We are excited to announce that ACUE Commons—previously available only to faculty who were enrolled in or completed ACUE courses—is now open to all UTA faculty. This expansion allows every UTA instructor to explore ACUE’s evidence‑based teaching resources, one‑hour Quick Studies, and professional learning community.
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping how students learn, work, and prepare for the future. Educators are tasked with adapting quickly to meet the needs of students. ACUE’s AI for Higher Ed Endorsement faculty who are engaging with cutting-edge guidance, and research-backed strategies for using AI to elevate teaching and learning. Endorsements are awarded to members who earn enough points by engaging with AI-related Quick Studies, webinars, and events. Grounded in ACUE’s Effective Teaching Framework, this endorsement signals a commitment to academic integrity, inclusive teaching practices, and faculty-led innovation.
As faculty, we spend a lot of time in Canvas doing the hands-on work of teaching. Building rubrics, reviewing discussion participation, and communicating with students are essential, but they can also be repetitive and time-consuming. IgniteAI features are designed to appear inside those everyday Canvas workflows so you can draft, summarize, or translate faster, while you still make the final decisions.
This post highlights what you may see in Canvas now, what is expected next, and how to prepare without changing your course mid-semester
TLDR
IgniteAI is an AI approach built into Canvas workflows, with an emphasis on transparency and educator control.
You may see these IgniteAI features in Canvas now: Generator for Rubrics, Insights for Discussions, and Translations for Discussions, Inbox, and Announcements, Question Authoring Assistance for New Quizzes.
IgniteAI Agent and Grading Assistance for SpeedGrader (early 2026).
Several IgniteAI features are described as free through June 30, 2026, with some access-focused capabilities expected to remain free longer term.
What you may see now in Canvas (and how it can make life easier)
What this tool does Generator for Rubrics creates a draft rubric from your assignment details. You can edit criteria, performance levels, and points before you use it for grading. This feature requires Enhanced Rubrics to be enabled.
When it helps most
You want a rubric for clarity and consistency, but building one from scratch takes too long.
You teach multiple sections or work with TAs and want more consistent grading language.
You reuse the same assignment each term and want a faster starting point.
Practical ways to use it
Large enrollment writing, lab, or report courses: Generate a draft rubric, then simplify criteria language so students can self-check before submitting.
Scaffolded projects: Draft the final-project rubric first, then copy and adapt it into milestone rubrics.
What this tool does Insights for Discussions helps you review discussion activity faster. It can highlight whether replies match the prompt, where engagement is stronger or weaker, and where themes or misunderstandings may be emerging. It also supports more targeted feedback workflows connected to SpeedGrader.
When it helps most
Your discussions are large and you cannot read everything before responding.
You want to catch misconceptions early and address them in class or via an announcement.
You want a faster way to see who is participating and who may need support.
Practical ways to use it
Weekly concept check discussions: Use insights to identify the top one or two misunderstandings, then post a short clarification and reference it in class.
Case-based courses: Use insights to find threads that drift off the case constraints, then reset expectations with a brief “what good reasoning looks like” message.
What this tool does Translations lets readers translate content in Discussions, Inbox, and Announcements inside Canvas. The goal is to reduce language barriers and lower the need for copy and paste translation workflows.
When it helps most
Your course includes multilingual learners who may understand the content but struggle with fast-moving course communication.
You post frequent announcements with deadlines, logistics, or instructions that students must understand quickly.
You want discussion participation to be more accessible without changing your academic standards.
Practical ways to use it
High-stakes announcements: Keep your original message short and structured so it translates cleanly. Use consistent headings like “What,” “When,” and “What to do.”
Discussion participation: Encourage students to focus on ideas first. Use your rubric to grade substance while translations support comprehension of peer conversation.
What this tool does Question Authoring Assistance drafts quiz questions for New Quizzes so you can start faster and then revise for accuracy, difficulty, and alignment to outcomes. It is also planned for Mastery.
When it helps most
Frequent low-stakes quizzes: Draft quickly, then spend your time improving distractors and tuning difficulty.
Multi-section courses: Draft items, then review them with a shared checklist so questions are consistent across instructors.
IgniteAI Agent, expected early 2026
What this tool is for IgniteAI Agent is designed to help with multi-step Canvas tasks from one request, especially bulk actions and deadline adjustments.
When it helps most
You repeatedly do “same task, many students” actions (extensions, due-date shifts, section-by-section adjustments).
You spend too much time clicking through repetitive Canvas admin steps.
Grading Assistance for SpeedGrader, expected early 2026
What this tool does Grading Assistance for SpeedGrader drafts feedback and suggests scoring for open-ended work, then you edit and finalize before releasing grades.
When it helps most
You grade a lot of written responses and keep writing the same feedback patterns.
You want faster first-draft comments so you can focus on personalized coaching.
You want more consistent feedback language across students and sections.
A practical note on availability and the “free through” window
You may see different IgniteAI tools depending on campus rollout and Canvas settings. Several IgniteAI features are listed as freely available through June 30, 2026, and some access-focused capabilities are listed as remaining available long-term.
