AI Carnival at ASU: Practical AI for Teaching, Learning, and Operations
Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation brought educators together to put AI tools to the test - not in theory, but in practice. The AI in Education Learning Futures Collaborative, the Learning Engineering Institute and the Learning Experience Design Team hosted a campus event featuring more than 25 projects built to strengthen instruction, improve student support and streamline work behind the scenes.
"These projects demonstrate that artificial intelligence has the capacity to transform learning and sharing of knowledge in powerful and deeply relevant ways," said Janel White-Taylor, the college's associate director of intelligent learning systems. "The more that we can understand how to use these approaches, both effectively and ethically, the better prepared students can be to navigate their own futures."
ASU has integrated AI across academic and operational environments, including no-cost access to ChatGPT Edu. What follows are projects with real classroom and campus impact - and ideas you can adapt.
An AI-powered ICAP tutor
Building on Michelene "Micki" Chi's ICAP framework, the Adaptive ICAP Tutor helps instructors turn passive tasks into interactive learning. It uses open-ended, contextual prompts to push lesson plans up the ICAP ladder - from passive to active, constructive and interactive.
Conceptualized by Kurt VanLehn with contributions from postdoctoral researcher Sameena Hossain, this tool gives faculty a fast way to redesign activities for deeper engagement. If ICAP is new to you, start here: ICAP Framework.
AI that supports reflective decision-making
Using the Principled Innovation framework, program manager Enrique Borges and PhD student Farnaz Avarzamani built a bot that asks better questions instead of giving quick answers. It guides users through ethical tensions and creative options - helpful for course design, student support and team decisions.
Faculty members Jim Dunnigan and Catheryn Reardon created a companion bot, Difficult Conversations, to model thoughtful dialogue with students, K-12 parents and colleagues on tough topics such as performance and behavior. Both tools are trained on Principled Innovation to keep process and values front and center.
AI mentors and instructional personas
Faculty member Steve Salik developed AI mentors that mirror the voice and expertise of instructional designers. They challenge students in the Learning Design and Technologies, MEd program, while supporting instructors without replacing them.
Faculty member Heather Lange-Bush built instructional personas that guide learners through lessons and assignments. Students also create AI interview personas for coursework on educational partnerships - reducing the need for live interviews and keeping the focus on analysis.
Operational efficiency, reclaimed time
Accounting specialist and graduate student Dan Arellano is using AI to speed up procurement and grant management. A workflow bot clears routine tasks so staff and faculty can spend more time on teaching and research.
The takeaway: smarter systems make work more human by removing friction and freeing attention.
AI observation coding for early learning
Researcher Lauren van Huisstede is developing an AI agent to code preschool story time observations, focusing on engagement and participation. The result: faster data collection, less bias and consistent feedback for teachers and evaluators.
This makes early learning research and program improvement more feasible for teams with limited time and budget.
AI and the future of scholarly publishing
Research led by faculty member Audrey Beardsley looks at how AI is influencing peer review, editorial decisions, board development and journal policy. The goal is practical guidance for ethical, inclusive and forward-looking editorial ecosystems.
Student projects: learning by building
In Professor Punya Mishra's Education by Design course, high school through doctoral students built AI-driven projects: short films and ads that bring past thought leaders to life, plus no-code educational tools created through "vibe-coding." Multilevel teams explored creative and responsible uses of AI.
"Our students are heading into a world where artificial intelligence is integrated into every field," Mishra said. "Preparing them means giving them access to these tools, and helping them learn how to question, adapt and create with these tools responsibly as they co-design a human-centered future."
How to apply this in the next 30 days
- Pick one lesson and push it up the ICAP ladder. Add a think-pair-share, a student-generated example or a short peer critique to move from passive to interactive.
- Pilot a reflective bot for office hours. Use it to surface student questions, ethical trade-offs and options before live conversations.
- Create a lightweight AI mentor persona for your course. Give it a clear role, scope and boundaries so it supplements your teaching (not replaces it).
- Automate one routine workflow. Start with procurement templates, feedback summaries or meeting notes.
- Try structured AI-assisted observation in early learning. Define a small rubric (engagement markers) and compare human vs. AI coding for consistency.
- If you edit or review for journals, draft a simple policy on responsible AI use in submissions, reviews and decisions.
Resources
- ICAP explained: icapframework.com
- Skill up with AI for education roles: Complete AI Training - Courses by Job
Start small, measure honestly, and keep your values in the loop. That's how AI becomes a practical ally for educators.
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