UNIV 240 - Your Academic Journey: Using Empathy-Driven Design and AI to Navigate Undergraduate Uncertainty
UNIV 240: Your Academic Journey” is writing-intensive (WI) course designed for exploratory undergraduate students at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa facing “major paralysis” and academic anxiety. The project utilizes a rigorous, empathy-driven process, incorporating observational data, student feedback, and learner personas, to minimize cognitive load and ensure an accessible experience adhering to UH Quality Online Standards. By bridging the gap between uncertainty and intentional planning, the curriculum empowers students to build a personalized life plan, research career pathways, and cultivate a growth mindset.
To scaffold the rigorous WI requirements, the course integrates Khanmigo, an AI-powered Socratic writing coach. This tool helps students move away from relying on AI to direct them to seeing AI as a collaborator to support learning and take agency, moving from Paradigm Two (AI-supported) to Paradigm Three (AI-empowered). To further reject a “one-size-fits-all” approach, students select their own virtual reality internships through Forage, addressing the specific psychological and academic roadblocks unique to each learner. To support holistic success, the structure emphasizes accountability through mandatory 1:1 consultations and creation of an ePortfolio. Ultimately, this project transforms the exploratory experience into an evidence-based journey toward long-term academic and career success.
Raezheen Pascua, LTEC Student, University of Hawaiʻi, US
Raezheen Pascua, Academic Advisor and Junior Faculty Specialist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, specializes in the intersection of trauma-informed systems and online learning and development. Holding an M.S. in College Student Affairs and currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Online Learning and Teaching (COLT), she investigates how technology can bridge the gap between student uncertainty and intentional career planning. Her work focuses on leveraging emerging technologies to mitigate academic anxiety and “major paralysis” among exploratory students. Her recent projects include the redesign of a writing-intensive (WI) curriculum that integrates AI-powered Socratic coaching (Khanmigo) and virtual reality internships (Forage) to move learners toward AI-empowerment. Her professional interests center on creating empathy-driven, evidence-based online environments that utilize 1:1 advising and ePortfolios to foster long-term student agency and career success.
