Teaching and Learning with Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Faculty AI Readiness (Asynchronous Course)

Available NOW 

Explore practical and pedagogically grounded approaches to generative AI through a flexible, asynchronous learning experience, designed by AI Faculty Fellow Dr. Mark Mabrito, for higher education faculty. The course is currently organized into modules that can be completed in any order—allowing you to follow your interests in a “choose your own adventure” format. There are a total of 11 modules in the course. Certificates of achievement can be earned for completing modules.

• AI Navigator  – Complete 4 Badges
  Certificate Achievement: Exploring and connecting AI tools to teaching and learning.
• AI Designer – Complete 7 Badges
  Certificate Achievement: Designing meaningful learning with AI
• AI Leader – Complete 11 Badges
  Certificate Achievement: Prepared to model, mentor, and lead thoughtful AI use

Each module is designed to take approximately 30–45 minutes and includes interactive exercises, a core assignment, an optional “bonus” assignment, and curated resources for continued exploration. Dr. Mabrito  will be available for support and feedback throughout your experience. 

Click here to register for the Faculty AI Readiness Course!

What to Expect

• Self-paced, asynchronous format 
• Approximately 30–45 minutes per module 
• Practical, hands-on exploration with immediate classroom relevance 
• Opportunities to develop materials you can directly apply to your teaching, research, and professional work. 
• Whether you are just getting started with AI or looking to refine your approach, this course is designed to provide actionable strategies you can use right away. 

Module Topics

• Understanding the Basics of AI
  Learn the foundations of generative AI, what these tools do well, where they struggle, and why human judgment still matters.
• Student Use and Misuse of AI
  Explore how students are actually using AI, including both productive uses and common concerns like overreliance and plagiarism. You will also begin developing language for your own classroom policies and expectations.
• Prompting Effectively
  Practice writing prompts and interacting with AI tools in ways that can support teaching, feedback, brainstorming, and discipline-specific work.
• AI as a Research Companion
  Experiment with ways AI can support research workflows while also learning strategies for verification, evaluation, and critical oversight.
• Creating an AI-Enhanced Assignment 
  Design assignments that intentionally use AI, preserve learning goals, and make students’ thinking visible rather than outsourcing it. 
• Using Gemini Notebook in Teaching and Learning 
  Learn when Gemini Notebook is genuinely helpful, where it can mislead faculty and students, and how to design source-grounded classroom uses that support reading, synthesis, and discussion. 
• AI for Guided Student Learning 
  Use guided learning tools to help students work through ideas step by step, question their assumptions, and strengthen understanding without turning the AI into an answer machine. 
• AI Image Generation and Bias 
  Understand AI image generation, recognize bias in outputs, and design more responsible uses in teaching. 
• AI for Faculty Productivity 
  Use AI to reduce routine workload, streamline planning, organize information, and support faculty writing and communication without giving up professional judgment. 
• Authentic Assignment Design
  Rethink assessments so that genuine thinking is both required and visible. 
• Creating a Google Gem for the Classroom 
  Design a Google Gem that supports student learning, reflects your course goals, and gives students clear, useful guidance without replacing the work you want them to do. 

Participation & Micro-Credentials

Faculty are encouraged to engage with the modules in a way that aligns with their goals and availability: 

• Flexible participation: You may explore the content without submitting any assignments. 

• Micro-credential option: To earn a digital badge for a module, you must submit the core assignment associated with that module. 

• Optional extension: Each module also includes a “bonus” assignment for those interested in going deeper. 

There is no requirement to complete all modules—participants may complete one, two, or all eleven. Remember, if you complete four, seven, or all eleven modules you will receive recognition from the Center for Faculty Excellence for your achievement! 

Fall 2026

The Center for Faculty Excellence Faculty Fellow, Mark Mabrito, from the Department of English, will once again host a series of interactive virtual sessions, Exploring AI, designed to introduce faculty to innovative AI tools and applications that can enhance teaching and research practices.

Each session features hands-on exploration of AI tools, with guidance on how to effectively incorporate them into your academic work. These sessions provide a unique opportunity to experiment with cutting-edge technologies in a supportive, collaborative environment.

REGISTER TO ATTEND AN “EXPLORING AI” SESSION!

• Kickoff Session: Wednesday, September 2, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
  Explore and brainstorm AI classroom- and assignment-specific policies
• Session 1: Tuesday, September 8, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
  Create Better Prompts – Explore basic and advanced prompt creation
• Session 2: Monday, September 14, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
  AI as a Research Companion – Explore third-party tools and large language models for research
• Session 3: Thursday, September 24th, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  Create AI-Enhanced Assignments – Explore two custom AI tools
• Session 4: Monday, October 5, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
  Dive Deep into Gemini Notebook – Explore prompts and exercises for leveraging Gemini Notebook
• Session 5: Thursday, October 15, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
  Create a Chatbot – Explore leveraging Copilot and Google Gems
• SPECIAL SESSION: Monday, October 26, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
  Workshop your AI-Enhanced Assignment
• Session 6: Thursday, November 3, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
  Create “Authentic Assignments” – Explore creating authentic assignments.
• Session 7: Wednesday, November 18, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
  Agentic AI and Collaborating with AI – Explore working with agentic AI
• Session 8: Monday, November 30, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
  TBD