Start the Semester with an AI Conversation

by Scott Seagle | Jul 30, 2026 | AI, Blog, Student Success, Teaching & Learning Tip

Coulter Faculty Commons' Teaching & Learning Tip

Canvas Course of a module with the name "AI Course Ethics Module"; Old fashioned typewriter with a piece of paper displaying "AI Ethics".

August Teaching & Learning Tip

Wondering how to start a conversation about AI with your students this semester? You don’t have to open that conversation cold. The Coulter Faculty Commons has created a ready-to-import Canvas module designed to help students think critically about using AI ethically in their coursework and to give instructors an easy way to set clear expectations from day one.

The module contains:

Content built around one goal: helping students understand why ethical AI use matters, not just what the rules are
Pre-built, customizable content to create a Course AI Ethics Agreement. You can adapt the pages, activities, or framing to match your own course policies and teaching style
Step-by-step instructions and guidance

Whether your policy is “AI-free,” “AI-assisted,” or somewhere in between, this module gives you a flexible starting point to communicate it clearly and to help students engage with the why behind it.

Ready to get the conversation started? Import the module into your Canvas course and review the unpublished instructor pages to begin. Reach out to the CFC with any questions…we’re happy to help you tailor it to your course.

For step-by-step instructions, review Importing a Resource from Canvas Commons. 

Everyday Accessibility

by Scott Seagle | Jul 30, 2026 | Accessibility, Blog, Course Materials

Features built for people with disabilities have a funny habit of becoming everyone’s favorite features. Take captions, for instance. I will absolutely binge an entire season of Ted Lasso with captions on, not because I’m hard of hearing, but because I refuse to miss a single pun. Originally, captions were designed for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. Now they’re the unofficial house style for anyone watching TV in a quiet room, a loud gym, or a public space where narrating one of Ted’s dad jokes out loud might raise questions.

Or take talking to your phone. Every time you ask Siri to set a timer instead of typing it in like some kind of neanderthal, you’re using tech that was originally built for people with mobility disabilities as an alternative to keyboards and pointing devices. Turns out “hands-free” appeals to more than just accessibility; it also appeals to people whose hands are full of groceries, toddlers, or kittens.

close up of white cat paw touching black computer mouse

To me the pattern is becoming clear: design for the people who need it most, and it ends up serving everyone. North Carolina State University educators originally defined Universal Design as ”a design concept that recognizes, respects, values and attempts to accommodate the broadest possible spectrum of human ability in the design of all products, environments and information systems.” The original Seven Principles of Universal Design were developed by NCSU educators for physical spaces. These principles were later adapted for use in education and are now known as Universal Design for Learning (UDL). So, what does this mean for your Canvas course site?

Think of digital accessibility like elevators and curb cuts. They were built with specific needs in mind, but now benefit parents with strollers, travelers with rolling suitcases, and anyone who’s ever been grateful not to haul a box up a flight of stairs. Accessible course materials work the same way: they don’t just support students with disabilities, they give all learners more flexible, inclusive ways to engage with your content.

Here’s a simple place to start: use clear headings and structured layouts when building pages in Canvas. Headings and structure help screen readers navigate your content, and they also might help every student skim for what they need before a deadline (you know we’ve all been there).

Prioritizing digital accessibility isn’t just about meeting legal standards and institutional policy, though it does that too. It’s a statement about equity, academic excellence, and student success. It’s proactive inclusion that raises the bar for everyone.

And practically speaking? Removing barriers tends to make things faster and smoother for all users.
Accessible design isn’t a detour from good design. It usually is good design.

Learn More

Visit the CFC Accessibility guide – Learn about the Basic Fours and download the Course Digital Accessibility Checklist to help you review commonly utilized digital resources, such as Canvas, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft PowerPoint for accessibility.

Introduction to Universal Design

UNC System Resource for Instructors: Foundational Generative AI Literacy and Responsible Use Course

by Scott Seagle | Jul 29, 2026 | AI, Blog, Teaching with Technology

The UNC System has created a Foundational Generative AI Literacy and Responsible Use Course. The purpose of this course is to assist students in developing critical understanding, evaluation, and use of generative AI. The course is intended as an optional and flexible resource that faculty may adopt, adapt, and customize to meet their needs.

