Page 4 - OIT Progress Report: 2023 Edition

Academic Technology
Serving Student Engagement and Inclusion
In early 2023, a joint effort across the SMU-in-Four initiative and
the Center for Teaching Excellence spawned the inaugural Student Engagement & Inclusion (SEI) Institute, an effort commissioned
to encourage and incentivize renewed focus on helping faculty create engaging and inclusive experiences throughout all First Year and Gateway courses. The Academic Technology Services group
was tasked with providing deep instructional technology thought leadership, practical expertise, and support to SEI-sponsored faculty. OIT has been honored to join the interdisciplinary cohort as partners throughout this initiative.
The primary goal of the SEI is to help faculty promote and enhance student engagement both inside and outside their classrooms and learning experiences. Additionally, the SEI fosters a commitment to promoting an instructional culture of inclusion where every student feels valued, respected, and able to participate fully in all aspects
of university life. Sharing these two goals, Academic Technology Services has identified the specific technical toolkits, instructional technology techniques and training, and what support can help participating faculty stay focused on their teaching while leaning
on their technology partnerships to equip them with appropriate options and solutions. As much as we focus on working with the SEI to activate more technology-enabled learning opportunities, we are already also helping faculty use our tools to monitor student progress more efficiently to identify students who might be at risk.
The SEI partnership has helped participating faculty return to their home schools to help champion teaching opportunities
that advance student engagement and inclusivity. Embracing Academic Technology systems help faculty promote engagement by offering digital interactivity that changes passive learners into
2 OIT PROGRESS REPORT 2023