Introducing GenAI in Teaching and Learning Toolkit

By Gwen Nguyen, advisor, Learning and Teaching, BCcampus

I sat in front of the screen for a long time thinking about how to open this blog post. I could simply say, “This toolkit is about…” But after spending so much time reading, researching, and collecting stories, I want to share this with you as a gift with love and care—one that invites you to see yourself through both reflective questions and stories.

How do we learn? How do we come to know something?

With this question, I’d like you to reflect on specific experiences of how you learn something. Perhaps how you learn to ride a bike, how you learn a language, how you learn the ABCs, or how you learn to cook.

As a second language learner and teacher, my journey with English began with songs. At age nine, I first encountered the song “Love Story” performed by Shirley Bassey. In those pre-internet days, I would meticulously write down lyrics from cassettes and videos brought by relatives visiting from the U.S. I’d listen to songs more than 30 times to capture every word, treasuring song books from local thrift stores and sharing MTV lyrics with friends. I remember so many love song lyrics that I could even integrate all those lyrics into love letters that I helped my cousin write when she tried to connect with her boyfriend who lived in Australia. These weren’t just words on paper—they became my gateway to language experience and mastery.

Today’s learning landscape looks vastly different. With the internet, I can find different versions of Love Story on YouTube, including this beautiful rendition by little Angelina Jordan. Song lyrics are available instantly, and AI conversation partners have emerged as language tutors. While I no longer write down lyrics, I still love reading them while listening to new songs. My role has also evolved beyond the classroom since the pandemic. Some, including my loving husband, predicted the obsolescence of language instructors, but I disagree fundamentally. Teaching has never been merely about knowledge transfer—it’s a dynamic, fluid, improvisational way of being and becoming in the world (Nguyen, 2022). I invite you to check out Leon Furze’s comprehensive scholarly blog AI and Skills Loss: It’s Not That Simple discussing the complex relationship between artificial intelligence and skills loss in the workforce. Furze (2024) argues that while AI may automate certain tasks, it also creates new opportunities for skill development and employment. He emphasizes that the impact of AI on jobs is not straightforward and it varies across different sectors.

When I taught in Japan, my students wrote book reports on graded readers. Did they understand every word? No. Did some use Google to help? Yes, many did. But the goal wasn’t perfect comprehension or original writing—it was cultivating a habit of engaging with English texts. Just as I came to learn the English language through copying lyrics, my students might have learned English language through their interactions with texts, even when assisted by technology.

Acknowledging GenAI presence in education

The emergence of generative AI is transforming how we teach, learn, write, and think. However, instead of responding with fear or blame (“We’ll lose our jobs!” or “Students won’t learn!” or “All skills will be gone!”), let’s approach this transformation more intentionally and thoughtfully. As educators, let’s “be kind, be calm, be safe” and revisit our pedagogy and ground ourselves in our core teaching values.

Our mission, as educators, is cultivating GenAI literacy among our academic community and creating meaningful learning experiences with GenAI to enhance human qualities and values.

Who knows what will be in the future? We understand we are still at an early stage of AI development. One day, we won’t need to know about prompting to work effectively with them. One day, there might be wonderful GenAI for each specific teaching task. We might fail in this uphill battle but, for now, we “gotta keep going” because it’s not about what’s on the other side or how fast we get there—it’s The Climb (Miley Cyrus) And tomorrow, “if the world was ending”, let’s “Die with a Smile” (Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga).

Teaching and learning with GenAI toolkit

Toolkit

Whether you’re excited, curious, cautious, or somewhere in between, the BCcampus GenAI in Teaching and Learning Toolkit serves as your companion in exploring AI’s role in teaching and learning, especially in higher education settings. The toolkit advocates for a more nuanced approach, thoughtfully evolving our existing pedagogical practice. The focus is on cultivating GenAI literacy within our educational communities while building upon the strong foundation of proven teaching and learning principles that have always guided effective education.

What this toolkit offers

This resource is more than just a guide—it’s a space for reflection, exploration, and growth. We recognize that while some educators are already experimenting with GenAI in their classrooms, others may feel overwhelmed or unsure about where to begin. This toolkit meets you wherever you are on this journey, providing:

A foundation for understanding GenAI and its implications for education

Practical, hands-on approaches to exploring GenAI tools

Ethical frameworks for responsible implementation

Strategic guidance for integrating GenAI into your teaching practice

Resources for fostering community dialogue and collaborative learning

What you’ll find inside

The toolkit is structured into three parts:

Part 1: GenAI Basics

This section covers the fundamental aspects of generative AI, starting with an introduction to what GenAI is and why it holds potential and concerns for educators. It introduces common GenAI tools, explores effective interaction with these technologies through prompt literacy, and discusses the exploration and learning processes within GenAI platforms.

Module 1: Introduction to generative AI

Overview of GenAI and its relevance in education.

Exploration of common GenAI tools and their potential uses and limitations.

Module 2: Exploring GenAI tools

Introduction to common GenAI platforms used in education.

Applying a sandbox approach to learning about these tools.

Module 3: All about prompting (prompt literacy)

Understanding and mastering the art of effective prompt design to optimize interactions with GenAI.

Part 2: Ethical and creative use

Building on the basics, this module addresses the ethical dimensions of using GenAI in education. It includes discussions on academic integrity, the crafting of GenAI-inclusive syllabi and guidelines, and creative ways to integrate GenAI into teaching practices.

Module 4: Teaching GenAI ethics

Discussing ethical, legal, and societal issues surrounding the use of GenAI in education.

Module 5: Academic integrity and GenAI

Integrating resources and guidelines to uphold academic integrity in the context of GenAI.

Module 6: Enhancing human elements in designing learning with GenAI

Detailed exploration of innovative applications of GenAI in designing learning experiences that enhance critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration, and foster empathy and personalization.

Module 7: Designing assessment in the age of GenAI

Reimagining assessment strategies that can foster authentic and meaningful learning, enhance student engagement, and maintain academic integrity

Part 3: Reflection, response and creation to flourish with GenAI

This section helps you move from understanding and surviving towards action and flourishing by addressing GenAI challenges through practical reflection and responses, creating custom GenAI tools for your teaching context, and supporting digital wellbeing in the age of AI.