Introduction to AI for teachers
Generative AI (GenAI) has interrupted the regular programming of educational institutions across the world and forced many changes, adaptations and shifts in policy. So how does such a powerful tool work and why is it disrupting education so much?
This workshop for UvA teaching staff focuses on the basics of how AI works, insights into how some students use it, and the impact of considering vs not considering AI use in an educational context.
Course details
In this hands-on workshop, we will go through the basics of how AI works, the benefits and consequences of its use and strategies to leverage/mitigate these. We will be using GenAI to learn about what it does well and/or poorly, how to save ourselves time and energy, to enhance our teaching materials and to help make informed decisions about its use.
Intended learning outcome
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of how popular models of generative AI work.
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of prompting within GenAI models.
- Outline the benefits and possible consequences of GenAI use in their educational context from the perspective of both students and teachers.
- Demonstrate a beginner’s ability to use a model of GenAI effectively within their own context.
Good to know
| Target audience | UvA teaching staff who want to better understand what GenAI is, how it works in broad terms, and what its use by students and teachers means for learning and teaching. No technical background or prior AI experience is required. | |
| Language | English | |
| Trainer | Jacqui Edwards (TLC Central, GenAI Living Lab) | |
| Participants | Minimum of 8, maximum of 20 participants | |
| Location | At one of our UvA locations (see Registration). | |
| Dates |
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| Organised by | TLC Central, GenAI Living Lab |
Yes. You will actively use GenAI tools to see what they do well and poorly, experiment with prompts, and reflect on how this translates to your teaching practice (for example, how it can save time in preparing materials, and where it risks “outsourcing” student thinking).
Both. We will cover core concepts (how GenAI works, why it disrupts education) and connect them to very practical examples, such as tweaking assignments, using AI to develop materials, and formulating clearer guidance for students about acceptable use.
We will discuss typical policy dilemmas and example formulations, but we will not set or interpret official UvA policy. For definitive rules you should always consult your faculty or programme regulations; the workshop helps you make informed choices within that policy space.
No. We will briefly introduce how contemporary GenAI tools work and guide you through structured, hands‑on activities. If you already use AI tools, the session will help you reflect more critically on when they add value and when they undermine learning.
Registration
The course is funded from central funds. Signing up is not non-committal, we will count on your participation.
- Registration buttons for employees with an @UvA.nl email address:
- For AUC, ACTA or FdG (AMC) employees: send an email with your name, faculty and date for which you want to register to tlc-centraal@uva.nl
After registering, you will receive an automated invitation for your Outlook calendar. If there are multiple dates, you’ll get a separate invitation for each (please don’t forget to accept). If the location is not yet known at that time, an update will follow later.
A proof of participation is available upon request. Please send an email to tlc-centraal@uva.nl after the course.
More Information?