Collaborative Research: Integrating Responsible Generative AI Applications and Role-Playing Simulations to Improve Undergraduate Education and Practice in Technology-Based Design

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving undergraduate STEM education in technology-based design fields through the structured and responsible learning experiences with Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). GenAI is changing professional work in animation, game development, web design, graphic design, and multimedia production, and students preparing for these fields can benefit from learning to use AI tools ethically, creatively, and with professional judgment. The significance and importance of this project lie in its focus on strengthening students’ AI literacy, purposeful GenAI use, prompt-design practices, client communication, design judgment, and readiness for AI-influenced technology careers. Specifically, this Level 1 Engaged Student Learning project plans to develop a modular GenAI course and AI-powered client avatars that simulate realistic client interactions in project-based design contexts. By integrating AI literacy, structured prompt engineering, project-based learning, and role-playing simulation, the project intends to promote more intentional student engagement with GenAI and support students as they interpret design requirements, refine ideas, communicate with clients, and make responsible design decisions. The project has the potential to provide a practical and adaptable instructional model for technology-focused programs seeking to prepare students for emerging STEM-related careers shaped by AI. The project seeks to achieve three main goals: develop a modular GenAI course for undergraduate Computer Graphics Technology students; create interactive AI-powered client avatars to support authentic role-playing simulations; and study the effectiveness of these instructional components in improving students’ AI-related learning outcomes and design practices. The scope of the project includes primary implementation in required Computer Graphics Technology courses at North Carolina A&T State University, additional implementation in related Computer Graphics Technology and non-Computer Graphics Technology courses, and replication at Rowan University to examine transferability across courses, instructors, institutions, and student populations. Using a design-based, mixed-methods research approach, the project plans to study how structured GenAI instruction and AI-powered client simulation influence students’ AI literacy, learning outcomes, design decision-making, and perceptions of professional relevance. Assessment and evaluation activities are expected to examine student learning outcomes, student work, GenAI interaction processes, implementation quality, and the instructional value of the AI-powered client simulations. Through dissemination efforts that include a project website, open-access instructional resources, instructor workshops, conference presentations, journal articles, and educator networks, the project plans to share the instructional model and research findings with institutions seeking to integrate GenAI into technology-based STEM learning contexts. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.