Office of the Provost–Division of Faculty Success
Trinity Hall 106, 800 Greek Row Dr., Box 19128
The University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX 76019
Phone: 817-272-7464 | Email: CRTLE@uta.edu
Getting Started with AI and Teaching
Getting Started with AI and Teaching
This page supports University of Texas at Arlington faculty who are beginning to explore artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching and learning. It is intentionally designed to be beginner‑friendly and low‑pressure, drawing on resources from the AI Course Redesign Institute, CRTLE‑curated materials, and campus‑wide AI guidance.
This Guide Will Help You
- Build foundational (declarative) knowledge about AI in higher education
- Understand UTA’s expectations, values, and guidelines for AI use
- Experiment with small, low‑risk instructional practices
- Connect with faculty‑centered AI resources and communities
Step 1: Build Your Foundations (What AI Is—and isn’t)
Before using AI tools, it is important to understand what generative AI can and cannot do. These resources emphasize conceptual understanding rather than technical mastery.
Core ideas:
- Generative AI systems generate text, images, or other outputs by identifying statistical patterns in large datasets; they do not think, reason, or understand in human ways.
- Effective teaching with AI begins with pedagogy and learning goals, not with tools.
- UTA supports faculty choice: AI use may be restricted, guided, or integrated depending on disciplinary context and course goals.
Key foundational resources
UTA Generative AI Guidelines for Instruction (https://ai.uta.edu/generative-ai-guidelines-for-instruction/) — This campus‑approved guidance outlines how faculty can make transparent, ethical decisions about AI use. It addresses academic integrity, accessibility, data privacy, and communication with students, and is an essential starting point for aligning AI use with UTA expectations.
UTA Open Educational Resource (OER): AI‑Powered Education
UTA faculty have authored an open educational resource, AI‑Powered Education: Innovative Teaching Strategies to Elevate Student Learning, published through Mavs Open Press on the Pressbooks platform. This freely available book offers practical, classroom‑ready activities and examples for integrating AI into teaching across disciplines. Designed for instructors at any stage of AI adoption, it emphasizes adaptable strategies rather than technical expertise and can be reused or customized to fit specific course goals. The web‑based, accessible version of the book is available here: https://uta.pressbooks.pub/aipowerededucation/
AI Course Redesign Institute Slides and Recordings (August 7 and October 31, 2025) — These Institute materials introduce faculty‑relevant AI concepts such as prompt design, authenticity, workforce relevance, and ethical boundaries. They model a ‘start small’ approach and emphasize experimentation over surveillance. (Available in the AI Course Redesign Institute Teams folder.).
AI Essentials Modules (CRTLE) — These short, faculty‑focused modules build declarative knowledge about AI capabilities, limitations, and pedagogical implications. They are designed for busy instructors who want a clear, structured introduction without technical overload. To access this, click here to self-enroll: Self-enroll in the course now! For more about AI Essentials for Instructors, see: Introducing: AI Essentials for Instructors – Pedagogy NEXT: Faculty Voices about Teaching and Learning
Step 2: Learn from UTA Faculty Contexts
Seeing how colleagues are thinking about AI can reduce uncertainty and provide practical framing from the CRTLE Webpage.
The August 7 and October 31 (2025) AI Course Redesign Institute discussions and Shared Files capture faculty conversations about student use of AI, authenticity, and preparation for the workplace. These materials highlight how instructors are reframing assignments and learning outcomes rather than focusing solely on detection or restriction.
Accessing AI Course Redesign Institute Materials
- Locate the AI Course Redesign Institute Team
Look for a Team titled AI Course Redesign Institute (or a similarly named CRTLE Institute Team for the specific date or cohort). If you attended or registered for the Institute, you should already be a member of this Team.
- August 7, 2025, Teams folder: General | AI Course Redesign Institute (CRTLE) | Microsoft Teams
- October 31, 2025, Teams Folder: General | AI Course ReDesign Institute - October 2025 | Microsoft Teams
- Click on the Team to open its channels
Inside the Team, you will see one or more channels (for example, General or date‑specific channels). Institute‑wide announcements and links are typically posted in the General channel. - Open the “Shared” tab within the channel
At the top of the channel, click the Shared (or Files) tab. This is where CRTLE stores shared Institute materials such as agendas, slides, example syllabus language, readings, and transcripts. - Browse or open folders for specific resources
Within the Shared Files area, you may see folders labeled by topic or date (e.g., agendas, presentation slides, readings, or example resources). Click a folder to view or download individual files, such as agendas, presentation slides, or transcripts from the Institute sessions. - Return to the Team later as needed
All materials remain available after the Institute. You can revisit the Team at any time to review resources as you redesign assignments or update your syllabus.
Tip: If you do not see the AI Course Redesign Institute Team in your Teams list, check the “Hidden Teams” section or contact CRTLE (crtle@uta.edu) to request access.
CRTLE workshop materials such as *Pondering AI: Ethical Use of AI* provide examples of syllabus language, discussion prompts, and instructional framing that help faculty articulate expectations clearly and consistently.
Step 3: Try One Small Thing
Once you have foundational understanding, try a small, contained teaching practice. These ideas minimize risk while supporting learning.
Examples:
- Have students critique an AI‑generated response to identify strengths, errors, or missing perspectives.
- Use AI role‑play or simulation tools to support practice‑based learning such as interviews or client conversations.
- Use AI privately to draft rubrics, discussion prompts, or feedback language, then revise to reflect your expertise.
