Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

When The Chatbot Is Wrong On Purpose: Using Genai Role-Play To Build Student Engagement And Critical Ai Fluency, Sierra Adare-Tasiwoopa Api

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore how customized AI chatbots can be used to increase student engagement while also teaching students to question AI-generated information. The workshop centers on a role-playing game scenario in which students interact with a chatbot non-player character (NPC) that serves as a guide, informant, but one that sometimes provides incomplete, misleading, or invalid information. Rather than treating chatbot errors as failures, the activity uses them as opportunities for students to practice verification, source evaluation, metacognition, and discipline-specific reasoning.

Participants will first experience a short version of the role-playing activity as students. They will then …

Designing With Intent: A Comparative Analysis Of Custom Ai Chatbots As Udl-Aligned Tools For Multidisciplinary Instruction, Ephraim Q. Teye, Clarissa Oteng-Darko, Leping Liu

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

The growing presence of AI in higher education has prompted instructors to move beyond passive adoption, to deliberate theory-grounded design. This session presents two custom AI chatbots (DisneyBot and Rico) developed within a teacher preparation course as the technology-enhanced component of a multidisciplinary instructional unit. DisneyBot is built on the ChatGPT platform to guide learners through an exploration of Disney parks, and Rico, is built on the Gemini platform as an interactive guide to information about Puerto Rico by scaffolding learning across four subject-specific lesson modules – Social Studies, ELA/ENL, Science, and Spanish. Both chatbots were developed to support differentiated …

A Student-Centered Model For Ethically Evaluating Ai Integration In Learning Support Services And Beyond, Cristina Caputo, Raymond Bruels Iii, Alexis Rivera

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes higher education, learning support centers are uniquely positioned to intentionally assess whether if and how to best integrate AI tools into academic services. This session presents a 6-week project framework that was designed to:

• Review the literature on critical AI literacy and training

• Benchmark current best practices in AI policy, use, and integration alongside human-centered academic services

• Examine student AI knowledge and use (needs assessment)

• Identify and evaluate relevant AI tools or platforms

The framework was developed within the Academic Success Center (ASC) at Nevada State University where Center peer educators …

Core Mathematics Applications Using Ai, Zachary Porter

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

This presentation examines ways to use prompts with AI to build on the applications of core mathematics topics involving algebra, finance, probability, and statistics. We will use AI to discover how the topics in core mathematics could apply to students regardless of their major.

Enhancing Mathematics Learning With Notebooklm: From Passive Study To Active Engagement, Nakisa Ghanbarian, Diana Moss

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

This 25-minute interactive session explores how NotebookLM can be used to enhance student learning in mathematics by transforming passive study habits into active engagement. Rather than focusing solely on the capabilities of AI, this session emphasizes practical, classroom-centered applications that support conceptual understanding and meaningful learning.   Participants will be introduced to key features of NotebookLM, including its ability to generate explanations, summaries, guided responses, and audio-based content from instructor-provided materials. Through live demonstrations, we will present realistic student use cases, such as exploring difficult concepts, identifying and correcting errors in problem-solving, generating personalized study guides, and creating additional practice opportunities. …

Teaching In The Ai Era: Studying Faculty Course Redesign, Visible Thinking, And Sustainable Implementation, Sierra Adare-Tasiwoopa Api

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

How can faculty development move beyond generic AI guidance toward redesigns that make student thinking visible, clarify AI expectations, and remain feasible for teaching-intensive institutions? This presentation shares the design and emerging findings from Nevada State University’s AI & Accessibility Academy study, which follows faculty from a summer course redesign academy into fall implementation. The study examines changes in faculty self-efficacy around AI-era pedagogy and accessibility, the redesign practices faculty implement, how course artifacts reflect process-focused assessment and accessible design, and what factors support or constrain sustained implementation.

The session describes the study’s mixed-methods design, including faculty pre/post/follow-up surveys, artifact …

Ai Tutors, Worksheets, And Task Design: Matching Ai Tools To Learning Structure, Brock Casselman

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

Artificial intelligence is increasingly used by students as a learning resource in STEM courses. However, classroom observations and survey data suggest that unstructured AI use may correlate with reduced student achievement. Two concerns are especially relevant: AI systems can produce incorrect responses in tasks requiring precise validation, and students may use AI in ways that reduce active engagement with course material.

