Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Tag: AI

Deadline to Register for In-person Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI

Learn more here | Facilitators: JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and Breana Bayraktar of George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI: Building AI Literacy and Designing Learning in a Changing World on May 19, 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the ways knowledge is produced, accessed, and applied across nearly every field. While these changes create uncertainty, they also present an opportunity: educators have a critical role in shaping how AI is understood and used by the next generation. This full-day Symposium session invites faculty from across Virginia to engage deeply with the question of how higher education should respond to AI—not simply through policies or restrictions, but through intentional teaching and curriculum design. Presentations and workshops developed by researchers from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project.

The morning presentation, provided both in person and online, introduces the Critical AI Literacy Cultivation Framework, developed by a research team from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project. Participants will explore the rapidly evolving AI landscape, examine research on AI’s impact on learning and the workforce, and consider the role educators play in shaping how AI develops within higher education. The session surveys three domains of AI literacy—Understanding AI, Engaging with AI, and Shaping AI’s Roles—and introduces an open educational resource designed to support institutions, departments, and individual courses.

A facilitated networking lunch will be provided in person.

The in-person afternoon workshop moves from theory to practice. Participants will explore the SKEPTICS framework, a classroom tool designed to help students assess how AI affects their learning, cognition, and academic performance. Through guided activities and collaborative discussion, participants will adapt the framework to their own disciplinary contexts and develop an implementation plan for their courses.

Together, the two sessions provide both a conceptual foundation for AI literacy and concrete strategies for implementation, helping educators move from reacting to AI’s disruption toward actively shaping its role in teaching and learning. By the end of the day, participants will have both a broader understanding of AI’s implications for higher education and practical tools for helping students engage with AI thoughtfully and responsibly.

Participants will leave with:
-A research-informed framework for understanding AI literacy in higher education
-A deeper perspective on AI’s implications for learning and disciplinary practice
-Practical strategies for integrating AI literacy into courses and curricula
-A draft plan for implementing student reflection on AI’s impact on learning

This event is organized by JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. It is funded by an FFEI grant administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

Registration Information: Participants can register for the whole day to attend in person, or select only the morning or afternoon sessions along with lunch. The morning presentation will be available online. If funding is a consideration in your ability to attend in person, you will be able to request a travel stipend of $50 to support your participation and will need to register by the priority deadline of May 1. After May 1, we will email you to confirm selection for the travel stipend and collect the necessary information for payment.

Priority registration deadline: Friday, May 1
Final registration deadline: Friday, May 15

Schedule for the Symposium:
10:00 – 10:30: Registration Open. Coffee/tea and snacks available
10:30 – 12:00: Presentation: Your Role in Shaping AI’s Impact: Fostering AI Literacy in Higher Education (Hybrid)
12:00 – 1:00: Networking Lunch
1:00 – 2:30: Workshop: Supporting Students in Assessing AI’s Impact on Learning: The SKEPTICS Framework (In-person only)
2:30 – 3:00: Farewell Reception

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register by going to: https://www.jmu.edu/events/cfi/2026/05/19-educator-agency-age-of-ai.shtml

Deadline to Register for Online Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI

Learn more here | Facilitators: JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and Breana Bayraktar of George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI: Building AI Literacy and Designing Learning in a Changing World on May 19, 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the ways knowledge is produced, accessed, and applied across nearly every field. While these changes create uncertainty, they also present an opportunity: educators have a critical role in shaping how AI is understood and used by the next generation. This full-day Symposium session invites faculty from across Virginia to engage deeply with the question of how higher education should respond to AI—not simply through policies or restrictions, but through intentional teaching and curriculum design. Presentations and workshops developed by researchers from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project.

The morning presentation, provided both in person and online, introduces the Critical AI Literacy Cultivation Framework, developed by a research team from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project. Participants will explore the rapidly evolving AI landscape, examine research on AI’s impact on learning and the workforce, and consider the role educators play in shaping how AI develops within higher education. The session surveys three domains of AI literacy—Understanding AI, Engaging with AI, and Shaping AI’s Roles—and introduces an open educational resource designed to support institutions, departments, and individual courses.

A facilitated networking lunch will be provided in person.

The in-person afternoon workshop moves from theory to practice. Participants will explore the SKEPTICS framework, a classroom tool designed to help students assess how AI affects their learning, cognition, and academic performance. Through guided activities and collaborative discussion, participants will adapt the framework to their own disciplinary contexts and develop an implementation plan for their courses.

Together, the two sessions provide both a conceptual foundation for AI literacy and concrete strategies for implementation, helping educators move from reacting to AI’s disruption toward actively shaping its role in teaching and learning. By the end of the day, participants will have both a broader understanding of AI’s implications for higher education and practical tools for helping students engage with AI thoughtfully and responsibly.

