Tag: Intelligence

  • How is artificial intelligence actually being used in higher education?

    How is artificial intelligence actually being used in higher education?

    With a wide range of applications, including streamlining administrative tasks and tailoring learning experiences, AI is being used in innovative ways to enhance higher education.

    Course design and content preparation

    AI tools are changing the way academic staff approach course design and content preparation. By leveraging AI, lecturers can quickly generate comprehensive plans, create engaging sessions, and develop quizzes and assignments.

    For instance, tools like Blackboard Ultra can create detailed course plans and provide suggestions for content organisation and course layout. They can produce course materials in a fraction of the time it would traditionally take and suggest interactive elements that could increase student engagement.

    AI tools excel at aligning resources with learning outcomes and institutional policies. This not only saves time but also allows lecturers to focus more on delivering high-quality instruction and engaging with students.

    Enhancing learning experience

    AI and virtual reality (VR) scenarios and gamified environments are offering students unique, engaging learning experiences that go beyond traditional lectures. Tools like Bodyswaps use VR to simulate realistic scenarios for practicing soft and technical skills safely. These immersive and gamified environments enhance learning by engaging students in risk-free real-world challenges and provide instant feedback, helping them learn and adjust more effectively.

    Self-tailored learning

    AI also plays a role in supporting students to tailor learning materials to meet their individual and diverse needs. Tools like Jamworks can enhance student interaction with lecture content by converting recordings into organised notes and interactive study materials, such as flashcards.

    Similarly, Notebook LLM offers flexibility in how students engage with their courses by enabling them to generate content in their preferred form such as briefing documents, podcasts, or taking a more conversational approach. These tools empower students to take control of their learning processes, making education more aligned with their individual learning habits and preferences.

    Feedback and assessment

    Feedback and assessment is the most frequently referenced area when discussing how reductions in workload could be achieved with AI. Marking tools like Graide, Keath.ai, and Learnwise are changing this process by accelerating the marking phase. These tools leverage AI to deliver consistent and tailored feedback, providing students with clear, constructive insights to enhance their academic work. However, the adoption of AI in marking raises valid ethical concerns about its acceptability such as the lack of human judgement and whether AI can mark consistently and fairly.

    Supporting accessibility

    AI can play a crucial role in enhancing accessibility within educational environments, ensuring that learning materials are inclusive and accessible to all students. By integrating AI-driven tools such as automated captioning, and text-to-speech applications, universities can significantly improve the accessibility of digital resources.

    AI’s capability to tailor learning materials is particularly beneficial for students with diverse educational needs. It can reformat text, translate languages, and simplify complex information to make it more digestible. This ensures that all students, regardless of their learning abilities or language proficiency, have equal opportunities to access and understand educational content.

    Despite the benefits, the use of AI tools like Grammarly raises concerns about academic integrity. These tools have the potential to enhance or even alter students’ original work, which may lead to questions about the authenticity of their submissions. This issue highlights the need for clear guidelines and ethical considerations in the use of AI to support academic work without compromising integrity.

    Another significant issue is equity of access to these tools. Many of the most effective AI-driven accessibility tools are premium services, which may not be affordable for all students, potentially widening the digital divide.

    Student support – chatbots

    AI chatbots are increasingly recognised as valuable tools in the tertiary education sector, streamlining student support and significantly reducing staff workload. These increasingly sophisticated systems are adept at managing a wide array of student queries, from routine administrative questions to more detailed academic support, thereby allowing human resources to focus on tasks requiring more nuanced and personal interactions. They can be customised to meet the specific needs of a university, ensuring that they provide accurate and relevant information to students.

    Chatbots such as LearnWise are designed to enhance student interactions by providing more tailored and contextually aware responses. For instance, on a university’s website, if a student expresses interest in gaming, they can suggest relevant courses, highlight the available facilities and include extra curriculum activities available, integrating seamlessly with the student’s interests and academic goals. This level of tailoring enhances the interaction quality and improves the student experience.

