{"id":217541,"date":"2025-06-17T12:25:43","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T22:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=217541"},"modified":"2025-06-17T17:00:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T03:00:01","slug":"integrating-ai-modernize-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/17\/integrating-ai-modernize-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Integrating AI<\/abbr>: UH<\/abbr> faculty receive financial support to modernize courses"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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A demonstration of SAGE3, UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s AI<\/abbr>-powered tool enabling real-time collaboration across devices.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fifty University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> faculty members across eight campuses have each been awarded a $1,000 incentive to develop or revise course assignments that incorporate generative artificial intelligence (AI<\/abbr>) concepts into their teaching. The funding was part of UH<\/abbr> President Wendy Hensel\u2019s initiative to raise the profile of AI<\/abbr> to broaden student access to AI<\/abbr>-related learning opportunities across all disciplines.<\/p>\n

“As generative AI<\/abbr> continues to transform every industry, it\u2019s critical that we equip our students with the knowledge and skills to engage with these technologies thoughtfully and ethically,” said UH<\/abbr> Senior Advisor to the President Kim Siegenthaler. “This initiative empowers our faculty to lead the way in preparing students—not just to use AI<\/abbr>, but to understand its implications and shape its future.”<\/p>\n

Critical thinking in healthcare<\/h2>\n

“I want students to walk away with a sense of responsibility—not only for the information they consume, but for the kind of professionals they are becoming.” — Michelle Page<\/span><\/p>\n

Michelle Page is a nursing instructor at Kapiʻolani<\/span> Community College<\/a>. Students in Page\u2019s Nursing 101 course will work on an assignment called “AI<\/abbr>: Integrity and Reflection,” which will challenge students to use generative AI<\/abbr> tools as a means to strengthen ethical reasoning, critical thinking and evidence-based practice. Rather than relying on AI<\/abbr> for answers, students will guide tools such as ChatGPT through clinical problem-solving, then independently verify or challenge the AI<\/abbr>\u2019s responses using peer-reviewed research. The assignment encourages students to reflect on the ethical, cultural and professional implications of AI<\/abbr> in healthcare, while reinforcing their role as accountable, evidence-informed future nurses.<\/p>\n

“I created this assignment to help students approach AI<\/abbr> not with fear or dependence, but with discernment and kuleana,” Page said. “In nursing, our decisions carry life-altering consequences. I want students to walk away with a sense of responsibility—not only for the information they consume, but for the kind of professionals they are becoming.”<\/p>\n

From ‘womb to tomb’ with AI<\/abbr><\/h2>\n

Kathleen O\u2019Dell is an instructor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences<\/a> in UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience<\/a>. Students in her Human Development and Family Studies 230 course will work on an assignment called “Build a Life: A Womb to Tomb Simulation,” which will utilize generative AI<\/abbr> tools to co-create the life story of a fictional character from prenatal development through late adulthood. The project blends theory with creativity, prompting students to simulate life stages, apply developmental concepts and explore sociocultural influences. Using platforms such as ChatGPT and DALL\u00b7E, students will produce annotated timelines or visual presentations that analyze major milestones, decisions, and challenges, while also learning ethical AI<\/abbr> use and digital storytelling techniques.<\/p>\n

“What excites me most is how AI<\/abbr> opens the door for deeper personalization, creativity and engagement,” O\u2019Dell said. “It allows students to test ideas in real time, simulate different perspectives, and visualize abstract concepts in ways that were difficult before. In a project like this one, for example, AI<\/abbr> helps students ‘live out’ developmental theories by co-creating a fictional life narrative. That level of interaction makes the learning process more immersive and meaningful.”<\/p>\n

The call for proposals invited full-time faculty to outline how they would embed foundational AI<\/abbr> concepts into one or more of their courses. Proposals were evaluated based on alignment with course learning outcomes, innovative teaching strategies and integration of core AI<\/abbr> knowledge. The initiative supports UH<\/abbr>\u2019s goal to prepare students—regardless of major\u2014for success in an AI<\/abbr>-driven workforce, while also fostering responsible and ethical use of the technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UH<\/abbr> faculty across eight campuses are redesigning courses to equip students with essential AI<\/abbr> skills and ethical insights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[1602,212,61,62,63,65,1466,71,14,9,60,947,59],"class_list":["post-217541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-ai","tag-college-of-tropical-agriculture-and-human-resilience","tag-hawaii-community-college","tag-honolulu-community-college","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-uh-hilo","tag-uh-manoa","tag-maui-college","tag-uh-system","tag-uh-west-oahu","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t