Step 4: Make Expectations Clear for Students (Checklist)
- Clearly state whether AI use is allowed, restricted, or guided
- Specify what types of AI use are acceptable (e.g., brainstorming, revision, coding support)
- Explain what is not permitted (e.g., submitting AI‑generated work as original without acknowledgment)
- Tell students how to acknowledge or cite AI assistance
- Use UTA‑provided resources to align with institutional guidance:
- UTA Statements to Use in your Syllabus (with AI policy options on pages 12-13) Statements to Use in Your Syllabus.docx
- UTA Syllabus Resources (policies & requirements) Syllabus Resources - Office of the Provost - The University of Texas at Arlington
- Crowd‑sourced AI syllabus language & examples (ai.uta.edu Quick Start) https://ai.uta.edu/quick-start/. This does not replace the required AI policy statement per the syllabus statement above; however, it provides additional language should it be needed beyond the above required AI policy statement.
Pedagogy NEXT: Curated Blog Posts on AI
Pedagogy NEXT is UTA’s faculty‑focused teaching blog. The posts below provide reflective, practice‑oriented perspectives on AI that complement policy and training resources.
How to Use This List
- New to AI? Start with AI Essentials for Instructors and Pondering AI.
- Redesigning a course? Read the AI Course Redesign Institute recaps.
- Looking for low‑lift tools? Explore IgniteAI in Canvas and AI Role Play.
- Thinking long‑term? Review the thought‑leadership posts on the future of AI.
Foundational & Getting Started
Faculty Practice & Course Design
Teaching With AI:
From Policing Use to Preparing Professionals
January 20, 2026 – Karen Magruder
This reflective, practice‑oriented post shifts the conversation from detecting misuse to preparing students for AI‑mediated workplaces. Drawing on CRTLE’s Professional Learning Community, it emphasizes AI literacy as a learning outcome and reinforces faculty agency in shaping ethical AI use.
IgniteAI in Canvas:
Small Tools Inside Canvas That Can Save Time and Scale Teaching Work
February 1, 2026
This post explains AI features embedded directly in Canvas (such as rubric generators and discussion insights), highlighting transparency and instructor control. It’s especially helpful for faculty who want to experiment with AI without adding new tools or changing courses mid‑semester.Ethical Use, Academic Integrity & Policy
Pondering AI:
Ethical Use of AI in Teaching—Safeguarding Academic Integrity While Empowering Learning
February 13, 2026
A recap of the CRTLE Pondering AI session, this post focuses on clarity, transparency, and assignment‑specific AI policies. It offers practical strategies for aligning AI use with learning goals while grounding decisions in UTA’s Generative AI Guidelines.
AI Course Redesign Institutes & CRTLE Programming
UTA AI Course Redesign Institute
July 7, 2025
An overview of the AI Course Redesign Institute, describing its goals, structure, and expectations. This post is useful for understanding the hands‑on, faculty‑driven approach CRTLE takes to AI integration.
ICYMI:
Recap of the AI Course Redesign Institute
August 24, 2025
A detailed recap emphasizing key themes such as policy as a foundation, authentic assessment, and faculty work time for redesign. It provides a snapshot of how faculty are responding to AI in real course contexts.
ICYMI:
AI Course Redesign Institute – From Policy to Practice
November 10, 2025
This follow‑up recap highlights how faculty moved from policy discussions to concrete instructional changes, with examples tied to career readiness, ethical reasoning, and small‑scale experimentation.
Tools, Reading, and Learning in an AI Context
Using LinkedIn Learning’s AI Role Play Tool to Enhance Teaching and Student Learning
January 13, 2026
This post introduces AI Role Play in LinkedIn Learning as a low‑barrier way for faculty and students to practice professional communication in a safe, feedback‑rich environment.
ICYMI!
Recap of July 23 Session: Reading in the Age of AI—Introduction to Perusall
July 25, 2025
This recap explores how reading and annotation practices can be redesigned in response to AI‑driven summarization tools, emphasizing active reading, social annotation, and transparency.
In Case You Missed It: AI—Creating Your Own DIY Pathway for Teaching and Learning
July 1, 2025
A recap of a CRTLE webinar focused on building personalized AI learning pathways for faculty using UTA‑supported tools such as LinkedIn Learning, AI Essentials, and the UTA AI website.
Thought Leadership & Future Focused Conversations
#ICYMI
AI Sessions (April 29–30, 2025): The Future of AI
April 28, 2025
This post summarizes sessions featuring George Veletsianos and Henrik Skaug Sætra, focusing on critical perspectives, future scenarios, and tensions in AI adoption rather than hype or fear.
Step 5: Continue Learning and Stay Connected
AI tools and policies will continue to evolve. CRTLE encourages faculty to view AI learning as ongoing, collaborative, and grounded in teaching values.
Visit https://ai.uta.edu for campus‑wide AI initiatives, updates, and guidelines, and participate in future AI Course Redesign Institutes, CRTLE workshops, and Faculty Voices sessions.
Recommended Book: Teaching with AI (Second Edition)
The second edition of Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning by José Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson expands on the original with updated guidance on assignments, simulations, role‑playing, customized bots, ethics, and academic integrity, all grounded in real classroom practice. Faculty can purchase the book directly from Johns Hopkins University Press and receive 30% off using the discount code HTAI25 via the publisher’s website.
Author visit (Teaching with AI) recordings:
UTA faculty can also view recordings from the Teaching with AI author visit hosted by CRTLE, including sessions on AI as essential learning and new assignment designs, available through the CRTLE Author Event page (UTA Login Credentials required).
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
UTA’s approach to AI in teaching emphasizes faculty agency, ethical practice, and community learning. If you are unsure where to start, begin with one resource, try one small change, and build from there.
Faculty who would like help refining AI syllabus language, aligning expectations with learning goals, or exploring assignment‑specific approaches to AI use are encouraged to contact the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence (CRTLE). CRTLE offers one‑on‑one teaching consultations, workshops, and AI‑focused resources to support faculty across disciplines. Learn more about available support or request a consultation through the CRTLE website: Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence.