Category: Harte Center

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Exploring the Human Side of AI with ‘After Yang’ – Join Us!

Promotional poster for a screening of the film After Yang, featuring the movie's official poster with four main characters, including Colin Farrell. The event details are displayed at the bottom: 'Friday, March 7 @ 2:30 PM, Stackhouse Theater, Free and Open to All.' A QR code on the right invites viewers to 'Scan Me' for access to the digital viewing guide. The background features binary code, and a 'Films with Harte' logo is at the top.

The Harte Center for Teaching and Learning invites you to the final “Films with Harte” screening of the Winter term: “After Yang,” a thought-provoking science fiction drama directed by Kogonada.

Join us on Friday, March 7th at 2:30 PM in Stackhouse Theater for a cinematic journey that explores the intricate layers of memory, identity, and the emotional existence of artificial intelligence.

“After Yang” follows a family grappling with the unexpected malfunction of Yang, an AI designed as a companion for their adopted daughter, Mika. As they work on repairs, they uncover Yang’s complex inner world, filled with emotions, memories, and his own unmet needs. This film beautifully raises questions about the nature of being and the bonds that form between humans and AI.

Please check out the “After Yang” digital viewing guide!

 

Made with Padlet

 

 

This event is FREE and open to the entire W&L community. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a film lover, or someone intrigued by the future of human-AI relations, “After Yang” will offer you plenty to reflect on. Join us for this final screening and bring your insights into the mix as we discuss the complex narratives woven into this lovely film.

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Engaging Students in Writing: Insights from Peer Interaction

School supplies of blank lined notebook paper with eraser marks and erased pencil writing, surrounded by balled up paper and a sharp pencil.

What do students really think about writing assignments?

A panel of Writing Center peer consultants will share their insights on how they approach writing, what works (and what doesn’t), and how faculty can better support student success. 

  • When: Friday January 17, 12:15-1:30 PM 
  • Where: Harte Center, Leyburn 119, lunch provided 

Don’t miss this unique, candid conversation between students and faculty about making writing assignments more effective and engaging. 

About the Writing Center

As part of the Harte Center for Teaching and Learning, the Writing Center is committed to helping students develop their written and oral communication skills — essential tools for success both in and beyond the classroom. Our consultants work with students at any stage of their projects, whether they’re drafting a research proposal, revising an essay, or preparing a presentation. 

One of our greatest strengths is our staff. Our team includes both professional consultants and peer consultants: 

  • Professional consultants bring years of experience as writers and educators. They are accomplished authors, instructors, and communication specialists. 
  • Peer consultants are carefully selected students from a wide variety of majors, chosen not only for their exceptional writing skills but also for their ability to mentor their peers effectively. 

Our consultants provide personalized, collaborative support to help students strengthen their communication skills, whether they’re working on academic essays, research projects, oral presentations, or even application materials like personal statements. 

Please encourage students to take advantage of these services. Here are some ways you can help spread the word: 

  • Include the Writing Center in your syllabus or mention us in class as a recommended resource for writing and presentations.
  • Remind students to visit us when you first assign writing and communication projects. 
  • Invite us to your class to give a brief introduction to our services and how we can support your students. 

We’re here to partner with you in supporting your students’ academic success. Contact Bill Oliver if you’d like to collaborate on tailored workshops, class-specific resources, or if you’d like to require students to visit the Writing Center as part of their writing process for a particular assignment.

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Explore the intersection of AI and human connections through film

Promotional poster for the 'Films with Harte' winter term film series presented by the Harte Center for Teaching and Learning, featuring two films: 'Her' (2013) starring Joaquin Phoenix, with a red background and his face prominently featured, and 'After Yang' (2021), showing a contemplative family portrait with Colin Farrell and other cast members against a soft gradient background. Event dates and times: 'Her' screening on Friday, January 31 at 2:00 PM, and 'After Yang' screening on Friday, March 7 at 2:30 PM, both at Stackhouse Theater. The poster invites viewers to explore the emotional and ethical complexities of AI with a post-screening discussion, and it emphasizes that the events are free and open to all.

The Harte Center is proud to present a thought-provoking film series titled “Films with Harte.” This series kicks off with two critically acclaimed films that delve into the complexities of artificial intelligence and its interplay with human emotions: Spike Jonze’s “Her” (2013) and Kogonada’s “After Yang” (2021).

“Her” tells the story of a lonely writer who develops an unexpected relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need. “After Yang” follows a family’s journey when their android, Yang, malfunctions—challenging their understanding of life and love. Both films offer a unique lens on the emotional and ethical implications of AI in our lives.

The screenings are scheduled for January 31st and March 7th at 2:00 PM and 2:30 PM, respectively, in the intimate setting of Stackhouse Theater. These events are not only a chance to watch these compelling films but also an opportunity to engage in rich discussions about the narratives and their moral implications.

Admission to each screening is free and open to all members of the W&L community. Don’t miss this chance to reflect on how AI might shape our emotional futures.

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🔥 🔥🔥 Sizzling Summer Workshop Alert! Free Your Summer with AI (and Dr. JT Torres) 🔥 🔥🔥

JT Torres directs the Houston H. Harte Center for Teaching and Learning. He supports teachers and students in all contexts, both in and out of the classroom. His approach to educational development focuses on meaningful relationships with students, teachers, and content. He helps educators cultivate critical connections with students, building on shared interest to achieve important outcomes.

Snacks will be provided. Space is limited, so sign up now! 

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Join us for Technology and Tacos: Focus on ChatGPT and AI

Robot seated at a table, writing with a pen. Thursday, Jan 26 @ 12 PM | Leyburn 119. In this session, Associate Professor Jeffrey Schatten will give an introduction to the topic, participants will have a brief opportunity to explore the software, and the session will end with a discussion of the implications of AI and ChatGPT. Sign up at go.wlu.edu/techandtacos.

