Digital Literacy Summer Institute

Digital literacy is the ability to use, create, evaluate, and engage critically with digital technologies to complete tasks safely and ethically in professional and civic contexts. 


2025 Digital Literacy Summer Institute

June 24 – 26 
9 am – 4 pm 

L. V. Eberhard Center, Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus

 

APPLY THROUGH QUALTRICS BY JUNE 13


What is involved?

The Summer Institute has been designed to support continued faculty learning with the goal of enhancing digital literacy across Grand Valley State University's curriculum. Building upon the strong foundation of expertise and best practices already in place, we seek to bring together faculty from across the disciplines and experience levels to learn and explore. The week begins with a required common session (Tuesday 9am-12pm) that introduces a digital literacy framework and sets the stage for the week's sessions. Concurrent sessions on Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday, and Thursday allow participants to select which topics to explore more deeply. Participants will engage in hands-on practice and gain insights into how digital literacy platforms and approaches can be effectively integrated into their courses and professional practices. 

 

Participants are eligible for a $250 stipend upon completion of at least three sessions during the week and submission of a final reflection. Participants will also have the claim a digital badge. 

Who can participate?

The Institute is intended primarily for faculty, tenure-track and non-tenure-track alike. Faculty on 12-month appointments are not eligible for the participation stipend. While invited to attend if space permits, staff are also not eligible for the participation stipend. 

 

 

 

How do I apply?

Register through the above Qualtrics links. 

The Institute is limited to 80 participants. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Pew FTLC at [email protected].

 


Schedule

 

Tuesday, June 24

Wednesday, June 25

Thursday, June 26

9 - 12

Session A  (9 am- 11am)
Digital Literacy @ GVSU and Beyond: Building a Culture of Technological Equity  

Session B  (11am - 12pm)
AI Introduction & Overview

 

Session D 
AI and Critical Thinking

or

Session E
TBA

Session H
Digital Approaches to Accessibility

or

Session I
Digital Etiquette: Effective, Respectful Communication in Online Spaces

12 - 1

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

1 - 4 

Session C
AI and Student Writing

Session F
Online Presentation Assignments and Enterprise Tools

or

Session G
TBA

Session J
DEI Meets DIY: Unfolding the Digital Literacy Landscape With Zines

or

Session K 
Strategies to Support Responsible Student Use of AI


Session Descriptions

6/24: Session A (9–11am) 

 

Digital Literacy @ GVSU and Beyond: Building a Culture of Technological Equity 

Laurence José, Digital Studies & Writing; Vinicius Lima, Visual & Media Arts

This introductory section will engage participants in the work underway to catalyze digital literacy across the curriculum at Grand Valley. Through dialogue and collaborative exploration, participants will interact with a framework that contextualizes digital literacy within the institution’s values and liberal arts mission. The framework will serve as a tool for identifying the digital literacy skills students need to succeed while also guiding critical and collaborative reflection on the conditions and resources required to foster equitable and inclusive learning environments.

 

6/24: Session B (11am–noon) 

AI Introduction and Overview 

Kamrul Hasan, College of Computing

This session, "AI Introduction & Overview," offers a primarily non-technical and approachable introduction to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence—clarifying what AI is, and what it isn’t, through relatable examples. Participants will explore commonly used AI tools in a hands-on segment, discovering how they may already be interacting with AI in their daily lives. The session will also outline key types of AI currently in use and provide insight into anticipated advancements in the near future. To wrap up, an open Q&A will invite questions, reflections, and discussion among attendees.

 

6/24: Session C 

AI and Student Writing            

Alisha Karabinus, Writing & School of Interdisciplinary Studies; Patrick Johnson, Writing Center; Lindsay Ellis, English & Supplemental Writing Skills (SWS)  

A discussion of what faculty are seeing, what students are hearing, and how both can work together to shape expectations for AI and learning.  Relevant topics include: assignment redesigns, rethinking learning objectives, stories from the trenches of what is working or not, false positives accusing students of using AI, collaborating with campus resources, and discussing what is next for AI and its role in writing

 

6/25: Session C 

TBA

 

6/25: Session E 

AI and Critical Thinking

Larry Burns, Psychology; Patrick Johnson, Writing Center

What happens to critical thinking when students rely on ChatGPT? We’ll explore that question together through interactive prompts, collaborative reflection, and case-based discussion—not to answer what AI can do, but to ask why it matters. Anchored in research (Burns, Essel, Kumar, Suriano), this session models a shift from “content coverage” to helping students build confidence in their own questions. You’ll leave not just with ideas for teaching, but with deeper questions—about imagination, trust, and the thinking we most need to protect.

