At the Digital Wolf Pack Initiative Spring Retreat, faculty learn how to ...

Take a look in any University classroom, and you’ll find students who are creatively using iPads to take better notes, interact with course content, and learn on a new digital platform. Since its inception in 2021, the Digital Wolf Pack Initiative (DWPI) has provided an Apple iPad Air, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard folio for new, undergraduate degree-seeking students and interested teaching faculty who applied to receive the tools as a means of offering equal access to technology and digital tools. Key to the success of the initiative is faculty who are constantly redefining the classroom experience with the introduction of new technology, like the iPads, to create an engaging positive experience for students and teachers alike.

With over 400 iPads distributed to faculty, it quickly became clear that the success of the program hinged on faculty being able to harness the full potential of the technology as a teaching tool. As a response, the DWPI Faculty Ambassador Program was established to support the development of digital skills and tools that can be used in teaching and learning.

“We know that this program can only triumph if we, as an institution, can support, lead, and engage both students and faculty to use these devices as a tool and resource for their success,” John Butler, program coordinator said. “In examining how to do this, we identified a real need to engage with our teaching faculty and create buy-in with those who directly connect with students daily.”

University of Nevada, Reno Office of Digital Learning staff show the basics of the iPad to ambassadors to get them started on their digital journey.

To achieve digital literacy with faculty, the Digital Wolf Pack Initiative in partnership with the Office of Digital Learning hosts various workshops and retreats throughout the year. The inaugural Faculty Ambassador retreat in January 2023 was designed in partnership with Apple to both engage and inspire our DWPI Faculty Ambassadors to be innovators and serve as champions of the DWPI, and featured guest speakers, breakout rooms, faculty working sessions and a tour of the Apple Data Center, all to better prepare faculty with tools to provide a level of connection between students and faculty and think collaboratively on coursework and projects.

“I learned many basic iPad skills along with more complex things it can do, and I liked how it was all directed toward strong pedagogy: technology to improve instruction and equity in learning,” said Kristen Lewis, teaching associate professor, physics about her experience in the workshops.

“The DWPI retreats have been valuable in connecting me with colleagues across our campus that are working towards integrating iPads, applications, and AI into teaching and learning,” Mandi Collins, Ph.D and Science Master Teacher for NevadaTeach said. “The professional development gained is integral in ensuring that my own teaching practices do not get stagnant and that I integrate technology in teaching to strengthen the outcomes of student learning.”

Classes for ambassadors are not only fun for faculty, but also teach how to make their own courses engaging for students.

After the end of the Spring semester, in May 2024, DWPI hosted another faculty retreat at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe, taking advantage of the campus in its beautiful natural setting to learn more on how to encourage students to maximize the potential of these devices. Throughout their time in Tahoe, participants engaged in a series of workshops and breakout sessions designed to equip them with the tools and knowledge needed to effectively integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their teaching practices and create engaging lessons for students of all levels. Ambassadors also explored the ways that students are currently using AI in their learning journeys in an effort to better understand the value it can bring to classwork.

“This training provided engaging activities that demonstrated the capabilities of AI! You [DWPI] did a great job creating space and time for people to overcome initial technical hurdles and see how transformative this technology is/will be. Incorporating space for people to apply what they learned was also great—you could tell people were itching to see how well AI could tackles their teaching challenges.”

DWPI faculty ambassadors and Office of the Provost staff visit the Apple Data Center in Sparks to better learn how to maximize their new digital tools.

Moving forward, the hope is to involve more faculty in DWPI workshops and retreats like these to prepare them for a changing learning landscape, introducing them to new technology that can help further their own teaching methods while also creating class environments that fit all student’s needs. By offering free educational materials and tools, the University continues to strive to expand the Wolf Pack, and make education accessible to all in the community, and elsewhere in the world.

If you are interested receiving a device as a current teaching faculty member, you can fill out the DWPI iPad Request Form and someone from the team will reach out regarding your request. Devices are distributed based on available inventory. If you are interested in being a DWPI Faculty Ambassador, email DWPI at [email protected].