Distance Learning Conference 2026
Session 4 Descriptions and Links
2:15 PM EST - 3:15 PM EST
Option 1:
AI in Higher Education: Your Personal Blueprint
Presenter: Dr. Marla Cartwright
Intended Audience: Higher Ed
In this session, attendees will be encouraged to: examine their own approach to AI tools, review 3 steps to a more personalized approach to AI, apply the personalized approach in relation to their own use cases
Option 2:
A Framework for AI Literacy Across the College System of Tennessee
Presenter: Dr. Erin Hugus, Sarah Hazelton, Parishweta Bhatt, Dr. Jamie Nelson
Intended Audience: Higher Ed, Distance Ed Admin
This workshop introduces TBR’s AI Literacy Competency Framework Suite across student, staff, and faculty contexts. Participants will examine a role-based competency, design an aligned AI-infused activity or training concept, and consider responsible AI use, measurable performance, and workforce relevance. Participants will leave with the frameworks, a draft concept, and next steps for building AI literacy training. Participants will be able to: •Explain the structure and purpose of interconnected AI literacy frameworks. •Apply a selected competency to design an AI-infused activity or training concept. •Align AI literacy development with workforce skills and performance indicators. •Identify next steps for implementing AI literacy training.
Option 3:
Revealing Writing: Using Microsoft Teams for Authenticity and Transparency
Presenter: Krystie Anderson, Myndalynn Word, Matthew McDonald
Intended Audience: Higher Ed, K-12, IT, Distance ED Administration, Instructional Designer/Technology Specialist
If you’ve ever wondered how to confirm a document’s authenticity, join us as we demonstrate how to use Microsoft Teams to track your students’ draft history and writing progress. In this session, you will learn how to set up a private Teams channel for each student and how to interpret each document’s Version History. Drafting in Teams helps educators confirm authentic and consistent drafting, but it also reveals each student’s composition process through time and thought. Presenters will share different methods for emphasizing responsibility through revision, reflections, and annotations. Attendees can ask questions and share strategies in a post-presentation discussion.
Option 4:
Practical Tools for Teaching and Learning Mini-Sessions:
(1) Wayground Basics: Creating Quiz Games, (2) Cut to the Chase: Accessible Video Editing with Clipchamp and Copilot, (3) Aligning Edtech with Learning Outcomes: How to Choose the Right Tool (Or No Tool at All!)
Presenters: (1) Caitlin Peffers, (2) Charity Davenport, (3) Dr. Erica Lamm-Denny
Intended Audience: (1) Higher Ed, K-12 (2) Higher Ed, K-12, Instructional Designers/Technology Specialists, (3) Higher Ed, Instructional Designers/Technology Specialists
(1) In this session, we will walk through how to create an activity on Wayground. Wayground is a website similar to Kahoot that allows instructors to make quizzes and other learning materials for in-class activities or at-home review.
(2) Short on time? So is this session! Watch a live demo of Microsoft Clipchamp's AI-powered features in action: record a quick clip, auto-generate captions, trim silence, and let Copilot create clips from a simple prompt — all in 15 minutes. Participants will leave knowing how transcript-based editing speeds up production, how auto-captions support accessibility compliance, and where to start making their own accessible video content.
(3) Educators make countless decisions, including whether to use academic technology. While not every tool is a good fit, starting with clear learning objectives helps ensure technology enhances student learning. This session emphasizes avoiding the use of tools simply because they are new, and instead focuses on aligning technology with learning goals and assessment strategies. Using Vevox for live polling, participants will engage in real-time feedback and reflection. By the end, attendees will be able to explain how to select academic technology that effectively supports specific learning outcomes.