    Administrative efficiency

    AI is positively impacting the way administrative tasks are handled within educational institutions, changing the way everyday processes are managed. By automating routine and time-consuming tasks, AI technologies can alleviate the administrative load on staff, allowing them to dedicate more time to strategic and student-focused activities.

    AI tools such as Coplot and Gemini can help staff draft, organise, and prioritise emails. These tools can suggest responses based on the content received, check the tone of emails and manage scheduling by integrating with calendar apps, and remind lecturers of pending tasks or follow-ups, enhancing efficiency within the institution.

    Staff frequently deal with extensive documentation, from student reports to research papers and institutional policies. AI tools can assist in checking, proofreading and summarising papers and reports, and can help with data analysis, generating insights, graphs and graphics to help make data more easily digestible.

    How is AI being used in your institution?

    At Jisc we are collating practical case studies to create a comprehensive overview of how AI is being used across tertiary education. This includes a wide range of examples supporting the effective integration of AI into teaching and administration which will be used to highlight best practice, support those just getting started with the use of AI, overcome challenges being faced across the sector and to highlight the opportunities available to all.

    We want to hear how AI is being used at your organisation, from enhancing everyday tasks to complex and creative use cases. You can explore these resources and find out how to contribute by visiting the Jisc AI Resource Hub.

    For more information around the use of digital and AI in tertiary education, sign up to receive on-demand access to key sessions from Jisc’s flagship teaching and learning event – Digifest running 11–12 March.

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  • Call for Submissions for Special Edition – “Trends in the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Digital Learning.” (Anthony Picciano)

    Call for Submissions for Special Edition – “Trends in the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Digital Learning.” (Anthony Picciano)

     

    Dear Commons Community,

    Patsy Moskal and I have decided to be guest editors for Education Sciences for a special edition entitled,

    “Trends in the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Digital Learning.” (See below for a longer description.)

    It is a most timely topic of deep interest to many in the academy. We would love to have you contribute an article for it. Your submission can be research, practitioner, or thought-based. It also does not have to be a long article (4,000-word minimum). Final articles will be due no later than July 1, 2025.

    You can find more details at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/education/special_issues/6UHTBIOT14#info

    Thank you for your consideration!

    Tony

     

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  • FIRE statement on legislative proposals to regulate artificial intelligence

    FIRE statement on legislative proposals to regulate artificial intelligence

    As the 2025 legislative calendar begins, FIRE is preparing for lawmakers at both the state and federal levels to introduce a deluge of bills targeting artificial intelligence. 

    The First Amendment applies to artificial intelligence just as it does to other expressive technologies. Like the printing press, the camera, and the internet, AI can be used as an expressive tool — a technological advance that helps us communicate with one another and generate knowledge. As FIRE Executive Vice President Nico Perrino argued in The Los Angeles Times last month: “The Constitution shouldn’t be rewritten for every new communications technology.” 

    We again remind legislators that existing laws — cabined by the narrow, well-defined exceptions to the First Amendment’s broad protection — already address the vast majority of harms legislatures may seek to counter in the coming year. Laws prohibiting fraud, forgery, discrimination, and defamation, for example, apply regardless of how the unlawful activity is ultimately carried out. Liability for unlawful acts properly falls on the perpetrator of those acts, not the informational or communicative tools they use. 

    Some legislative initiatives seeking to govern the use of AI raise familiar First Amendment problems. For example, regulatory proposals that would require “watermarks” on artwork created by AI or mandate disclaimers on content generated by AI violate the First Amendment by compelling speech. FIRE has argued against these kinds of efforts to regulate the use of AI, and we will continue to do so — just as we have fought against government attempts to compel speech in school, on campus, or online. 

    Rather than compelling disclaimers or imposing content-based restrictions on AI-generated expression, legislators should remember the law already protects against defamation, fraud, and other illegal conduct. 

