August 21, 2026

Vol. 1, Issue 3

In this issue, we explore how faculty can help students use AI thoughtfully, responsibly, and in ways that prepare them for authentic professional contexts. You will find practical assignment ideas, guidance for responsible AI use, examples from UTA faculty, professional learning opportunities, and resources you can use in your courses.

What if students practiced using AI the way they will use it at work?

Preparing students for an AI-enabled workplace means going beyond teaching them how to use AI tools. Faculty can create opportunities for students to apply disciplinary knowledge, evaluate AI, communicate decisions, and solve authentic problems, the same skills they will need as professionals.

One example comes from Stanford University’s AIMES Library of Examples. In Equity and Governance for Artificial Intelligence, students take on the role of congressional staffers and work through an assignment that simulates the development of AI-related legislation. A related group project asks students to evaluate AI models using authentic legislative methods.

The approach offers an important takeaway for faculty: AI can be incorporated into assignments not simply as a tool for producing an answer, but as part of a realistic professional scenario. Students practice using AI while also developing judgment, analysis, communication, and discipline-specific expertise.

What real-world task could your students practice in your discipline that incorporates AI and still requires them to think, evaluate, and make decisions?

Explore more faculty-created examples in the Stanford AIMES Library of Examples.

Authentic AI assignments work best when students also understand the ethical, academic, and disciplinary expectations that guide their use of AI.

As AI becomes increasingly common in education, faculty can help students learn to use these tools ethically, intentionally, and appropriately. Clear expectations and practical examples can support student independence, critical thinking, and academic integrity.

The following are example tips for faculty and students to guide responsible AI use.

The goal isn't simply to tell students what not to do with AI. It's to help them develop the judgment to use AI as a learning support while maintaining ownership of their work.

Article provided by:

Dr. Esther H. Dorsey, DNP, RN, CCRN

Undergraduate Department, CONHI

Dianna Jones

Assistant Professor of Practice

School of Social Work

"In the School of Social Work, we are currently reimagining our macro curriculum. Microsoft Copilot has been a tremendous support. Our curriculum team is redesigning macro courses and using Copilot and other AI tools to help summarize and organize current research, OER, and online industry-related resources. For example, through the Summer Microcredential Institute 2026, I embedded the LinkedIn Learning microcredential Nonprofit Management Foundations into one of our macro courses. We piloted the microcredential, and student feedback was overwhelmingly positive and inspiring. Integrating AI into my teaching has also created efficiencies in teaching, scholarship, and support for fellow faculty members.”

Dr. Peggy Semingson

Interim Director/Associate Professor

CRTLE

"I am a big fan of microcredential integration into coursework. This fall, I am integrating the beginner-friendly Google AI Professional Certificate through UTA’s Coursera Career Academy into my LING 4353/5353 online course to help students build AI literacy and workforce-ready skills alongside their coursework. The initiative builds on the success of UTA’s Summer Microcredential Institute, where faculty explored the Coursera Career Academy and its growing portfolio of industry-recognized credentials. Learn more about microcredentials here and more about the Google AI Professional Career Certificate at UTA here."

ACUE’s Unlocking Human-AI Potential: 10 Best Practices for AI Assignments in Higher Ed offers a practical checklist for designing assignments that keep human judgment, creativity, and disciplinary thinking at the center.

Use it to review an existing assignment or develop a new activity in which students must explain, verify, revise, or challenge AI-generated material.

Looking for practical examples of how colleges and universities are using AI to support teaching and learning? Join EDUCAUSE's TL Snapshots: AI Practices for Learning on August 24 and hear faculty and educational leaders from six institutions share real-world AI practices, lessons learned, and innovative approaches to student learning. 

✅ Free for UTA faculty and staff through UTA's institutional EDUCAUSE membership. When registering, select "Sign In via Federation" and choose The University of Texas at Arlington to access member benefits.

📅 August 24 | 2:00 PM–3:00 PM Central

OLC’s Effective Prompting for Generative AI microlearning module introduces strategies for writing clear, contextualized prompts that produce more relevant and useful outputs. The module may be helpful for faculty and instructional designers who want a structured introduction to prompt design for educational work. 

At its core, the module emphasizes a simple truth: “The quality of an AI’s output is directly related to the quality of the prompt.” By learning how to write clear, context-rich, and well‑structured prompts, educators can transform AI from a novelty into a powerful instructional partner.

Explore the OLC microlearning module!

This approachable book explores ways to work with AI while keeping human judgment, creativity, and meaningful learning at the center. It encourages educators to experiment thoughtfully with AI while keeping human judgment, creativity, and meaningful learning at the center. 

Borrow this book and others on AI in Education from the CRTLE Lending Library! Learn More.

If you missed the previous institutes or would like a refresher, please join us on

Friday, October 30, 2026

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Microsoft Teams