Imagine a world where this is possible…
Abbie -> ChatGPT: Hey friend. Can you help me write a 200-word conference proposal about how the university I work for can integrate AI into our workflow despite some cultural pushback? So far we’ve developed a draft of an AI prompt guide to help faculty build content for their courses, and we’re piloting a tool called Harmonize that can help faculty write engaging Discussion prompts, create learning objectives, and even create rubrics for Discussions or other assignments. Eventually, we’d like to create a GPT for our department, the center for teaching and learning excellence, but we’re not quite there yet.
Chat GPT -> Abbie : Certainly! Here’s a draft proposal:
Abbie -> The World: 10 minutes of editing the results lead to this proposal so join us to see how your instructors could benefit in similar ways!
During this webinar, we explored the innovative use of AI in course design and assessment. The webinar featured Abbie Stowell, the Assistant Instructional Technologist at Lincoln Memorial University, who shared her experience implementing AI tools to enhance course templates and assessments.
The webinar began with Abbie introducing the LMU course template, which aimed to provide a consistent course design across all programs at the university. Abbie highlighted the challenges faced during the transition to Canvas as the new LMS and the need to ensure template compliance among faculty members.
Abbie then discussed the development of an AI prompt guide to assist faculty in creating engaging and personalized course content. The guide, still in draft form, offers prompts and tips for instructors to expedite the course creation process while maintaining instructor presence and personalization — key drivers for students success and accreditation.
Following Abbie’s presentation, we introduced how Harmonize can streamline the process of creating rubrics and activities by leveraging AI to generate initial drafts for instructors to customize.
Throughout the webinar, we emphasized the importance for institutions to reserve and maintain instructor control and input in the course design and assessment process, highlighting the need for a balance between AI assistance and instructor expertise.
“I think that a lot of faculty come in with a lot of fear of AI because the initial, I think, gut instinct when you hear there’s a smart computer thing that can make stuff for your courses, the gut reaction, which is totally expected, is like, uh-oh, how does that affect my employment?”
That’s where open conversation comes in. The integration of AI tools in platforms and higher ed processes can improve course design, assessment, and student engagement, and this webinar showcased the potential of AI to enhance teaching effectiveness while empowering instructors to personalize and optimize their courses for student success.
Watch the full presentation on demand here.
