaching and learning of students in the context of the Anteater Virtues of curiosity, tenacity, humility, and integrity. We will look at the intersection of curiosity and creativity and how AI can both enhance human creativity and the pitfalls this creates. Considering humility (openness to new ideas) and tenacity (strength of convictions), we will discuss the role of AI in impacting how we process information, especially things we either strongly agree or disagree with. Finally, a constant point of discussion in the teaching and learning space is the impact of AI on academic integrity. How are we experiencing that here at UC Irvine? 

The formal part of the event will be divided into three sections (curiosity and creativity; tenacity and humility; and integrity) in which the panel discusses the issues and then the audience will discuss with each other and then engage the panel. This will be followed by a reception full of food, drink, and fun conversation.

Presenters

  • Duncan Pritchard, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy
  • Melissa Mazmanian, Professor Informatics, Department of Informatics
  • Jonathan Alexander, Chancellor’s Professor of English and Informatics, School of Humanities
  • Angela C Jenks, Associate Professor of Teaching, Department of Anthropology

Moderated by Michael Dennin

Co-sponsored by UC Irvine Year of Scholarly Values, OVPTL, and OIT

RSVP to Event

Apr 4 Innovating Education: AI in Academic Administration

On Friday, April 4th from 3:30-5:00pm in AIRB 1030, a select group of faculty will have the opportunity to share their ideas on how AI can be leveraged by faculty and departments to make teaching more efficient and effective. This speed round-style pitch competition will require these faculty to convince the audience in five minutes or less of the potential of their proposals.

If you are interested in hearing about innovative uses of AI to enhance teaching (and making sure the best ideas are awarded prizes!), please RSVP here. Food and drink will be provided!

May 2 Educational Innovations at UCI

Date & Time: May 2, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm

Presenters: TBD

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Contact & Directions

The Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation

dtei@uci.edu

 

Anteater Instructional & Research Building

653 E Peltason Drive, Irvine, CA 92617