Introduction
AI writing tools such as ChatGPT create text responses that are meant to simulate human responses in a variety of styles and formats. They work by sifting through terabytes of available data and using algorithms to pull words to create responses. ChatGPT is currently the most well-known, but Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more are all working on or have already released similar AI programs. Though AI writing and data is not always accurate and has limitations, you and your students may find ways to use it that can positively support your work: It can help students get started on an assignment by providing ideas for how to structure their writing. It can help you get a jump start on research by listing sources that you can then explore more thoroughly. For those learning English, these tools can provide language that they can adapt to express their ideas. You can even use AI to help with tasks such as writing syllabi and assignment prompts.
To learn more about AI and it’s evolution, check out our video below
In this web page, you can learn more about how AI is being used at DU and resources for incorporating and navigating AI usage in your classroom.
In This Web Page:
AI Tools
The OTL Recommends: AI Edition
Events & Consultations
Additional Resources
AI Tools
Stay ahead with our continuously updated document on educational AI tools! Our document is curated to include descriptions of various educational AI tools and information on whether they are free to use. Regular updates ensure you have access to the most current information, helping you choose the best tools for your learning or teaching needs.
Events
Thriving with AI Faculty Learning Community (FLC)
The OTL is excited to offer a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) specifically focused on AI in education. An FLC can be defined as a year-long program with a cohort of faculty (10-15) that meets regularly (every 3-5 weeks) to discuss certain teaching topics, investigate teaching methods, and work towards integrating a teaching project. Thriving in AI FLC, we will be covering topics related to AI in higher education including AI literacy, addressing bias in AI, accessibility considerations, ethics, creative/innovative use cases for AI in teaching and learning, and more. As a participant in this cohort, you will also be working towards a teaching and learning project related to AI, which you will plan to incorporate into a course in the following academic year.
To learn more or join the FLC cohort, please email Lexi Schlosser at lexi.schlosser@du.edu.
Exploring AI as a Learning Tool Community of Practice (CoP)
This CoP is ideal for faculty who are new to using artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom and anyone interested in addressing barriers to incorporating AI in teaching and learning. This group will explore AI as a learning tool in the classroom. It aims to provide an open space for participants to engage in shared, authentic, and scholarly conversations while examining various aspects of potential concerns, interest, and insights of AI adoption. Faculty members will have an opportunity to examine and discuss current literature on AI use in the classroom and explore productive ways in which AI could serve as a learning resource for students, while also engaging in meaningful conversations to address issues such as ethics, equity, and technology use. Participants will be challenged to devise practical, evidence-informed methods for using AI in the classroom and evaluate its effectiveness.
To learn more or join the CoP cohort, please email Kayoung Kim at kayoung.kim@du.edu or Jasmine Yap at jasmine.yap@du.edu.
THE AI EXCHANGE
This year the OTL is hosting monthly events in collaboration with offices across the DU campus focused on learning more about artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching and learning contexts. Sessions vary across the purpose and scope, where some may center skill building and others may offer a show-and-tell approach to learning more about how AI is integrated to support student learning experiences and outcomes.
Check out upcoming sessions on our Crimson Connect page!
Support & FAQ’s
The Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) has curated numerous programs around helping faculty understand and develop AI literacy skills for teaching and learning. The following FAQ’s outline our areas of expertise and the types of support we offer.
We offer a range of support for faculty interested in integrating AI into their teaching practice. In addition to the resources available on this page, we provide both 1:1 and group consultations. Our expertise includes topics like:
- Using AI in the classroom
- Designing assignments and activities that incorporate AI
- Facilitating student discussions around AI use
- Prompting AI for lesson planning, rubric creation, syllabus design, and assignment development
- Incorporating AI Literacy and skill development in course- and program-level outcomes for students
While we focus on teaching and learning applications of AI, we do not provide support for:
- AI tools aimed at workflow optimization or administrative tasks
- AI applications unrelated to education
- Using AI for research
- Broader topics unrelated to teaching and learning, such as AI and the environment or the ethics of AI use (we’re happy to help you think through these issues, but we’re not specialists in these areas!)
If there is any uncertainty around the types of support we offer, we encourage you to reach out to us and someone from our team will help direct you.
We are happy to help connect you to campus resources while acknowledging this is still a growing area for support services. Here are a few links to some of our campus partners:
DU’s Information Technology department (IT) can provide a general AI overview, which you can request by filling out the IT Change Management Office Intake Request form.
Absolutely! We’re happy to collaborate with you to design custom workshops or training sessions focused on AI in teaching and learning. Whether you’d like us to join a meeting or develop a tailored session, we’re here to help.
Please reach out to the OTL inbox at otl@du.edu. If you are interested in creating custom programming, please make sure you are giving us enough time to prepare—typically, 1-2 months is a good length of time for planning.
We have some of our recurring events listed on the page below, or you can always visit our Crimson Connect page for a comprehensive and up-to-date list of events.
Want to learn more about AI?
Need support?
Additional Resources
OTL Blogs
Checking the Checkers: Guidance for Using Turnitin (Including its Artificial Intelligence Detection Tool)
Getting Proactive with ChatGPT and Other AI Tools
ChatGPT, Friend or Foe in the Classroom
Dr. Kerstin Haring, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science, reflects on these AI tools, how they work, and how we might be able to use them to our advantage in two faculty guest blogs:
