Generative AI and Related Workshops

Coming Soon in 2025

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) for text and image poses challenges and opportunities for teaching and learning. Join UConn faculty, students, and staff who are thinking about GenAI risks and benefits for college students, now and in the future. Sessions explore practical uses, limitations, and ethical implications.

All sessions will be online.

Please scroll down for full descriptions and registration links.

2025 January Workshop Series

Please mark your calendars. Registration links are available in the descriptions.

January 6, 1:00 - 2:00: AI-Assisted assignment design for instructors 
Tina Huey, CETL and English department 

It’s January and you might be redesigning your spring course. Are you curious about how to use tools like CoPilot or ChatGPT to support your teaching this semester? Some would argue that GenAI can free up course prep time that you can instead spend on enhancing feedback to students. Ideas and resources for using GenAI to edit assignment prompts for clarity, create case studies, generate problem sets, develop remedial modules, and make quizzes, etc., will be shared. In this interactive session, participants are encouraged to share examples, solicit feedback, or ask questions of other attendees.

This session is suitable for participants with minimal experience using generative AI but will be most useful if you know how to access either Microsoft CoPilot through your UConn Microsoft 365 login, or ChatGPT (both the free “mini” and paid versions will be demonstrated). Sign up to attend this session.

January 7, 2:00 - 3:00: What are LLMs? Foundational principles of AI and AI safety in teaching & research
Kelcey Davis, GA, Physics department 

ChatGPT is on everyone’s lips these days, but what exactly is a large language model, or LLM? How do they work and how do they develop? Are they widely used by students? What protections (or detections) are possible? This session, hosted by BEACON (the Beneficial and Ethical AI at UConn organization led by graduate and undergraduate students) will present the basics, with time for Q&A. Sign up to attend this session.

Note: BEACON is funded by Open Philanthropy as part of its University Organizer Fellowship.

January 8, 1:00 - 2:00: The promise and perils of GenAI in drafting teaching and research statements
Kay Gruder, UConn Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills & Tina Huey, CETL

What are the uses and limitations of generative AI to help draft teaching and research statements or other job search materials? Join this session for a basic introduction to the promise and perils of GenAI in developing materials for a job search, while collectively considering ethical and practical implications. This session is suitable for participants with minimal experience using generative AI but will be most useful if you know how to access either Microsoft CoPilot through your UConn Microsoft 365 login, or ChatGPT.  Sign up to attend this session.

January 9, 12:00 - 1:00: Hiring professionals’ perspectives on AI in applications: The Good, The Bad, and The Misused
Panel moderated by Steve Kligerman, Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills 

In an era where AI is transforming job applications, what impact is it really having on hiring decisions? Join us for an eye-opening panel featuring three industry professionals, who will share their observations on how applicants are using AI tools—for better or worse. Our industry experts will discuss real examples of AI’s influence, exploring how certain uses can help students stand out while others may hinder their success. Designed for faculty and staff, this event will explore how AI shapes job applications today and provide practical advice on helping students navigate this evolving landscape responsibly. Sign up to attend this session (Zoom).

Panelists:

  • Beth Dupont, Chief Human Resources & EEO Officer, O&G Industries, Inc.
  • April Martin, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, CIRMA
  • Rob Studivan, Sr. Corporate Recruiter/Immigration Specialist, eClinicalWorks

 January 14, 11:00 - 12:00: BEACON Office Hours: Drop-in feedback on your generative AI assignment ideas
Aidan Kierans, GA, School of Computing, and Kelcey Davis, GA, Physics department

Founders of the BEACON (Beneficial and Ethical AI at UConn) student organization and graduate assistants in computer science and physics will be available for informal discussion of your generative AI questions. If you have activities or tools you’d like to brainstorm about, come reflect on both practical and ethical considerations. Please register to receive the WebEx link. Sign up to attend this session.

Office Hours will also be available in February and March (dates TBD).