Participants will leave with:
-A research-informed framework for understanding AI literacy in higher education
-A deeper perspective on AI’s implications for learning and disciplinary practice
-Practical strategies for integrating AI literacy into courses and curricula
-A draft plan for implementing student reflection on AI’s impact on learning

This event is organized by JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. It is funded by an FFEI grant administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

Registration Information: Participants can register for the whole day to attend in person, or select only the morning or afternoon sessions along with lunch. The morning presentation will be available online. If funding is a consideration in your ability to attend in person, you will be able to request a travel stipend of $50 to support your participation and will need to register by the priority deadline of May 1. After May 1, we will email you to confirm selection for the travel stipend and collect the necessary information for payment.

Priority registration deadline: Friday, May 1
Final registration deadline: Friday, May 15

Schedule for the Symposium:
10:00 – 10:30: Registration Open. Coffee/tea and snacks available
10:30 – 12:00: Presentation: Your Role in Shaping AI’s Impact: Fostering AI Literacy in Higher Education (Hybrid)
12:00 – 1:00: Networking Lunch
1:00 – 2:30: Workshop: Supporting Students in Assessing AI’s Impact on Learning: The SKEPTICS Framework (In-person only)
2:30 – 3:00: Farewell Reception

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register by going to: https://www.jmu.edu/events/cfi/2026/05/19-educator-agency-age-of-ai.shtml

Workshop: Artificial Intelligence Tools and…Inclusive Teaching?

Register here | Facilitator: Rachel Yoho

Formerly called “ChatGPT, AI Text Generator Tools, and…Inclusive Teaching?”

Access to artificial intelligence (AI) text generators has upended education – and many other sectors – as much or more than past technology advancements and innovations. Join us in this workshop as we discuss how we continue teaching with impact and to support all students in this new reality. We explore instructional approaches, considerations, and methods to help us teach with less stress and more strategy. This workshop is part of the Teaching with AI credential Level 1 series and the AIEM-Teach credential. 

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Workshop: Communicating with Students About Ethical AI Use

Register here | Facilitator: Breana Bayraktar

This hands-on session will guide you in creating course policies that promote an ethical AI culture. Through engaging discussions, case studies, and individual work, you will develop a coherent AI policy tailored to your courses and gain practical strategies for guiding your students in responsible AI use. This workshop is part of the Teaching with AI credential Level 1 series. 

Audience: all instructors/graduate students.

Please reach out to Breana Bayraktar ([email protected]) with any questions.

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Priority Deadline to Register for Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI

Learn more here | Facilitators: JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and Breana Bayraktar of George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Symposium: Educator Agency in the Age of AI: Building AI Literacy and Designing Learning in a Changing World on May 19, 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the ways knowledge is produced, accessed, and applied across nearly every field. While these changes create uncertainty, they also present an opportunity: educators have a critical role in shaping how AI is understood and used by the next generation. This full-day Symposium session invites faculty from across Virginia to engage deeply with the question of how higher education should respond to AI—not simply through policies or restrictions, but through intentional teaching and curriculum design. Presentations and workshops developed by researchers from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project.

The morning presentation, provided both in person and online, introduces the Critical AI Literacy Cultivation Framework, developed by a research team from the AI in Teaching and Learning Project. Participants will explore the rapidly evolving AI landscape, examine research on AI’s impact on learning and the workforce, and consider the role educators play in shaping how AI develops within higher education. The session surveys three domains of AI literacy—Understanding AI, Engaging with AI, and Shaping AI’s Roles—and introduces an open educational resource designed to support institutions, departments, and individual courses.

A facilitated networking lunch will be provided in person.

The in-person afternoon workshop moves from theory to practice. Participants will explore the SKEPTICS framework, a classroom tool designed to help students assess how AI affects their learning, cognition, and academic performance. Through guided activities and collaborative discussion, participants will adapt the framework to their own disciplinary contexts and develop an implementation plan for their courses.

Together, the two sessions provide both a conceptual foundation for AI literacy and concrete strategies for implementation, helping educators move from reacting to AI’s disruption toward actively shaping its role in teaching and learning. By the end of the day, participants will have both a broader understanding of AI’s implications for higher education and practical tools for helping students engage with AI thoughtfully and responsibly.

