Testimonials

Lance was the keynote lecturer for our Fall 2023 Teaching Colloquium. In his presentation, titled “The Good, The Bad, The AI: Exploring Generative AI in Education”, Lance helped our faculty and staff develop an understanding of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT in the context of teaching in learning in an MSW program. Lance did a fantastic job of helping us think more critically about how we can use generative AI effectively in our teaching and considerations for student usage in the classroom. Most importantly, Lance provided a space to discuss some of the challenges with generative AI, particularly as it relates to equity and some of the bigger implications for education. He really did a great job laying the foundation for we as a school can thoughtfully embrace generative AI as a tool for anti-oppressive and inclusive practice.

Dr. Lyndsey McMahan, MSW Director of Inclusive Pedagogy, Boston University School of Social Work. September 2023

Lance’s impact as the Brightpoint Fall 2023 Convocation speaker was significant and well-received by both the audience and faculty. Despite the virtual format via Zoom, Lance managed to captivate the audience’s attention from the start of his presentation. His charisma and engaging speaking style held the audience’s focus throughout the event. What set Lance’s presentation apart was his transparent effort to understand the audience’s relationship with AI. He tailored his content to align with the attendees’ professional backgrounds, showcasing his attention to detail and ability to connect with the audience on a meaningful level. This personalized approach contributed to the overall success of his presentation.

Another highlight of Lance’s presentation was the inclusion of three of his students. These students provided authentic and engaging accounts of their experiences with AI. They openly shared their initial reservations about AI but highlighted how Lance’s guidance and support helped them overcome those apprehensions. Their stories painted a positive picture of Lance’s mentorship and the benefits of AI integration in their academic pursuits.

Lance’s presence as the Fall 2023 Convocation speaker left a lasting impression. His ability to engage, his tailored approach to the audience, his evident expertise in AI, and the inclusion of student testimonials all contributed to a compelling and impactful presentation. The virtual setting did not hinder his ability to connect with the audience and deliver a memorable experience.

Dr. Shauna Mayo, Director, Center For Teaching & Learning, Brightpoint Community College. August 2023

Lance was our invited expert consultant as a part of Bryant University’s June 2024 Course (Re)Design Institute, which was focused on creative integration of AI into course syllabi and lessons.  This event was sponsored by a Davis Foundation Presidential Grant on AI and instruction, and the event was central to university-wide initiatives in teaching and learning with AI. We called on Lance because of his reputation in the field as a knowledgeable and active scholar in AI instruction and because of his generous and supportive work with faculty across the region. Lance prepared materials for our faculty in advance of his arrival, met in small group and individual consultations during his time with us (meeting over 20 faculty in two days), and provided a thorough document afterward, addressing specific questions raised in the sessions. Lance is wonderful to work with, and faculty were thrilled with their consultations with him, energized to do research and further work, and better prepared to address exciting ways to integrate AI into their courses.

Terri Hasseler, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Professor of History, Literature, and the Arts, Bryant University.

Lance joined us at Bryant for our June 2024 Course (Re)Design Institute, where he consulted with faculty and staff around the exciting possibilities, as well as concerns, that they had relating to incorporating Generative AI into their courses and workflows. Lance not only gathered material ahead of time that related to each individual person’s discipline, but also followed up with our participants with additional resources and information for them to consider. Our faculty and staff were thrilled to be able to have individual appointments with Lance, and in giving us feedback let us know that their interactions with Lance were invaluable towards their course planning and re-designing for the fall. Lance is a wonderful colleague and is someone that I admire greatly in higher education – you won’t regret collaborating with him!

Constanza Bartholomae, Associate Director of Teaching Support. Faculty-consulting, June 2024

“Lance Eaton’s plenary presentation titled “Fundamentals of OER: Everyone gets Pi” was the highlight of our Professional Development Day at Bunker Hill CC. Lance is a lively and relatable speaker. His command over the topic of Open Educational Resources and engaging style resonated well with Mathematics faculty. The material was engaging and hands-on. Lance’s mid-session cellphone activity energized the audiences. Participants took away real knowledge and actionable tips related to curating, implementing, licensing, and sharing, to use in development of OER courses. After walking off the podium, he was met with several of the participants, all waiting off-stage to further interact with him. Lance continued to bond with them off-stage by sharing his expertise. Lance consistently received high ratings on quality, content, and understanding in our feedback survey.”