    Lawmakers have also sought to regulate or even criminalize the use of AI-generated content in election-related communications. But courts have been wary of legislative attempts to control AI’s output when political speech is implicated. Following a First Amendment challenge from a satirist who uses AI to generate parodies of political figures, for example, a federal district court recently enjoined a California statute aimed at “deepfakes” that regulated “materially deceptive” election-related content. 

    Content-based restrictions like California’s law require strict judicial scrutiny, no matter how the expression is created. As the federal court noted, the constitutional protections “safeguarding the people’s right to criticize government and government officials apply even in the new technological age when media may be digitally altered.” So while lawmakers might harbor “a well-founded fear of a digitally manipulated media landscape,” the court explained, “this fear does not give legislators unbridled license to bulldoze over the longstanding tradition of critique, parody, and satire protected by the First Amendment.” 

    Artificial intelligence, free speech, and the First Amendment

    Issue Pages

    FIRE offers an analysis of frequently asked questions about artificial intelligence and its possible implications for free speech and the First Amendment.


    Read More

    Other legislative proposals threaten the First Amendment by imposing burdens directly on the developers of AI models. In the coming months, for example, Texas lawmakers will consider the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act, or TRAIGA, a sweeping bill that would impose liability on developers, distributors, and deployers of AI systems that may introduce a risk of “algorithmic discrimination,” including by private actors. The bill vests broad regulatory authority in a newly created state “Artificial Intelligence Council” and imposes steep compliance costs. TRAIGA compels developers to publish regular risk reports, a requirement that will raise First Amendment concerns when applied to an AI model’s expressive output or the use of AI as a tool to facilitate protected expression. Last year, a federal court held a similar reporting requirement imposed on social media platforms was likely unconstitutional.

    TRAIGA’s provisions incentivize AI developers to handicap their models to avoid any possibility of offering recommendations that some might deem discriminatory or simply offensive — even if doing so curtails the models’ usefulness or capabilities. Addressing unlawful discrimination is an important legislative aim, and lawmakers are obligated to ensure we all benefit from the equal protection of the law. At the same time, our decades of work defending student and faculty rights has left FIRE all too familiar with the chilling effect on speech that results from expansive or arbitrary interpretations of anti-discrimination law on campus. We will oppose poorly crafted legislative efforts that would functionally build the same chill into artificial intelligence systems.

    The sprawling reach of legislative proposals like TRAIGA run headlong into the expressive rights of the people building and using AI models. Rather than compelling disclaimers or imposing content-based restrictions on AI-generated expression, legislators should remember the law already protects against defamation, fraud, and other illegal conduct. And rather than preemptively saddling developers with broad liability for an AI model’s possible output, lawmakers must instead examine the recourse existing laws already provide victims of discrimination against those who would use AI — or any other communicative tool — to unlawful ends.

    FIRE will have more to say on the First Amendment threats presented by legislative proposals regarding AI in the weeks and months to come.

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  • Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: Preparing Our Higher Education Institutions for the Future

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: Preparing Our Higher Education Institutions for the Future

    As we prepare for an upcoming year, I have to stop and think about the future of higher education. The pandemic changed our students, faculty, staff, and our campus as a whole. The Education Advisory Board (EAB) provides colleges and universities across the country with resources and ideas to help the students of the future.

    I confess, I have been a complete fan of EAB and their resources for the past ten years. Their resources are at the forefront of higher education innovation.

    🏛 – Dining Halls and Food Spaces

    🏛 – Modern Student Housing

    🏛 – Hybrid and Flexible Office Spaces

    🏛 – Tech-Enabled Classrooms

    🏛 – Libraries and Learning Commons

    🏛 – Interdisciplinary Research Facilities


    Higher education institutions should also focus on the faculty and staff as well. When I ask most of my peers if they are comfortable with the numerous changes happening across their institution, most of them are uncomfortable. We need to prepare our teams for the future of higher education. 