This session presents two instructional approaches designed to address these limitations: structured AI-generated worksheets and in-chat AI tutors. AI worksheets generate controlled sets of practice problems within instructor-defined course constraints. In-chat tutors provide interactive practice through problem generation, Socratic …

Crafting Resilient Ai Policies For Education, Delight Ejiaka, Miranda Hannasch, Branden Cunningham

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence into academic spaces requires a shift from passive restriction to resilient, active pedagogical frameworks. This virtual panel explores actionable strategies to protect academic integrity, promote deep critical thinking, and manage AI use, particularly in foundational courses. Panelists will discuss the implementation of high-engagement classroom interventions. The will offer frameworks for transparent student disclosure practices. Attendees will leave with practical templates for syllabus policies, assignment rubrics, and disclosure benchmarks designed to foster a culture of transparency and process-oriented learning in an AI-permeated landscape.

Designing Custom Chatbots For Classroom Use: Practical Examples, Benefits, And Current Limitations, Akio Abe, Farrukh Nazir

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

Recent advances in generative AI have made it increasingly possible for individual educators to design and implement their own custom chatbots without advanced programming skills (Abe & Kaneshige, 2025). This workshop introduces practical examples of custom chatbots developed for educational purposes and discusses both their affordances and limitations for classroom use.

We would like to share a chatbot creation experience, which we spent one hour building, with a 30-minute presentation. For each chatbot, we will explain its intended purpose, target users, basic specifications, and expected classroom applications. We will also describe the development process, including how the presenters designed the …

Resisting Ai With Paper: Possibilities, Concerns And Protest, Laura Evans

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

While there are a number of commercial benefits involved in incorporating AI usage and training into college composition classrooms, to many the perils and problems involved in student AI use outweigh these possibilities. A growing number of composition instructors have chosen to return to requiring assignments to be handwritten on paper as an increasingly viable, and even necessary, strategy to combat the growing use of ChatGPT and other AI text generation software as an essay-writing tool. This strategy has a number of potential benefits – the ability to regulate AI usage, to create better memory retention, and decrease student screen-time …

From “I’M Not A Coder” To “I Built A Website”: Teaching Business Concepts Through Ai Vibe Coding, Jean Jeon

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

This presentation shares my experience developing an AI vibe coding project for business students with little or no coding experience. Students first replicated a website, then created their own improved version and learned from peer feedback. Through trial and error, they revised their prompts and applied course concepts related to target audiences, user experience, branding, and business models. What began as an AI tool assignment became a learning-by-doing experience that encouraged students to think like marketers. I will share the project structure, student learning process, and lessons I learned while learning alongside my students.

Ai For Everyone: Designing An Introductory Ai Course Across Disciplines, Jesse Fitts, Waleed Faris

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

As artificial intelligence reshapes virtually every field, universities face a growing imperative to ensure AI literacy is not reserved for computer science majors alone. This panel presents the collaborative design of an introductory AI course built for undergraduate general education — one that serves students across disciplines, regardless of technical background.

Two co-designers will share the story of building the course from complementary angles. The first presenter will address the technical foundation of the curriculum: how core AI concepts such as machine learning, data, and algorithms were translated into accessible, hands-on learning experiences for non-specialist students. The second presenter will …

Trust But Verify: Testing A Framework For Ai Interrogation In Nursing Education, Michael Chamberlain

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

Generative AI produces fluent, confident output that is sometimes fabricated. Nursing students increasingly submit work built on sources that do not exist, or that exist and do not support the claims drawn from them. This session reports two semesters of classroom observation testing whether prompt design can address that problem.   The hypothesis was that structuring student prompts to require the AI to validate its own sources would improve detection of hallucinated citations. It did not. Across two sections, students who used the structured format caught fabricated citations at the same rate as students given an open prompt. Structure did change …

Ai Across The Curriculum: Early Insights From Unr Students And Faculty, Elisabeth Linn, Elena S. Azadbakht, Rosalind Bucy

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

In July 2025, the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) joined librarians, educators, and administrators across 15-20 institutions to participate in an Ithaka S+R AI cohort. Ithaka S+R has worked with academic libraries, teaching and learning centers, and college administrators across more than 60 institutions, leading cohorts focused on teaching and learning with AI, integrating AI literacy into the curriculum, and more. This third cohort focused on defining, implementing, and scaling AI literacy initiatives across higher education. Through interviews with faculty and students, cohorts investigate needs surrounding AI literacy specific to their campus. This presentation will describe the preliminary results of …

Beyond Adoption: Shared Values And Guiding Questions For Ai-Aware Teaching, Sarah Cummings, Lyndsay Munro

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

We will discuss how shared questions can provide coherence without requiring uniform practice across disciplines, courses, or instructors. Examples from faculty across disciplines demonstrate how educators can begin with common values while reaching different, contextually appropriate decisions. By shifting attention from finding the single “right” approach to AI toward asking shared questions about teaching and learning, the framework offers a practical way forward amid varied practices, perspectives, and policies.

