UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries’ Teaching and Learning with Technology’s (TLT) Dreamery Speaker Series will host guest speaker Melody J Buckner, associate vice provost of digital learning and online initiatives at the University of Arizona, Dec. 3 and 4. She will lead sessions focused on designing courses that foster adaptability and flexibility in the digital age.
Dec. 3: “The Flexible Future: Cultivating Creativity, Connection and Adaptability in Higher Education
Buckner will present “The Flexible Future: Cultivating Creativity, Connection and Adaptability in Higher Education” from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Wed., Dec. 3, at the Dreamery, ground floor Shields Building, on Penn State’s University Park campus. A virtual option will also be available.
As higher education evolves in the face of rapid technological change, adaptability and mentorship have become essential to effective teaching and learning. In this presentation, Buckner will explore how creativity, digital fluency and flexible course design can empower educators to thrive in this new landscape. Drawing from her leadership in digital transformation and her experience fostering global collaborations, Buckner will highlight how institutions can include mentorship and balance innovation with empathy by using AI and storytelling to strengthen human connection across modalities. Through inspiring examples and practical insights, she will challenge educators to reimagine flexibility not as a reaction to disruption, but as a deliberate, creative mindset that sustains learning, engagement and inclusion in the digital age.
In-person attendees are invited to participate in a networking session afterward.
Dec. 4: “Creative Course Design for the Future: Building Flexibility into Learning Experiences”
From 9 to 10:15 a.m. on Thur., Dec. 4, Buckner will facilitate a hands-on workshop, “Creative Course Design for the Future: Building Flexibility into Learning Experiences.” Using a chapter from “The Sage Handbook of Higher Education Instructional Design, Designing Instructional Digital Media in Higher Education,” she will guide Penn State faculty and staff in designing adaptable, learner-centered courses that can thrive across in-person, hybrid and online environments. Buckner will demonstrate how modular course design, digital storytelling and AI-enhanced creativity can make teaching more responsive and inclusive. Attendees will engage in hands-on design activities, explore examples of flexible assignments and assessments, and develop strategies for integrating accessibility and adaptability from the start. The session will emphasize practical approaches to sustaining innovation through reflective and iterative design.
“Next-Gen Media Design: Staying Current with Digital Media Tools”
Following the workshop, Buckner will present on “Next-Gen Media Design: Staying Current with Digital Media Tools” from 10:30-11:15 a.m. In this session, she will share insights from her leadership at the University of Arizona’s Digital Learning Initiatives on how to integrate creative technologies, including AI, into media development for teaching and learning. Attendees will explore the latest tools and trends in media production and learn how to use them strategically to streamline production, enhance accessibility and elevate creativity. Buckner will also discuss how to evaluate emerging media tools, plan future investments and build a culture of continuous innovation in education. The session will highlight the balance between automation and artistry, ensuring that human creativity remains central in the age of intelligent media.
In her role at the University of Arizona (UA), Buckner collaborates with university leaders, faculty and academic staff to articulate the implementation of hybrid and online education assisting in defining the institutional values for digital learning to align with the University’s mission. She is instrumental in the Adobe Creative Campus Partnership, serving as a thought leader; the University of Arizona became the first campus in the West to join this Adobe partnership in 2015. Recently, UA became part of the Innovative Program for Adobe Creative Campuses.
She oversees a team of learning designers who bring creative curriculum to life on her campus through supportive workshops and digital makerspaces. Her faculty appointment as an associate professor of practice is with the College of Education at UA. She conducts research and teaching in the areas of educational technology, digital and creative literacies and the intersection of artificial intelligence with workforce development. Her educational background includes a bachelor of science from the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a master’s in educational technology from Northern Arizona University. She earned her doctorate in language, reading, and culture from UA in 2015. She has lived in more than 40 different places, including several countries overseas.
In-person attendance at the Dreamery on the ground floor of the Shields Building is encouraged. Alternatively, a virtual option will be available for Penn State attendees across all campuses and those working or studying remotely.
Visit the Dreamery Speaker Series webpage to learn more and register for the sessions.