Author: Helen

(she, her, hers) Trail-loving ultrarunner determined to teach my preschooler how to blow her nose when not providing consultation and support to the University community to successfully integrate technology into teaching, learning, and research.
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Registration is now open for the 10-Day AI Bootcamp!

A wide horizontal banner image with a dark blue background featuring glowing circuit board patterns and snowflakes. On the left, a glowing laptop displays a brain icon and a toolbox with gears. Large white and blue text across the center reads: "THE PRE-HOLIDAY POWER-UP: UPGRADE YOUR AI TOOLKIT BEFORE WINTER BREAK (IN JUST 10 MINUTES/DAY!)". On the right, a desk calendar marked "DECEMBER" with a "10 MIN/DAY" timer sits next to a mug of cocoa and a decorated miniature Christmas tree.

Ready for round two of AI skill-building? Join the 10-Day AI Bootcamp: Claude Edition with Sybil Prince Nelson running December 8th-21st alongside Winter Academy.

What’s different from Fall? This bootcamp features Claude instead of ChatGPT, so you’ll explore:

  • Web search and real-time research
  • Document creation (artifacts)
  • Conversational depth and reasoning
  • Different strengths and approaches

Perfect for:

  • Repeaters: Compare Claude vs ChatGPT side-by-side
  • Newcomers: No prior AI experience needed!

The format: 10 minutes a day, 10 weekday prompts + 4 optional weekend bonuses. Earn stars, collect a digital badge at 8+.

Tracks for everyone: Faculty and staff versions of each prompt mean relevant, practical applications for your actual work.

Self-enroll here: https://wlu.instructure.com/enroll/E38KEW

Questions? Email sprincenelson@wlu.edu or stop by PLAI Lab office hours.

Let’s explore what makes Claude different—one prompt at a time!

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⚠️ Reminder: Limited Poster Printing Capacity for Spring Spotlight

Faculty, as you plan your Spring Term projects, please be aware that the University Library has extremely limited capacity for printing academic posters. We anticipate that poster printing will be moved to another unit after this academic year, which further limits our ability to support widespread student poster sessions.

We strongly encourage you to consider alternative project formats that meet your learning goals and do not require large-format printing. For ideas on meaningful, creative alternatives to traditional final projects, please refer to this Padlet: 2026 Spring Spotlight Project Guide.

If, after careful consideration, you determine that poster printing is the only viable option for a class assignment presented at an on-campus student session, please adhere strictly to the following guidelines:

Essential Guidelines & Strict Limits

Faculty Pre-Approval Required: Faculty must contact Elizabeth Teaff  at least three weeks in advance of printing requests. Printing is scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis and availability is extremely limited.

Posters Due: The deadline for submitting posters for Spring Spotlight is 6 PM on 5/17.

Strict Limit: We can only print one poster per student (or student group) per course.

Final Prints Only: Only final versions will be printed, rough drafts will not be accepted.

Submission Format: Posters must be submitted as PDFs and sized at 30×42 inches. Upload submissions via the BOX link and include the student’s first and last name in the file name.

You can find more detailed submission information and design tips here: https://bit.ly/3JH7AzA.

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A Helpful Guide to Writing AI Image Prompts

If you’ve used AI image generators like Gemini, ChatGPT, or Microsoft Copilot, you know that the quality of your result often depends on the quality of your prompt. It can sometimes be tricky to describe exactly what you’re imagining.

To help with this, we’d like to share the Text-to-Image Prompting Quick Guide. It’s a new, simple resource designed to help you build more effective and detailed prompts.

The guide breaks the process down into six key components to consider:

  • Subject
  • Setting
  • Mood & Lighting
  • Style
  • Framing
  • Context

The tool is flexible, whether you have a few minutes or want to learn the fundamentals. You can:

  • 📚 Learn the Framework: Read through each component section to understand the principles.
  • 🛠️ Use the Prompt Builder: Jump straight to the builder to quickly assemble a prompt based on the parts that matter to you.
  • 📊 Track Your Progress: For those interested, there are optional assessments to help you see how your skills improve.

