Global Campus is offering several sessions about artificial intelligence during its annual conference about teaching using online tools and strategies. The Better Learning Together conference at U of A marks the lead-up to this year's National Distance Learning Week.

Global Campus scheduled its fifth annual Better Learning Together conference for Wednesday, Oct. 29. U of A faculty can register on the BLT 2025 website. On the national stage, the U.S. Distance Learning Association offers free virtual webinars on its website Nov. 3-7, also focusing on artificial intelligence and online education. For educators interested in additional learning opportunities about AI, visit the USDLA website.

The BLT conference held via Teams runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday featuring hour-long sessions and panels designed for program coordinators, instructors and those interested in integrating online tools and strategies into traditional face-to-face or online courses.

"With AI being a hot topic and the U of A now allowing licenses with Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT EDU, we thought faculty and staff would be interested in AI sessions," said Bob Hinton, senior instructional designer at Global Campus and one of the organizers. "We encourage anyone, regardless of whether they teach mostly online or in person, to join us. In addition to opportunities to learn about using AI, our instructor and student panels are always popular. They help us learn from each other about what works best in the classroom."

The ChatGPT EDU version offered by OpenAI is tailored for educational institutions, keeping the university safer from external threats through the use of enhanced security, administrative controls, data-privacy protections and licensing agreements that differentiate it from the free, public version of ChatGPT.

Ken Muessig, Global Campus' instructional design manager and another BLT organizer, served on the university's AI task force that researched the issues and made recommendations. He's part of the AI Working Group for Teaching that has helped to write guidelines found on the U of A's AI website.  

The U of A offers more than 100 online degree, certificate, microcertificate and licensure programs. They can be viewed at U of A ONLINE. The Global Campus, which is located on the downtown Fayetteville square, supports U of A colleges and schools in the development and delivery of online, distance and workforce education programs and courses. It provides instructional design services, technology services and assistance with marketing, recruiting and strategic academic development.

Feature stories about programs delivered online, students, graduates and faculty can be found on the Global Campus blog, The Online Learner.