Teaching with AI Fellowship
Fast-moving developments in Generative AI have opened up innumerable new opportunities and challenges for instructors. As the Columbia University teaching community grapples with AI in various ways, a fellowship specifically dedicated to exploring the pedagogical affordances of this new technology serves as a focal point for graduate students with advanced interest and experience in this realm, and helps the Columbia community cultivate models and support for effective, ethical use of AI in teaching.
Supported by CTL, this select cohort of Columbia University doctoral students develops and tests models for using AI to drive learning, coordinated to defined learning objectives. These models are described and shown in action in a series of short videos produced by TAIFs during their time in the program.
How to participate
This fellowship last ran in the 2024-25 academic year; videos produced by 2024-25 TAIF describing their work are available to watch here. We anticipate forming more cohorts in the future. If you have questions about the TAIF program, please reach out to CTLgrads@columbia.edu.
TAIF Program Activities
Teaching with AI Fellows (TAIFs) are awarded a stipend of $2,000 for the academic year. This stipend is distributed in two installments upon successful completion of the activities listed below. TAIFs will also have access to enterprise-level AI tools available at Columbia. TAIFs are expected to devote 30-35 hours per semester to the program (which averages out to 2-3 hours per week), scheduled around their other commitments.
Teaching with AI activities include the following:
- Attendance of regular cohort meetings with other TAIFs and mentors in the CTL during the academic yearÂ
- Exploration of early research into the application of generative AI tools to educational contexts
- Experimentation with emerging generative AI tools to gauge applicability to teaching and learning activities
- Development of projects serving as models for the Columbia community
The target and scope of TAIF projects will be determined by individual aptitudes and interests. Possible areas of focus include:
- AI assisting with curriculum design (alignment with learning objectives, mid-course adjustments,personalized learning development, etc.)
- AI providing just-in-time feedback and practice for students as they develop assignments or prepare for assessments
- AI helping instructors monitor course engagement and identify needs or opportunities for individual assistance
- AI effectively applied to broad yet discipline-specific teaching contexts such as language instruction or computer programming
- AI as facilitator for collaborative or team learning projects
- AI as a teaching development guide for graduate students, helping to set benchmarks, identify areas of needed growth
Successful completion of this fellowship qualifies participants to be CTL Teaching Consultants in future years. Teaching Consultants are paid to conduct CTL consultations, Teaching Observations, Mid-Course Reviews, and Practice Teaching (Microteaching) sessions for Columbia graduate student instructors across the university, under guidance of the Center for Teaching and Learning.
Questions about the program may be sent to CTLgrads@columbia.edu.
The CTL is here for graduate students.
The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning provides an array of support for graduate students in both their current and future teaching responsibilities.