    Here’s the Millennial Professor’s Call the Action Statements for the Higher Education Industry

    🌎 – Higher Education Conferences and Summits Need to Provide Trainings Focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Their Attendees

    🌎 – Higher Education Institutions Need to Include Faculty and Staff as Part of Their Planning Process (an Important Part)

    🌎 – Higher Education Institutions Provide Wellness and Holistic Support for Faculty and Staff Who are Having Problems With Change (You Need Us and We Need Help)

    🌎 – Higher Education Institutions Need to Be Comfortable with Uncommon Spaces (Flexible Office Spaces)

    🌎 – Faculty Need to Embrace Collaboration Opportunities with Faculty at Their Institutions and Other Institutions

    Here are some additional articles about the future of higher education:

    Higher education will continue to transition in an effort to meet the needs of our current and incoming students. 

    For our particular university, we are striving to modify all of these items simultaneously. It is a challenge, but the changes are well worth the journey.

    Here’s the challenge for this post: “In your opinion, which one of the items on the list is MOST important for your institution?”

    ***. 

    Check out my book – Retaining College Students Using Technology: A Guidebook for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Professionals.

    Remember to order copies for your team as well!


    Thanks for visiting! 


    Sincerely,


    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
    Professor of Communication

    Executive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute & Rural Communication Institute

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  • Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: Preparing for Research Presentations

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: Preparing for Research Presentations

    Hi Y’all!

    A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of presenting for an Undergraduate Research Group at my university. When they initially asked me about presenting about visual presentations, I had to think back to the numerous presentations that I have been fortunate to facilitate all over America. 

    Then, I thought about the items that I wish I would have had on site when I saw the place where I needed to place my poster. So, I decided to make a “Poster Presentation Survival Kit”. This kit contains: masking tape, t-pins, white out, sharpie markers, and cuticle clippers (to serve as scissors for your poster (just in case)). 


    The presentation was well received and they asked for a copy. I was very impressed with this group and their questions focused on research and the presentation process. We also had a great conversation about presenting information that has not yet been published. 

    Here’s the presentation:

    Here are some additional resources. Thanks UNC, UC Davis, and Bucknell!

    Enjoy! Please let me know if you have any questions.

    Dr. Jennifer Edwards

    ***

    Check out my book – Retaining College Students Using Technology: A Guidebook for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Professionals.

    Remember to order copies for your team as well!


    Thanks for visiting! 


    Sincerely,


    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
    Professor of Communication

    Executive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute & Rural Communication Institute

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  • Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: Resource Alert: A Health Check-In for Meeting and Classrooms

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: Resource Alert: A Health Check-In for Meeting and Classrooms

    Throughout the past few years we have definitely been part of a Zoom and Microsoft Team centric world. As we meet with teams and individuals, we have to account for the life that is happening on the other side of the screen. Through Zoom we have a unique opportunity to gain a glimpse into another person’s life to which we would normally not have access.

    This means that we have a moral and ethnical responsibility as peers and as leaders to genuinely care about the people to which we are communicate with on Zoom. Here’s a great resource from the Collective Impact Forum (http://www.collectiveimpactforum.org). 

    The Team Color Check-In Tool is a communication tool to help people in virtual and face-to-face conversations have a check-in. The colors range from:

    Red

    Orange

    Yellow

    Green

    Blue

    Gray

    Team Status Check for Individuals and Groups

    If you are wondering how to apply this for your teams or classrooms, I would definitely recommend the following:

    #1 – Utilize it when you meet with individuals one-on-one (BEFORE) the meeting.

    #2 – Utilize it in Zoom via an anonymous poll to gauge how their audience is feeling BEFORE the meeting and providing resources at the end of the meeting (or in a follow-up email).

    #3 – Send the check-in tool to your team/organization at the beginning of the week and provide workshops and support throughout the week for the team. 

