Blackboard Symposium Marks Decade of Faculty-Led Digital Innovation

The virtual event features a keynote from Blackboard co-founder and incoming CEO Matthew Pittinsky, who will examine the intersection of AI and traditional pedagogical values in his address, "Mark Hopkins' Log: AI, Higher Education, and the Extraordinary Potential of an Ordinary Technology." Pittinsky’s presentation aims to reconcile the promise of automated learning management with the necessity of maintaining personal instructor-student connections.

Lisa A. Clark, Blackboard’s AVP for Academic Transformation, notes that the symposium serves as a vital sounding board for faculty navigating the current volatility in academic integrity and student engagement. Sessions throughout the day will address practical classroom challenges, including the nuances of AI adoption, evolving assessment models, and strategies for inclusive course design. Faculty representatives from institutions such as the University of Connecticut, the University of Pretoria, Aston University, and Wichita State University are slated to present findings from their own experimental teaching environments.

Programming will run from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, with sessions provided in both English and Spanish to accommodate a global audience. Last year’s gathering drew over 1,300 participants from 55 countries, highlighting a persistent demand for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing in the digital age. Registration remains open for educators seeking to refine their approach to modern digital pedagogy.