Instructional Innovations Design Lab for AI in Teaching and Learning – Class 1

Since its inception, generative AI has been poised to leave a lasting mark on teaching and learning in higher education. No matter your level of experience or current perspective regarding this technology, its recent popularity presents an opportunity to reflect on current practices and reimagine new ways to draw on the technological affordances of these tools. Instructors, instructional designers, and other decision-makers can take advantage by refreshing curricula to support critical thinking, minimize barriers to learning, and prepare students for a rapidly changing AI-infused world.

The Instructional Design and Media Production Studio is excited to announce the Instructional Innovations Design Lab for AI in Teaching and Learning for Spring 2024. This two-session collaboration will support UIC instructors and staff as they utilize generative AI tools to update educational practices. Participants will leverage design thinking strategies, shared instructional expertise, and a bit of technological creativity to enhance student learning and engagement at UIC.

What are the goals of these sessions?

The primary purpose of these sessions is to foster instructional innovation at UIC through the development of AI-focused learning activities, instructional strategies, or assessments that support student engagement and learning. These activities and strategies will be actionable in nature so that participants can efficiently implement them in a course, seminar, clinic, tutorial, or other instructional setting.

Why participate?

Developing and refining ideas that use new tools, such as generative AI, can be daunting for beginners and experts alike. These sessions will bring together like-minded colleagues to engage in collective design-thinking activities that support instructional innovation. Participants will share ideas and feedback to ensure that the learning activities, instructional strategies, or assessments they create not only support student engagement and learning but can also be effectively and ethically implemented into their courses. These sessions provide a unique opportunity for participants to collaborate, share expertise, and explore best practices for leveraging generative AI in teaching and learning.

What will participants do?

Participants will leverage their existing knowledge and experiences with disciplinary content and instructional planning to create learning activities, instructional strategies, or assessments that feature generative AI. The instructional innovations developed during these sessions will aim to fit into one of the following categories:

1. Support the development of AI literacy skills within a specific discipline or more broadly.
2. Incorporate a generative AI tool within a course to meet an existing (or redefined) learning objective.
3. Encourage appropriate and ethical AI usage in student work.

The design lab will feature two 90-minute online sessions.

1. At the first session, participants will briefly share their experiences with generative AI and engage in a few design thinking exercises that include gaining perspective, defining a problem, and ideation. Between sessions, participants will each generate at least one idea for a learning activity, instructional strategy, or assessment that features generative AI.
2. At the second session, participants will present a draft of their idea(s) to their colleagues. Each participant will also provide feedback on the ideas presented by their colleagues. Feedback will follow an agreed-upon process to shape a constructive dialogue, emphasize usefulness, and support collaboration. This session will conclude with time for reflection and discussion regarding the next possible steps for implementing these plans.

Participants are expected to attend both of the following remote (online-only) sessions:

• Wednesday, February 28, 2024, from 10:30 AM - 12:00 NOON CT
• Wednesday, March 13, 2024, from 10:30 AM - 12:00 NOON CT

Who is eligible to participate?

Participants can hold any role related to teaching and learning at UIC, including instructors, instructional designers, academic technologists, instructional media specialists, teaching assistants, or any other academic stakeholders.

What do participants need before they can join?

Participants only need a curiosity about the role of generative AI in higher education. Whether you are a complete novice who has never used an AI tool or an advanced practitioner who develops Large Language Models, you are welcome. You may or may not already have an idea for a learning activity or strategy that relates to AI. We will leverage your experience and curiosity during these sessions to help generate and refine ideas.

Become an instructional innovator. Register for the Spring 2024 cohort by February 1, 2024