Fall 2026 AI Foundations Series Launches This August

Digital Learning Technologies is excited to introduce the Fall 2026 AI Foundations Series, a semester-long professional learning opportunity designed for students, staff, researchers, and faculty who want to build practical skills with today's most impactful AI tools.

The series combines weekly Thursday workshops with Tuesday Tinker Labs, creating a hands-on learning experience that helps participants move beyond theory and confidently apply AI in teaching, learning, research, and workplace productivity.

Throughout the semester, participants will explore leading AI platforms including:

• ChatGPT Edu
• Google Gemini
• NotebookLM
• Microsoft Copilot
• Perplexity
• Claude (pending enterprise availability)
• Emerging AI technologies and specialized tools

Workshops will cover AI fundamentals, prompt engineering, responsible AI use, document analysis, research support, workflow design, and practical higher education applications. Tinker Labs provide dedicated time for experimentation, project work, and individualized support from Digital Learning Technologies staff.

 

Learning Outcomes

By participating in the series, attendees will:

• Develop foundational AI literacy
• Understand the capabilities and limitations of major AI platforms
• Learn effective prompting and workflow strategies
• Explore ethical and responsible AI use
• Gain confidence selecting the right AI tool for specific tasks
• Build practical skills through guided, hands-on practice

 

Registration

The series begins Thursday, August 27, 2026, with ChatGPT Edu Fundamentals and concludes on December 10 with the AI Foundations Showcase & Semester Wrap-Up, where participants can share projects, lessons learned, and innovative use cases.

Thursday Workshops: 1:00–2:00 PM | Click to register
Tuesday Tinker Labs: 1:00–2:00 PM | Click to register

Registration is free for members of the University community.

 

Schedule

Thursday, August 27:  ChatGPT Edu Fundamentals

Learn the basics of ChatGPT Edu, including prompting techniques, document analysis, brainstorming, content creation, and productivity workflows. Participants will explore how ChatGPT can support teaching, learning, research, and administrative work.

Tuesday, September 1:  ChatGPT Edu Tinker Lab

Bring your own projects and questions for guided experimentation with ChatGPT Edu. Staff will provide individualized support and demonstrate advanced prompting strategies.

Thursday, September 3:  Google Gemini Fundamentals

Explore Google’s AI ecosystem and learn how Gemini can assist with writing, research, summarization, multimodal interactions, and productivity within Google Workspace.

Tuesday, September 8:  Gemini Tinker Lab

Practice using Gemini for real-world scenarios and receive hands-on assistance developing prompts and workflows.

Thursday, September 10:  NotebookLM Fundamentals

Discover how NotebookLM helps users interact with their own documents, create AI-generated summaries, develop study guides, and synthesize information from multiple sources.

Tuesday, September 15:  NotebookLM Tinker Lab

Bring your own materials and learn how to build notebooks, generate insights, and create personalized learning resources.

Thursday, September 17:  AI 101: Introduction to Generative AI

New to AI? This session provides a foundational overview of generative AI, large language models, responsible AI use, privacy considerations, and selecting the right tool for the task.

Tuesday, September 22:  AI Exploration Tinker Lab

Explore various AI tools and ask questions about practical applications in teaching, learning, research, and administrative work.

Thursday, September 24:  ChatGPT Edu Fundamentals

A repeat offering designed for new participants or those seeking additional practice with ChatGPT Edu fundamentals.

Tuesday, September 29:  ChatGPT Edu Tinker Lab

Hands-on practice and personalized support.

Thursday, October 1:  Google Gemini Fundamentals

Learn how Gemini can streamline research, content development, collaboration, and productivity.

Tuesday, October 6:  Gemini Tinker Lab

Experiment with Gemini features and workflows.

Thursday, October 8:  NotebookLM Fundamentals

Learn strategies for transforming documents into searchable knowledge bases, study materials, and synthesized reports.

Fall Break: October 10–18

No Workshops or Tinker Labs

Tuesday, October 20;  NotebookLM Tinker Lab

Post-break practice session and project support.

Thursday, October 22:  AI 101: Prompt Engineering Across Platforms

Learn universal prompting techniques that work across ChatGPT, Gemini, NotebookLM, and other AI tools. Participants will explore frameworks for obtaining better results and reducing AI errors.

Tuesday, October 27:  AI Exploration Tinker Lab

Apply prompting strategies and compare outputs across multiple AI platforms.

Thursday, October 29:  ChatGPT Edu Fundamentals

Focus on advanced prompting, custom workflows, and higher education use cases.

Tuesday, November 3:  ChatGPT Edu Tinker Lab

Open practice and project support.

Thursday, November 5:  Google Gemini Fundamentals

Explore advanced features, multimodal capabilities, and integrations within the Google ecosystem.

Tuesday, November 10:  Gemini Tinker Lab

Hands-on exploration and workflow development.

Thursday, November 12:  NotebookLM Fundamentals

Develop strategies for research, literature reviews, study support, and information synthesis.

Tuesday, November 17:  NotebookLM Tinker Lab

Build and refine NotebookLM projects with expert guidance.

Thursday, November 19:  AI 101: Emerging AI Tools

Explore emerging platforms such as Claude (if available through an institutional agreement), Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, and other developing AI technologies. Learn where each tool excels and how to choose the appropriate platform for specific tasks.

Tuesday, November 24:  AI Exploration Tinker Lab

Compare tools and experiment with emerging AI technologies.

Thanksgiving Break: November 26–29

No Workshops

Tuesday, December 1:  Open AI Tinker Lab

An open lab for participants to receive support on any AI-related project or platform.

Thursday, December 3:  AI 101: Building Your AI Workflow

Learn how to combine multiple AI tools into efficient workflows for teaching, learning, research, content creation, and administrative productivity.

Tuesday, December 8:  End-of-Semester AI Tinker Lab

Final opportunity for hands-on support, project development, and consultation.

Thursday, December 10:  AI Foundations Showcase & Semester Wrap-Up

Celebrate participant successes, share innovative use cases, discuss lessons learned, and preview upcoming AI initiatives and training opportunities.

We look forward to helping members of the University community build confidence, competence, and creativity with AI throughout the Fall 2026 semester!

Questions?  contact Tony Sams