Swati M. Kellar, Bunker Hill Community College, Making Sure Everyone Gets Pi: The Fundamentals of OER, January 2018.

“We invited Lance to speak at our institution’s summer institute in July 2019. The sessions were conducted at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Lance connected with us via web conference from Boston. The presentation and keynote was well received and incredible! The topic was on accessibility in online learning and the faculty and staff who attended the session enjoyed the talk and have referred back to the keynote. A big thank you to Lance Eaton!”

Rachael Afolabi Royes, Carlow University. The Struggle Is Real & Often, Invisible: Accessibility and Universal Design for Online Learning. September 2018

Lance Eaton presented a session entitled Exploring Generative AI in the Employment Landscape for the Career Counselors Consortium NE. The session was chock full of incredible content – relevant to the audience, engaging, creative and practical. With a wide range of experience with AI among the audience members, Lance provided specific information about various AI tools and used concrete examples of how to use AI when advising on career choice and job search strategies. Lance was particularly skillful at encouraging questions and answering them (there were a lot!) succinctly. He created a very inclusive, open, and welcoming learning environment for all participants.

Laurie Stickels, Career Counselors Consortium NE, October 2023

“Lance was invited to come to the Community College of Rhode Island and, in a half-day workshop, inspire faculty to develop a culture of reflective practice. He was generous with his time and expertise throughout the planning process to share his knowledge with our faculty. It is a testament to his ability to engage authentically with our faculty and his command of a diverse set of teaching practices that he met this challenge and exceeded our expectations. His presentation embodied the principles he was advocating through regular points of reflection and sharing. “

Karen Bellnier, Community College of Rhode Island. Let’s Get Critical: Reflection, Inclusion, and Open Praxis in Teaching and Learning, January 2019.

“Lance Eaton spoke at Franklin Pierce University on the topic of open pedagogy. I had heard him speak at a workshop on OER and thought he would be a good fit for the digital literacy initiative we are pursuing at Pierce.  Besides providing an overview of open pedagogy, Eaton provided numerous examples of how he is applying its principles in the classes he has taught (popular culture, American Literature, among others).  Some of these included having students edit existing Wikipedia pages and create blogs in order to create a kind of “digital footprint” for themselves that will help them when they begin their job search. 

While obviously an advocate of open pedagogy, Lance was quick to provide numerous caveats.  Faculty hoping to adopt its principles should break themselves in slowly.  And not all students will respond positively to open pedagogical methods.  Some may be overwhelmed by the possibility of helping to shape the content of their courses. “

Lance also discussed some leading scholars in the field, among them Maha Bali, Tannis Morgan, and David Wiley.  Lance is an engaging speaker who worked closely with me to meet our institution’s needs.  I recommend him with no reservations. “

Paul O. Jenkins, Franklin Pierce University. Open Pedagogy: Doing By Discipline. January 2019.

Lance was the keynote lecturer for our 2023 Annual Celebrating Distance Teaching and Learning Symposium. In his presentation, titled “Looking All AIround: A Retrospective & Forward-Looking Discussion of Generative AI”, Lance explored how Generative AI in education emerged over the previous year and also looked forward to share a vision of the next few years in Gen AI and what it could mean for educators, particularly for those in online learning, and the unique challenges and opportunities that Gen AI represents. Lance did an amazing job of engaging with faculty in our virtual symposium and guiding a discussion on the lasting impacts of Gen AI for teaching and learning. He helped faculty think critically and realistically about this emerging technology and facilitated the creation of new ideas and inspiration that our faculty fully embraced. This was a fantastic way to kick off our event and set a positive tone for the rest of the day.

