St. Joseph University held a two-day faculty workshop on AI tools, equipping educators with smart teaching practices and hands-on AI skills.
DIMAPUR — The Internal Quality Assurance Cell of St. Joseph University (SJU), Chümoukedima, organised a two-day faculty development workshop on the theme "AI tools with smart teaching practices" on June 29 and 30.
Held at the seminar hall and digital library, the programme witnessed participation from faculty members and focused on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into modern teaching practices, stated an update.
The inaugural address was delivered by Chancellor Rev. Fr. Dr. JE Arul Raj, who highlighted the growing importance of generative AI in education.
He stressed the practical applications of tools such as Google Translate, noting that language should no longer be a barrier to learning and communication. He encouraged educators to embrace emerging technologies to create inclusive learning environments and urged them to continuously upgrade their skills, sharing his vision to transform the university into an AI-enabled hub promoting innovation and academic excellence.
The technical sessions on the first day were conducted by Dr. Nagaraju Baydeti, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the National Institute of Technology, Nagaland.
In the morning session on "AI in teaching practices: Theoretical concept", he introduced the fundamentals of AI and its relevance in higher education.
He explained how AI tools can enhance lesson planning, content creation, student engagement, and assessment, while also highlighting ethical use and academic integrity.
The afternoon sessions consisted of practical learning labs where participants received hands-on training in AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini. Dr. Baydeti demonstrated how AI can be effectively used to design instructional materials, prepare presentations, generate rubrics, and manage time efficiently.
On the second day of the workshop, the technical sessions were led by Dr. Uzzal Sharma, Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science at Birangana Sati Sadhani Rajyik Vishwavidyalaya, Assam.
In the first session, Dr. Sharma focused on the practical integration of AI in teaching and learning. He demonstrated the use of advanced tools such as NotebookLM, showcasing how they can generate presentations, summaries, and infographics from uploaded content. He also illustrated how to create professional institutional profiles using faculty biodata.
The second session provided extensive hands-on experience with tools such as NotebookLM, Claude AI, Stitch, and Gamma. Participants learned to create interactive dashboards using Google Sheets, automate tasks in Microsoft Excel through VBA code, and develop visually appealing presentations.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Sharma stated that AI should be seen as a supportive tool that enhances, rather than replaces, the teaching-learning process, and encouraged educators and students to use AI responsibly to foster deeper understanding and critical thinking.