AI in Teaching and Research Pilot Program
Call for Proposals
Academic Technology invites faculty to submit proposals to participate in a pilot program focused on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into teaching practices. This pilot is designed for faculty who are eager to apply AI tools in their courses and are committed to testing and evaluating their impact in real-time. Whether you are new to AI or have prior experience, this is an opportunity to explore AI’s potential by actively using it in your teaching.
Purpose of the AI Pilot
This pilot program will provide faculty the platform to experiment with AI tools in a structured and supported environment. Participants will implement AI technologies in their courses, pilot their effectiveness, and gather data to inform future AI use across the university.
Proposal Submission Requirements
To apply for this pilot, please submit a 150–300 word proposal addressing the following:
- Select the AI track that interests you and explain why.
- Describe how you plan to integrate AI into your teaching or research.
- Discuss ethical considerations relevant to using AI in your practice.
- Propose a specific plan for how you will pilot AI tools in your course.
- Describe how you will collect data to measure the impact of AI on your teaching or students’ learning outcomes.
- Confirm you have a teaching assignment for Spring 2025.
Tracks for AI Pilot
Faculty are encouraged to select one of the following tracks for their pilot project:
- Teaching Innovation: Use AI to redesign assignments for active learning, such as incorporating AI-generated content (images, videos) to engage students.
- Research Enhancement: Apply AI tools (e.g., Claude, Elicit, Perplexity) for research purposes, such as analyzing data, generating insights, or automating tasks to enhance your research methods.
- Focus on Equity: Use AI to reduce equity gaps in student outcomes by redesigning assignments with equity data (e.g., Canvas Insights) and tracking improvements over time.
- Accessibility: Leverage AI tools to create more accessible course content for all students. This may include using AI for real-time captioning, translation, or generating alternative formats (e.g., text-to-speech, simplified text versions) to accommodate diverse learning needs.
- Wild Card: Propose a unique AI use case that doesn't fit into the other categories but can have an impact on teaching or research.
Important Dates
- Submission Deadline: October 7, 2024
- Notification of Acceptance: October 15, 2024
Pilot Expectations and Deliverables
Faculty participating in the pilot will be expected to:
- Actively pilot at least one AI tool in their Fall-Spring 2025 course(s).
- Participate in the community-of-practice meetings with the pilot group (once a month, except for winter break).
- Collect data and assess the effectiveness of the AI tool(s) on teaching and learning outcomes (preliminary is okay).
- Present findings and strategies as part of Digital Equity Day in Spring 2025 (April).
- Provide a brief report on the outcomes of their AI pilot, including data collected and lessons learned.
Support and Compensation
Throughout the pilot, participants will receive support and training from Academic Technology and the Academic Technology Faculty Fellows to ensure successful implementation. Faculty who meet the deliverables will receive a $500 stipend.