After a busy spring, Risepoint’s Faculty Fellows continued their work in Q3, exploring new approaches to assessment, evaluating innovative course content, and experimenting with AI-enabled course development. The cohort took a planned break from meetings in August to focus on the start of the academic year before reconnecting in September to share ideas and innovations from their own classrooms.
Here’s a look at what the Fellows have been working on and what we’re learning together.
Rethinking assessment in the age of AI
In July, Fellows tackled a question facing educators everywhere:
How do we design assessments that meaningfully demonstrate student learning when AI can complete increasingly complex academic tasks?
Several themes emerged:
- Make student thinking visible. Assessments that capture students’ reasoning, decision-making, and learning processes may offer more meaningful evidence of learning.
- Balance innovation with practicality. New assessment approaches must account for faculty workload, student accessibility, and the flexibility online learners need.
- Rethink AI’s role. Rather than focusing exclusively on restricting AI, faculty are considering how to design learning experiences that encourage its responsible use while preserving student ownership of the work.
The discussion helped surface both opportunities and challenges that will continue informing Risepoint’s approach to AI-informed assessment.
Exploring new approaches to course content
Fellows also evaluated examples of creator-led, career-focused video content, exploring whether short, engaging media could strengthen student engagement and connect coursework to professional applications.
The response was encouraging. All Fellows recommended continuing to explore this approach to content, although most emphasized that its value depends on how it’s incorporated into a course.
Their feedback reinforced an important distinction:
Engaging content is most valuable when it complements faculty expertise rather than replacing it.
Fellows saw opportunities to use these resources like these for career connections, reflection activities, and supplemental learning, provided the content is accurate, relevant, and appropriately rigorous.
These insights help Risepoint explore new recommendations for how to approach content through the perspectives of faculty who understand their students’ needs.
Experimenting with AI in course development
A small group of Fellows participated in an AI-assisted course development pilot, working with Risepoint to explore how AI tools and customized workflows could support course planning, assignment creation, and other development activities.
Early feedback has been positive, including enthusiasm for customized AI assistants that help faculty brainstorm ideas, create course materials, and refine their approaches while still putting their own voice and expertise front and center.
The pilot is helping us better understand where AI can provide meaningful support while keeping faculty expertise and decision-making at the center of course development.
Learning from one another
In September, Fellows came together for peer-led roundtables focused on innovations and practices from their own classrooms.
The discussion showcased a range of practical approaches, including using interactive video to support students with complex assignments, incorporating career-focused microcredentials into graduate courses, and building opportunities for students to reflect on and disclose their use of AI.
“It was great to hear about others’ research and what they were doing in the classroom. I am looking forward to integrating similar approaches to my classes.”
2026 Faculty Fellow
Looking ahead
As the Fellows continue their work, we’re excited to build on the ideas, experimentation, and collaboration that have defined the program so far. Upcoming conversations will offer additional opportunities to share classroom innovations, learn from student perspectives, and explore how emerging technologies can support meaningful learning experiences.
