Nicholas DeMayo
American University
Challenge: Faculty adoption of new tools and platforms is often slowed by fatigue, too many platforms, too little time, and a lack of a clear path from tool to outcome.
The question isn’t just which tool to choose. It’s about keeping faculty at the center of learning and using technology to amplify them, not replace them.
The human moment
“The instructor is still the best technology in the classroom.”
Nick was navigating a familiar tension: how do you bring faculty on board with new tools without adding to their overload? His answer reframed the conversation entirely.
Rather than pitching Yellowdig as another learning platform, his team made the case that the instructor’s own presence, their curiosity, their engagement, and their voice in the conversation are the most powerful teaching tools of all.
Technology should lower the barrier to that presence, not raise it.
The proof
- Faculty enthusiasm carries directly into student engagement
- Low-stakes conversations encourage authentic participation over performance
- Instructional designers are the best advocates for student-centered tools
- When faculty join the conversation, students feel seen, not just evaluated
- Students disengage when participation feels like performance
- Faculty need tools that amplify their presence, not add to their workload
- The shift from grading conversations to joining them changes the classroom culture
- Authentic dialogue is what drives belonging — and belonging drives retention
- Faculty: Participate in conversations instead of only evaluating them
- Instructional Design: Make the strongest case for tools that center on human connection and lower the barrier to faculty participation
- Student Success: Create low-stakes spaces where students engage out of curiosity, not compliance
- Online Programs: Extend authentic conversation beyond the course shell and build real community.
