artificial intelligence Archives

Author and Editor: Dr. Denise Lowe

Since its inception in 2017, the Ask ADDIE column has been an integral part of the TOPkit Digest as a function of topkit.org, providing recommendations and strategies to questions asked by the readers – faculty members, instructional designers, and management alike. The last review of Ask ADDIE articles and trends was provided in 2022. Since 2025 is soon coming to an end, a current review of Ask ADDIE through the intervening years of 2023 – 2025 may provide some insight into trends and practices encountered in the instructional design field – and where we go from here.

Ask ADDIE originally emerged as a space where online developers and instructors could share strategies for challenges and difficulties in the online environment and receive guidance and resources. While Ask ADDIE continues to be a collaborative resource for these purposes, it has also evolved into a space discussing hypothetical scenarios, project and program-based strategies, and forward-looking ideas into the evolutionary processes and trends of online higher education. Some of these trends may be advances in technology, emerging technologies, and teaching strategies that provide students with the skills necessary to navigate turbulent workplace and cultural waters within the context of their chosen disciplines.

While all of the columns written for Ask ADDIE are worthwhile reading since all address real challenges provided by our readers or specific programmatic strategies, some of them have been particularly timely and delivered in concert with issues higher education has faced over the years.

Take, for example, the issue titled, Implementation of AI in Online Teaching and Learning (Issue 29), that was a response to the overwhelming rise and use of artificial intelligence (AI) within online courses through chatbots and video generators, for example (ChatGPT, Otter.ai, Dall-E2, etc.) This article, written by Dr. Jann Sutton from the University of North Florida, explored how artificial intelligence has been in use in the educational setting for decades. Dr. Sutton detailed strategies for how to use various new AI tools in course activities and assignments that would assist students to harness the power of AI rather than falling victim to its errors and limitations.

Or, what about Considerations of Generative AI for Content Creation (Issue 32), which brought readers back to the need for AI prompts to follow design and learning theory models for content creation. In the rising prevalence of AI tools, Anastasia Bojanowski reminds readers that learning theory provides a basis for constructing prompts or activities that include Gagne`’s (1985) events of instruction. Using a learning theory model helps to scaffold learning activities in meaningful ways. Ms. Bojanowski is an instructional specialist in the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL) at the University of Central Florida (UCF).

ADDIE discusses challenging scenarios, project & program strategies, and future trends in online higher education.

In Navigating the Fast Lane: Essential Strategies for Accelerated Course Design (Issue 36), Dr. Denise Lowe provided strategies that had recently been developed by the Center for Distributed Learning (CDL) at UCF in developing resource materials for several different types of accelerated course formats. By providing strategies for instructors, readers were reminded that, although challenging, accelerated course formats should focus on identifying essential concepts for course mastery. Student resources identified options for their educational journey and success strategies for accelerated courses. Resources provided included infographics, web pages for faculty and students, interactive decision trees, course maps, and the use of chatbots to realign content within specific formats for conversion processes. Dr. Lowe is a Senior Instructional Designer and adjunct faculty member at UCF.

Looking back at some of the articles focusing on course design and LMS functionality specifically, some topics dealt with quiz analytics, multi-modal course offerings, grading schemes and weights, and strategies for dealing with large online courses. Each of these topics represented a specific challenge for instructors and instructional designers that often create confusion and frustration. Written by different authors, the resources provided helped to lessen this frustration and create more productive communication pathways to assist faculty in managing their online courses.

Ask ADDIE also dealt with topics that were more personal in nature which could have negative impacts upon online teaching and learning. From transitioning from a K-12 environment into the instructional design field, mitigating student anxiety, to cyberbullying of faculty – these articles, also written by various authors, provided meaningful strategies to consider for all levels of higher education from students to institutional leadership.

Moving forward, Ask ADDIE may find a continued focus on the increasing development and use of AI tools that build and expand upon the strategies already mentioned in previous articles. This may be a similar situation for the use of open educational resources as a way to mitigate educational cost while continuing to provide a quality education experience for students, building upon Demystifying OER and Open Pedagogy: A Practical Guide (Issue 37), in which Dr. Denise Lowe and Joe Fauvel – both of UCF – provide a graphic to identify the differences between the two constructs.

Ongoing articles such as these provide relevant information, tips, and suggestions for all of us working in course design or online teaching. The benefits of such collective learning cannot be overstated since many of us deal with similar challenges within our own institutions. There is much wisdom among us – we all improve when it is shared!