An Analysis Of Professional Development Preferences, Needs, And Engagement Among Family And Consumer Sciences Teachers In Illinois, Sally E. Arnett

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The purpose of this study was to identify the professional development preferences, needs, and engagement of family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers in Illinois. Signature pedagogy and its three theoretical elements served as a foundational framework for structuring respondents' professional development considerations. Using a descriptive research design, data were collected through an online survey completed by 45 (42%) Illinois FCS teachers. Findings indicated that teachers preferred professional development that was offered in person, located within geographical proximity, and scheduled during contracted working hours. Respondents identified discipline-specific FCS content, effective lab management, and the integration of AI in an FCS classroom …

Perceptions Of Novice Career And Technical Education Teachers Regarding Teacher Evaluations, Felix Quayson, Chris Zirkle

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

As states expand funding for alternative teacher-licensure pathways, this qualitative descriptive case study examined how 38 novice Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers in a Midwestern research university’s alternative licensure program perceived teacher evaluation during their first years in the profession. Analyses yielded ten major themes with three subthemes each, which were synthesized into the DEEPS conceptual evaluation framework: Development, Evaluation, Engagement, Partnerships, and Skills. We arranged the acronym DEEPS based on data analysis for conceptual coherence rather than order of occurrence. Participants described evaluation as misaligned with the specialized demands of CTE instruction and called for tools that better …

Examining The Relationships Among Collaborative Teaching Practices, Self-Efficacy, And Teachers' Self-Regulation In Charter School Culture, Melissa J. Seltenreich

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examined the relationships among collaborative teaching practices, teacher selfefficacy, and self-regulation among 226 in-service K–12 teachers in Southern Nevada public charter schools. Teaching is a demanding profession that requires strong self-regulation (goal setting, monitoring, reflection, and adaptive strategies) and self-efficacy to sustain effective instruction, teacher well-being, and professional longevity. Collaborative teaching practices, which emphasize teamwork, shared planning, and peer support, were hypothesized to strengthen these psychological capacities within charter environments characterized by high autonomy and accountability. This research study focuses on 3 questions including demographic and situational variables that contribute to differences in teachers’ self-regulation, teachers with higher …

From Culture To Classroom: The Influence Of Professional Learning Communities On The Learning Organization And High-Cognitive Demand Instruction, Rebecca J. Tschinkel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As schools face increasing pressure to prepare students for the complexities of the 21st century, the role of job-embedded professional learning has become paramount to school improvement. This study investigated the relationships among teacher perceptions of the characteristics of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), the dimensions of the school as a Learning Organization (LO), and the frequency of high-cognitive-demand instructional practices. Grounded in Learning Organization Theory and the concept of evidence-based PLCs, this research sought to determine whether collaborative teacher structures could serve as a predictive lever for instructional rigor, regardless of school demographics, and to examine their influence on the …

Expanding Access To High-Quality Child Care For Infants And Toddlers With Disabilities And Their Families In Nevada, Turia M. Penkalski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Access to high-quality child care significantly impacts outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, yet persistent inequities remain. This dissertation employed an instrumental case study design (Stake, 1995; Stake & Visse, 2023) to investigate Nevada's state-level policies and procedures that shape the accessibility and quality of child care for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Using a triangulated approach that integrates document analysis, family interviews, and a survey with state leaders, this study explored the perspectives and experiences of diverse key players. The research illuminates how policy intentions align with or diverge from system-level perceptions and the experiences …

Making Learning Engaging With Formative Assessment, Michelle A. Arroyo

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Benefits of formative assessment: increases student engagement, provides immediate feedback for teachers and students, helps differentiate instruction, encourages self-reflection and self-regulated learning, and improves overall student achievement.

