Interested in learning more about AI and Generative AI? Check out the Digital Gardener AI/Gen AI webinar and workshop series, where participants can choose among a range of professional development events. Each webinar and workshop is designed to help further your AI journey. Sign up today!
This program features a set of webinars designed to improve AI and Generative AI literacies across Indiana University. It is a virtual, professional development series consisting of online engagements intended to
familiarize participants with basic practices and considerations of Ai/Gen Ai,
develop creative confidence using various Ai/Gen Ai for personal, professional, and pedagogical purposes, and
explore critical issues through conversations with colleagues / collaborators.
All webinar events will be open to the public.
Each session is an hour long and will occur at 2:00pm ET on designated Tuesdays this semester. Programming this semester will feature ten webinars.
Sign up Below! Participants must register for each session individually: select a session and in the drop down content click the Registration button.
For content from last academic year, go to the DGI archive.
What's New at IU with GenAI?
This webinar, featuring Anne Leftwich (AVP for Learning Technologies) and Isak Nti Asare (Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education and Student Affairs) brings together institutional insight and classroom practice to explore how generative AI and learning technologies are shaping teaching, learning, and student success at IU.
What to Expect Participants will leave this webinar with a clearer understanding of the generative AI tools available at IU and how they can be used strategically—not just as technologies, but as pedagogical and professional supports for learning, equity, and career readiness. The session will surface practical teaching applications alongside critical conversations related to privacy, security, and responsible implementation. Attendees can expect a balanced, institutionally grounded discussion that focuses on preparing students for a digital future.
Anne Ottenbreit-Leftwich is the Barbara B. Jacobs Chair in Education and Technology. She is a professor of Instructional Systems Technology within the School of Education and an adjunct professor of Computer Science at Indiana University Bloomington. Dr. Leftwich’s expertise lies in the areas of the design of technology/computer science K-12 curriculum resources, and development/implementation of professional development for teachers and teacher educators. Dr. Leftwich investigates ways to teach computer science and ways to prepare preservice and inservice teachers to teach CS. She is a co-PI for the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance, which seeks to broaden participation in computing at the K-16 levels. Her research focuses on the adoption and implementation of technology and computer science at the K-12 levels.
Isak Nti Asare is Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education and Student Affiars at IU Bloomington. He is also co-director of the Cybersecurity and Global Policy Program, director of the IU Cyber Clinic, and a fellow at the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research (CACR). His work sits at the intersection of emerging technologies and public policy, with a focus on digital transformation and artificial intelligence.
He has advised national and local governments, co-authoring the first city-led AI strategy in the United States, Mexico’s National AI Strategy, and contributing to the OECD playbook on ICT procurement. He also co-founded the UK cross-government community of practice on AI. His consulting clients include the Open Data Institute, the UK Government Digital Service, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and The Transparency Initiative, and he has managed U.S. federal grants from the Departments of Defense, State, and Education.
AI/GenAI in the Arts & Humanities
This webinar explores the evolving relationship between generative AI and the arts and humanities, bringing together critical inquiry and creative possibility. We’ll examine how AI is reshaping humanistic and artistic practices while also considering how scholars and artists in these fields are uniquely positioned to shape, critique, and innovate with these technologies. Rather than treating AI as purely technical or instrumental, this session centers humanistic values, creativity, meaning-making, and ethical practice as essential to the future of AI.
What to Expect Participants can expect a thoughtful, interdisciplinary conversation that will help them:
Develop a deeper understanding of how generative AI is influencing—and being influenced by—arts and humanities scholarship and practice
Explore why humanists and artists are especially well-suited to become critical leaders and expert practitioners with AI
Examine key ethical, cultural, and creative questions raised by AI through humanistic inquiry
Identify emerging opportunities for using AI to extend artistic practice, research, pedagogy, and public engagement
This session invites participants to think critically, creatively, and expansively about AI’s role in the arts and humanities—and their own role in shaping that future.
This webinar examines the growing role of generative AI across the sciences, from research and data analysis to teaching and student learning. We’ll explore how AI is reshaping scientific practice and pedagogy, highlighting where these tools have proven effective, where they fall short, and what their limitations reveal about the nature of scientific work itself. Through examples from disciplines such as biology and chemistry, the session emphasizes both innovation and critical evaluation, positioning AI as a powerful—but imperfect—partner in scientific inquiry.