 

6/25: Session F

Online Presentation Assignments and Enterprise Tools

Justin Melick, eLearning Technologies; Kyle Macciomei, eLearning Technologies; Kelley Senkowski, eLearning Technologies; Dawn Brackmann, Management; Martin Axelrod, Finance.

Discover how to move beyond traditional written assignments by incorporating GVSU-supported technologies that foster creative, multimodal student work. This session will explore tools like Padlet for collaborative virtual boards, Panopto for video presentations, and Adobe Express for digital storytelling. You’ll see examples of how GVSU faculty use these tools to enrich learning experiences. Plus, get an exclusive preview of Blackboard’s new AI Design Assistant features and learn how to join our summer pilot program. Most importantly, discover how the eLearning Technologies team can partner with you to integrate these tools into your teaching.

 

6/25: Session G

TBA 

 

6/26: Session H

Digital Approaches to Accessibility

Tim Mohnkern, Student Accessibility Resources; Barbara Stevens, eLearning Technologies; Maya Hobscheid, University Libraries

Join experts from University Libraries, Student Accessibility Resources, and eLearning Technologies to explore strategies for making your digital content more accessible. Learn how to connect with campus partners leading the way in digital inclusion, discover assistive technologies built into Microsoft and Blackboard, and explore how to run accessibility reports, set accommodations, and provide alternative formats for your students, all within your Blackboard course.

 

6/26: Session I 

Digital Etiquette: Effective, Respectful Communication in Online Spaces

Matt Roberts, eLearning Technologies; Julia Vandermolen, School of Interdisciplinary Health; Raymond Higbea, School of Community Leadership & Development

Explore strategies for fostering respectful, inclusive communication in your courses. This session will cover setting clear expectations, creating netiquette guidelines, and facilitating thoughtful dialogue around challenging topics. We'll also highlight how these practices align with Quality Matters standards for communication and engagement.

 

6/26: Session J

DEI Meets DIY: Unfolding the Digital Literacy Landscape With Zines

Mary Ruge, University Libraries

This presentation seeks to engage attendees with the aesthetics and methodologies of zines, to become familiar with the ways zines foster inclusive, low-barrier approaches to digital skill-building, information literacy, and scholarship. Through peer-reviewed papers and zine-based pedagogical examples, this presentation asserts that zines are more than punk relics of more revolutionary times: they are flexible, culturally responsive tools that promote agency, multimodal learning, and access. During this presentation, participants will have the opportunity to explore different software to create zines, and share ideas with colleagues on ways to incorporate zines in their classes.

 

6/26: Session K

Strategies to Support Responsible Student Use of AI

Elizabeth Flandreau, Psychology; Tammy Stachowicz, School of Interdisciplinary Studies

AI can be a useful tool to make learning more accessible and more fun; it becomes problematic when used to avoid doing the work of learning.  What’s the best way to begin an open conversation about AI use?  How can we guide students toward recognition that the process of education is the purpose? In this hands-on, curiosity-driven workshop, we’ll have this conversation together and then share ideas for low-stakes, in-class exercises that let students safely explore AI as a thinking partner—sparking curiosity, boosting engagement, and building essential digital literacy skills. By tapping into students’ sense of adventure and their natural curiosity, we’ll discover exciting new ways to reach and teach diverse learners. Bring your laptop and your questions—this is a playful, hands-on session designed for communication, experimentation, inspiration, and shared discovery.


Are there additional opportunities to learn?

Yes. During the 2025-26 academic year, the Pew FTLC will be offering semester-long faculty learning communities on topics related to digital literacy. In addition, a Digital Literacy Friday schedule is being drafted that provides space for continued peer learning and exploration of a range of digital topics.

We are also planning to offer the Digital Literacy Institute in a virtual format in January 2026. 





Page last modified June 11, 2025