Note: BEACON is funded by Open Philanthropy as part of its University Organizer Fellowship.

January 14, 2:00 - 3:00: AI Image Generation - outcomes for learning and creativity
Luiza Printes dos Santos, CETL and Digital Media & Design department 

Image generation technologies such as DALL-E and Midjourney are transforming how educators and students engage with visual content. This workshop is meant to encourage knowledge exchange and active participation from all attendees as we explore AI-generated imagery's practical applications, creative possibilities, and ethical considerations within learning environments. The session will include a brief presentation on what’s new about AI image-generation tools from a creative/artistic perspective, followed by an open discussion and Q&A. Sign up to attend this session.

January 28, 11:00 - 12:00: Enhancing teaching and learning through generative AI
Ellen Carillo, Professor, English department 

Description coming soon. Sign up to attend this session.

January 28, 5:30 - 6:30 PM: Developing student AI fluencies in your class: CAPTURE prompting method 
Tina Huey, CETL and English department 

How should we engage students on the matter of generative AI and learning in our courses? Examples from Yee, Uttich, Main & Giltner’s AI Hacks for Educators will be shared, with an opportunity to practice with different generative AI tools. Session One will go over teaching the CAPTURE method for prompt engineering, with opportunities for hands-on practice. This session is suitable for participants with minimal experience using generative AI but will be most useful if you know how to access either Microsoft CoPilot through your UConn Microsoft 365 login, or ChatGPT (both the free “mini” and paid versions will be demonstrated).

Detection of AI use will not be the focus of these sessions, but we may discuss AI-resistant activities and assignments.  You are encouraged to contribute your questions, ideas, and experiences.  Sign up to attend this session.

If you are interested in continuing to explore “AI fluencies,” consider registering for these upcoming sessions (all session are 5:30 - 6:30 PM):

  • February 4: Teaching critical assessment and analysis of GenAI output. Sign up.
  • February 11: Creating personas for tutoring or role play. Sign up.
  • February 18: Creating visual representations of data. Sign up.
  • February 25: Overview, recap, review, and sharing by participants. Sign up.

 

More generative AI workshops will be offered in February, March, and April. Please return to this page for updates.

All sessions are held online.

 

 

Past Workshops

2024 October Workshop Series

October 8, 12:00 – 1:00: Unpacking authentic assessment in an AI-enabled world
Martina Rosenberg, Director of Teaching & Learning Assessment, CETL

October 9, 12:30 – 1:30: Helping students effectively prompt generative AI for homework tutoring
Lina Kloub, Associate Professor-in-Residence, School of Computing

October 15, 11:00 – 12:00: Generative AI in writing courses
Leah Begg, Visiting Assistant Professor, Dept. of English

October 16, 11:00 – 12:00: Aggressive AI Inclusivity: A Syllabus Policy for Now, a Walled Garden in Future
Roger Travis, Associate Professor, Dept. Of Literature, Cultures, & Languages

October 17, 12:30 – 1:30: AI Image Generation: Outcomes for Learning and Creativity
Luiza Printes dos Santos, MFA, Digital Media & Design, and Graduate Assistant, CETL

October 17, 2:30 – 3:30: Redefining Integrity: Lessons from Integrating AI in the Classroom
Stephen Fitzgerald, Instructor in Residence, Operations & Information Management

October 21, 12:00 – 1:00: AI Squared: Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence
Brian Goepfrich & Lillian Schaefer-Calderon, Office of Community Standards

October 22, 12:30 – 1:30: What does information literacy look like in your course?
John Rendeiro, Student Success & Engagement Librarian, UConn Library

October 23,12:30–1:30: Why immersion in GenAI is essential for future creatives engaged in creative work
Matt Worwood, Assistant Professor in Residence, Dept. of Digital Media & Design

October 30, 12:00 –1:00: AI as Research Ally: Intro to Generative Tools for Students and Faculty Research
Erica Charis-Molling, Instruction & Learning Design Librarian, UConn Library

October 31, 9:30 – 10:30: Beneficial, Ethical AI at UConn (BEACON): a student-led conversation
Aidan Kierans, PhD Student, School of Computing; Kelcey Davis, PhD Candidate, Physics; Kaley Rittichier, PhD student, Philosophy. Moderated by Derek Aguiar, Associate Professor, School of Computing.

