July, 23 2026

Vol. 1, Issue 2

There’s no shortage of AI news, tools, and opinions right now, but what does it all mean for your teaching? In this issue of our biweekly AI newsletter, you'll find practical ideas, faculty insights, new research, recommended resources, and learning opportunities to help you navigate AI with confidence and purpose while keeping pedagogy first. - CRTLE

Rethinking AI in the Classroom
What if AI wasn’t just about getting answers but about deepening learning? This video invites faculty to explore how students can use AI to investigate complex questions, test ideas, and design meaningful solutions.

Book Recommendation! 

Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning by Jose Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson

Revisit the 2025 author event with Jose Bowen and Edward Watson, the two authors of the Teaching with AI book.  Read more  This book is part of the year-long PLC cohort, but we recommend it for faculty across the entire campus as recommended reading."

A few spots remain available in CRTLE’s Teaching in the Age of AI Collaborative for 2026–2027! This faculty learning community explores practical, ethical, and innovative ways to integrate AI into teaching and learning. Participants will collaborate with colleagues to design AI-ready assignments, discuss emerging AI practices, and share strategies for supporting student success.

Join this community of faculty innovators. Apply today!

As AI tools continue to gain attention in higher education, UTA educators are reminding us of something important: great teaching still comes first.

Want to learn more?

Read the full story from the UTA News Center: REP: AI Training Shaped by Teachers

Dr. Doug J. Stark

Assistant Professor

Department of English

"Much of what we do as educators is tacit. From writing lesson plans to inviting peer observation, getting better at teaching often involves making our intuitive practices visible so that we can reflect on and improve them. I have found working with AI to be a continuation of this process because it requires me to translate my pedagogy into instructions precise enough for a computer to follow. In teaching the machine what I do, I end up learning myself."

Dr. Laura Weisberg

Assistant Professor

Department of Teacher and Administrator Preparation

“One of my goals for this project is to ensure that the way we prepare future educators to use AI at UTA is informed by the realities of today’s classrooms. By learning directly from practicing teachers about their experiences, needs, and challenges regarding AI, we can develop professional learning that not only supports teachers in the field but also helps us better prepare our own students to use AI in meaningful, responsible, and effective ways.”

What if students used AI not as a shortcut, but as a tool for deeper learning? Leveraging AI as a Study Partner is a new ACUE Quick Study in ACUE Commons that explores evidence-based strategies for helping students use AI to strengthen active recall, deepen conceptual understanding, and support long-term learning.

This free Quick Study online module also introduces a learning integrity approach that focuses on the learning process, not just the final product. Faculty will discover practical ways to design assignments that encourage original thinking, set clear expectations for AI use, and help students develop critical thinking and responsible AI practices.

✅ Short, practical, and self-paced
✅ Actionable prompting ideas you can share with students
✅ Strategies for promoting learning integrity in the age of AI

UTA faculty have free access through ACUE Commons. Learn more and get login instructions: ACUE Commons - CRTLE

Generative AI is transforming higher education but where is it making a real impact? Join EDUCAUSE and Gartner for “Navigating AI Shockwaves in Higher Education,” a four-part webinar series exploring practical strategies for leveraging AI across campus.

The first session, “GenAI Use Cases and Lessons Learned in Higher Education,” will highlight real-world applications, lessons learned, and strategies for identifying valuable AI opportunities while managing cost, risk, and readiness.

📅 August 6 | 11:00 AM–12:00 PM CST

Additional sessions in the series will explore AI literacy, data readiness, and cybersecurity in the age of AI.

How can AI help students move beyond generating content and toward solving authentic, discipline-specific challenges? A new UTA research project in CAPPA's Performative AI Lab is exploring how generative AI, robotics, and performance simulation can work together to address real-world issues such as sustainability, resilience, and environmental design. The project serves as a powerful example of how AI can be used not merely as a content generator, but as a tool for inquiry, analysis, design thinking, and innovation which are skills that educators across disciplines can help students develop in an AI-enabled world. Good work to Dr. Shermeen Yousif!

Learn more: AI, Robotics Advance Ecological Design. 

What Happens When Students Practice With Real Workplace Tech Tools Earlier? The findings highlight a broader lesson for higher education: authentic practice with industry tools before students enter the workplace can boost confidence, readiness, and success.

Explore the possibilities and implications of artificial intelligence during AI Awareness Week, hosted by the University of Texas at Arlington’s Office of Information Technology. This campus-wide initiative features sessions, resources, and conversations designed to help faculty, staff, and students better understand AI tools, ethical considerations, and practical applications in teaching, learning, and everyday work. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen your knowledge, there’s something for everyone to engage with and learn.