Dr. Vincent Spezzo, Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning Online for the Center of Teaching and Learning, Georgia Institute of Technology. October 2023

Lance led a workshop on Generative AI in Higher Education tailored to the Dental Education audience. Using his knowledge and experience, and structured for a professional school audience, he demonstrated many ways this emerging technology could find its way into the institution. Mindful of the diverse audience of faculty, staff, and even the Dean, Lance engaged the audience in discussion and discovery.

Lance’s experiences as a student, a teacher, and a thinker shone through and gave him a unique ability to see both the opportunities and the drawbacks of this new set of tools. His own use of it and discussions of it in the classroom allowed him to speak authoritatively to the nature of Generative AI, and how to approach matters of policy and practice. All the while, his wit and presentation style ensured that the audience was comfortable with asking the questions in their minds. Generous with both his knowledge and his resources, Lance exceeded expectations and everyone left commenting on the value of the session.

Chad Bergeron, Instructional Technologist. Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Don’t Believe The Hype AND Don’t Panic: Exploring Generative AI in Educational Contexts. May 2023.

As one of the organizers, I had the pleasure to host the 2024 Hybrid Faculty Symposium for Herzing University, where Lance Eaton delivered an insightful and engaging presentation on incorporating artificial intelligence and ChatGPT into education and everyday practice. Lance’s expertise and enthusiasm were evident as he introduced a variety of resources designed to support faculty in their roles.

His session was particularly valuable as he demonstrated practical applications of AI tools, such as how to streamline administrative task, create educational content, customize teaching materials, generate various lists, prioritize workload, brainstorm, and many more.  

Lance’s presentation style was exceptionally engaging and dynamic. He effectively used multimedia elements to illustrate his points, making complex concepts accessible and understandable. His interactive approach encouraged audience participation, fostering a collaborative learning environment. Lance’s ability to connect with the audience through real-world examples and practical demonstrations made the session both informative and enjoyable. His enthusiasm and passion for the subject were contagious, keeping everyone captivated throughout the presentation.

What truly stood out were the practical recommendations Lance provided. His suggestions were not only innovative but also highly applicable, offering us clear, actionable strategies to integrate AI into our teaching practices immediately. This practicality made his session incredibly valuable, as we left with tools and ideas we could implement right away.

Lance’s presentation was not only informative but also inspiring, providing us with actionable strategies to integrate AI into our teaching practices. His contributions to the symposium were invaluable, and I highly recommend him as a speaker for any educational event.

Dr. Julia Kiss, Nursing Eduation

Lance Eaton expertly presented an “Artificial Intelligence 101” session to well over 200 faculty, staff and administrators over Zoom for a governance meeting at our community college. The goal of the meeting was to bring everyone at the college up to some minimum of knowledge and understanding of AI. Given the challenges of so many audience members and the Zoom format, Lance was extremely effective in meeting that goal. He was clear about what we know about artificial intelligence at this time and what we do not know. He gave good advice on next steps and guidelines for AI use without being prescriptive. Lance also provided an abundance of additional resources for all the participants to explore and further their understanding of AI. Mr. Eaton is a context expert but also skilled in teaching and learning methodology. Thus our college received both AI expertise and an engaging delivery that involved the audience and energized them for the future. I would recommend tapping Lance Eaton’s many talents as your institution grapples with artificial intelligence and other higher education technology trends.

William A. Heineman, Ed. D. President, North Shore Community College. October 2023

Lance delivered an engaging and insightful session on navigating the intersection of education and generative AI. His ability to break down complex concepts with humor and clarity, particularly through exercises like ‘wrong answers only’ for understanding AI, made the session both informative and enjoyable for all our faculty.

The resources he shared, including the prompt library and interactive activities, will save our faculty countless hours in course planning and task management.

Lance’s work is not only practical but transformative. He empowered us to rethink how we teach and engage students in this rapidly changing landscape.

Henry “Hank” Johnson, Department Chair Business Managemen, Faculty Development Chair.

