Modality: P (In Person)
Basics about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and teaching can be found on FCTL’s page on AI. Those looking for more information and some hands-on practice might wish to enroll in one of our programs that offer a deeper dive.
Basic Training: AI Essentials for Faculty
Modality: Online, Self-paced.
This is a fully online, asynchronous exploration of AI tools and how to use them. Since it is a self-paced course, faculty can enroll themselves at any time, with no deadline for completion. This option does not lead to a certificate.
AI Fundamentals for Educators, Spring 2026
Modality: This six-week course will be offered as an in-person course only.
- In-person, Friday 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Classroom Bldg. I, Room 205 [Limit:30]
Registration for AI Fundamentals—Spring 2026
- Registration: https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3EDQJLVry1nN5Qy [Deadline = January 16, 2026]
- Sign-ups will remain open until the maximum has been reached or the week before the cohort begins (summer, fall, and spring).
- The course will use AI subscriptions available to UCF faculty (Copilot & Adobe Firefly), as well as “freemium” accounts with other AI platforms
- The FCTL has subscriptions to GPT, Claude, and Scribe for faculty who would like to experiment
- Those who complete the course will receive an informal paper certificate and be listed on our website.
AI Fundamentals Weekly Schedule
In-person, Friday cohort, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (noon)
- Week 1: January 23, 2026
- Week 2: January 30, 2026
- Week 3: February 6, 2026
- Week 4: February 13, 2026
- Week 5: February 20, 2026
- Week 6: February 27, 2026
AI Fundamentals Weekly Modules
Week 1: Foundations of AI and Ethical Considerations
- What is AI? Overview of LLMs
- Key ethical issues: privacy, copyright, bias, and responsible use
- Introduction to AI fluency: what faculty and students need to know
- Transparency in AI use: course policies, syllabus language, and institutional alignment
Week 2: Prompt Engineering and Understanding AI Tools
- The art and science of prompt engineering
- Role-based prompting, scaffolding, and iterative refinement
- Comparing LLMs: strengths, limitations, and use cases
- Hands-on with Copilot, Claude, GPT-4, and Notebook LLM
Week 3: Designing with AI – Lesson Planning, Assignments, and Presentations
- Using AI to co-design lesson plans, assignments, and rubrics
- AI-assisted assessment creation and grading support
- Presentation and podcast tools: Gamma, Copilot, Claude, Notebook LLM
- Image generation tools: Copilot/DALL·E, Adobe Firefly
- Animation and avatar tools for engaging content delivery
Week 4: Interactive and Accessible Teaching with AI
- Tools for real-time engagement and feedback
- Interactive AI tools for online and face-to-face teaching
- Leveraging AI for digital accessibility (e.g., alt text, captions, formatting)
- Creating inclusive content with AI support
Week 5: AI for Research and Academic Integrity
- AI tools for research: summarizing, synthesizing, citing, and editing
- Teaching students to use AI responsibly in research
- Detecting and addressing AI-generated content in student work
- Redesigning assignments to encourage authentic learning
Week 6: Preparing Students for an AI-Driven Future
- Adapting assessments to include or mitigate GenAI use
- Preparing students for AI-integrated careers and tasks
- Final project: Faculty create an AI-enhanced lesson, assignment, or policy
- Wrap-up discussion: challenges, opportunities, and next steps
Please email fctl@ucf.edu with any questions.
Faculty Completing AI Fundamentals
The names of those who completed the AI Fundamentals course and earned completion certificates will be listed here. AI Essentials for Faculty Online Modules Faculty Completion