    Respond Below – How would you use the resource?  Do you think teams would benefit from this resource? How would you modify it? 

    Thanks for reading!  

    Sincerely,

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
    Professor of Communication

    Executive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute & Rural Communication Institute

    ***

    Check out my book – Retaining College Students Using Technology: A Guidebook for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Professionals.

    Remember to order copies for your team as well!

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  • Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: Learning How to Curb Inflation with a Garden

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: Learning How to Curb Inflation with a Garden

    I love gardening. Whether my gardening takes place in a container, in an urban area, or in a rural area, I am all about it! This year, my daughter decided that she wanted to become a mini-gardener as well.

    As a result, we are growing…tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, watermelon, and lettuce. I teach her to watch the prices as they continue to increase. My daughter and I talk about innovative ways to counteract the increasing prices. Our strategy is gardening!

    I am part of a wealth of gardening groups. My favorites are “Black Girls Garden” and Black girl container gardening groups on Facebook. These groups give me inspiration and ideas to garden for my family and for the community. One thing that I like the most is the emphasis on sharing seeds and supporting one another. I also work with our community garden group as well.

    This summer, I have been very fortunate to learn even more gardening skills from the local Agrilife Extension agent in Panola County, Clarissa Moon. She is an excellent teacher and she provides so much educational outreach for the community.

    Another resource that I absolutely love is the USDA, which has great resources for gardening as well. I subscribe to their blog, “Farmers.gov Blog” and it has some incredible tips for gardening. It also features several other sections on their website that  feature articles. These categories are:

    Of course, my favorite is Farm Life! I love the “Friday’s on the Farm” series.

    Check them out! What is your favorite part?

    Thanks for visiting! 

    Sincerely,

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
    Professor of Communication

    Executive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute & Rural Communication Institute

    ***

    Check out my book – Retaining College Students Using Technology: A Guidebook for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Professionals.

    Remember to order copies for your team as well!

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  • Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: COVID-19 Outreach in Rural Areas

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: COVID-19 Outreach in Rural Areas

    Over the past few months, our Rural Communication Institute (RCI) team (Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards, Dr. Subi Gandhi, and Dr. LaShondra Manning) has been tirelessly providing education and outreach for the rural areas of East Texas. This outreach has been both challenging and rewarding since the pediatric vaccine was approved by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

    Educating parents about the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. As a parent, I am always very excited to share health information, but especially this information has been very important for me.

    Here’s a workshop that we were very excited to view from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. This workshop was focused on “What About the Children: Changing the Landscape on Rural Vaccine Coverage”. It focused on health in rural areas, especially for our youngest populations.

    Also, we have been fortunate to receive funding for travel for our outreach events, shirts, and giveaways. Here’s a special shout out to the Episcopal Health Foundation in Texas, because they provided so much support for our project.

    At first, we partnered with existing vaccination clinics and these were not very well attended, but THEN we decided to venture out on our own and to create our own clinics with the health of the Texas Department of State Health Services. We have been experimenting with the best time and date for our clinics as well all content for the clinics.

    We decided a “Summer Fun and Health Clinic” approach has been the best outreach strategy for reaching the community. The mid-day clinics (before 5pm) were not as well attended for some audiences (i.e. – parents), but other times had much better attendance (after 5pm).

    Also, we partnered with Agrilife (Mrs. Clarissa Moon) and Above Average Health Care and House Calls. Agrilife provided educational outreach sessions and Above Average Health Care and House Calls offered health checks and interpretations of lab results.

    Do you have any suggestions for us? We are so thankful for our partners!

    ***

    Check out my book – Retaining College Students Using Technology: A Guidebook for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Professionals.

    Remember to order copies for your team as well!


    Thanks for visiting! 


    Sincerely,


    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
    Professor of Communication

    Executive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute & Rural Communication Institute

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  • Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: FREE 11th Annual Texas Social Media Conference

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: FREE 11th Annual Texas Social Media Conference

    Yes! I am excited! We are getting back into the training and development mode with the Texas Social Media Research Institute (and the Rural Communication Institute)! Are you looking for a FREE conference focused on social media and rural communication? Check out our conference schedule!

