Purdue’s AI Bytes virtual workshops offer hands-on learning in utilizing AI for curriculum
Through Purdue University’s AI Bytes workshop sessions, faculty and staff from around campus can come together and learn more about artificial intelligence. These virtual sessions, which are hosted every month through November, are specifically geared toward helping instructors understand AI and get hands-on experience using it for course optimization.
For John Race, Purdue winter session instructor, the AI Bytes workshops are an opportunity for instructors to familiarize themselves with an influential tool and get direct experience using it. He attended the workshop sessions so he could learn more about incorporating AI into his classes, and he left the workshops feeling more confident in his ability to use AI successfully.
“The team that facilitates the workshops is really good at introducing new AI updates and models,” said Race. “They also demonstrate how to implement the technology.”
According to Race, the workshops are particularly impactful because they give attendees the opportunity to practice using AI with knowledgeable workshop facilitators. Attendees also get to work together in breakout sessions, giving them the opportunity to share insights and ideas about AI applications.
“The hands-on learning makes these workshops very relevant to instructors who are interested in using AI,” Race said.
In addition to giving attendees hands-on experience, the workshops also help instructors stay on top of where AI is right now and anticipate what’s to come. In a technology landscape that’s constantly changing, the workshops meet faculty where they are and help them confidently explore and apply AI to best fit their needs.
“There’s so much information out there right now,” Race said. “These workshops do a great job of synthesizing it and making it understandable.”
In addition to helping instructors utilize AI, the AI Bytes workshops also offer a window into how students use AI. That’s why Alison Roth, clinical assistant professor in Purdue’s School of Health Sciences, decided to attend an AI Bytes workshop — she wanted to know more about what her students were doing with the technology.
“I was concerned about students using AI to proof assignments and their general AI literacy,” said Roth. “I wanted to know more about how students could and should be using AI.”
One of the sessions Roth attended discussed how students use AI as a study resource. What Roth learned in that session was memorable and encouraging — a reminder that AI can be a powerful tool when it comes to making studying easier and more accessible.
“I like how the sessions focus on positive uses of AI, rather than policing AI usage,” said Roth. “Those [positive uses] are something I can bring into the classroom.”
Roth also appreciated how the sessions gave concrete examples of AI usage that were directly applicable to faculty and staff. Session presenters took time to explain Purdue’s myriad AI resources and made navigating them easier. By the time Roth had attended a couple sessions, she felt considerably more confident in her AI literacy.
“I use a bigger variety of AI tools now, and I have the vocabulary to explain them,” Roth said. “My comfort has increased a lot.”
Purdue is hosting AI Bytes workshops live on September 29, September 30, October 20, October 22, November 13 and November 14. Past sessions are recorded and available on the AI Bytes webpage, where faculty and staff can also register for upcoming sessions. Visit the webpage to learn more.