What to Expect Participants can expect an engaged, interdisciplinary discussion that will help them:
Understand how generative AI is currently being used in scientific research, teaching, and learning
Identify opportunities for AI to accelerate discovery, enhance pedagogy, and support new forms of scientific practice
Examine the limitations, risks, and unresolved challenges of using AI in the sciences, including issues of accuracy, bias, and over-reliance
Learn from discipline-specific perspectives (e.g., biology, chemistry, and related fields) on integrating AI responsibly and effectively
This session invites scientists, educators, and students to think critically about how generative AI is transforming the scientific landscape—and how intentional, informed use can shape its future impact.
Catherine Reck, Ph.D. is Clinical Professor in the Department of Chemistry at IU Bloomington where she has been a dedicated member of the teaching faculty since 2001. She earned her B.A. in Chemistry from Kalamazoo College, including a year of study at the University of Strasbourg in France, and completed her Ph.D. in organometallic chemistry at Wayne State University. Dr. Reck is a nationally respected educator and a multi-time award-winning teacher, recognized for her excellence in teaching and service. She is a recipient of Indiana University’s W. George Pinnell Award for Distinguished Service and the Kathy O. Smith and Morley Career Distinguished Teaching Award, among other honors. Her work centers on innovative, student-centered instruction and advancing effective teaching practices in higher education.
Sébastian Laulhé, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of chemistry at IU Indianapolis whose research focuses on developing new strategies to control selectivity in radical-based bond-forming reactions. His group explores the controlled generation of radicals using photoredox catalysis, organic electrochemistry, and metal-catalyzed methods to enable novel molecular activation strategies and non-classical retrosynthetic approaches. Dr. Laulhé’s work aims to transform readily available and sustainable feedstocks into high-value products, including pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and advanced materials.
Tips & Tricks for AI & Pedagogy This webinar offers a practical, hands-on exploration of how generative AI can support teaching and learning across disciplines. With a strong focus on concrete classroom applications, the session showcases ways AI can be used to redesign assignments, increase transparency in teaching and learning, scaffold student work, and foster engagement. Rather than abstract theory, this webinar emphasizes what’s possible, how it works, and how instructors can adapt these approaches to their own courses.
What to Expect Participants can expect a demonstration-driven session that will help them:
Explore practical examples of using AI to redesign or enhance assignments and learning activities
Learn strategies for aligning AI use with transparent, inclusive, and student-centered teaching practices
See how AI can support scaffolding, feedback, and in-class or out-of-class engagement
Gain beginner-friendly, transferable practices for integrating AI into pedagogy with intention and care
This session is especially well-suited for instructors who are new to AI or looking for concrete, low-barrier ways to experiment with AI in their teaching while keeping learning goals at the center.
This webinar explores the growing importance of generative AI skills for students as they transition from higher education into the workforce. As AI tools become embedded across industries and professions, the session examines how AI readiness is increasingly shaping career pathways, workplace expectations, and long-term student success. We’ll consider how higher education can more intentionally prepare students for this reality—while also adapting to students who arrive on campus with expanding AI experience and expectations.
What to Expect Participants can expect an applied, insight-driven discussion that will help them:
Understand how generative AI skills are influencing career readiness and professional success across fields
Explore industry perspectives on why AI literacy, adaptability, and critical use of AI tools matter in the workplace
Consider how AI can be integrated across the student journey—from onboarding to coursework to career preparation
Identify strategies for aligning AI education with student success initiatives and workforce preparation goals
This session invites educators, advisors, and administrators to think holistically about AI as a core component of student success—and how institutions can better position students for an AI-inflected professional future.
AI/GenAI + Health & Medicine This webinar explores the expanding role of generative AI in health and medicine, examining how these technologies are reshaping clinical practice, research, and education. The session centers both innovation and critical inquiry, addressing emerging applications of AI alongside pressing concerns related to ethics, trust, responsibility, and teaching. Participants will consider how generative AI is influencing health and medical sciences not only in terms of professional practices and decision-making, but the teaching and learning of current and coming practitioners—and what that means for the future of health and medicine.