What other ideas do you have that could improve the Ask ADDIE approach to inviting questions or article ideas? Please share your thoughts with our TOPkit community on LinkedIn!

Ask ADDIE Editor:

Dr. Denise Lowe, Senior Instructional Designer, Division of Digital Learning, UCF, July 2018 – current

Ask ADDIE Authors 2023 – 2025:

Lowe, D. (2025, November). Ask ADDIE: Years in Review: 2023 – 2025 (Issue 39). Retrieved from TOPkit website: https://topkit.org/2025/11/07/years-in-review-addie-2023-2025-issue-39/

Otto, M., and Staton, J. (2025, August). Ask ADDIE: Too many tabs, not enough time: Strategies for large online courses (Issue 38). (D. Lowe., Ed.). Retrieved from TOPkit website: https://topkit.org/2025/08/18/too-many-tabs-not-enough-time-strategies-for-large-online-courses-issue-38/

Lowe, D. (2025, May). Ask ADDIE: Demystifying OER and Open Pedagogy: A Practical Guide (Issue 37). Retrieved from TOPkit website: https://topkit.org/2025/05/20/demystifying-oer-and-open-pedagogy-a-practical-guide-issue-37/

Lowe, D. (2025, March). Ask ADDIE: Navigating the fast lane: Essential strategies for accelerated course design (Issue 36). Retrieved from TOPkit website: https://topkit.org/2025/03/05/navigating-the-fast-lane-essential-strategies-for- accelerated-course-design-issue-36/

Lowe, D., Jowallah, R., McNulty, R., Swenson, N., & Williams, T. (2025, March). Accelerated course design for educators. University of Central Florida, Division of Digital Learning. https://cdl.ucf.edu/teach/strategies/accelerated-course-design/

Lowe, D., Jowallah, R., McNulty, R., Swenson, N., & Williams, T. (2025, March). Are accelerated courses right for you? University of Central Florida, Division of Digital Learning. https://cdl.ucf.edu/support/student/accelerated-courses/

Smith, J. A. (2024, November). Ask ADDIE: Unlocking the power of quiz analytics for smarter assessments (Issue 35). (D. Lowe., Ed.). Retrieved from TOPkit website: https://topkit.org/2024/11/13/unlocking-the-power-of-quiz-analytics-for-smarter-assessments-issue-35/

Jones-Roberts, C. (2024, May). Ask ADDIE: Multimodal Learning (Issue 33). (D. Lowe., Ed.).Retrieved from TOPkit website: https://topkit.org/2024/05/30/multimodal-learning-issue-33/

Bojanowski, A. (2024, February). Ask ADDIE: Considerations of Generative AI for Content Creation (Issue 32). (D. Lowe., Ed.). Retrieved from TOPkit website: https://topkit.org/2024/02/06/considerations-of-generative-ai-for-content-creation-issue-32/

Jones-Roberts, C. (2023, November). Ask ADDIE: Strategies to Mitigate Student Anxiety (Issue 31). (D Lowe., Ed.).. Retrieved from TOPkit.org website: https://topkit.org/2023/11/15/strategies-for-mitigating-student-anxiety-issue-31/

Lowe, D. (2023, August). Ask ADDIE: A “Weighty” Issue: Course Design and Grading Schemes (Issue 30). Retrieved from TOPkit.org website: https://topkit.org/2023/08/17/a-weighty-issue-grading-schemes-and-course-design-issue-30/

Sutton, J. (2023, May). Ask ADDIE: Implementation of AI in Online Teaching and Learning (Issue 29). (D. Lowe., Ed.). Retrieved from TOPkit website: https://topkit.org/2023/05/22/implementation-of-ai-in-online-teaching-andlearning-issue-29/

Lowe, D. (2023, February). Ask ADDIE: Cyberbullying: A guide for supporting faculty under attack (Issue 28). Retrieved from TOPkit website: https://topkit.org/2023/02/08/cyberbullying-a-guide-for-supporting-faculty-under-attack-issue-28/

Lowe, D. (2022, October). Ask ADDIE: E-Learning: The key to online teaching success (Issue 27). Retrieved from TOPkit website: https://topkit.org/2022/10/12/e-readiness-the-key-to-online-teaching-success-issue-27/

Author: Dr. Jann Sutton, University of North Florida

Editor: Dr. Denise Lowe, University of Central Florida

Dear ADDIE,

I am concerned! My colleagues are talking about the educational impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT. I see news articles pop up and am wondering how AI will influence the instructor and instructional designer roles. Some of my faculty are really freaking out! I really don’t know where to start.

