COLFA Faculty Champions Lead AI-Enhanced Teaching in Humanities

Of faculty who responded to the March 3 RowdyPulse survey, about 47% said they are using AI in their courses; 33% of faculty are using it to create teaching materials; and 25% are showing students how to use and evaluate AI applications.

While all faculty have not adopted AI technologies, an active group (often found at the Generative AI Peer Learning Network’s monthly meetings) discusses how to prepare students for a technology-driven future while enhancing critical thinking, creativity and subject-specific knowledge.

COLFA Faculty Champions, led by Seok Kang, Ph.D., teamed up with UTSA Academic Innovation to host Best Teaching Practices with Artificial Intelligence: Experiences and Insights. They shared strategies, lessons learned, and student feedback on innovating teaching with AI.

Here's what’s coming out of COLFA in artificial intelligence and student engagement:

Enhancing critical thinking in Philosophy and Classical Languages

Assistant Professor of Instruction Carlo Bottone uses AI to challenge students' understanding of classical languages, improve language skills, and develop critical thinking and linguistic awareness. By presenting AI-generated translations with potential errors, students are encouraged to:

• Identify and correct mistakes in AI translations
• Compare AI-generated texts with original classical works
• Analyze differences in style, rhetoric and word choice

In another course, Bottone uses AI to generate images based on classical concepts to engage students with visual texts and develop a deeper understanding of mythological concepts. Students then: 

• Compare AI-generated images with historically accurate representations
• Analyze how AI interprets mythological concepts
• Discuss the limitations of AI in understanding complex cultural ideas

Contextualizing historical events

Assistant Professor of Practice Andria Crosson uses AI to create engaging historical scenarios that students have to analyze and discuss critically. Students are tasked with:

• Generating prompts for AI to create fictional communications between historical figures
• Analyzing AI-generated content for historical accuracy and bias
• Reflecting on the strengths and limitations of AI in historical representation 

Challenging dominant narratives 

Professor Sue Hum harnesses AI to teach the concept of counter-narratives in storytelling helping students understand the potential biases in AI-generated content and encouraging them to think critically about representation in storytelling. Students:

• Use AI tools to generate stories based on primary research
• Identify how AI tends towards normative or dominant narratives
• Develop skills in crafting counter-narratives that challenge mainstream perspectives

Bringing film composers to life with AI: A creative classroom experiment

Drew Stephen, Associate Professor in the Department of Music, asked students to conduct a simulated interview with a renowned film composer using an AI assistant.

Students researched a composer, prepared five thoughtful questions, and engaged in an AI-facilitated conversation.

The AI, assuming the persona of the composer, responded in historically informed ways. Students then submitted their questions, the AI’s responses, and a reflection on the experience. A key part of the assignment was student reflection, where they shared their experiences with the AI exercise. After analyzing their responses, several themes emerged: 

• Engagement and enjoyment – Many students found the assignment more fun and interactive than expected.
• Deeper understanding – The AI simulation helped them connect with historical figures and film music practices in a meaningful way.
• AI's effectiveness and limitations – While AI responses were mostly insightful, some students noted inaccuracies and ethical concerns about AI impersonating historical figures.
   

Google Notebook LM to generate podcasts

Ryan McPherson, Professor of Practice in the Department of Communication, uses Google Notebook LM for students to actively engage with their study materials. Whether creating AI-generated study guides or using interactive quizzes, this tool has the potential to transform how students review and retain information. As he continues experimenting with Google Notebook LM, he’s eager to design assignments where students use AI to generate their own study materials.

Developing AI Literacy through structured prompting

Associate Professor of Anthropology Luca Pozzi, focuses on teaching students how to craft effective AI prompts by introducing six key elements and a hands-on learning process:

1. Task – Clearly defining what they want AI to do.
2. Context – Providing background information.
3. Exemplars – Giving AI examples to improve responses.
4. Persona – Defining the role AI should take.
5. Format – Structuring the response effectively.
6. Tone – Setting the appropriate style of communication.

Students in his Becoming Human course follow a step-by-step AI engagement process. They choose a topic from the first four weeks of class, then create three progressively refined prompts, adding new components each time. At the end, they reflect on AI’s responses, evaluating accuracy, depth, and alignment with course content. 

Many students were surprised by AI’s depth and interactivity. Some found AI responses lacked citations, making them skeptical of reliability. Others appreciated AI’s ability to reframe complex concepts for different audiences. Pozzi observed a notable improvement in how students engaged with AI in later assignments. By demystifying AI and encouraging deeper interaction, his approach empowers students to use AI as a thoughtful learning tool rather than a shortcut.

Want to see how else UTSA faculty, students and staff are leveraging AI at UTSA? Visit utsa.edu/innovateAI to activate AI in your curricula.

Claudia Arcolin, Ph.D. is the Executive Director for Teaching and Learning Experiences from the Office of Teaching, Learning & Digital Transformation at UTSA Academic Innovation.