    Tuesday, November 2nd

    5pm – Journal Club (Discussing “Reality check: How adolescents use

    TikTok as a digital backchanneling medium to speak back against

    institutional discourses of school(ing).”

    Thursday, November 4th

    8pm – #TXSocialMedia Twitter Chat – Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Sweater

    Weather, and Autumn/Winter Social Media Outreach Strategies

    Monday, November 8th

    6pm – How Public Health Agencies in the United States in the United

    Kingdom Communicate with their Target Audience During the COVID19

    Pandemic (Presented by: Riley Odom, Megan Mackay, Erin McDonald,

    Bayley Chenault, Sydney Brown)

    8pm – How the Texas Department of Health and Safety and Colorado

    Department of Health and Environment are Communicating about

    Health During COVID19 (Presented By: Halie Hix, Shelby Hargrove,

    Magnolia Dunlap, Michaela Bierman, Steven Duncan)

    Tuesday, November 9th

    5pm – Journal Club – Discussing the article: “We (Want To) Believe in

    the Best of Men: A Qualitative Analysis of Reactions to

    #Gillette on Twitter”

    7pm – How the United States Federal Government and the State of Texas

    Communicate with the Public During the Pandemic (Presented by: Kristi

    Cortez, Jessica Thomas, Kennedy Onuam, Julia Nolen)

    Thursday, November 11th

    3pm – Neurodiversity at Work; Assignment Construction Strategies for

    Creative Thinkers in Online Teams (Presented By: Melanie Mason (University

    of Texas at Arlington)

    8pm – #TXSocialMedia Twitter Chat – Veterans Day and How the Military

    Engages the Public Through Social Media

    Thursday, November 11th

    11:59pm – #TXSocialMedia Undergraduate and Graduate Fellowship

    Applications Due

    Sunday, November 14th

    6:30 pm – How the Louisiana Department of Education and the Texas

    Education Agency are Communicating about Health During COVID19

    (Presented By: Katherine Mitchell, Audrey Morton, Jorge Irizarry,

    Audrey Morton, Morgan Maley, Christina Byrd)

    Monday, November 15th

    7pm – #TXSocialMedia LIVE: Let’s Network Session on Zoom –

    Social Media and Privacy – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    Tuesday, November 16th

    1pm – Connecting & Engaging with Students –

    Presented By: Narissra Punyanunt-Carter & Dr. Ryan Martinez (Texas Tech University)

    3pm – Alzheimer’s (and Rural Health) Community Forum for Tarleton

    Staff and Faculty- Register online: alznct.news/ACF1116

    5pm – Journal Club – Discussing “Small Businesses Still Missing the Boat

    on Social Media and Internet Advertising.”

    Thursday, November 18th

    8pm – #TXSocialMedia Twitter Chat – National Rural Health Day –

    Innovative Ways Rural Residents Can Practice Preventative Care

    7pm – #TXSocialMedia LIVE: Let’s Network Session on Zoom – Innovative

    Ways TikTok Can Be Utilized in Education, Business, and Life

    Saturday, November 27th

    All Day – Use the Hashtag #ShopSmall for Small Business Saturday

    Monday, November 28th

    7pm – #TXSocialMedia LIVE: Let’s Network Session on Zoom –

    Social Media and Health – How Does Social Media Impact Our Health?

    Tuesday, November 30th

    12:30pm – Student-based Resourcing: Responding to Increased Needs as

    a Rural Institution (Presented by: Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason

    & Cameron Ellner, Tarleton State University)

    6pm – How the Texas Department of Health and Human Services

    and the State of Louisiana Department of Health are Communicating

    About Health (Presented By: Averill Hubbard, Zachary Mesa, Dylan

    Antonelli, Olivia Teague, Kyon Barnes)

    7pm – #TXSocialMedia LIVE: Let’s Network Session on Zoom –

    Hooked on Social: Social Media the New Kid’s Toy?

