Generative AI has quickly become part of the everyday reality of higher education. But while there's been tremendous attention on what students are doing with AI, we hear much less about something equally important: How are the people who design and deliver learning actually using it themselves? Today, we're going to look beyond speculation and talk about what AI use actually looks like in practice, how faculty and instructional designers are incorporating these tools into their professional work, what they're learning along the way, and what this may mean for faculty development and the future of teaching and learning.
Kristen Chorba is an Instructional Designer with the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology at the University of Arizona. She partners with faculty and instructors to design online courses that reflect their goals, teaching style, and course context, while supporting meaningful student learning.
Her work centers on the intersection of pedagogy and emerging technologies, with particular attention to how generative AI is shaping higher education practice, critical thinking, and the co-creation of knowledge. She emphasizes responsible use and critical evaluation of AI outputs, and contributes to AI-focused initiatives including faculty workshops, invited presentations, written resources, and applied research in higher education.
Kristen is currently leading an IRB-approved research study examining how instructional designers and faculty are using AI in their day-to-day work. Her work highlights how AI is integrated into real tasks and decision-making, rather than abstract or hypothetical use.
She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Kent State University.
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Jess Zeitler is a bilingual Instructional Designer with the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology (UCATT) at the University of Arizona. Her work spans bilingual and multilingual course design, curriculum development, and faculty collaboration, with a focus on building inclusive, culturally responsive learning experiences.She speaks and presents on bilingual learning environments, instructional design in higher education, and the thoughtful integration of generative AI into course design—exploring how these tools can streamline workflows, improve access, and expand what's possible for diverse student populations.Jess is part of the research team behind an IRB-approved study examining how instructional designers and faculty are using generative AI in their day-to-day work, led by Dr. Kristen Chorba. She has co-presented findings from this project at UPCEA's 2026 Annual Conference and the UPCEA Digital Teaching & Learning Conference.She holds a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature, Language, History & Culture and an M.S.Ed. in Instructional Design.
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