Participants will leave with:
-A research-informed framework for understanding AI literacy in higher education
-A deeper perspective on AI’s implications for learning and disciplinary practice
-Practical strategies for integrating AI literacy into courses and curricula
-A draft plan for implementing student reflection on AI’s impact on learning

This event is organized by JMU’s Center for Faculty Innovation, JMU Libraries, UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and George Mason’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. It is funded by an FFEI grant administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

Registration Information: Participants can register for the whole day to attend in person, or select only the morning or afternoon sessions along with lunch. The morning presentation will be available online. If funding is a consideration in your ability to attend in person, you will be able to request a travel stipend of $50 to support your participation and will need to register by the priority deadline of May 1. After May 1, we will email you to confirm selection for the travel stipend and collect the necessary information for payment.

Priority registration deadline: Friday, May 1
Final registration deadline: Friday, May 15

Schedule for the Symposium:
10:00 – 10:30: Registration Open. Coffee/tea and snacks available
10:30 – 12:00: Presentation: Your Role in Shaping AI’s Impact: Fostering AI Literacy in Higher Education (Hybrid)
12:00 – 1:00: Networking Lunch
1:00 – 2:30: Workshop: Supporting Students in Assessing AI’s Impact on Learning: The SKEPTICS Framework (In-person only)
2:30 – 3:00: Farewell Reception

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register by going to: https://www.jmu.edu/events/cfi/2026/05/19-educator-agency-age-of-ai.shtml

Workshop: AI Test Kitchen: Assessments and Customization

Register Here | Facilitator: Laina Lockett


Whether you’re new to AI tools like Microsoft CoPilot or have a lot of AI experience, join this session to explore prompts and discuss the role of generative AI in writing test questions. Based on the book Teaching with AI by Bowen and Watson. *Participation in past AI Test Kitchens is not required. This workshop is part of the Teaching with AI Credential.

* Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Workshop: To AI or not to AI?: Key Considerations for Your Classroom

Register Here | Facilitator: Laina Lockett

In this session, we will review the Stearns Center’s AI Quick Start Guide. Topics include discussing the most common questions asked by GMU faculty about AI, reviewing recommended resources including the GMU Guidelines for Faculty and Students, demonstrate some of the tools that are available to use, and consider ethical considerations for tool usage as instructors.

* Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Mini Course: Introduction to AI Inspired Pedagogies 

Register Here | Facilitator: Laina Lockett

This event is at capacity; registration is now closed. 

By now you’ve probably heard of ChatGPT or one of the other various new large language models (LLMs) that have taken the world by storm. But do you know how to deal with the ever-evolving artificial intelligence technology as it relates to your teaching? In this mini course, you will be exposed to the basics of redesigning your course as it relates to learning outcomes and instructional activities. We will also explore how to get feedback from students regarding the changes that you make. Bring your lunch and enjoy this five-session program (spread across four days). Successful completion will earn participants a Level 2 CPD credential. Registration will close at 40 participants.

Dates of Sessions:
August 3, 2026 11:00-1:30PM
August 4, 2026 11:00-1:30PM
August 5, 2026 11:00-1:30PM
August 6, 2026 11:00-1:30PM

* Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

AI Lunchtime Lab: Understand

Register Here| Facilitator: Laina Lockett

Registration for this event is now full. Please be on the lookout for another offering next year. 

Do you ask your students to comprehend informational details? Do you ask your students to explain, interpret summarize or translate in your course? Then apply to participate in the AI Lunchtime Lab: Understand. This program consists of an in-person session to design and get feedback on an AI infused assignment focused on helping students understand concepts in your course during the Fall 2026 semester. This paid opportunity requires participation in the in-person session as well as submission of the activity that you design and the student feedback about the assignment. This program is limited to the first 8 accepted applicants. It is open to any instructor of record in Fall 2026. Please submit this form by April 30th.

Mini-course: Introduction to Ai-Enhanced Teaching Practices

Register Here | Facilitator: Laina Lockett

Registration for this workshop series is now closed.

Are you interested in learning about how the best teaching practices are impacted by generative AI? If so, this is the mini course for you! In this mini-course you will cover a wide variety of topics and have time to explore new AI applications. Topics will include large language model (LLM) impacts on academic integrity, universal design, inclusive teaching, assessment, as well as explore applications of other types of generative AI such as image and video tools. How to turn these classroom changes into research will also be covered. There are no prerequisites for this course. Registration will be limited to the first 40 participants.

*Adding to your calendar will not register you for the event; please register using the link above.

Dates of Sessions:

June 8, 2026 (9 a.m – 10:30 a.m)
June 9, 2026 (9 a.m – 10:30 a.m)
June 10, 2026 (9 a.m – 10:30 a.m)
June 11, 2026 (9 a.m – 10:30 a.m)
June 15, 2026 (9 a.m – 10:30 a.m)
June 16, 2026 (9 a.m – 10:30 a.m)