Lance was the keynote speaker for North Dakota State University’s 2024 annual fall faculty and staff conference. He delivered a main keynote address, “Out…Standing in My Field: What Should I Make of This Whole AI Thing, Anyway!?!??!” The presentation provided something for everyone—faculty, staff, those with little background in AI, and those with experience. He also provided two breakout sessions for us, and they were well-received and attended. Lance is an engaging and accessible speaker, putting his audience at ease with a complex topic, using humor and active learning to give the participants a great experience.

Stacy Duffield, Director, Office of Teaching and Learning, North Dakota State University

A career coaching colleague recommended Lance based on a presentation he gave to one of our professional associations. He gave a resource rich presentation for Northeastern University alumni that introduced us to “AI and Your Career.”

He clearly is very knowledgeable about this topic and it’s implications and skillfully informed a diverse audience about generative AI about career and workplace related tools. His annotated presentation was perfect for enabling attendees to dive deeper into topics of interest after the presentation.

Michele Rapp, Associate Director, Alumni Relations

“Lance delivered a workshop on digital service-learning for faculty and staff to help us expand civic engagement opportunities beyond the boundaries of time and location. He was very knowledgeable on the subject and his experience as a faculty member and instructional designer proved essential and useful in encouraging newcomers into the field of service-learning.

He brought great energy, exceptional personal skills, professionalism, and expertise to the workshop. His sense of humor, strong work ethic, and passion for learning make him one the most dedicated and enthusiastic individuals with whom I’ve had the pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Lance as a facilitator and educator. He will bring his extensive skills, knowledge, and experience to help create an effective and engaging learning experience to your faculty and institution. “

Melba Acevedo. Northern Essex Community College. Digital Service Learning: Taking Volunteering Online. November 2016.

Lance Eaton delivered a dynamic and engaging workshop on the use of Generative AI in Higher Education to our entire Academic Affairs department, including our part-time faculty. He began by cautioning us about the potential inequities that could arise from the rapid growth of AI. Throughout his visit, he was thought-provoking and generated lively discussion. Lance provided guided training materials and left each of us with not only a better understanding of AI, but also a host of ideas to consider as new technology develops. We were all excited about the future of AI and look forward to inviting Lance back to our university again soon.

Dr. Sandra D. Wilson Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning, Post University. April 2023.

The landscape around teaching is changing so rapidly with the emergence of easy-to-use generative AI tools. I highly recommend Lance Eaton as a speaker if you are looking for someone with deep content knowledge who can reach your faculty where they are and inspire them to think deeply and critically about what might need to shift in their pedagogical approaches, and what AI means for their own disciplines and fields. I got so much positive feedback from my colleagues after his visit, and I am hoping to bring him back to do additional consulting and workshops with our group.

Robin DeRosa, Director of Learning & Libraries, Plymouth State University

Lance was invited to Providence College to speak on Open Education Resources during our faculty Instructional Technology summer institute in June 2021. He did a wonderful job working with both faculty familiar with (and using) OER and faculty being introduced to open pedagogy and resources for the first time. The discussion was lively, fun, and our faculty felt it was a great use of their time. I highly recommend Lance and we will be asking him to come back!

Julie A. Cicilline, Providence College. OER’s Secret Level: Open Pedagogy And Empowering Student Engagement. June 2021.

Lance makes the introduction to AI approachable and informative to faculty and staff. We recently asked him to present virtually to our faculty about the use of Generative AI for course design (20 minutes) and student engagement (20 minutes). Lance is extremely thorough in his preparation and meticulously researches his topic, yet presents information in an accessible and engaging fashion. Our faculty responded to the positively, and the sessions were well attended.

Julie A. Cicilline, Providence College. August, 2024.

Lance delivered a captivating presentation at the annual conference of the Rhode Island Career Development Association titled ‘Employable gAIdance: Possibilities & Practices with Generative AI.’ His engaging, humorous, and thought-provoking delivery kept participants thoroughly engaged throughout the session. Lance not only provided valuable resources for deeper exploration of AI’s relevance in their professional lives but also facilitated an interactive activity, allowing attendees to practice using generative AI platforms. The overwhelmingly positive feedback highlighted the session’s impact, with participants enthusiastically sharing newfound knowledge applicable to their work. Lance’s dedication and expertise were invaluable, and we wholeheartedly recommend him for any future engagements, confident in his ability to deliver exceptional presentations.

