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Faculty Showcase Explores the Transformative Potential of Generative AI in Teaching

On February 21, educators from across USC gathered at the Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library for the Generative AI Showcase highlighting innovative ways faculty are incorporating artificial intelligence into their courses. Hosted by the CTE, the half-day event featured 10 Provost’s AI Teaching Fellows who shared practical applications of GenAI across a wide range of disciplines, from finance and philosophy to music education and social work.

The showcase began with opening remarks from CTE Director Matt Thatcher and Lara Lomicka Anderson, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and Dean of Undergraduate Studies. Faculty presentations followed in two sessions, with each fellow offering insight into how GenAI tools like ChatGPT, Google NotebookLM, Udio, and Copilot AI are being used to enhance learning outcomes, streamline grading, and promote ethical reflection in academic contexts.

The 2024–25 AI Teaching Fellows and their projects included:

Allison Byxbe
Allison Byxbe
Lecturer
Darla Moore School of Business 
Introduced ChatGPT as a writing consultant to support student confidence in professional communication and iterative revision.
Michael Stoeltzner
Michael Stoeltzner
Professor
College of Arts and Sciences 
Explored the epistemological limits of AI-generated reasoning through case studies in engineering ethics.
Oz Ince
Oz Ince
Clinical Associate Professor
Darla Moore School of Business
Implemented multiple AI tools, including a custom-built Personal Finance Coach, to enrich instruction in a large finance course.
Hengtao Tang
Hengtao Tang
Associate Professor
College of Education 
Used ChatGPT to simulate instructional design challenges and provide students with real-time personalized feedback on complex projects.
Shan Qiao
Shan Qiao
Associate Professor
Arnold School of Public Health 
Supported role-play activities with AI-generated script drafts to explore stigma in health communication settings.
Sicheng Wang
Sicheng Wang
Assistant Professor
College of Arts and Sciences 
Used GenAI to assist with map critiques and data analysis and prompted discussions on responsible use in geospatial work.
Gareth Rees-White
Gareth Rees-White
Instructor
College of Arts and Sciences 
Asked students to critically reflect on their use of GenAI in writing assignments by connecting practical exploration to ethical analysis.
Yanfeng Xu
Yanfeng Xu
Assistant Professor
College of Social Work 
Encouraged graduate students to use AI for summarizing texts, organizing research papers, and reflecting on ethical considerations.
Omar Roy
Omar Roy
Assistant Professor
School of Music 
Combined ChatGPT and Udio to foster creativity and efficiency in group piano instruction and music composition.
Yanan Zhang
Yanan Zhang
Clinical Assistant Professor
Arnold School of Public Health 
Helped students use AI to troubleshoot and improve their R programming skills through independent and critical engagement with code.

The event also featured an interactive session with GenAI tools led by instructional designer Gloria Washington, a facilitated discussion on GenAI’s cross-disciplinary potential with instructional designer Casey Carroll, and closing remarks by Aisha Haynes, Associate Director of CTE and Director of Distributed Learning and Innovation.

Faculty attendees shared a range of reflections that highlighted the showcase’s impact. One noted, “I learned both about the ethics of AI and the less well-known AI generators,” while another said, “Some faculty offered extra credit for using AI, while others made it optional. Hearing those variations was eye-opening.” The opportunity to discuss student perspectives also resonated. “I appreciated learning how instructors are helping students think critically about whether and how to use AI, not just teaching the tools but guiding decision-making,” said one attendee. Another added, “I’ve already shown my students how to use AI to summarize information about voting records for a research project.”

The showcase is one part of CTE’s broader GenAI initiative, which includes workshops, webinars, and a Community of Practice (CoP) dedicated to helping faculty explore AI’s evolving role in higher education.

To learn more about the AI Teaching Fellows presentations, visit Generative Artificial Intelligence Showcase: Practical Applications Across Disciplines.


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