November 6, 11:00–12:00: Design Smarter: Supercharge HuskyCT Course Development with Blackboard AI
Simon Wang, Heather Breittholz, UConn eCampus

October 8, 12:00–1:00 Unpacking authentic assessment in an AI-enabled world

Authentic assessment aims to measure if the student can successfully transfer the knowledge and skills gained to various contexts, scenarios, and situations beyond the classroom. In today's AI-driven world, we might be prompted to balance the promise of AI with its limitations to ensure effective learning. 

We will look at a framework that defines authentic assessment, disciplinary examples and the relationship between assessments and grading structures. Participants are encouraged to share strategies that they are experimenting with. Sign up to attend this session 

October 9, 12:30–1:30 Helping students effectively prompt generative AI for homework tutoring

Do you want to help students effectively use AI chatbots for support while completing homework? Join Assistant Professor in Residence of Computer Science, Lina Kloub, to explore how tutor prompts and “AI interviewing” protocols can be integrated into homework assignments. AI interviewing can focus conversations with AI tools to build student skills in formulating searches. Also known as prompt engineering, this growing field is gaining interest in both workplace and research environments. In this session, you’ll have the opportunity to consider how prompt engineering and guided AI use can be incorporated into your own courses, regardless of the discipline. Sign up to attend this session 

October 15, 11:00–12:00 Generative AI in writing courses

Can generative AI help students meet learning objectives in a writing course, or is that a complete contradiction? This interactive session, facilitated by Leah Begg, Visiting Assistant Professor in the First-Year Writing program, explores the implications of Gen AI in writing courses. Participants will use CoPilot to test the affordances and limitations of an AI tool for text generation. This session is suitable for those who have never or minimally included Gen AI in their course design and writing assignments. Sign up to attend this session 

October 16, 11:00–12:00 Aggressive AI Inclusivity: A Syllabus Policy for Now, a Walled Garden in the Future

Roger Travis of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages will facilitate a discussion of the aggressively AI inclusive policy he promulgated in his courses this semester and will do his best to lead it artfully to his modest proposal for a fully AI-driven version of his large classical mythology course. Sign up to attend this session

October 17, 12:30–1:30 AI Image Generation: Outcomes for Learning and Creativity

Image generation technologies such as DALL-E and Midjourney are transforming how educators and students engage with visual content. This workshop is meant to encourage knowledge exchange and active participation from all attendees as we explore AI-generated imagery's practical applications, creative possibilities, and ethical considerations within learning environments. The session will include a brief presentation on what’s new about AI image-generation tools from a creative/artistic perspective, followed by an open discussion and Q&A. Sign up to attend this session

October 17, 2:30 – 3:30: Redefining Integrity: Lessons from Integrating GenAI in the Classroom

Description coming soon!

October 21, 12:00–1:00 AI Squared: Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence

Join Assistant Director of Community Standards, Brian J. Goepfrich, and Graduate Student, Lillian Schaefer-Calderon, for an engaging and informative session on the evolving role of Generative AI, especially Large Language Model tools, in academic settings. This presentation will cover key topics to help faculty better understand and navigate these emerging technologies in the classroom while upholding academic integrity.  

