Faculty Fellows

Meet your Faculty Fellows

Northern Essex Community College is pleased to have Faculty supporting their colleagues.

Photo of Kristen SparrowKristen Sparrow, Faculty Fellow

Assistant Professor, Computer Information Sciences
Email: ksparrow@necc.mass.edu

Kristen Sparrow is an Assistant Professor in the department of Computer Information Sciences. She taught as an adjunct at the college for 18 years before being hired as fulltime faculty member in 2018. Beginning 2019 she worked with the Accessible Media team at the college to provide professional development opportunities for faculty on the use of Blackboard, Microsoft Teams, and Kaltura Video software, as means to create accessible course materials.  Kristen is an advocate for Universal Design for Learning and was a co-presenter of “The Approachable Syllabus: Lessons in Universal Design for Learning & Beyond “(Acevedo / Sparrow) at the 2021 NERCOMP conference.

Kristen was a 2020 NISOD recipient and has received a COD (Course of Distinction) Award from Massachusetts Colleges Online for her hybrid/online course, Introduction to Computer Science.  In her free time Kristen enjoys running, gardening, knitting, and spending time with her family.

 

Devan Walton, Faculty Fellow 

Assistant Professor, Computer Information Sciences
Email: dwalton@necc.mass.edu

Devan is an Assistant Professor in the department of Computer Information Sciences. He has worked as a design consultant for various organizations, including NOAA, Boston Museum of Science, Penn State, and Lonza AG. He is also the author of The ABCs of ChatGPT for Learning, a book that explores the applications and implications of artificial intelligence in education. He teaches courses in programming, data problem-solving, and cybersecurity at NECC. He is passionate about teaching and inspiring students to pursue careers in technology. He is also involved in several professional organizations, such as IEEE-ICICLE, ISLS-CSCL, ISPE, and New England Learning Sciences.

 

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Faculty Fellow Fall 2023 Events:

All faculty and staff are welcome to attend these events! For all events, please register HERE.

August 23, 2023: DCE Dinner- Getting Started with Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Please join us for a conversation on best practices for incorporating AI in your course for fall semester and beyond. Dinner will be provided. For this particular event, please register HERE. Wednesday August 23, 2023 4:30pm-6:30pm in C204, Haverhill Campus.

September 7, 2023: Workshop – “Mastering AI Autograding: A Hands-on Introduction”.

This workshop provides practical skills on using AI for grading tasks, exploring different tools and discussing potential issues and solutions. 3pm | Location: C204, Haverhill Campus

  • Ethical Considerations: Is it ethical to upload student work to ChatGPT or any AI grading tool? Do we need explicit consent from students? What about privacy concerns?
  • Effectiveness: Does AI provide better and more effective feedback on student assignments than a typical instructor? Can AI give nuanced feedback that takes into account the complexities of student work? 
  • Consistency: Does AI grade work in a more consistent way than a typical instructor? Can it eliminate potential bias in grading? 
  • Equity: Is AI grading more equitable? Does it ensure fairness for all students or could it unintentionally disadvantage certain students? 
September 14, 2023: Debate – “AI Autograding: Innovative Tool or The End of Fair Assessment?”.

This debate discusses the advantages and challenges of using AI for grading, with perspectives on fairness and innovation in assessment. 3pm | Location TBA

September 21, 2023: Follow-up Discussion – “Reflecting on AI Autograding: Insights and Takeaways”.

This discussion provides a space for participants to share their thoughts, reflections and learnings from the previous debate.  3pm | Location: C204, Haverhill Campus

October 5, 2023: Workshop – “Creating Engaging AI Video Lectures: A Practical Guide”.

This workshop guides participants through the process of creating engaging video lectures using AI, showcasing tools and techniques to enhance teaching. 3pm | Location: C204, Haverhill Campus

  • Engagement: Can AI-generated video lectures maintain the same level of engagement as human-delivered lectures? What about the importance of human connection in learning? 
  • Personalization: Can AI-generated video lectures adapt in real time to meet individual students’ learning needs, or are they inherently more generic? How might AI tools interpret and respond to user feedback to create a more customized learning experience over time?
  • Quality: Can AI-generated videos maintain the same level of quality and depth as instructor-created content? What about the spontaneity and real-time adaptability of human instruction? 
  • Accessibility: Do AI-generated videos improve accessibility for students, or could they introduce new barriers (e.g., for students with specific learning needs)?   
October 12, 2023: Debate – “AI for Video Lectures: Personalized Learning or Impersonal Teaching?”. 

This debate explores the potential and pitfalls of using AI in video lectures, discussing whether it leads to personalized learning or impersonal teaching. 3pm | Location: TBA

October 19, 2023: Follow-up Discussion – “AI Video Lectures: Our Thoughts and Reflections”.

This discussion allows participants to share their reflections and thoughts on the use of AI for video lectures, based on the previous debate. 3pm | Location: C204, Haverhill Campus

November 2, 2023: Workshop – “Exploring AI Essay Generation: A Comprehensive Walkthrough”.

This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of AI essay generation, with practical examples and discussions on its potential use in education. 3pm | Location: C204, Haverhill Campus

  • Authenticity: Does the use of AI in essay generation undermine the authenticity of student work? Where is the line between legitimate aid and academic fraud?
  • Learning Outcomes: Does AI essay generation support student learning, or does it encourage students to take shortcuts?
  • Equity: Could AI essay generation create an uneven playing field, where students with access to more sophisticated tools have an advantage?
  • Ethics: What are the ethical implications of using AI to generate academic work? Should institutions have policies to address this? 
November 9, 2023: Debate – “AI Essay Generation: Legitimate Aid or Academic Fraud?”.

This debate explores the ethical implications of using AI for essay generation, discussing whether it is a legitimate aid or potentially promoting academic fraud. 3pm | Location: TBA

November 16, 2023: Follow-up Discussion – “AI Essay Generation: Discussing Ethics and Impact”.

This discussion provides a platform for participants to share their thoughts and reflections on the use of AI in essay generation, following the previous debate. 3pm | Location: C204, Haverhill Campus