Director of Learning Innovation and Strategy Mary Elizabeth Smith and Senior Manager of College Operations Jessica Sylvester will lead sessions on AI skills as well as engagement in competency-based models

University of Phoenix is pleased to share that Mary Elizabeth Smith, M.Ed., director, Learning Innovation and Strategy, and Jessica Sylvester, MBA, senior manager, College Operations, will join the co-located 2024 UPCEA Summit for Online Leadership and Administration and the Distance Teaching & Learning conference, in Minneapolis, MN, an event bringing together professionals and thought leaders to discuss, collaborate, and propel the future of online and distance education. Smith will lead two sessions, “Improving the Competency-Based Model: Onboarding, Refining the New Student Experience, and Overcoming Isolation,” on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at 1:45 p.m. CDT, and with Sylvester, “Identifying and Activating Student Foundational and Advanced AI Skills,” on Wednesday, July 24, at 10:00am.

“Higher education will absolutely be shaped by innovation like generative artificial intelligence and competency-based, learner-centered models,” states Smith. “It’s up to us to inform what that looks like and how it best serves our working adult learners. Our insights and engagement with this conference help guide us forward on those next steps.”

The Summit invites colleagues from across the online enterprise to join a comprehensive community experience discussing rapid shifts and adaptations and focused on how digital transformation is reshaping the educational experience, from leveraging cutting-edge tools for teaching to reimagining administrative processes.

The session Smith leads on competency-based model engagement will help attendees learn about the actionable results of a competency-based education (CBE) continuous quality improvement initiative. It will detail the insights gained from in-depth research, revealing student perspectives and unveiling opportunities for improving student onboarding, curriculum enhancements, faculty practices, and the integration of a social learning platform for community building and professional networking.

The session which Smith co-presents with Sylvester delves into the challenges of defining foundational and advanced AI knowledge, skills, and abilities, and learn how collaborative approaches with diverse stakeholders led to the identification of seventeen key skills, forming the basis for the future of AI in the University curriculum. They will share the research resources used as the starting point, the final grouped skills, and how the foundational AI skills framework translated into a framework for advanced program-level skills.

In March, Smith co-authored a University of Phoenix white paper describing how a skills-aligned ecosystem provides a vehicle to help students realize the power of their education more quickly and efficiently by validating skill acquisition throughout their educational journey.

Smith is the Director of Learning Innovation Strategy in the Center for Teaching and Learning at University of Phoenix, and previously served as the Research and Implementation Strategist and the Director of Curriculum Development. For over 30 years, Smith’s career in education has included working in curriculum development, learning design, faculty development, faculty, and e-learning roles for four universities and several community colleges, as well as two educational software companies. She holds a bachelor’s in Speech Communication and Journalism from Southern Illinois University and an M.Ed. in Educational Media and Computers from Arizona State University.

As a Senior Manager of College Operations, Sylvester leverages data-driven insights, fosters collaboration, and increases strategic efficiency to enhance student success and contribute to the University’s strategic initiatives. She is a faculty member facilitating courses for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the College of Education, and currently serves as the Co-Director of Membership for the University’s Phoenix Women Rising employee resource group (ERG). Sylvester is a Doctor of Education candidate within University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies, specializing in Higher Education Administration, and her dissertation focuses on the retention and progression of non-traditional women students pursuing online higher education. She earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration from University of Phoenix.

Learn more here about the 2024 UPCEA Summit for Online Leadership and Administration and the Distance Teaching & Learning conference.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

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