GenAI Educational Research CAIT 2026–27

The 2026–27 GenAI Educational Research CAIT is one of the stipended communities of practice in UO's AI Year of Action. Faculty fellows collaborate on educational research into how generative AI (GenAI) is reshaping teaching and learning at UO. The CAIT is facilitated by Prof. Jenefer Husman (College of Education) and Dr. Ali Söken (Teaching Engagement Program). It builds on Educational Research in Action, TEP’s ongoing initiative, where you can read about previous cohorts’ studies.

This year's main study brings student voices into curricular change. TEP is supporting 10–12 academic units as their faculty rethink their curricula in light of GenAI, and our CAIT will work closely with that effort. We will engage with undergraduate students in participating units through focus groups and interviews, and bring what we learn into the units' conversations. Along the way, we will develop and test a protocol and build practical know-how that other UO units can adapt and use on their own.

Overarching question

How do undergraduate majors perceive the value, relevance, and coherence of their disciplinary curriculum as GenAI reshapes learning and work, and how can these perspectives inform unit-level curricular change?

And three sub-questions:

• Value and relevance. How do students describe the value and relevance of their major's curriculum for the futures they imagine, and how do they see those perceptions changing with GenAI?
• Coherence of faculty approaches. How do students experience faculty approaches to GenAI across courses in their major: as coherent, contradictory, or absent? How do they navigate the differences?
• Cohort norms. What shared values and practices around GenAI do students see emerging among majors in their program? To what extent do these come from faculty or unit guidance, and to what extent from peers informally?

Ongoing Motivation Study

Fellows will also have the opportunity to analyze and discuss data from our ongoing IRB-approved study of how students' motivation relates to how much, and how, they use GenAI.

Career and tenure-related faculty teaching in 2026–27. We will select up to 5 fellows.New to educational research? Please apply. This is a welcoming space for newcomers. Experience with qualitative research, focus group interviews, or curriculum change work is a plus, but none of it is required. We provide support and training within the team and pair newer researchers with experienced colleagues. Curiosity about students' experiences and a commitment to equity-minded teaching matter just as much.

Fellows contribute to three main parts of the work: shaping the research design, conducting focus groups and interviews with students, and analyzing and coding the data. Focus groups and interviews will be recorded and transcribed. IRB work will be limited, because we plan to modify our existing approved protocol rather than submit a new one.

• Fall: Kickoff meeting. Get to know each other and begin shaping the design.
• Winter: Finalize the protocol and the IRB modification, and begin focus groups and interviews.
• Spring: Complete focus groups and interviews, analyze the data, share findings with participating units, and present at the June 7 Symposium.

Time Commitment

Altogether, expect roughly 2–4 hours per month outside meetings in winter and 4–6 hours per month in spring. We will plan the schedule together at the kickoff so the load is shared fairly.

Questions?

Ali Söken, Teaching Engagement Program alisoken@uoregon.edu · 541-346-1182