AI-Powered Chatbot Aids HBCU Educators in Developing Lesson Plans
Revised Article:
Michael Feldstein developed an AI Learning Design Assistant (ALDA), a game-changer in education tech! This bad boy helps instructors draft courses, syllabi, and lesson plans like a boss. The project backing ALDA included a course using AI tools to revolutionize online course creation, all thanks to sponsors D2L, VitalSource, and Engageli.
Feldstein, former chief accountability officer at e-Literate, now rocks the Chief Strategy Officer role at 1EdTech, a leading edtech partnership player transforming the digital learning landscape.
So, what's this AI bot all about? It's like your very own virtual assistant, asking you the right questions to get your goals achieved. Say goodbye to the dreadful empty browser windows and hello to a chatty buddy ready to design a lesson for you!
What's Up with ALDA?
Got a single assignment or learning objective taking forever to plan? ALDA is here to save the day by slicing your faculty's planning time! This tool is a lifesaver for instructional designers working on courses and professors planning assignments.
During a course, the tool nailed down preparation, content creation, and design bottlenecks, all while achieving an estimated 20% increase in efficiency, according to UNCF's Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) findings. Jessica Bynum, adjunct faculty at Miles College and instructor at Jefferson State Community College, loved it too. She said, "It did streamline that [planning]!" Even for those experienced in AI, ALDA's got their back. Feldstein explains, "ALDA demonstrates that AI is designed to act as an interviewer and assistant, coaching educators to create engaging and creative lessons."
UNCF's Member Institutions Going ALDA
Feldstein wanted to test ALDA with educators, as both instructional designers and faculty could benefit. The ALDA Design/Build Workshop series focused on responsible AI use, workflow optimization, and prompt engineering.
Several HBCUs, like Bethune-Cookman University, Florida Memorial University, Johnson C. Smith University, Miles College, and Shaw University, hopped on the ALDA bandwagon as UNCF member institutions. Geneva Dampare, director of strategy and operations at UNCF's Teaching and Learning Center, shared, "While the Gates Foundation grant that supported this phase of the ALDA project has concluded, UNCF's Teaching and Learning Center remains committed to arming our institutions—and our faculty—with the tools and training necessary to thrive in an AI-integrated future."
Insights:- The Key Benefits of ALDA include reducing planning time significantly and boosting efficiency by around 20%.- ALDA is versatile, used by various educators, including instructional designers, faculty members, and administrators.- Integrating ALDA into educational settings has led to improvements in productivity and effectiveness.
The AI Learning Design Assistant (ALDA) is a valuable tool for educators, particularly instructional designers and faculty members, as it cuts downtime spent on course planning by a significant margin, contributing to an estimated 20% increase in efficiency. The versatile AI bot, designed to act as an interviewer and assistant, also receives praises from experienced educators who understand the benefits of artificial intelligence in education-and-self-development, helping them create engaging and innovative lessons. Furthermore, UNCF's member institutions, such as Bethune-Cookman University and Florida Memorial University, have embraced ALDA, recognizing the importance of responsible AI use, workflow optimization, and prompt engineering for their community of educators.