The UNC System has created a Foundational Generative AI Literacy and Responsible Use Course. The purpose of this course is to assist students in developing critical understanding, evaluation, and use of generative AI. The course is intended as an optional and flexible resource that faculty may adopt, adapt, and customize to meet their needs. Outcomes include:

Learners will explain what generative AI (Gen AI) tools are and how they work.
Learners will identify the benefits and challenges of using Gen AI in various academic, professional, and creative settings.
Learners will critically evaluate Gen AI outputs for errors and biases.
Learners will demonstrate Gen AI literacy skills responsibly in a range of academic, professional, and creative settings.

If you are interested in reviewing the course’s modules and/or incorporating all or parts of the resource in your course, please reach out to the CFC via email cfc@wcu.edu.

What do hairballs and the DOJ have in common?

by Scott Seagle | Feb 26, 2026 | Accessibility, Blog, Canvas

Ready for April 24th?

Now that we have your attention, April 24 is National Hairball Awareness Day and the day that all digital materials are required to be compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG. As you’ve probably heard, the U.S. Department of Justice has issued a final rule requiring state and local government entities, including WCU, to ensure that web content and mobile applications are accessible to people with disabilities. The compliance deadline is April 24, 2026.

The rule applies broadly to digital content created or managed by WCU faculty, staff, and students. This includes college websites, mobile apps, digital documents, online course content, as well as materials posted in Canvas. To meet the requirements, content must conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, the recognized international standard for digital accessibility.

In practical terms, this means ensuring images have descriptive alternative text, documents and web pages use proper heading structures, and video and audio materials include accurate captions and descriptions, among other requirements.

With the compliance date approaching, now is the time to review your digital content and begin making necessary updates. A great resource is WCU’s Digital Accessibility Self-Paced course. We also recommend the downloadable Canvas Course Accessibility Checklist and to familiarize yourself with the resources contained in the Fact Sheet related to final rule updating Title II regulations of the ADA and WCAG Guidelines:

We trust that these resources, and your partners in the CFC, will make reviewing and revising your materials more efficient.

From $100 Textbooks to Zero: One History Instructor’s OER Revolution

by Scott Seagle | Feb 25, 2026 | Blog, OER, Teaching & Learning Tip

When I hit “publish” on my first OER-based syllabus, I’ll admit I was nervous. Would the materials hold up? Would students take free resources seriously? Would I regret abandoning the familiar, glossy textbook and publisher resources I’d used for years?

Three weeks into the semester, a student emailed me at 11 pm. Not to complain but to thank me. She’d just accessed our primary source collection from her phone while waiting tables, squeezing in reading between shifts. “I never could have afforded the old textbook,” she wrote. “This changes everything.”

That’s when it hit me: I hadn’t just changed my course materials. I’d changed what was possible for my students.

Five years ago, I took the plunge and replaced my standard $100+ U.S. History textbook with Open Educational Resources, or OER for short. The decision came after years of watching students show up to class without required readings, not because they didn’t care, but because they couldn’t afford them. Some waited weeks for financial aid. Others simply went without, cobbling together whatever they could find online or hoping a classmate or I would share.

The results of switching to OER? For one, the financial impact was immediate. Twenty-eight students, zero textbook costs. That’s roughly $2,800 staying in students’ pockets. Money that went toward rent, groceries, and other course materials instead of a single book they’d use for one semester.

Another impact of my adoption was that access barriers vanished overnight. On day one of the semester, every single student had complete access to all course materials. No waiting for paychecks. No scrambling for library reserves. No apologetic emails about not having the reading. They had instant, universal access from any device, anywhere.

But here’s what surprised me most. The content itself fit my teaching style better. The OER materials I curated included primary sources from the Library of Congress, digital archives, and a textbook which engaged students in ways my old textbook never did. They weren’t passively highlighting paragraphs; they were analyzing Ida B. Well’s actual words, zooming in on Civil War photographs, and exploring multimedia narratives that brought history alive and made the class relevant.

As for my own workload, the transition was more or less a wash. There was some upfront time spent identifying quality OER materials and making sure they covered what I needed, but once that foundation was laid, things ran pretty smoothly. I wasn’t constantly working around a publisher’s chapter structure so, in some ways, having the flexibility to pull from multiple sources made my planning feel a little more intentional.

Making the switch wasn’t just about saving students money, though that alone would have been worth it. It was about rethinking what’s possible when cost isn’t a barrier to learning.

Interested in exploring the potential of adopting OER materials for your classes? CFC is partnering with the Bookstore and Hunter Library to provide funding and support. Visit the OER Grant Program website for more details.

Hunter Library (2026): Open Educational Resources (OER). Research Guides. https://researchguides.wcu.edu/oer/home

Information on what OER is, how to find and evaluate course appropriate OER, as well as tips on adapting OER resources.