Teaching with GenAI Learning Community
Program Overview and Purpose
This Learning Community is co-sponsored by CRLT, Flint ODE, LSA Technology Services, and Ann Arbor ITS. It is a monthly gathering designed to convene selected faculty and instructional staff who are eager to explore the ethical and effective integration of generative AI into their teaching practices. This cross-disciplinary program offers an engaging and collaborative environment where participants can:
- Expand their understanding of and proficiency with AI tools.
- Enhance their course design, instruction, and assessment methodologies.
- Connect with peers who share a common goal.
Program Objectives
- Learn and Experiment: Understand the capabilities of generative AI, and discover key tools and strategies to improve AI literacy.
- Collaborative Engagement: Share experiences and learn from peers, fostering a two-way exchange of ideas rather than a traditional top-down training model.
- Community-Building: Create a supportive environment for regular meetings, discussion of challenges, and celebration of successes related to AI use in teaching and learning.
- Skill Advancement: Provide structured sessions and resources to help faculty progress from beginner to advanced AI users and elevate their teaching practices.
- Real-World Application: Present live demonstrations and create "aha moments" to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Program Requirements
- Attend all 5 sessions: Participants should commit to attending all five sessions. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
- Complete monthly challenges: Each month, participants will be given a “challenge” or task to complete that builds on the topic or skills from the month. These challenges will take 30-90 minutes to complete.
- Complete an educational project: Throughout the semester, participants will work on an educational project that leverages GenAI, culminating in a final showcase session to share progress and get feedback. This work will take an additional 1-2 hours a month to complete.
Total anticipated time commitment: ~5 hours per month
Who Should Apply?
This program is for University of Michigan faculty and instructional staff with a foundational understanding of GenAI in higher education who want to be a part of a learning community that focuses on GenAI and teaching. Suggested prerequisites include:
- >> Attended 1-2 GenAI workshops (e.g. workshops hosted by the TTC, CRLT, or ODE)
- >> Participated in an online course, such as:
- Teaching with GenAI Canvas Course
- GenAI MyLinc Courses
- LinkedIn Learning GenAI Course Collection
- >> Explored U-M GPT or ChatGPT on their own
Benefits for Participants
- Peer Learning: Gain insights from colleagues exploring AI in similar and diverse teaching contexts.
- Hands-On Practice: Engage in guided activities to build confidence with generative AI tools.
- Resource Sharing: Contribute to and benefit from a shared repository of resources, activities, and best practices.
- Support System: Build a network of support among faculty tackling similar challenges and opportunities.
Program structure
Sessions will be held via Zoom on Mondays from 2:00pm-3:30pm Eastern on the following dates:
- January 13, 2025
- February 10, 2025
- March 10, 2025
- April 7, 2025
- May 12, 2025
Program Planning Team
Dr. Tazin Daniels, Associate Director - Center for Research on Learning and Teaching
Nick Gaspar, Distance Learning Director - School of Nursing - The University of Michigan-Flint
Monica Hickson, Senior Instructional Learning Specialist - Teaching & Learning, ITS
Angela Marocco, Instructional Learning Specialist Lead - Teaching & Learning, ITS
Hetal Thaker, Senior Instructional Consultant - LSA Technology Services
Keila Walton, Customer Advocacy Manager - Support Services, ITS
If you have any questions, please email: [email protected]
The information for this program will be crossposted on the Academic Technology website at: https://academictechnology.umich.edu/instructional-resources/generative-ai/learning-community
