The topic of artificial intelligence has become widely discussed over the past few years, drawing condemnation and worry from some, and praise and excitement from others.

Now, Auburn University has created a course that will give direction to other Southeastern Conference schools’ faculties on implementing AI effectively in the classroom.

As a member of the SEC Artificial Intelligence Consortium, Auburn made “Teaching with AI@Auburn”  available for the faculties of all 14 of the conference’s universities. The program is an eight-part module dealing with pedagogical practices and the creation of hands on assignments.

Auburn also has joined the SEC’s efforts to answer questions regarding how faculty can go about effectively using AI in instruction and scholarship. “Teaching with AI@Auburn” combines research advancements with feedback from students and instructors focusing on everything from AI basics to complex constructs and tools.

“Auburn’s use of and experimentation with AI through normative and novel pedagogical approaches add to the wealth of knowledge that the SEC academic consortium continues to generate,” said Vini Nathan, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “While each institution plays a crucial role in developing and using such technologies, I am proud that Auburn is able to strategically lead this effort through our faculty’s expertise, curiosity and institutional infrastructure.”

Executive Director of the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, Asim Ali, helped lead the creation of “Teaching with AI@Auburn.”

“Through our conversations with faculty and students, we learned how important it is to take an inquiry-based approach to developing this content,” said Ali. “From the course, participants will expand their understanding of teaching with AI and experience high-quality course design that is the direct result of collaborations across Auburn’s instruction design and faculty development teams.”

Since its launch this spring, nearly 500 Auburn faculty have enrolled in the course.

Last year, the Provost’s Office and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn pledged a $2 million investment in AI@AU to create a university-wide, multidisciplinary team focused on AI research and education.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.