    Are They Becoming Hooked TOO EARLY?

    National Day of Giving – Give to the Rural Communication Institute and

    the Texas Social Media Research Institute

    National Mason Jar Day –

    Highlight Innovative Ways You Can Use Mason Jars

    (Use the #TXSocialMedia and #ThinkRuralComm hashtags)

    Save-the-Date & Call for Proposals

    The 12th Annual #TXSocialMedia Conference & the 3rd Annual Rural

    Communication Conference will be held on Friday, April 22, 2022 in Fort

    Worth Texas. Submit a Proposal – http://www.tinyurl.com/SMCCFP/

    Executive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute & Rural Communication Institute

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  • Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: Reflecting on the 2020 Census

    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: Reflecting on the 2020 Census

    In Fall 2019, I was truly fortunate to receive a grant from the Hogg Foundation to promote the 2020 Census in East Texas. Yes, this area includes my hometown county – Panola County, then Rusk County and Shelby County. This was an AMAZING project! Thanks Hogg Foundation!

    The North East Texas Counts campaign had three goals for the project. Goal one was “to select and train 200 NETX Counts Ambassadors and Junior Ambassadors to tell the importance of the census to the community”. Goal two was “to engage and educate at least 3,000 residents in the tri-county community (especially hard-to-count populations) about the importance of the census”. The final goal, goal three” was “to saturate the tri-county community media outlets with Census information pertinent to their residents”. Through this campaign, we hosted 25 outdoor Census booths, eight interactive community information sessions, an engaging social media campaign, and received coverage in almost 10 newspapers and television outlets.

    The North East Texas Counts began the Census season by communicating with key contacts in the community and scheduling large-scale events to educate the community about the Census. We scheduled events at the local community college, library, etc. After the three counties restricted large scale and in-person events, we decided to develop a more robust online training and development process for our interns and volunteers.

    We offered numerous outdoor Census education table sessions. However, instead of offering these sessions outside large big-box retailers in the country, we offered these sessions in formats more focused on common pain points experienced by residents of the three counties and safety protocols of the counties. Instead of shopping at big-box retailers, the residents were more focused on shopping in smaller retailers, visiting gas stations, and visiting the post office. As a result, our strategy changed. During this process, we coined the phrase, “from gas stations to grocery stores”, because these were the essential places visited by residents during the pandemic. During this process, we offered information booths outside of gas stations, libraries in each county, Tractor Supply stores, city council areas, and on the side of the major highways. These strategies proved to be very effective because many residents indicated they have not taken the Census before and they did not know the importance of the Census. We were able to provide support for these residents through interactive in-person, on-one-one programming focused on the Census.

    Community Communication

    The North East Texas Counts team began the Census season by communicating with key contacts in the community and scheduling large-scale events to educate the community about the Census. We scheduled events at the local community college, library, etc. After the three counties restricted large scale and in-person events, we decided to develop a more robust online training and development process for our interns and volunteers.

    We offered three pop-up Census education table sessions outside large big-box retailers in the country. During these sessions, participants received USB chargers, Census t-shirts, and USB wall plugs. These technology and apparel items were essential items during the pandemic, because individuals in these areas usually have to travel to larger cities for technology items. People saw our items as they drove on the highways and many turned around to hear about the Census and to receive the items. Many residents commented that they have seen several Census shirts around their town and they wanted to learn more. We did not have any Census t-shirts left after September 30, 2020.

    North East Texas Counts Census – Coverage

    This project was one of the TOP projects of my faculty career. It truly changed my life and impacted the way that I see local, state, and federal government. This project ENERGIZED me!

    Stay tuned!



    Sincerely,


    Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
    Professor of Communication

    Executive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute & Rural Communication Institute

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