Sessions and Workshops

Generative AI Virtual Drop In – Getting Started with Microsoft Copilot

Every second Tuesday between January 14th and May 20th, 1pm-2pm

Join us for an interactive virtual drop-in for University of Toronto instructors and staff. This is your opportunity to get hands-on experience with Microsoft Copilot, a powerful generative AI model that has been approved for use by the University.

Focus: Our primary goal is to familiarize you with the process of logging into Copilot using protected mode, which means your privacy and data will be kept secure. You’ll also learn how to craft effective prompts to get the most out of Copilot’s capabilities.

What to Expect:

  • A walkthrough of the protected mode login process.
  • Tips on creating effective prompts to communicate with Copilot.
  • A demonstration of Copilot’s features.
  • Q&A to address any questions or concerns.

Drop in anytime between 1pm and 2pm and stay for as little or as much time as you like.

Don’t miss this chance to explore how Microsoft Copilot can assist you in your daily tasks and teaching endeavours. We look forward to helping you harness the full potential of this innovative tool!

Upcoming Sessions and Workshops

Visit CTSI Events for more U of T teaching and learning events. If you have a relevant event you would like to promote on this calendar, please complete this online form. 

The GenAI Works in Progress Series

This is a CTSI/DLI programming effort designed to encourage an ongoing, open institutional-level conversation about generative AI in teaching and learning and to create a space for experimentation, sharing and problem-solving. These one-hour presentations will be targeted towards a broad teaching and learning audience where presenters can share current questions, ideas, inquiries or works in progress with a community of peers. Understanding that many of us are still in the early stages of navigating the realm of generative AI, we want to emphasize that these sessions are not intended to showcase definitive answers or practices, rather we are interested in the questions, challenges and learning currently being explored.

Redefining Engagement: GenAI-Enabled Assessments in Higher Education

March 5, 2pm-3pm (online) 

Join us for an insightful panel discussion that will delve into the innovative use of Generative AI (GenAI) tools that showcase how these technologies can enhance student engagement, foster collaboration, and redefine traditional notions of learning and critical thinking. 

Hear from instructors from Economics, Immunology and Molecular Genetics who have experimented with the integration of GenAI in the design of assignments, to support skill development and to enhance collaborative group work. Broad themes to be addressed include:  

  • Enhancing Student Engagement: Explore how GenAI tools can support active learning and collaboration among students and with the tools themselves. 
  • Redefining Engagement: Understand how integrating GenAI into assignments can transform what engagement looks like in teaching and learning, including fostering critical thinking, facilitating peer-to-peer collaboration, and acknowledging the limitations of these tools. 
  • Supporting Scholarly Journeys: Learn how GenAI assignments can help students see themselves as junior scholars, contributing to a broader body of knowledge and supporting their scholarly development.  The workshop will also emphasize the importance of developing AI literacy among students. We will discuss strategies to guide students through their apprehensions about using GenAI, and how to ethically and effectively engage with these tools in their academic and future professional work. 

GenAI Works in Progress: Generative AI in Action: Scaffolded Approaches in Health Sciences and STEM 

April 1, 1pm-2pm (online) 

Join us for an engaging panel discussion as part of our “Generative AI Works in Progress” series, showcasing innovative applications of generative AI in teaching and learning. This session will feature three U of T instructors from the Health Sciences and STEM disciplines who have successfully integrated generative AI into their curricula using scaffolded approaches.

Critically Engaging with AI Literacy in Teaching and Learning

March 26, 1pm-2:30pm

As AI tools become increasingly prevalent in teaching and learning, it is crucial for educators to understand how to guide students in critically assessing and responsibly using these technologies. Join us for an engaging and insightful webinar focusing on the importance of developing AI literacy in a learning community, for both instructors and students.  

This webinar is ideal for those in the U of T teaching and learning community across all disciplines who are interested in enhancing their own AI literacy skills and integrating AI literacy thoughtfully into their teaching practices. 

View Past CTSI Workshops

From Panic to Possibility: Rethinking and Redesigning Assignments in the Wake of Generative AI 
As an instructor, it is hard to read about the impact of generative AI on teaching and learning in higher education and not wonder how we are going to respond, especially when we are told that many of our students are already using it. This workshop will help move you from panic mode to problem-solving: in consultation with workshop leaders and faculty peers, you will get a chance to rethink and redesign one of your assignments with a focus on learning objectives, possibilities, and constraints in our new context.   

View recording (December 11,2023) 
Download Slides (December 11 2023) 

Approaching Academic Integrity in the Age of Generative AI
August 28, 1pm-3pm (recording coming soon)

In this collaborative workshop, we invite educators to reflect on their perspectives, questions, and approaches to academic integrity in the age of generative AI. First, we will discuss university guidelines on using detection tools, the procedure for addressing concerns of students’ unauthorized use of generative AI, and strategies to prohibit and prevent its use. Second, we will critically examine frameworks for incorporating generative AI into assessments, collaboratively exploring how instructors can design evaluations that foster knowledge and skill development, enhance AI literacy, and promote ethical decision-making. Third, we will discuss the disciplinary implications and challenges of integrating generative AI into assessments while promoting academic integrity.