Gray human brain situated against a background with mathematical concepts on the left (logic) and a tangle of colorful swirling lines on the right (creativity) Tuesday, Jan 31 @ 12 PM | Leyburm 119. A good defense is the best offense and grounding your teaching in good pedagogical practice can help to ensure that ChatGPT's disruption of our students' learning is minimal. Join Dr. Paul Hanstedt, Director of the Harte Center for Teaching and Learning, for a discussion of effective practices in the age of AI. Sign up at go.wlu.edu/techandtacos.

ITS Academic Technologies and the Harte Center for Teaching and Learning cordially invites all W&L faculty and staff to our Technology and Tacos series. For the Winter Term, we’ll talk about how AI tech developments could affect our classrooms. How do we teach now that it exists? How can we use it?

ChatGPT, which stands for “Generative Pre-trained Transformer,” is a cutting-edge AI model developed by OpenAI. It has the ability to generate human-like text and has shown remarkable performance in tasks such as language translation, question answering, and even creative writing.

As a “disruptor,” ChatGPT has the potential to change the way we interact with technology and how we process information; in fact, it already is! However, it also presents a great opportunity for us to explore new and innovative ways to use AI.

Interested? Sign up online at go.wlu.edu/techandtacos.

We look forward to seeing you there and discussing the exciting (and admittedly worrisome) possibilities of ChatGPT and AI with you.

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Who’s going to be where at the Spring Term Festival?

floor plan of the 2022 Spring Term Festival

For those who requested easels:

Your easels will be labeled. Please do not take easels from other classes. If you need additional easels, please visit the ITS Information Desk on the Main Level.

 

If possible, please arrive 5-10 minutes early to pick up your poster and foam board on Lower Level 1, in the Harte Center.

 

For those who requested projectors:

If possible, please arrive 15-30 minutes early to set up. The resident computer will be turned on and ready to go! 

Someone who will be present for the duration of the Spring Term Festival should be the one to log on to the resident computer with their W&L credentials. Note that the screen will lock after 15 minutes of inactivity.

To play a loop of videos, we recommend using VLC Media Player and creating a playlist of videos.

  1. From the VLC Media Player’s main window, use the menu bar and navigate to View > Playlist or use the shortcut key Ctrl+L.
  2. Drag and drop your media files (.mp3, .mov, .avi, etc.) into the window to build your playlist.
    • We suggest uploading all media files to a Box folder, then downloading the folder to the resident computer.  To unzip the entire folder, right-click to select Extract All, and then follow the instructions. Depending on the size of the folder, it can take 5-10 minutes to download and unzip!
  3. When done, click the loop button ONCE (see below) to loop the playlist, then click the Play button.

red circle encasing the loop button in VLC Media Player

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You’re Invited!

Take it to Harte - Join us on Wednesday from 10-11 am for light refreshments

The Harte Center is hosting an informal gathering at the southern end of the Harte Center, every Wednesday from 10-11:00 a.m., through the end of Winter Term.

Feel free to stop by, grab a cup of coffee or tea and some nibbles and hang out and chat. Nothing fancy, just a chance to take a little break in the middle of the week, gather with colleagues and students, and get to know the Harte Center. 

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Departmental Initiatives in DE&I #2: Creating Gateways for Greater Inclusion at All Levels of Our Institution

This session brings to the table ideas about steps your departments can take to create success in our programs for both students and faculty.

Please join us on Thursday, October 7th at 12:15 pm in Hillel 101 for a conversation about ideas⁠—some fully formed, others still in a nascent stage⁠—developed in Art and Art History, Computer Science, and Chemistry.

Creating Gateways for Greater Inclusion at All Levels of Our Institution

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Departmental Initiatives in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I)

Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a central tenant of W&L’s strategic plan.

The University has invested greatly in this effort, including creating a dedicated physical space for a Center for DE&I, allocating $10M in additional funding from the endowment to accelerate this work, and creating programming. W&L’s commitment to DE&I extends to all facets of the University including student life, academics, admissions, employee hiring, faculty recruitment and retention, and Institutional history.

The Harte Center and Academic Technologies are teaming up to host a luncheon series: Departmental Initiatives in DE&I.

If our institutional efforts toward diversity, inclusion, and equity are to be truly impactful, we need to find ways to share effective practices with each other. This series, highlighting departmental and programmatic DEI initiatives, is designed to create conversations about what all of us–every department, every program, every individual–can do to ensure that every student who arrives on our campus has the opportunity to achieve their greatest potential. 

The luncheon series begins at the end of the month, highlighting the work of the Geology department.

 

Geology: Unlearning Racism in Geo Sciences (URGE) - September 16, 2021 at 12:15 pm in Leyburn 119

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The Houston H. Harte Center for Teaching and Learning is now OPEN!

Looking for Academic Technologies or Harte Center staff? We’ve moved!

You can now find us —

  • Senior Academic Technologist Brandon Bucy; 
  • Associate Director of Assessment Kristy Crickenberger; 
  • Director of the Harte Center Paul Hanstedt;
  • Director of Academic Technologies Julie Knudson;
  • Director of Fellowships Matthew Loar;
  • Academic Technologist Helen MacDermott, and
  • Harte Center Administrative Assistant Brittany Wright

— on the 1st floor of Leyburn Library.

You will ALSO find lots of new, comfortable, and inviting spaces to read, work, or meet with colleagues! And whiteboards galore! 😍😍😍

Please come by to say hello! We’re also reflecting upon and recovering from this past academic year, and preparing to support W&L faculty and staff for a hopefully LESS stressful and chaotic Fall Term.