Keynote Address: Mark Milliron, President of National University, Introduced by Dean Robert Lee: 10:00-10:55 PDT
An imperative of the modern age is to make sure we’re using technology, not being used by it. To that end, we’re called to catalyze conversations about how we use technology to bring us closer not isolate us, to help us learn well not scroll mindlessly, and in the end, to make human moments precious. In this session we’ll explore the perils and possibilities of this process together.
11:00-11:45 PDT: Invited Speaker: Ken Shelton
Ken Shelton (He/Him/His) is a highly distinguished, multi-award-winning professional and best-selling author in the field of education. He holds a Master’s degree in Education with a specific focus on Educational Technology and New Media Design and Production. His academic background is complemented by over two decades of teaching experience, with a significant part of his career devoted to shaping young minds at the Middle School level. Ken is an esteemed and highly sought-after thought leader in education, particularly in the areas of educational technology, learning experience design, and leadership development. Ken’s expertise also extends to the sphere of policy-making/policy advisement, including being a notable figure on a California State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Education Technology Task Force. A committed advocate for equitable learning opportunities, he regularly imparts knowledge, inspiration, and insights through keynote speeches, personalized consulting, organizational culture/change, school/district transformation, and hands-on workshops. His range of expertise covers an array of topics, including but not limited to, Organizational Leadership, Policy Analysis, Policy Development, School/District Transformation, Inclusive Learning Environments, Antibias/Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Media Literacy, Cultural Intelligence, Design, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and in the emerging technology field of Artificial Intelligence. His most recent impact in the area of AI includes supporting the development of school/district/system policy, advisement, professional development planning, and leading workshops for educators across all levels of responsibility. He is the co-author of a best-selling book on the topic of artificial intelligence titled, “The Promises and Perils of AI in Education: Ethics and Equity Have Entered the Chat.”
11:00-11:25 PDT: Heygen for Education: Zhuoer Chen
"Revolutionizing Learning with AI-Driven Video Creation In this session, we’ll explore how AI-powered video solutions like HeyGen are transforming the landscape of education and training. By consolidating roles traditionally filled by instructional designers, video editors, localization specialists, and voiceover artists, HeyGen empowers educators and institutions to create engaging, personalized, and multilingual learning experiences—at scale and speed. You’ll hear real-world case studies from institutions like the University of Zurich and Westbourne Grammar School, demonstrating how AI avatars and interactive video can personalize learning and break down global barriers."
11:30-11:55 PDT: Can artificial intelligence (AI) be an educational partner in the development of an interprofessional simulation experience for medical laboratory science (MLS) and nursing students?: Dana M. Wiley, MPH, MLS(ASCP)CM, Allyson Smith, MSN, RN, CNE, Cheryl Scott, EdD, RN, CHSE
"As healthcare education increasingly integrates technology to enhance learning outcomes, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising partner in curriculum design and interprofessional training. This presentation explores the application of AI in three key areas related to the development of a collaborative simulation event between nursing and laboratory sciences students. First, we describe how AI was utilized to develop an interactive review tool that facilitates student learning of the four Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies: values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams/teamwork. Through natural language processing and adaptive feedback mechanisms, the tool offers tailored learning experiences that reinforce these foundational principles. Second, we detail the design of an AI-assisted simulation case that promotes effective communication and mutual respect between disciplines. Using AI-generated scenarios informed by clinical data and evidence-based practice, students engaged in realistic, role-specific tasks that necessitated collaborative decision-making and cross-disciplinary dialogue. Lastly, we compare and contrast the AI-generated evaluation rubric for this simulation with established evidence-based assessment tools. This analysis highlights both the strengths and limitations of AI in aligning evaluative criteria with educational outcomes, offering insights into the rubric’s validity, usability, and inter-rater reliability. Collectively, our findings suggest that AI can serve as a valuable co-educator in the design, implementation, and assessment of interprofessional simulation events, enhancing both pedagogical efficiency and learner engagement. "
12:00-12:45 PDT: Invited Speaker: Punya Mishra
What happens when an AI can write a mathematically perfect poem, or analyze a piece of graffiti using a Marxist lens but can't tell which of two circles is bigger? Through surprising experiments with optical illusions, impossible figures, and collaborative art, this talk reveals the hidden contradictions at the heart of Creative AI—and why these "flaws" might actually be features. In this presentation, Punya Mishra will explore what it means to collaborate with a smart, drunk, biased, but supremely confident intern.
1:00-1:25 PDT: Bots and Balance: Designing AI Tools That Support Student Self-Regulation and Wellbeing: Jaime Bissa, PhD, EdS, MAEd, Dana M. Wiley, MPH, MLS(ASCP)CM, Cheryl Scott, EdD, RN, CHSE
"As digital learning environments grow more complex, so does the need to prioritize digital wellness and metacognitive skill development in education. This session explores how generative AI can be strategically used to support professional learning and student-facing tools that build self-regulation, goal-setting, and reflective thinking, skills essential for navigating both academic and digital challenges. Presenters will demonstrate two core strategies at the intersection of AI and digital wellness: Co-Designing Professional Learning on Metacognition: Showcasing how AI tools can be leveraged to collaboratively develop educator resources and learning experiences that promote metacognitive practices such as planning, monitoring, and evaluating learning strategies. This includes aligning with cognitive science, UDL principles, and digital wellbeing frameworks. Custom AI Chatbots for Metacognitive Support: Sharing the design and implementation of no-code AI chatbots (via Playlab) that act as interactive guides to help learners reflect on their thinking, track academic progress, and maintain balance in digitally intensive environments. These chatbots prompt users to engage in strategic learning behaviors while also supporting self-awareness and digital mindfulness. Examples will illustrate how chatbot flows are adapted to different learner profiles. The session will also address key ethical and pedagogical considerations when embedding AI tools into metacognitive learning workflows, including issues of accessibility, personalization, and data privacy. Whether you’re an instructional designer, faculty member, or digital learning leader, this session offers actionable strategies for building AI-integrated learning environments that enhance students’ metacognitive capacity while safeguarding their digital wellness. "
1:30-1:55 PDT: Designing AI-Powered Chatbots for Personalized Learning: A Showcase for Instructional Design and Student Support: Laura Baker, Jaime Bissa, PhD, EdS, MAEd
"As generative AI becomes more integrated into education, faculty and instructional designers have new opportunities to shape personalized learning environments that go beyond static LMS features. This session introduces Playlab, a no-code AI chatbot development platform, as a powerful, accessible tool for creating intelligent, adaptive learning companions tailored to course content, student needs, and instructional goals. Presenters will model how they have used Playlab to design course-specific chatbots that: - Scaffold instructional design processes - Guide students through complex assignments - Support metacognitive learning - Provide real-time, equitable access to personalized feedback and resources We will discuss how these chatbots are trained with course-specific inputs (such as rubrics, modules, and learning objectives) to align with pedagogical goals while enhancing student agency. The session will also examine the broader implications of AI-driven tutoring for accessibility, inclusive design, and digital equity, highlighting how auto-grading tools and intelligent feedback loops can empower learners, especially those historically marginalized by traditional instructional systems. Participants will see live demonstrations of chatbots in action, hear lessons learned from implementation across different course types, and leave with a practical framework for building their own bots using Playlab. Whether you’re new to AI or experienced in instructional technology, this session offers grounded examples of how customizable chatbot design can meaningfully support teaching, learning, and equity in digital learning environments. "