Part of CTSI’s Tune into Teaching Series

View recording (August 28 2024) 

GenAI Works in Progress Series: Promoting Students’ GenAI Literacy through GenAI-Incorporated Assignments in Education-Related Courses
October 23, 1pm-2pm (online)  

This session aims to introduce how to design assignments that incorporate generative AI (GenAI) to promote students’ GenAI literacy—specifically, the effective, appropriate, and critical use of GenAI for teaching and learning. The session will share authentic example assignments from four courses within the education and language-teaching programs at UTM, where students critically engaged with GenAI technologies and developed and evaluated GenAI-incorporated tasks. Participants will explore best practices for integrating GenAI into their own curricula while gaining practical skills in using readily available GenAI technologies.

View recording (October 23, 2024) 

Designing for Powerful Learning in the Age of GenAI Workshop Series Part 1: Rethinking Learning Outcomes in the Age of Generative AI
November 7, 10am-12pm (online)

The rapid advancement of generative AI is poised to fundamentally transform the landscape of education and the future of work. As AI systems demonstrate increasing capabilities in knowledge synthesis, creative problem-solving, and efficient task completion, university instructors may wish to consider critically examining and adapting their course outcomes to better prepare students for a world where human-AI collaboration is becoming increasingly prevalent.

In this forward-thinking workshop, we will explore the potentially profound implications of generative AI on the evolution of human expertise, and how this may impact educational priorities. Through interactive discussions and thought-provoking exercises, instructors will be challenged to envision the future of their respective disciplines and professions in light of these technological advancements. We will collectively reimagine course-level learning outcomes, emphasizing the knowledge and skills that will empower students to thrive in an AI-connected world. By embedding AI literacy into course design, students will be encouraged to use generative AI tools responsibly, in the classroom and beyond.

View recording (November 7, 2024)   

GenAI Works in Progress: Using Generative AI for Creative and Inclusive Assessments
November 21, 2:30pm-3:30pm 

In this cross-disciplinary panel, CTSI and 3 instructors from across the U of T teaching and learning community explore the integration of a variety of generative AI tools in the design and delivery of creative assessments. Drawing on their experiences and reflections, join us in a discussion that centres equity, diversity, and inclusion, and draws insights on how these advanced technologies can enhance pedagogical practices and foster welcoming learning environments.

View recording (November 21, 2024)  
View session slides   

Designing for Powerful Learning in the Age of GenAI Part 3: Designing Meaningful Learning Activities with Generative AI
January 16, 10am-12pm

As the third and final installment of this series, this workshop will explore how generative AI tools may be leveraged to offer new avenues for fostering meaningful learning and engagement. Inspired by James Lang’s “small teaching” approach, participants will examine actionable, incremental ways to create and modify learning activities, with the goal of cultivating critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. Participants will consider how and when to incorporate generative AI into learning activities, so that AI literacy skill-building is introduced slowly and progressively, in alignment with comfort levels and learning goals. In addition, the session will explore ways to speak with students about generative AI capabilities, limitations, and risks, so that they have a clear understanding of what responsible AI use looks like in practice.

Throughout the workshop, participants will engage in hands-on exercises and explore disciplinary examples of integrating generative AI into classroom interactions. Instructors will consider the extent to which generative AI use in learning activities may support course-level learning outcomes, leading students to foster meaningful connections between the course content and their own lives.

View recording #1 (January 16, 2025)    
View recording #2 (January 16, 2025) 

Creative and Critical Thinking with Generative AI
January 30, 1pm-2:30pm 

Generative AI tools have the potential to be used as metacognitive partners, promoting deeper levels of divergent thinking, reflection, and analysis. In this online workshop, we will explore the implications of generative artificial intelligence on creative and critical thinking. The aim is to provide an overview of creative and critical thinking models that could be applied in your teaching and learning practice while exploring and critically evaluating how generative AI could enhance, extend, empower or hinder student creative and critical thinking.

View recording (January 30, 2025) 

GenAI Works in Progress: Embracing Experimentation with Generative AI in Teaching and Learning 
February 5, 2pm-3pm

Join us for an engaging and interdisciplinary panel discussion focused on the theme of experimentation and fostering supportive environments for learning. Working with new, challenging material can invoke anxiety in students, hindering their ability to engage critically with material. As educators, we often face the dual challenge of embracing innovative technologies while managing the anxiety that accompanies their adoption in the learning process. This workshop aims to shift the narrative from anxiety to curiosity, encouraging students to foster a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation. 

View recording (February 5, 2025)

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