Help! AI is melting my brain!

Signed,

OA-Organic Acumen

Dear OA,

The speed of technological change is enough to melt anyone’s brain, I feel for you! However, like any new technological application, we need to approach it methodically and thoughtfully.

Take a deep breath dear reader, as artificial intelligence in the educational setting has been around for decades. It is embedded in adaptive learning, analytics, grading systems, plagiarism checkers, and in our chat messaging systems. AI is typically considered a computer system that has been developed (trained) over time to aid our cognitive capacity. AI can be a valid time-management aid!

Take a deep breath...artificial intelligence in the educational setting has been around for decades.

Recently, some of the more popular AI tools like ChatGPT (text generator), Dall-E2 (graphics generator), Pictory (video/narrator generator, editor), Grammarly (writing assistant), and Otter.ai (audio/video transcription) have become hot topics for our community. Educators are concerned about how AI will be used to derail students’ learning and influence their ability to write and create. Of course, this is a real concern, but let’s consider whether we can approach the proliferation of AI options as a teaching moment.

Let’s explore how AI, specifically ChatGPT, can be harnessed as a teaching and learning tool. Review the following suggestions which provide entry points to investigate text generators.

Experiment with ChatGPT, make an account, input (ask) questions, and define your parameters. Start by asking simple questions and evaluate the responses – are they accurate, incomplete, or completely inaccurate? During one session, continue to input more complex scenarios and questions. See how some instructors are using ChatGPT to create discussion prompts and lesson plans!
Create assignments utilizing ChatGPT. For example, in a multi-part assignment/project, students can use the tool to draft a short paper, solve an equation/problem, or write a discussion post about a course-related topic of interest. Part of the assignment should be to compare the tool’s responses to their course texts. Consider asking them to keep a reflective journal of their experience and their AI prompts. In a follow-up discussion, students can collectively discuss their experiences using an AI tool: Is it ethical to use, did it help them gain a broader understanding of the topic, and was it accurate? Of course, the instructor needs to be THE guiding voice through this process and carefully review the outputs to help students discern the AI results.
Harness strategies to develop authentic assessments which will make it difficult for a text generator to respond if you or your instructors are not ready to embed the tool in pedagogical activities. Focus on recent local events specific to your course topic which require critical thinking and analysis that cannot be easily replicated by a text generator.
Reflect on your current AI policy and help instructors draft a statement for their syllabi and/or assignment instructions. Can students use it when preparing an outline, but not a final draft? Define your expectations and make them explicit.

Further exploration might include “talking” directly to ChatGPT, asking it how you can incorporate AI into your specific course, and experimenting with how to evaluate its use. Get to know the AI tools, their strengths, and their limitations.

AI-generated conversation with instructor

To give you an idea of how this could work for a research or discussion-related assignment, this image is a screen shot of a discussion between myself and ChatGPT.

As you can see, the ChatGPT AI system provides ideas based on the specificity of my queries. The more specific you are, the better responses are generated by the software. The AI-generated results might also provide you with new ideas to think about, enhancing the depth and breadth of your creativity and research. This is how it works with the graphic image AI software as well – specificity can bring awesome results!

As with all technological advances, there are potential concerns regarding AI, such as privacy issues, equity considerations, and resource allocations. While these concerns should be taken seriously, this article focuses primarily on the positive applications of AI in education.

Personally, I see ChatGPT as a type of Google search engine on steroids. It is powerful, but only as powerful as my own discerning capabilities. A search engine provides resources that are not created equal; similarly, I need to review the AI output and then decide on my own how I will use the results.

What other ideas or plans for the use of AI have you applied or are exploring at your higher education institution? Please share your thoughts with our TOPkit community on LinkedIn!

References

Guan, C., Mou, J., & Jiang, Z. (2020). Artificial intelligence innovation in education: A twenty-year data-driven historical analysis. International Journal of Innovation Studies, 4(4), 134-147.

EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. (2017). Seven things you should know about artificial intelligence in teaching and learning. EDUCAUSE. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2017/4/eli7143.pdf.

McMurtrie, B. (2023). What you can learn from students about CHATGPT. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Rose, R. (2023). ChatGPT in Higher Education: Artificial Intelligence and Higher Education. University of North Florida Digital Pressbooks.

University Center for Teaching and Learning. (nd). ChatGPT resources for faculty. University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://teaching.pitt.edu/resources/chatgpt-resources-for-faculty/