Learning Technologies & Innovation

February 2026

Meet Microsoft Copilot: Your Everyday AI Assistant

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is an AI assistant available to all faculty, students, and staff as part of Loyola's Microsoft 365 licensing. Join us for an interactive webinar led by our Microsoft partners to explore how Copilot Chat can transform the way you teach, learn, research, and work. You'll discover how Copilot Chat can help you summarize complex information, draft and refine content, analyze data, and collaborate more effectively across Microsoft 365 apps. The following topics will be covered.

Copilot Overview: Understand what Microsoft 365 Copilot is, how the Loyola-licensed experience differs from the public version, and what it can do across Microsoft 365 tools.

Effective Prompting: Learn practical strategies for writing clear, goal-oriented prompts to get better results for teaching, learning, research, and administrative tasks.

Live Demonstration: See Copilot Chat in action through real-world examples such as summarizing materials, drafting content, creating checklists, and turning notes into actionable outputs.

Upcoming Webinar

February 26th, 2026, 11:00am-12:00pm CT

In addition to this live webinar, Microsoft will host a virtual office hour on February 27th from 10:00-11:00am CT. This drop-in session is an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about using Copilot Chat at Loyola. No registration is required—Join Here.

Smarter Class Conversations: Using Piazza to Save Time and Boost Engagement

Piazza is an online Q&A platform integrated with Sakai that enables dynamic, course-based discussions. It supports a collaborative and interactive learning environment, helping you and your students engage more effectively while saving time. Its intuitive, wiki-style format lets users contribute to a single, shared answer for course questions. The platform also offers a LaTeX editor, syntax highlighting, code blocks, anonymous posting options, and detailed analytics to track student engagement. In partnership with Piazza, we invite you to explore this powerful tool and see how it can enrich your course.

March 11th, 2026, 1:00-2:00pm CT

Revisiting Labster: A Recap of our Spring 2026 Webinar

Earlier this month, we welcomed Aimee Burke from Labster to reintroduce their virtual science lab simulation platform. First adopted at Loyola during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic as a substitute for in-person labs and integrated with Sakai, Labster continues to provide valuable opportunities for pre-lab and post-lab activities, make-up work, and immersive experiences that may not otherwise be possible in a traditional classroom setting. This session highlighted practical ways Labster's simulations can help you deliver high-impact learning experiences while minimizing your preparation and grading time. For more information, read the full article.

Don't Miss Out: Join the Panopto Elai Pilot!

Elai is an innovative platform that leverages artificial intelligence to revolutionize the way you create and manage video content. It empowers you to generate professional-quality videos in a matter of minutes, eliminating the complexities that often accompany traditional video production processes. With its user-friendly interface and advanced technology, Elai empowers you to render content at a whole new level. To get started right away, join the pilot. If you'd like a quick tutorial, schedule a consultation.

In Next Month's Issue

The Learning Curve blog's latest article
Additional Microsoft Copilot resources
Preparing for Summer 2026 courses