Prompting is an iterative process, and this framework is designed to make that process a little easier. If you’re interested in refining your prompts, you can explore the guide at the link below.

Check out the Text-to-Image Prompting Quick Guide

(This guide also serves as one of my final projects for my graduate portfolio as I complete my master’s in instructional design. A lot of thought went into making it a useful and effective learning resource, and I’m excited to share it.)

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Regurgitative AI: Why ChatGPT Won’t Kill Original Thought

A minimalist illustration of a human and a robot collaboratively assembling a light bulb. The human holds the left half of the bulb, while the robot holds the right half, which is shaped like a gear. The image symbolizes the partnership between human creativity and artificial intelligence, set against a bright orange background.

In her compelling new article, Regurgitative AI: Why ChatGPT Won’t Kill Original Thought, Dr. Sybil Prince Nelson explores the nuanced role of generative AI in higher education—challenging the widespread fear that tools like ChatGPT will replace human creativity. Drawing on her dual expertise as both a mathematician and a novelist, Nelson argues that while AI excels at remixing existing ideas, it cannot originate truly novel thought. That distinction, she contends, is where educators and students continue to shine.

Key Highlights:

  • AI as a remix artist: Nelson compares ChatGPT to a DJ like Girl Talk—brilliant at blending familiar tracks into something fresh, yet incapable of composing an original symphony from silence.
  • Limits of AI creativity: Through examples from fiction writing, statistical coding, and even brainstorming sessions, she demonstrates how AI often narrows rather than expands the range of ideas. 
  • Pedagogical strategies: Nelson provides five actionable methods for faculty, including requiring students to document their AI prompts, reflect on tool influence, and redesign assignments to emphasize personal voice, ethical judgment, and iterative thinking—areas AI cannot replicate.
  • Hope for the college essay: Despite AI’s ability to generate polished prose, Nelson affirms that the authentic process of writing—grappling with ideas, revising drafts, and expressing individual perspective—remains irreplaceable.

This thoughtful, research-informed article is a must-read for anyone rethinking assignment design in the age of AI. 

Read the full article on Faculty Focus!

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Reimagining Law: How AI Empowers Small Firms

"The Next Generation of Law: AI and Small Firm Practice." It features two robotic hands holding a blue circular emblem with "AI" in the center. The flyer promotes a discussion led by Professor Josh Fairfield and Ben Byrd '08L on how AI is reshaping opportunities for solo practitioners and small law firms. The event is scheduled for Thursday, November 6, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM in Classroom B. The flyer notes that pizza will be served.

Can artificial intelligence level the playing field in legal practice? While Big Law continues to dominate, AI is opening new doors for solo practitioners and small firms to thrive. Join Professor Josh Fairfield and Ben Byrd ’08L for a thought-provoking conversation on how AI is reshaping the legal landscape—what it can do, what it can’t, and what it means for your future.

🗓️ Thursday, November 6, 2025
🕐 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
📍 Classroom B
🍕 Pizza will be served!

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Announcing Tech-knowledge-y Thursdays!

Tech-knowledge-y Thursday, Oct 2-Dec 4, Leyburn M11

Join Senior Academic Technologists Brandon Bucy and Helen MacDermott for bite-sized training sessions designed to boost your tech confidence and efficiency.

Each week, we’ll spotlight one tool, tip, or feature from platforms you use every day—like: Canvas, Qualtrics, Word, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Express …and more!

💡 What to Expect:

  • A single, focused tip or feature
  • Live demo and walkthrough
  • Time for questions and discussion

Whether you’re streamlining workflows or discovering hidden features, these short sessions are designed to fit your schedule and elevate your tech game.

Want to suggest a future topic? Contact hartecenter@wlu.edu.

