AI Academy: Building Generative AI Literacy in Higher Ed Instructors

Instructors need dedicated support to build AI literacy: The study of 25 faculty members found that instructors—who play a central role in shaping how students learn about and use generative AI—have been largely overlooked in research and training efforts, despite their importance in "mediating adoption and modeling responsible use."

Peer learning and reflection are effective for responsible AI adoption: The AI Academy program combined hands-on exploration of AI tools with pedagogical reflection and peer learning, suggesting that faculty development works best when instructors can learn from each other and think critically about how to integrate these tools responsibly into their teaching.

Instructors should be positioned as designers of ethical AI practices: Rather than simply adopting AI tools, the research positions instructors as "designers of responsible AI practices," indicating that faculty should have agency in determining how generative AI is used in their institutions rather than passively implementing top-down policies.

Professional development must evolve with rapidly changing AI tools: The program was designed to "adapt to evolving tools and foster ethical discussion," recognizing that static training won't work for a field changing as quickly as generative AI, and that ongoing dialogue about ethics is essential.

Institutional support structures matter: The study examined how instructors build AI literacies "in relation to tools, policies, peer practices, and institutional supports," suggesting that successful responsible AI adoption requires coordinated effort across multiple institutional dimensions, not just individual instructor training.