My Experience at the AIDN Unconference: Exploring the Reality of AI in Instructional Design

Registration and Welcome

On Friday, May 3, 2024, I attended the Alabama Instructional Design Network (or AIDN which is affectionately pronounced “Aiden”).? This event brought professionals from all around Alabama with a common passion for enhancing instructional design for eager learners.? This was my first time attending an AIDN event and it was well planned and executed.? In this article, I will recount my experience as I moved through the day with this exceptional collection of leaders.? The topic of the 2024 AIDN Unconference was “AI:? The Dream vs Reality”.? The promised a day full of informative sessions on the hot topic of artificial intelligence and they certainly delivered!

I arrived at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Health Professions Learning Resource Center (LRC).? As I left the parking garage, I was met by a smiling volunteer with a sign pointing the way to the event.? As I moved towards the LRC building, another welcoming volunteer was there to point me into the building and the registration table.? I was met by none other than Katherine Jarnigan, Vice President of the AIDN.? Katherine walked me through the registration process and pointed me to the conference space.

Once in the conference space, breakfast and the very necessary coffee was waiting for me.? I helped myself to the offerings and took my seat in the main conference room.? As I was a few minutes early, the team was still setting up and the other attendees were filling the room.? All told, there were approximately 55 attendees at this meeting, all bringing with them their own knowledge and experience to make this a well-rounded event. ?At the start of the 9am hour, the AIDN team ran through a warm welcome, an informative introduction to each of the team members and information on how to join and make the most of a membership to the AIDN.? With that, they introduced the keynote speaker, Dr Jewoong (Jacob) Moon from the University of Alabama.

The Keynote from Dr. Jewoong Moon

Dr. Moon was cordial, informative and entertaining in his approach to the topic of integrating artificial intelligence, gamification, and analytics into instructional design.? These topics introduce the idea that we must meet learners where they are in adapting the curriculum to their preferred style of learning.? In addition, Dr. Moon took us through various scenarios where artificial intelligence is being used in the development of student curriculum.? As he progressed through the presentation, Dr. Moon touched on topics such as the innovative use of AI tools like Kahnmigo, which demonstrates the shifting landscape in educational methodologies. Developed by Khan Academy, Kahnmigo utilizes the Socratic method to guide students towards understanding rather than simply providing answers. This approach not only enhances critical thinking but also aligns with the philosophy of meeting learners where they are, by facilitating a more engaged and reflective learning process. Dr. Moon highlighted how such AI applications assist teachers by identifying student misconceptions in real-time, allowing for immediate and personalized intervention. These insights into AI's role in education illustrated a future where technology enhances the adaptability and effectiveness of instructional design.

However, Dr. Moon did not shy away from addressing the challenges that accompany the integration of AI in educational settings. He emphasized the importance of ensuring AI-generated content is accurate and unbiased, underscoring the need for rigorous training and fine-tuning of AI systems. The discussion also turned towards the issue of accessibility, particularly the digital divide that could limit the reach of such advanced technologies in underserved and rural areas. Dr. Moon stressed the need of using artificial intelligence as an assistant rather than completely replacing the role of a human instructional designer:? "We are going to consider human as an instructional designer, right? Interactions and curations. You are going to be the final decision maker. AI can only generate data, which will be informative. But still, the final stage, we must decide. We should not be overwhelmed by AI. Technologists cannot replace us."

Dr. Moon proposed innovative solutions like the use of local, offline-capable large language models to overcome such barriers. Ethical considerations were also a focal point, with Dr. Moon advocating for AI to complement rather than replace the human element in education, ensuring that technology serves as a tool for enhancement rather than a replacement for traditional teaching methods. Through these discussions, Dr. Moon painted a comprehensive picture of the potential and pitfalls of using AI in instructional design, sparking a thoughtful dialogue among the attendees about the future of education in an AI-augmented world.

Break and Networking

Once the keynote concluded and we rewarded Dr. Moon with a well-deserved round of applause, we took a break to gather our thoughts and prepare for a networking session.? In the networking session, we played a game of Bingo, using skills in the squares.? The objective of the game is to meet others in the room who have the skills.? One example is “Worked as a project manager”.? I filled this square on many Bingo sheets, hopefully helping my fellow attendees in winning the game.? There were many winners!? The prize was the privilege of making new contacts and, of course, bragging rights!? Many of the attendees had their entire sheet filled with unique names of skilled individuals.? What a fun activity!

Poster Presentations

Once the networking activities were over, we moved into the breakout rooms where seven different groups presented a multitude of topics.? Each presentation touched on a topic of AI.? While I couldn’t attend each of the sessions, here is a quick listing of all the presentations:?