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Save the Date! Exploring Artificial Intelligence in the Legal Field on Tues, Sept. 16

Flyer for an event titled “AI Update: New Tools and Trends for Lawyers,” featuring Professor Joshua Fairfield discussing how artificial intelligence is transforming legal practice. The event is on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM in Classroom C. The flyer includes a robotic hand and a circuit-style AI graphic, with a note at the bottom that pizza will be served.

William Donald Bain Family Professor of Law and Director of Artificial Intelligence Legal Innovation Strategy Joshua Fairfield will provide a fresh perspective on the ways artificial intelligence is actively transforming legal practice, sharing insights into recent breakthroughs, emerging practical uses, and the most pressing risks and opportunities for legal professionals today.

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PayPal, Venmo Users Can Get Perplexity Pro, Comet Browser Access for Free

Three smartphone screens display a PayPal promotional offer for Perplexity Pro. The first screen shows a PayPal balance of $200 with a featured offer for one free year of Perplexity Pro when linking PayPal. The middle screen highlights the Perplexity Pro with PayPal promotion, offering 12 free months when users connect a valid billing method. The third screen displays a user’s subscription list, including Perplexity, Music, Cloud Storage, Pet Supplies, and News, with a featured offer for 10% cash back on streaming services for three months.
Credit: PayPal/Perplexity

A new promotion from PayPal and Venmo provides their users with a one-year subscription to Perplexity Pro and access to the Comet AI browser at no cost. The Perplexity Pro plan, which is typically priced at $20 per month or $200 per year, includes unlimited searches, access to advanced AI models, and image generation capabilities.

The offer also includes access to the Comet AI browser, a Chromium-based (same open-source codebase beneath Chrome, Edge and Opera) browser with integrated AI functions. Normally, access to this browser is limited to invitees or subscribers of the Perplexity Max plan.

Comet has several unique features, chief among them a powerful AI assistant you can access at any time. It’s a chatbot that lives inside your web browser and can access the pages you open. (Unsurprisingly, Comet uses Perplexity as its default home page and search engine.)

To receive the offer, users must link their PayPal or Venmo account to Perplexity. This can be done through the PayPal or Venmo mobile apps or on a dedicated page on Perplexity’s website.

The following conditions apply:

  • The offer is valid through December 31 for new Perplexity Pro subscribers.
  • It is limited to one redemption per PayPal or Venmo account.
  • Users with PayPal accounts created after September 1 will have a 30-day waiting period before gaining access.
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And the winner of the Apple AirPods Pro 2 is …

The Harte Center was buzzing with great energy during our Fall Academy Open House!

Many thanks to everyone who explored all that we have to offer, from the Writing Center and Academic Success Coaching and Peer Tutoring to the PLAI Lab and Academic Technologies. It was wonderful to see returning colleagues and meet new colleagues discovering new ways the Harte Center can support teaching, learning, and collaboration across campus.

We look forward to working with you throughout the year—whether you’re seeking writing or tutoring support for your students or experimenting with AI in the classroom. The Harte Center is here to help make your academic journey even more impactful.

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Mark Your Calendar for the PLAI Summit in September

Logo for the PLAI Summit featuring a stylized mountain with circuit lines branching across it, topped with a flag. Below the mountain, the text reads "PLAI Summit," with the "AI" incorporated into a smiling robot face.

Friday, September 19, 2025
9:00 am – 4:30 pm

Houston H. Harte Center for Teaching and Learning
@ Washington and Lee University

How do we decide when to press the AI button—and when not to?

The PLAI Summit is a full-day event bringing together educators, students, and professionals to explore one of the most urgent questions of our time: how do we use AI to extend human capability—without compromising what makes us human?

Through hands-on demos, thought-provoking discussions, and multidisciplinary exchange, we’ll dive into how AI is reshaping art, society, science, and learning. The goal isn’t just to showcase innovation—it’s to build a shared awareness of when and why we choose to use AI, and when we deliberately choose not to.

Join us in imagining a future where AI supports—not supplants—human curiosity, creativity, and care.

Now Accepting Proposals for Presentations