From Generation To Judgment: A Structured Approach To Teaching Responsible Ai Use, Necole Leland, Lisa Nicholas, Jennifer Vanderlaan

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

A structured approach to teaching responsible use of generative AI in nursing education is critical. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into professional practice, students must move beyond simple AI content generation to critically evaluate and refining AI outputs. Using the RISEN prompting framework to guide learners in designing effective prompts while also emphasizing analysis of accuracy, relevance, bias, and ethical considerations in the output. Through classroom modeling and applied activities, students engage actively with AI as a tool for inquiry rather than passive consumption. This approach offers a practical and adaptable model for integrating ethical and effective AI use across …

Bridging The Divide Between Theory & Practice: A Framework For Fostering Relevant Learning Environments, Elsa Lopez-Martinez

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

This poster presents a framework for bridging the gap between theory and practice in teacher education by designing relevant learning experiences that better prepare preservice teachers. Grounded in seminal teacher education literature, the approach explicitly connects coursework to professional applications while preserving the integrity of theoretical foundations. The framework emphasizes ongoing communication of purpose and alignment across courses. Additional strategies include integrating career-focused activities, facilitating reflective exercises, inviting practitioner perspectives, and providing applied assignments. Evidence from student feedback highlights increased engagement, confidence, and perceived relevance.

Transparency And Personalized Feedback Curb Ai Misuse In Asynchronous Online Biology, Elana A. Paladino

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The rapid expansion of generative AI (Gen-AI) has reshaped teaching and assessment in online, asynchronous introductory biology courses, creating new challenges for academic integrity and meaningful learning. This poster examines practical strategies to promote ethical AI use while maintaining student engagement. Transparency of instructions and timely, personalized feedback were found to curb AI misuse in online discussion posts. Structured use of AI tutors encouraged responsible engagement with Gen-AI, and surveillance methods for summative exams had mixed effects.

Culturally Responsive Tent: An Architectural Journey, Marcos Amado Petroli, Elmira Ebadi

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Culturally responsive teaching in architecture encourages students to connect design thinking with identity, culture, and lived experience. This studio assignment introduced the tent as an archetypal architectural form and weaving as a generative tectonic strategy, allowing students to explore how lightweight structures can respond to social needs, cultural narratives, and material expression.

Evaluating The Benefits Of “Science Of Learning To Learn” In Foundational Undergraduate Biology Courses, Kathryn M. Rafferty, Jenifer Utz, Christy Strong, Matthew Bernacki

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Our objective was to foster increased retention of freshman student and subsequent progression into upper division coursework by incorporating learning skill development and motivational activities into the Introductory Biology courses (BIOL190/191). Enhancement of the introductory biology courses at UNLV has the potential to improve the educational experiences of thousands of students, since about 600 to 800 students enroll in the introductory biology courses each semester. We have previously developed a multimedia learning skill intervention called "The Science of Learning to Learn" which covers the importance of self-testing, spacing out and scheduling study sessions, and managing one's goals, habits, and learning …

Using “Ticket Out” To Create A Continuous Feedback Loop For Student Learning, Jacob D. Skousen

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

This presentation highlights the use of a brief end-of-class “Ticket Out” to create a continuous feedback loop for student learning. Students reflect on learning targets and provide feedback on the class experience, which is then analyzed and used to guide instructor response, follow-up communication, and instructional adjustments. The practice supports reflective teaching, student voice, and timely, responsive instruction.

Playing To Learn: Game-Based Maternal-Newborn Review Using "Forbidden Words" (Taboo-Style), Nikki Rose Ty-Albright

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

TEACHING PRACTICE & NEED IT ADDRESSES Prelicensure nursing students often struggle to translate medical terminology into patient-friendly language (Rodrigues & Moreira, 2022) Gen Z learners frequently disengage from traditional post-conference lecture formats (Thi, 2025) "Forbidden Words" (Taboo-style) game used during post-clinical conference to bridge this gap in an engaging way Students explain maternal-newborn concepts in jargon-free language while avoiding forbidden words on a card

Sparking Engagement: Using "Lightning Debates" To Transform Dry Policy Into Dynamic Learning, Minnie Wood, Ericka Yelle, Necole Leland

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

To address a gap in health policy application among nursing undergraduates, we piloted Lightning Debates, a high-energy teaching strategy that replaces passive lecture with active learning. Students are assigned Pro or Con stances on contentious local policies, using role-play and improvisation to present evidence-based arguments in five-minute sprints. This asset-based approach leverages student creativity to deconstruct complex fiscal and clinical issues. Results demonstrate significant impact: 87.5% of students reported an improved ability to analyze policy, and the percentage of graduates feeling prepared to apply policy knowledge rose from 57% to 77%. This session provides scalable implementation tips for fostering critical …

The Importance Of Relational Teaching In Introductory Statistics, Nathan Matthew Slife

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

This poster presents relational teaching strategies for introductory statistics courses.