How to try this without creating extra work
Pick one workflow for one week Choose rubrics, discussions, or announcements. Keep it small.
Use a short review checklist before publishing
Accuracy: Is everything correct for your course content and context?
Alignment: Does it match your learning outcomes and prompt?
Clarity: Would a student understand this without extra explanation?
Tone: Is it supportive and course-appropriate?
Start low-stakes Try it on formative work before using it on high-stakes assessments.
Keep a quick note of what you changed This helps you build a repeatable process and supports transparency.
Need help planning a pilot, building rubrics, or designing discussions that scale? Email CRTLE@uta.edu or visit the CRTLE page.
*This post was co-authored with AI, including Microsoft Copilot.
How do you keep students engaged when attention is constantly pulled by phones, notifications, and distractions?
That question shaped this Faculty Voices conversation led by Ahmad Bani Hani from Civil Engineering. The session focused on specific practices you can use before the semester begins and routines you can repeat across the term to keep students involved. The central message was simple. Engagement does not happen by accident. It has to be designed into the course experience.
A recurring point in the session was that engagement rarely happens automatically. When class time becomes long stretches of uninterrupted talking, attention can fade quickly, especially in content-heavy sessions. Designing interaction points, short breaks, and structured participation gives students more chances to stay with the material.
Another theme was relationship-building. Students are more likely to show up and participate when the class climate feels approachable and supportive.
Start Strong Before Day One
The session emphasized that first impressions matter. A simple week-ahead setup can help students feel oriented and connected before the first meeting.
Welcome announcements one week early
Send a welcome announcement about a week before classes begin. Keep it short, friendly, and practical. Include the course meeting time, classroom or modality details, office hours, and how to reach you.
A simple checklist for a welcome announcement:
Class time and location, or online details
Office hours and contact method
A welcoming tone that signals approachability
One small personal detail that helps students relate
Add a short welcome video if possible
The session also recommended a brief welcome video. Video can feel more personal than text alone and helps students connect a face and voice to the course. This can be especially helpful for online courses where early connection is harder to build.
Building Community Early in Online Courses
For online courses, the session highlighted a common challenge. Students may not see each other at all. A structured community activity can reduce that isolation and create early peer-to-peer contact.
One approach shared in the session:
Create a Canvas discussion titled Community Building about a week before class starts.
Post an informal instructor introduction that includes a few interests or hobbies.
Ask students to introduce themselves and respond to peers.
A prompt structure that worked well:
Introduce yourself informally
Share hobbies or interests
Answer three expectations questions
What do you expect of yourself as a learner
What do you expect from classmates
What do you expect from the instructor
Require replies to at least one or two peers to start interaction
Students begin recognizing classmates as real people, not just names on a screen.
First Week: Make the Syllabus an Activity, Not a Reading
The session emphasized that the syllabus can function as an engagement tool if students work with it actively instead of hearing it read aloud.
Plan for day-one disruptions
One practical suggestion was to bring hard copies of the syllabus for in-person classes. Technology issues happen, and printed copies help keep the first day on track.
Two syllabus activities to try
1) Syllabus Recon
Ask students to identify the five most important items in the syllabus.
Give time for peer discussion.
Follow with a whole-class discussion to surface questions and clarify key points.
2) Reciprocal Interviews
Students ask questions about the course.
You ask students about goals, expectations, and what they hope to learn.
This approach can also surface expectations you did not anticipate during course design, which creates an early opportunity to clarify what the course does and does not cover.
Sustain Attention with Repeatable Routines
Later discussion returned to student attention and buy-in. One practical point was that students often engage more when the purpose of a learning task is clear.
Explain the “why” behind tasks
If an activity feels like a requirement with no rationale, students may treat it as busywork. Briefly explaining why an activity matters can reduce resistance and improve follow-through.
Guide notetaking with structured questions
Instead of asking students to take notes on a blank page, the session recommended guiding attention with structured prompts.
One strategy described:
Provide a comprehensive set of guiding questions for the session.
Have students take notes by answering those questions.
Select a subset of questions for an assignment or quick check.
This “meet them halfway” structure can support attention while still holding students accountable for learning.
Key Takeaway
The session reinforced a straightforward idea. Engagement is a course design decision. A few intentional choices, starting before day one and continuing with repeatable routines, can help students stay involved, build connection, and participate more consistently.
About the Presenter
Dr. Ahmad Bani Hani teaches Construction Management in the Civil Engineering Department, blending applied research, technology, and active learning to prepare students for work in construction. He has contributed to projects supported by the National Science Foundation and the Texas Department of Transportation, bringing real-world perspectives into his courses. He also serves as a Faculty Facilitator for the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence and advises the Construction Management Student Organization. His interests include artificial intelligence in construction planning and decision-making, and thoughtful, ethical uses of AI to support teaching, learning, and student engagement.
Join the Conversation
What is one small change that has improved engagement in your course? Have you tried a community-building discussion, an active syllabus activity, or guided note questions? Share what worked and what challenges came up so others can adapt the ideas.
*This post was co-authored with AI, including Microsoft Copilot.
