The EDLI team participated in 2025 Spring TALKS, presenting a range of projects that reflect our commitment to inclusive, evidence-based, and technology-enhanced teaching. Across two days of presentations, EDLI team members shared tools, research findings, and frameworks that support teaching, ranging from midsemester feedback systems to generative AI for neurodivergent support, and a campus-wide view of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) resources and gaps.
Copies of the presentations are accessible to those with msu.edu email addresses at the links in this post.
May 7: Virtual Poster and Panel Presentations
Dr. Jeya Amantha Kumar presented “Midsemester Feedback for Actionable Course Transformation (MidFACT): An Evidence-Driven Approach” on behalf of her project team. This virtual poster introduced the MidFACT Report, a structured tool designed to bridge the gap between student experiences and instructional decisions. Dr. Kumar explained how MidFACT helps instructors make sense of midsemester feedback in practical, actionable ways—allowing for timely course adjustments that improve teaching and learning during the second half of the semester.
Dr. Caitlin Kirby co-moderated a panel, “Blended and Beyond: Strategies for Flexible Teaching Across Discipline” with Dr. Casey Henley. This panel showcased hybrid and hyflex instructors at MSU across various disciplines and course sizes, who shared their approach to blended course design and some of the impacts they have experienced for themselves and students in their blended teaching. The panel participants consisted of learning community members who have been participating in EDLI’s NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education grant, including EDLI graduate researcher Imari Cheyne Tetu. Over 30 participants attended this virtual session.
May 8: In-Person Educator Talks and Round Table
During the in-person day, EDLI team members contributed to a session titled “Educator Talks on Creating More Inclusive Environments,” as well as a round table discussion on SoTL resources and gaps at MSU.
In the first talk, Dr. Hala Sun presented “Implementing Midsemester Feedback for Actionable Course Transformation (MidFACT)” building on Dr. Kumar’s virtual presentation. Dr. Sun shared how MidFACT has been implemented in classroom settings to collect and synthesize student feedback at the course midpoint. The findings demonstrated that the tool provides instructors with actionable insights into students’ learning experiences—helping them recognize both strengths and areas that may benefit from adjustment.
Drs. Min Zhuang and Richard Marks presented “Designing Inclusive Teaching with Custom GPTs for Neurodivergent Support” Their session explored the design and development of NeuroSupport GPT, a custom generative AI tool that supports instructors in implementing inclusive teaching practices for neurodivergent students. They described how the tool offers on-demand strategies and guidance grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and inclusive pedagogy—aiming to close the gap many instructors face due to limited training in this area. Preliminary findings from a pilot study suggest that the tool can help enhance instructor knowledge, confidence, and classroom practices. The study also yielded thoughtful feedback and recommendations from participants, which are now being used to further improve the tool’s design and functionality.
In the third talk, Drs. Richard Marks and Hala Sun presented “Empowering Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) with AI Tutoring: Insights from Student Perceptions” This presentation shared findings from an evaluation of AI tutoring tools used in two business courses. These tools were designed to support self-regulated learning by offering course-specific academic assistance. Students reported that the AI tutors helped them better understand difficult concepts, receive timely support, and build independent learning skills. The findings suggest that, when thoughtfully integrated into course design, AI tutoring tools can positively impact student engagement and SRL.
In another session, Dr. Caitlin Kirby led a round table discussion titled “The State of SoTL at MSU: Resources and Gaps for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning” Dr. Kirby shared preliminary findings from an environmental scan of SoTL-related programs across the MSU, such as some of the Graduate Teaching Fellowships and the upcoming SoTL learning community for 2025-26. Building from a taxonomy from the SoTL Collaboratory, her team identified and categorized existing resources while conducting a gap analysis. Participants shared their own experiences with SoTL, identified unmet needs, and explored opportunities for collaboration to strengthen MSU’s SoTL ecosystem.
EDLI’s participation in 2025 Spring TALKS showcased a wide spectrum of projects and research efforts developed over the past year. The presentations generated positive feedback from the MSU community and opened up meaningful conversations with faculty interested in future collaborations on inclusive and research-informed teaching.