1. Open Discussion on Artificial Intelligence - Presented by Dr. Jewoong Moon, this session offered an open forum for discussing AI's implications in learning and development, building on ideas from his keynote address.
2. AI in Accessibility: The Use of ChatGPT for Alt Text Generation - Emily Mealer demonstrated how ChatGPT can be employed to create alt-text for images, aiding accessibility in online courses.
3. Navigating the Future of Learning: Bridging the Gap Between Technology and Pedagogy - Allie Brandriet and Nikkiye Dzambazi explored Auburn University’s initiatives to enhance faculty engagement with AI and promote interdisciplinary collaboration.
4. AI Gone Wrong - Raeann Bailey shared stories of AI failures, highlighting the challenges and limitations of AI in educational technology.
5. Adapting to Change: The Evolution of Instructional Design with AI - Harriet Smith discussed the transformation of instructional design through AI, emphasizing collaboration between educators and AI tools.
6. AI Chat Agents: Transforming Corporate Learning Environments - Dr. Stacy Jett Jess introduced the concept of AI chat agents in corporate training, discussing their impact on personalized learning and the ethical considerations involved.
7. UAB School of Nursing AI Taskforce: Transforming Nursing Education at UAB - Matthew Jennings and Chris Hickman presented their work with the AI Taskforce, focusing on integrating AI into nursing education to improve outcomes.

It was an honor to be asked to present to this audience.? We selected the topic of the UAB School of Nursing’s AI Taskforce to discuss the founding of the group, how our tasks are established and what we have accomplished so far.? As my co-presenter, Matthew, and I walked into the room, we were very quickly able to set up with the laptop in the room.? This is an e-Poster presentation so none of the analog processes of printing and transporting the poster was necessary!? This was supposed to be a two-hour presentation with attendees floating in and out of the room.? What we found out was that it was a very active two-hour timeslot with nearly every attendee dropping by to hear about our AI Taskforce.

Our AI Taskforce was established through the work of Dr. Linda Moneyham, Senior Associate Dean at the UAB School of Nursing.? Dr. Moneyham hand selected the members of the AI Taskforce with an eye for a diverse range of knowledge and capabilities.? As the presenters, Matthew and I are Master’s prepared members who are not specifically healthcare professionals.? Matthew’s background is more in line with the instructional design nature of the conference we are attending.? My background is deeply technical in data and analytics with a more extensive background in software development.? This brought interesting and quizzical looks from our audience.? However, this type of foresight from Dr. Moneyham and the leadership at UAB helps build diverse teams to bring the best products to the faculty and staff at the University.

Matthew and I tag teamed the presentation.? As Matthew started with the introductions and led into the focus of the AI Taskforce, I would fill in the details around what we have already accomplished and how we iterate through various phases to develop new outcomes.? Our main areas of focus are currently on the guideline development for the school of nursing, faculty training and certificate program exploration.? As the University develops and releases their policies regarding the usage of AI, it is up to the AI Taskforce to interpret these policies and determine how they would best apply to the School of Nursing.? The AI Taskforce generates guidelines that we can use to inform faculty on appropriate uses of AI within their own courses and work in general.?

We have also developed and delivered a survey to faculty to get an understanding of their current level of knowledge of AI.? It is the analysis of the results of this survey that led us to create the Introduction to Artificial Intelligence session that was delivered on April 22 in a “Coffee in the Collaboratory” session through the School of Nursing [1].? After the “Coffee in the Collaboratory” session was presented, the line was opened for questions and answers.? We had a question that simply stated, “How do I use it?”.? After some clarification, the interested person simply wanted to know how to use large language models (i.e. Microsoft Copilot).? That led to another idea of developing an article called “Prompt Engineering for Nursing Faculty and Staff”.? This is an article that is forthcoming and will provide valuable information on developing case studies and simulated interactions with patients.

The AI Taskforce is also investigating the creation of an Artificial Intelligence Certificate program for the School of Nursing.? This will be a multiple course track that interested students can take that will provide a comprehensive education on the definition, usage, ethics, and future of artificial intelligence in the field of nursing.? Once completed, students in the AI certificate track will have the knowledge to apply the concepts of artificial intelligence within the scope of their work in their various fields.? The poster that we presented can be viewed online [2].?

Conclusion

Overall, it was a day well spent.? Given that I have limited experience in professional instructional design, the sessions presented in this “Unconference” were informative and useful.? The connections that I made at the event are valuable and inspiring.? As I continue my work as an adjunct instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, I will remember what I’ve learned on this day.? Artificial Intelligence is an area that ignites my interest and generates a sense of capability in offering the best educational experience possible.? I look forward to the opportunity to attend more events like this in the future!

[1] Introduction to AI - Coffee in the Virtual Collaboratory: SON Faculty Resources (instructure.com)

[2] https://uabnursing.link/AIDN24-ePoster