Karen Colbert Introduces Groundbreaking Student Engagement Model at RUME 2025

Karen Colbert unveils a new model at RUME 2025 that helps educators measure student engagement through AI, cultural relevance, and human connection.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- At the 2025 Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (RUME) Conference, educational strategist and data scientist Karen Colbert unveiled an innovative model that could transform how colleges and universities understand and measure student engagement. Her presentation, delivered to a national audience of faculty and researchers, marked a pivotal contribution to the intersection of equity, identity, and innovation in math education.

Colbert, the founder of Achieve It (AI) and General Education Chair at Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, introduced the Four Directions of Student Engagement—a culturally responsive, AI-resilient framework designed to help educators move beyond passive observation toward meaningful measurement of student participation and connection.

“If we want AI to enhance the learning experience in higher education, we need models that protect human agency, cultural integrity, and student voice,” said Colbert.

Her model blends Indigenous knowledge systems, data storytelling, and social network analysis to identify and strengthen four key dimensions of engagement: human connection, content rigor, cultural relevance, and peer interaction. The goal is to create inclusive, high-impact learning ecosystems—especially for nontraditional and underrepresented learners—where students don’t just show up, but thrive.

Redefining Engagement in the Age of AI
As artificial intelligence continues to shift the landscape of higher education, Colbert’s work offers a path forward that resists one-size-fits-all solutions. Her Achieve It (AI) brand supports institutions in building tech-integrated, human-centered classrooms that empower rather than erase student identity.
Her research was featured as part of a working group focused on Indigenous-centered mathematics, highlighting a growing effort to align innovation with equity. Colbert's participation reflected her leadership in both AI integration and culturally grounded education—a dual expertise that is increasingly critical for educators navigating rapid digital change.

A National Voice for Equity and Innovation
Karen Colbert is a nationally recognized speaker and strategist whose work has been presented at major conferences, including DREAM 2025, the Michigan Mathematical Association of America, and now RUME 2025. She also serves on the Faculty Advisory Committee for the American Indian College Fund, is a Fire Circles Project research fellow, and was selected to deliver the opening keynote at the upcoming MS-CC Annual Meeting, which convenes leaders from HBCUs and TCUs across the country.

Through her brand, Achieve It (AI), she helps educators use automation, analytics, and storytelling to improve student outcomes—without sacrificing their soul, sanity, or purpose. Her work challenges institutions to think differently about how they measure success in the classroom—and whose voices they prioritize in the process.

Looking Ahead
Colbert remains committed to building AI-resilient classrooms that amplify—not replace—human connection. Her Four Directions model is already being explored by multiple institutions as a tool to improve student engagement, particularly in courses serving diverse and nontraditional learners.

To connect with Karen Colbert or learn more about Achieve It (AI), visit www.linkedin.com/in/karen-colbert.

Karen Colbert
Achieve It (AI) with Karen Colbert
consultant@atlas-executive.org
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