Re-Souling the Asynchronous Online Classroom: Authentic Learning in the Age of AI
Eligibility
Full-time faculty who teach or are preparing to teach online asynchronous (ONLA) courses, as well as staff who support the design and delivery of ONLA courses.
Amount
Each participant will receive $750 in professional development funds.
Submission
Deadline
May 15, 2026
Purpose and Description
This FLC confronts the existential challenge facing online asynchronous (ONLA) courses in the age of AI.
LLMs have disrupted the discussion board ecosystem that ONLA courses have relied on, often reducing
social learning to a “dark factory” where bots reply to posts written by other bots. We even learned this
Spring that AI agents can complete a Canvas course autonomously. Given these shifts, this FLC offers an
interdisciplinary space to explore how we can design ONLA courses that promote authentic skill
development and foster metacognitive engagement, while simultaneously equipping students with the
AI competencies they will need for career success. Members of the FLC will also engage in collaborative
inquiry to leverage AI’s promise for scaffolded, differentiated instruction and enhanced teaching
effectiveness in ONLA courses.
Moving beyond the binary of techno-optimism and pessimism, this FLC is committed to inhabiting the
messy middle and guided by the belief that the best solutions must embrace complexity.
This FLC will meet for 2 hours every 3 weeks. Most meetings will be virtual, via Zoom, with the exception
of an in-person kickoff and a wrap-up meeting, both held in person on the Oxford campus.
Activities
Participants in this FLC will;
- Analyze and discuss the emerging scholarship on AI-infused ONLA classes to identify evidence-
based responses to academic integrity and engagement challenges - Develop and peer-review AI-responsive modules for their own courses, engaging frameworks that allow for cross-disciplinary translation
- Synthesize findings into a curated resource repository to support colleagues in the design and delivery of ONLA courses
- Disseminate findings by submitting a proposal for the annual Original Lilly Conference on College
Teaching
Members
2026-2027
- Bonnie Erwin, Miami Online, Facilitator
Center for Teaching Excellence
