Instructional Leadership, emphasis: K-12 School Leadership (MEd)
ON THIS PAGE
    HOW CAN WE HELP?
    1. IN
    2. Provost
    3. Academic Operations
    4. Institute for Advancing Applications of Artificial Intelligence
    5. IAAAI TRAIL

    IAAAI TRAIL

    Transformation through Artificial Intelligence in Learning (TRAIL)

    TRAIL is a Northern Arizona University program, sponsored by the Office of the Provost, supporting faculty in innovative applications of AI technologies in their teaching and research. The program runs two tracks: an Instructional Track focused on student learning outcomes, and a Research & Scholarship Track focused on advancing faculty research using AI methods. The program is intended to encourage novel approaches to instruction and scholarly activities, rather than developing AI-based analysis tools tailored to specific research questions.

    TRAIL award and application information

    All full-time teaching, clinical, practice, lecturer, research, tenure-track, and tenured faculty, at any rank step, are eligible to apply for support under the TRAIL program, under either the instructional or research and scholarship track. Awardees will receive $5,000 toward summer salary or professional development to engage in the development of their proposed activities. See full details.

    TRAIL awardees

    Someone has to go first! Thank you to these TRAIL-blazing faculty for providing inspiration and extending the invitation to pursue further explorations of AI.

    • Misha Baltushkin, Dana Ernst, Monika Keindl, Nandor Sieben, Department of Mathematics & Statistics: Developing an AI Mathematics Grading Agent for Enhanced Student Feedback and Instructional Efficiency
    • Xin Yi Bao, Creative Media and Film: More Human than Ever, Filmmaking with AI
    • Buck Blankenship, Natalie Papini, College of Education and University Coaching for Activity and Nutrition: Do Chatbots Elicit the Same Pathways to Change? A Biophysiological Comparison of Human and AI Health Coaching
    • Marco Gerosa, School of Informatics Computing and Cyber Systems: AI-Powered Interview Training for Requirements Elicitation in Software Engineering
    • Robert Goodman, Chad Woodruff, Department of Psychological Sciences: A Bidirectional Bridge Between Agentic AI and Existing Neuroscience Infrastructure
    • Jeb Helms, Physical Therapy & Athletic Training: Scaling AI-Powered Pain Communication Training Across Physical Therapy Programs- A Multisite Pilot Study
    • Alana Kuhlman, Lumberjack Writing Center: Advancing Ethical AI Literacy Through Writing Center Innovation
    • Benjamin Lucas, Dana Ernst, Ian Williams, Department of Mathematics & Statistics: The Pillars of Intelligence- A Foundational Mathematical Sequence for the AI Era
    • Catheryn Shelton, Department of Educational Specialties: Redesigning an Educational Technology Course to Expand Future Teachers’ Critically Conscious, Career-Ready GAI Literacies
    • Viktoria Tidikis, Department of Psychological Sciences: Reducing Student Resistance to AI Through Structured Literacy, Transparency, and Ethical Integration
    • Susan K. Williams, W.A. Franke College of Business: Create and Manage a GenAI Intern: Exploratory Data Analysis with a Human-in-the-Loop
    • Carla Wilson, Women’s and Gender Studies: Queer Archives in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
    • Lan Zhang, School of Informatics Computing and Cyber Systems: Perceiving the Invisible: User Awareness of Malicious Tool Behavior in AI Agent Environments
    • Allana Zuckerman, Department of Health Sciences: Teaching Students to Question the Machine: Integrating AI Feedback Auditing and AI-Human Faculty Workflow for Ungrading in a Health Sciences Course

    • Sarah Bolander, Department of Physician Assistant Studies: Integrating AI into Graduate Health Education: A Workshop Series
    • Marti Canipe, Department of Teaching and Learning: Using GenAI in Lesson Planning
    • Ana Paula Chaves, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems: Enhancing CS136 Lab Learning with an AI-driven Conversational Agent
    • Amy Dryden, School of Communication: AI as a Creative Partner: Teaching Scalable Content Production in Strategic Communication
    • Marco Gerosa, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems: LLM-Generated Feedback for Reflecting Upon Design Trade-offs in Software Engineering
    • Sara Kien, Department of Psychological Sciences: Developing an AI Chatbot to Support Critical Thinking in a Research Methods Course
    • Jermaine Martinez, School of Communication: From Perils to Pedagogy: Generative Artificial Intelligence as Forms of Visual and Verbal Communication
    • Nick McKay, School of Earth and Sustainability: Instructional-Track: Scaling Socratic Learning with AI: Enhancing Engagement in Large Classes
    • Michelle Miller, Department of Psychological Sciences: Interactive Tools for Enhancing Critical Thinking Across Disciplines
    • Michael Morgan, Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training: See, Touch, Learn: Enhancing DPT Students’ Palpation Skills and Anatomical Knowledge with AI Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
    • Landi Morris, Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting: Career-Ready Skills in Accounting and Finance: Validating Generative AI’s Interpretation of the Internal Revenue Code
    • Viktoria Tidikis, Department of Psychological Sciences: The Future of Learning: Integrating AI into Teaching Cognition and Psychology of Creativity Courses
    • Derek Uhey, School of Forestry: Conversations with Conservationists: AI-Simulated Dialogues for Environmental Education
    • Yichuan Wang, Department of Management, Marketing, and Information Systems Management: Empowering Business Students to Thrive in the AI Era: A Practical and Research-Driven Approach

    • Yuly Asención-Delaney, Department of Global Languages and Cultures, College of Arts and Letters: Using chatbots to increase language learners’ willingness to communicate in Spanish as a second language
    • Jeff Berglund, Department of English, College of Arts and Letters: The Possibilities and Perils of Using Generative Artificial Intelligence in Indigenous Literature Classrooms
    • Blue Brazelton, Department of Educational Leadership, College of Education: Generative AI and Organizational Leader Development
    • Marco Gerosa, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences: Leveraging Large Language Models to Boost Students’ Software Design and Architecture Skills
    • Kiley Huntington, Department of Social Work, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences: Improving Student Learning Outcomes with a Generative AI Peer Review Partner
    • Alana Kuhlman, Department of English, College of Arts and Letters: An AI Literacy Module for Students Across the Disciplines
    • Nick McKay, School of Earth and Sustainability, College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences: Integrating Generative AI in Environmental Science Education: Enhancing Fieldwork, Data Analysis, and Technical Writing
    • David Politzer, School of Art, College of Arts and Letters: Tackling AI Anxiety with Art Students: Using Role-Playing, Visual Analysis and Experimentation to Ease into Artificial Intelligence
    • Janice Sweeter, School of Communication, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences: AI in the Strategic Communication Classroom and Industry
    • Jonna Vance, Philosophy Department, College of Arts and Letters: Dialogues with Generative AI: Exploring Human-AI Adversarial Collaborations