AI Teaching Innovation Showcase Celebrates USD Faculty
Held in collaboration with school and college leadership, as well as the Center for Teaching and Learning, the AI Teaching Innovation Showcase highlighted creative, ethical and impactful uses of AI that enhance student learning across disciplines.
“This showcase offered an opportunity for faculty to explain how they are using AI with students in their classrooms,” said Mandie Weinandt, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. “The goal of this showcase was to spark ideas, inspiration and insight into responsible AI use in the classroom—and our faculty did an exceptional job leaning into that. It was clear that everyone in attendance left with more ideas and more awareness of the possibilities and complexities of AI.”
Faculty presenters shared brief spotlights on their innovative AI-enhanced teaching practices—demonstrating tools, describing student experiences and highlighting how AI has supported course learning objectives.
All presentations were scored using the following criteria on a scale of one to five, with all criteria being weighed equally:
- Student Engagement With AI: Demonstrates how students effectively use AI for learning.
- Innovation and Creativity: Originality and creativity in integrating AI into teaching and learning.
- Impact on Learning: Evidence or potential for improving student learning outcomes or engagement.
- Ethical and Responsible Use: Promotes appropriate, transparent and ethical AI practices for students.
Faculty presentations spanned a number of disciplines, including political science, public health, physician assistant studies, media and journalism, economics, physical therapy, anthropology and sociology, health sciences and decision sciences.
The following faculty members were recognized as the top three presenters:
- 1st Place: Jed Droge, DPT, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy
- 2nd Place: Agnes Bao, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Media & Journalism
- 3rd Plate: Anu Gupta, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Political Science
"Our workforce needs leaders who have both AI literacy and human skills, and at USD, we are proud to be preparing our graduates with the communication skills, critical thinking and ethical foundation to fill that need,” said Weinandt.
You May Also Like
South Dakota Students Compete at Science Olympiad at the University of South Dakota
On Saturday, March 28, 111 middle and high school students showed off their science smarts at the South Dakota Science Olympiad competition on the University of South Dakota’s Vermillion campus. Yankton Middle School and Yankton High School won top honors in their divisions and have earned a place at the national Science Olympiad competition in Los Angeles in May.
Dr. Tim Ridgway Named to AAMC Council of Deans Administrative Board
The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine has announced that Dr. Tim Ridgway, ’84, dean of the Sanford School of Medicine and vice president for the Division of Health Affairs, has been elected to serve on the Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Deans Administrative Board.
USD Opera to Present ‘The Light in the Piazza’
The University of South Dakota Opera presents "The Light in the Piazza," with orchestra, on May 2 at 7:30 p.m. and May 3 at 3 p.m. in Aalfs Auditorium inside Slagle Hall on the Vermillion campus.