Michael Reaves, President, RICDA. December 2023

“Lance Eaton conducted a session titled “Choice by Design: Using Hybrid Flexible Pedagogy to Empower Students” at the South Carolina Technical College System’s annual Faculty Institute.  Faculty from the 16 technical/community colleges were given resources to aid in the pedagogical process.  Lance’s presentation style and knowledge about the subject kept the audience engaged throughout the session.  Due to the positive feedback from Lance’s session at the Faculty Institute, we invited him to conduct a webinar for faculty and staff across the state.  The webinar, “Let’s Talk: Strategies for Meaningful Discussions & Rewarding Group Projects in Online Courses​,” was our most popular session for 2018.  Participants learned how to improve discussions in online courses, engage online students in meaningful group projects, and various other methods to engage students in online courses.  Lance’s ability to engage audiences and openness and flexibility to the audience needs makes him a joy to work with on professional development training.”

Rosline Sumpter, Curriculum & Research Coordinator. South Carolina Technical College System. Choice by Design: Using Hybrid Flexible Pedagogy to Empower Students Workshop and Let’s Talk: Strategies for Meaningful Discussions & Rewarding Group Projects in Online Courses. October 2017 & March 2018.

Lance created and led a day-long, in-person workshop entitled: Build Your Artificial Intelligence [AI] on our campus in April of 2024. We have had silos of faculty and staff community members using AI in various capacities. This was a hands-on workshop designed to bring folks together to gain more intensive comprehension of artificial intelligence [AI] from a foundational concept to applications of AI. The cross-pollination of siloed attendees also allowed for rich conversations. I virtually met with Lance, several times prior to our event, and during our brief meetings, we discussed my objectives and how he could best inject his expertise. The conversations with Lance and communicating our needs was flawless and fun.

The day went smoothly. Lance’s presentation style is energetic, fun and approachable. Lance kept participants on task while maintaining a sense of humor that spread across the room. Lance shared impressive volumes of resources.

Attendees reported that they “enjoyed having ample time to test out their own cases in terms of what works for my essential functions. Also the AI Guide that was provided was extremely helpful. Overall the day was a very valuable use of my time, even during a busy season, so thank you so much Lance!”

I highly recommend Lance as a presenter. He is ever the consummate professional and fun to work with.
Mary Wiseman, Ed.D. Director of Instructional Innovation & Faculty Investment

Lance Eaton facilitated a two-part virtual workshop on Open Pedagogy to TCU faculty interested in community-based learning. It was a pleasure to work with Lance to develop the plan for the workshop. He created online materials and led the initial session to provide the basics for adopting Open Pedagogy, challenging faculty to practice some of the tools before re-grouping three weeks later to discuss their experiences. Faculty members in attendance were very intrigued by the topic and developed innovative approaches to increase student engagement and agency. I was very satisfied with the balance between theory and hands-on activities Lance incorporated in his facilitation. He certainly contributed to enhancing teaching and learning for instructors and their students.

Rosangela Boyd, PhD, Texas Christian University. Beyond the Semester: Using Open Pedagogy to Make Learning & Activities Have Lasting Impact. October 2020.

Lance provided multiple faculty development sessions at the Urban College of Boston during Fall 2022. He spent careful time working to understand the unique position of our entirely adjunct faculty, our multilingual student population, and our campus technology landscape. He crafted college specific training materials that the faculty are still raving about – and the live-virtual sessions were the top reviewed offerings of the semester. I’m so glad we asked Lance to join us as part of our faculty development series.

Dr. Danielle Leek, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Urban College of Boston. October 2022.

