What is the session all about?
Generative AI creates new opportunities to make student support more accessible, timely, and connected to the learning environment. In this meeting, we will explore how AI can reduce barriers related to navigation, comprehension, executive function, and help-seeking while preserving the productive struggle that learning requires. The American College of Financial Services launched SPARK, an institutionally branded version of D2L Lumi Tutor, to provide learners with a course-connected support layer that reduces barriers while encouraging meaningful learning.
Dr. Elizabeth Pearsall, PhD, is the Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning from the American College of Financial Services. SPARK, the Study Partner for Advising, Resources, and Knowledge, is designed to help students take the next step when they are unsure where to begin, stuck on a topic, or trying to recover after falling behind. Through examples from implementation, we will examine how SPARK can help learners clarify confusion, locate resources, understand expectations, practice course concepts, and build confidence. We will also consider practical ways to design, frame, and evaluate AI-supported student help experiences that improve access without removing reasoning, reflection, retrieval, or independent demonstration of learning.
June 2026 AIG Recording