Key topics include:  

  • Understanding Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) and Large Language Models (LLM): Learn the basics of these tools, their potential uses, and the challenges they pose in academic environments.  
  • Fostering Positive Use: Explore strategies for incorporating Generative AI tools constructively to enhance learning while maintaining academic integrity.  
  • Setting Clear Expectations: Discover best practices for establishing course guidelines regarding the use of AI tools to promote transparency and fairness.  
  • Addressing Misuse: Understand how to handle Generative AI or Large Language Models misuse in violation of Academic, Scholarly, and Professional Integrity and Misconduct Policy.  
  • Student Perspective: Gain insight into how students view and use these technologies, presented from a graduate student’s viewpoint.  
  • University Statistics: Review relevant university data on the impact and prevalence of AI tool usage in cases referred for academic misconduct.  

Sign up to attend this session 

October 22, 12:30–1:30 What does information literacy look like in your course?

John Rendeiro from UConn Library will facilitate an informal discussion among participants about how you see information literacy needs in your course, program, or discipline. What do undergraduate students need? What kind of support would be helpful to graduate students? How are you addressing generative AI as an information source, and how is it going? John will share resources and pedagogical ideas based on participant interests. Participant input will help shape winter and spring offerings through CETL and the Library to support student information literacy. Sign up to attend this session

October 23, 12:30–1:30 Why immersion in GenAI is essential for future creatives engaged in creative work

In this workshop, Matt Worwood, Digital Media & Design Assistant Professor in Residence, will briefly introduce generative AI from the perspective of creativity before engaging in a journey to explore prevalent themes within the domain of generative artificial intelligence and its potential influence over the creative process of a future professional called Aria Novak.  

The presentation will highlight some of the topics explored within the field of creativity and propose some of the skills and talents most likely to remain at the forefront of skills professionals in the future. A proposed discussion topic at the end of the workshop is how we might promote or develop these skills within today's educational settings. Sign up to attend this session

October 30, 12:00–1:00 AI as Research Ally: An Introduction to Generative Tools for Students and Faculty Research

Explore the potential of AI as an academic research partner in this introductory session. We'll look at tools such as Perplexity, Research Rabbit, Scite, Elicit, and Consensus, and how these tools might complement research efforts. Designed for those new to AI, this session will provide a supportive environment to get curious about how these tools could assist with literature reviews, citation management, discovering connections, and more. We'll conclude with a Q&A, so bring your questions and ideas for future AI research tool workshops! Sign up to attend this session

October 31, 9:30 – 10:30: Beneficial, Ethical AI at UConn (BEACON): a student-led conversation

Founders of the BEACON (Beneficial, Ethical AI at UConn) student organization will speak about its origins and purpose. Participants are encouraged to bring questions about the implications of artificial intelligence in education and observations about AI use in teaching, learning, and research. This is an interactive forum for meeting others who want to discuss AI in education. All are welcome, including faculty, staff, and students. Panelists: Aidan Kierans, PhD Student, School of Computing; Kelcey Davis, PhD Candidate, Physics; and Kaley Rittichier, PhD student, Philosophy. Moderated by Derek Aguiar, Associate Professor, and Shiri Dori-Hacohen, Assistant Professor, School of Computing. Sign up to attend this session

November 6, 11:00–12:00 Supercharge HuskyCT Course Design & Development w/ Blackboard AI

Unlock the potential of AI to elevate your course design and development process! This webinar is designed for educators looking to seamlessly integrate Blackboard AI tools into their course design and development practice. Join us as we explore how AI can streamline course planning, enhance content creation, and support personalized learning experiences. Whether you're a seasoned educator or just getting started with AI in education, this session will provide actionable tips, real-life examples, and hands-on demonstrations to help you make the most of Blackboard’s AI-powered features. Don't miss the chance to transform your approach to course design! Sign up to attend this session

Why Attend?

  • Learn how the Blackboard AI Design Assistant can simplify course development
  • Discover time-saving techniques and tools within Blackboard
  • Receive practical guidance and examples to apply in your own courses

Questions? Contact us!

Tina Huey, Associate Director of Faculty Development, CETL
tina.huey@uconn.edu