AI-Assisted Teaching and Learning: A Generative AI Field Guide for Educators

This book is a field guide that is meant to be one step in a journey towards a deeper, hands-on understanding and evaluation of these technologies and their potential applications in educational practices. Consider this guide-which is meant to be a "living" document due to the current pace of change in the Gen AI world-a snapshot into the ever-expanding universe of AI in education. Whether you see yourself as an AI novice looking to dip your toes in these fast-moving waters or as someone with foundational Gen AI experience looking for advanced techniques and tips while evaluating the deployment of Gen AI, consider this guide as a single waypoint in an ongoing learning journey in which we are taking our first few halting steps.

AI isn't coming for the jobs of educators-yet. BUT the best educators are (right now) figuring out how to apply AI in their teaching practices in ways that are good for themselves and great for their students. That is the journey that this guide invites you to begin.

Since the introduction of ChatGPT and similar generative AI technologies we have seen interest in the use of AI as a pedagogical "extension" increase geometrically across all educational sectors-including workplace learning. What began as that simple two-page document has, over time, expanded into this field guide. This is certainly not an exhaustive survey of AI, digital pedagogy, or the learning theories that underpin areas like differentiated instruction or personalised learning. Rather, this guide is meant to address certain practical areas that educators may need to consider as they seek to integrate AI into their teaching practices and apply AI to benefit their students/learners. The elements of this field guide have been (narrowly) selected and developed to answer the most common questions that I hear from educators, instructional designers, content/course authors, and administrators.

Whether you are new to AI, wondering where to begin, or you are more experienced with applied AI and might be seeking to refine and enhance your existing AI initiatives, this guide aims to encourage exploration, ideas, and inquiry about the use of AI in teaching and learning.