Learner Agency – Center for Teaching and Learning /ctl Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:48:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 /ctl/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2024/01/cropped-android-chrome-512x512-1-32x32.png Learner Agency – Center for Teaching and Learning /ctl 32 32 Student AI Bill of Rights /ctl/student-ai-bill-of-rights/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:47:59 +0000 /ctl/?p=5844 The National Student Legal Defense Network recently released a Student AI Bill of Rights, a document outlining considerations for higher education as generative AI becomes more prolific in learning and the workplace.

]]> The National Student Legal Defense Network recently released a Student AI Bill of Rights, a document outlining considerations for higher education as generative AI becomes more prolific in learning and the workplace.

It includes 5 articles:

  1. The Right to Transparency and “”Notice””
  2. The Right to Human Oversight and Appeal
  3. The Right to Data Sovereignty and Intellectual Property
  4. The Right of all Students to Safely Use AI
  5. The Right to Share in AI and its Benefits

If you have been wondering about student voice in the AI in Education conversation, this document is a great place to start thinking about student perspectives. What do you think a Faculty AI Bill of Rights would look like?

Check out the .

]]> Grading Transparency /ctl/grading-transparency/ Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:44:54 +0000 /ctl/?p=5050 One of our 91ÌÒÉ« Academic Commitments is "A clear and fair grading system". Do your students know how their final grade is determined and can they keep track of their own progress? If you have set up your gradebook in Brightspace, there are some important settings to make your grading process transparent for your learners.

]]> One of our 91ÌÒÉ« Academic Commitments is “A clear and fair grading system”. Do your students know how their final grade is determined and can they keep track of their own progress? If you have set up your gradebook in Brightspace, there are some important settings to make your grading process transparent for your learners.

To access these, follow these steps:

  1. Go to your grade center in Brightspace
  2. Click the Settings wheel on the top right side of the screen.
  3. Click the Calculation Options tab at the top of the page.
  4. Scroll down past the Grading System section to the Final Grade ReleasedÌý²õ±ð³¦³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô.
  5. Choose whether you would like the Final Grade to be automatically calculated or whether you would like to manually adjust the Final Grade.
  6. If you would like students to be able to see their Final Grade throughout the semester, be sure to check Automatically release final grade as shown in the image below. We also recommend checking Automatically keep final grades updated.

These steps will allow your learners to keep track of their final grade throughout the semester so they can see how their assignments and efforts affect their grade. If you would like help with your grade settings, please reach out to CTL at umpi-ctl@maine.edu.

Screenshot of grade settings with automatically release final grade and automatically keep final grades updated highlighted
]]> The Science of Meaning /ctl/the-science-of-meaning/ Wed, 19 Nov 2025 21:59:11 +0000 /ctl/?p=5319 I had the pleasure of attending a session on the Science of Meaning with Dr. Todd Kashan from the  at George Mason University. According to his research, the three primary drivers of meaning in life are: (1) coherence, (2) significance, and (3) purpose. How can you use this in your teaching?

]]> I had the pleasure of attending a session on the Science of Meaning with Dr. Todd Kashan from the  at George Mason University. According to his research, the three primary drivers of meaning in life are: (1) coherence, (2) significance, and (3) purpose. How can you use this in your teaching?

You can go big like 91ÌÒÉ«’s  who worked with his undergraduate students to help them develop an app that helps researchers monitor and analyze data on tree growth and health in our forests. This opportunity provided coherence for his learners in that their work in the classroom was connected to a real practical application in a context that they live in and is important to them. It provided significance because the students were not just created a theoretical app or prototype for a classroom assignment. They created an app that real people will use and will actually impact the health of our forests. And it provided purpose by allowing learners to work toward a personally meaningful goal.

What are some small ways you can cultivate meaning in your own life and the lives of your learners? Consider coherence, significance, and purpose. We would love to hear your ideas!

]]> A safe and transparent AI platform for learning? Sign me up! /ctl/a-safe-and-transparent-ai-platform-for-learning-sign-me-up/ Thu, 06 Nov 2025 17:24:27 +0000 /ctl/?p=4064  

]]>  is a secure, collaborative platform that helps faculty and students use AI safely and responsibly. It provides access to multiple AI models in one space—allowing students to compare responses, evaluate accuracy, and reflect on ethical use. Designed for education, BoodleBox prioritizes data privacy, transparency, and low-power AI operations, ensuring environmentally conscious use and protection of student information. Faculty can create shared workspaces, AI-integrated assignments, and reflective activities that make the AI process visible and teach critical evaluation skills. In short, BoodleBox supports responsible, sustainable AI engagement for both teaching and learning.

Read about how faculty are using Boodlebox: .

Find more resources here: 

Watch a short demo showing how to create a course, an assignment, and view student chat conversations below.

]]> Provide Guidelines for Student AI Use /ctl/provide-guidelines-for-student-ai-use/ Thu, 06 Nov 2025 17:17:48 +0000 /ctl/?p=4045  

]]> We know that many of our students are going to use generative AI in their classes, but how many of them know how to use it effectively or ethically? Consider providing this guidance explicitly to them so they know what is acceptable and why. You can also model transparency for how you use AI in your course design and development. Here is a page I will be including in my next YourPace course that explains both of these things: . ~Kim Sebold & Gemini

Do you have thoughts about when and how to use and not use AI? Last week, we shared a tip about using AI to help with providing student feedback. Do you think you should evaluate the student work first and then ask for additional input from AI, or should you use the AI first to give you ideas and then follow up with your judgment? Share your ideas with us by email: umpi-ctl@maine.edu.

]]> From Learner-Centered to Learner Agency: Updates in UDL 3.0 /ctl/from-learner-centered-to-learner-agency-updates-in-udl-3-0/ Wed, 29 Oct 2025 19:00:26 +0000 /ctl/?p=3526  

]]> Most of you are familiar with Universal Design for Learning, but did you know that it got a makeover last year? This webinar provides an overview of these changes to make the recommendations easier for you to use and move beyond learner-centered to learner agency. After all, we really want our learners to take what we are teaching and own it so they can use it and continue to learn after our course ends. You will see this in strategies for addressing identity, bias, and collective learning with a goal of developing purposive & reflective, resourceful & authentic, and strategic & action-oriented learners. Find the latest version of the guidelines here: .

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