What to Expect Participants can expect a nuanced, interdisciplinary conversation that will help them:
Understand emerging uses of generative AI in health, medicine, and the medical sciences
Explore opportunities for AI to support research, clinical workflows, education, and patient engagement
Examine key challenges and risks, including bias, accuracy, accountability, and ethical implications
Gain insight into how AI is redefining the scope and responsibilities of health and medical practitioners
This session invites clinicians, researchers, educators, and students to engage critically with generative AI’s growing presence in health and medicine—and to consider how thoughtful, human-centered approaches can guide its responsible use.
AI/GenAI in the Social Sciences This webinar explores the evolving relationship between generative AI and the social sciences, centering both critical analysis and methodological innovation. The session examines how AI is influencing social scientific research, theory-building, and teaching, while also raising important questions about interpretation, power, bias, and social impact. Rather than treating AI as a neutral tool, the webinar situates generative AI within broader social, cultural, and institutional contexts that are core to social science inquiry.
What to Expect Participants can expect an interdisciplinary, reflective conversation that will help them:
Develop a deeper understanding of how generative AI is being integrated into social science research and pedagogy
Explore opportunities for AI to support data analysis, modeling, qualitative and mixed-methods research, and theory development
Examine key challenges and ethical considerations, including bias, representation, accountability, and the social consequences of AI use
Consider why social scientists are uniquely positioned to critique, guide, and shape responsible AI practices
This session invites researchers, educators, and students to engage with generative AI as both a methodological tool and a subject of social inquiry—highlighting the vital role AI may play in the social sciences and how the social science may shape AI’s development and impact.
AI/GenAI and the Research Landscape This webinar explores how generative AI is reshaping the research landscape across disciplines, influencing not only how research is conducted but how it is framed, funded, and communicated. The session examines the growing role of AI within research workflows and methodological frameworks, alongside scholarly work that critically studies AI itself. Featuring researchers who actively use AI in their work, the webinar highlights both practical application and reflective inquiry, situating AI as an increasingly integral component of contemporary research practice.
What to Expect Participants can expect a research-centered conversation that will help them:
Understand how generative AI is being integrated into research design, analysis, and dissemination
Learn from researchers using AI in their own scholarly and creative work, as well as those studying AI as an object of research
Explore how AI is influencing research funding landscapes, including federal, corporate, and organizational grant opportunities
Gain insight into emerging expectations, considerations, and strategies for securing funding that involves AI-enabled research
This session invites researchers, graduate students, and research administrators to critically examine how generative AI is transforming the practice, visibility, and support structures of research—and how to navigate this evolving terrain with intention and insight.
Agentic AI & Emerging Possibilities This webinar introduces participants to agentic AI—systems such as custom GPTs, agents, and automated workflows that can perform tasks, make decisions within constraints, and support ongoing processes. The session explores what these tools make possible for educators, researchers, and staff, shifting the conversation from single-use prompts to AI systems that can meaningfully extend human work. Alongside conceptual framing, the webinar emphasizes practical application using AI tools approved for use at IU.
What to Expect Participants can expect a blend of critical discussion and guided demonstration that will help them:
Understand what agentic AI is and how it differs from traditional, prompt-based AI use
Explore emerging educational use cases for agents, custom GPTs, and automated workflows
See a hands-on demonstration of how to create and configure an AI agent using an approved tool
Gain beginner-friendly guidance for designing agents that support teaching, learning, and academic work
This session invites participants to move from experimenting with AI to building systems with AI—offering a practical starting point for engaging with agentic tools while grounding their use in pedagogical purpose and institutional context.
Preparing for the Next Wave: A Futures Orientation This forward-looking webinar reflects on the past year of rapid change in generative AI while turning attention to what’s coming next. Framed as a capstone for the series, the session examines where we are now, what has shifted across practice, pedagogy, and policy, and how these changes are positioning us for the next phase of AI development. With an eye toward fall 2026, the webinar explores emerging tools, evolving norms, and new possibilities that are likely to shape teaching, research, and professional work.
What to Expect Participants can expect a strategic, future-oriented discussion that will help them:
Make sense of key developments and patterns that have emerged over the past year
Identify emerging generative AI tools, practices, and capabilities on the horizon
Anticipate how AI may continue to reshape education, work, and institutional decision-making
Consider how to prepare themselves, their courses, and their organizations for the next wave of AI change
This session invites participants to move beyond reactive adoption toward intentional preparation—equipping them to navigate uncertainty, recognize opportunity, and make informed choices as generative AI continues to evolve.
