Yavapai College’s Microbiology professor Dr. Dana Kirkwood-Watts and General Education Program Director and English professor Dr. Karen Palmer, along with Director of Library and Tutoring Services Ustadza White and Client Relationship Manager for Information and Technology Services Richard Pierce have had their work accepted for publication for the 37th annual conference of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE).
This society represents individual teacher educators and affiliated organizations of teacher educators across all disciplines, who are interested in creating and disseminating Knowledge about the use of information technology in teacher education and faculty and staff development.
The projects accepted are as follows:
“This peer-reviewed work highlights the thoughtful, student-centered ways Yavapai College colleagues are leveraging their skills, digital tools, and AI to enhance learning, equity, and support services,” Pierce said. “The accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings and made available through the LearnTech Library (https://www.learntechlib.org/). I am grateful to work alongside such dedicated professionals who continue to lead with purpose and innovation.”
SITE is an international, academic association of teacher educators, researchers, practitioners and collaborating organizations across multiple disciplines. SITE members create and disseminate knowledge enhancing teacher education through the use of technology with an emphasis on diverse, equitable, and inclusive engagement. SITE promotes membership activities that focus on research, scholarship, innovation, and advocacy intended to enhance technology and teacher education.
SITE seeks to promote research, scholarship, collaboration, exchange, and support among its membership, and to actively foster the development of new national organizations where a need emerges. SITE is the only organization that has as its sole focus the integration of instructional technologies into teacher education programs. Learn more about them online at https://site.aace.org.
“The brief paper examined students' experiences with an AI tutoring tool I designed to provide accessible, on-demand academic support,” White said. “Findings showed that many students found the AI tutor helpful in their learning and would recommend having an AI tutor in other classes, demonstrating the potential for AI-assisted tools to complement traditional tutoring services and expand support options for community college students.”
For Dr. Palmer’s co-authored paper, she used the feedback her students provided in utilizing a custom AI agent.
"SOPHIE is the AI tutor Ustadza White designed and is embedded in my course to work with students, sort of like ChatGPT or other AI agents,” Dr. Palmer said. “However, SOPHIE won't give students answers—it asks them questions and guides them through completing their assignments, like a tutor would. It has also been trained to use the textbook that I use with my students (The Worry Free Writer, an OER text that I created in 2020)."
Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, four baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about Yavapai College, visit www.yc.edu.