Lance facilitated We’ll Be AI-Right: Working Through and With the Generative AI Moment for our campus community in December of 2023. His session was thoughtfully prepared, interactive, and especially relevant to our faculty and staff. Participant feedback included the following: “I loved this session. I came away with a better understanding of the power of these tools. I haven’t stopped brainstorming on all the ways I could use it for work, home & fun!”  We look forward to continuing the conversation and possibly working with Lance again in the future.

Laurie L. McCarty, Ph.D., Executive Director of Faculty Development

“Lance Eaton’s approach to the complex topic of Artificial Intelligence was both informative and engaging. He effectively balanced the positive advancements in AI with a thoughtful discussion of potential challenges and unknowns. This balanced perspective was particularly refreshing and sparked important conversations throughout the conference.

Feedback from the audience included such observations as: “The keynote presentation was very engaging. Lance had us engage in a “writing activity” and had us exchange it with others in the audience. This got us out of our chairs and energized the audience which made his presentation engaging and interactive.”

“I liked the way Lance wove in the Good, the Bad and the Unknown of AI with his life at UMass Boston … from being an undergraduate student to his doctoral thesis stage. Made us all proud of UMass Boston.”

Overall, the keynote presentation was a thought-provoking and insightful look at the current state and future of AI. It provided a valuable platform for discussion and reflection, and the conference team is confident that it will have a lasting impact on the conference attendees.”
Apurva Mehta, Associate Chief Info Officer

Lance Eaton delivered an exceptional keynote presentation at UMass Lowell’s 2024 Cheating Summit titled “What to Talk About When We Talk About Cheating.” His thought-provoking session, “Who’s Cheating Who? Reconsidering the Value Proposition of Generative AI, Higher Education & The Way We See Students,” challenged us to reimagine our relationship with generative AI in education.

Lance masterfully balanced deep insights with practical strategies, encouraging faculty to critically engage with AI as a universal tool rather than simply viewing it through the lens of academic dishonesty. His ability to foster meaningful dialogue among educators and reframe AI as an opportunity for growth, rather than a threat, was transformative.

Our faculty walked away inspired, equipped with actionable ideas, and ready to approach AI with wisdom and curiosity. Lance’s keynote set the perfect tone for our summit and left a lasting impact on our academic community.

Shaima Ragab, M.A., Director of Faculty Success

Kaitlin M. Walsh, University of Saint Joseph. Hybrid Flexible During a Pandemic Workshop. January 2021.

“I am so grateful to have been invited to participate in this series and excited to explore further and share with my colleagues!  Lance was an ideal presenter for this; he was engaging and well-informed and listened and responded honestly to questions and concerns about generative AI technology and its use in higher ed..  I thought he did an amazing job of balancing the presentation of lots of new information and ideas with the right amount of time for reflection, practice, and collaboration/discussion. I was not expecting two solid hours first thing in the morning to fly by so quickly and would have happily continued the series for longer.  I appreciate that we’ll have ongoing access to the resources that were shared. I’d love to have Lance back for a follow-up meeting in a few months after we’ve all had time to chew on what we learned this week and play around with new ideas for how to leverage generative AI in our roles (and after he’s presumably learned about some exciting new things he can share as well!).”

Anonymous feedback from workshop participant.

Lance Eaton recently joined us at WPI for a workshop that delved into the challenges and opportunities AI presents in education, offering a thought-provoking exploration of what the future might hold both with and without AI. His professional expertise and academic background provided a rich foundation for this discussion. Lance guided us through a nuanced conversation about our concerns surrounding AI and inspired us to envision new possibilities for using these tools in ways that align with our values.

His ability to engage participants and foster meaningful dialogue was evident throughout the session. Lance’s insights on collaborating with AI were not only informative but also empowering, encouraging faculty to rethink their approaches to integrating AI into their teaching practices. Participants left the session feeling invigorated and equipped with fresh perspectives on how to navigate the evolving landscape of AI in education.

I highly recommend Lance as a speaker and collaborator. His depth of knowledge, coupled with his approachable and supportive demeanor, makes him an invaluable resource for any educational institution looking to explore the intersection of AI and pedagogy.

Dr. Jessica C.Hill, Director, Morgan Teaching & Learning Center, November 2024