Beyond the bot: learning how to learn with AI
Summary
Professor Brandi Row Lazzarini's courses at Willamette University teach students to effectively and responsibly use AI, enhancing their self-awareness and critical thinking through hands-on projects.
Why It Matters
As AI technology continues to evolve, understanding its implications on learning is crucial. This approach prepares students to navigate AI's complexities, fostering responsible use and critical engagement, which is essential in today's educational landscape.
Key Takeaways
- Students develop critical thinking and self-awareness to use AI responsibly.
- Courses emphasize meaningful projects that enhance student engagement with AI.
- AI is integrated into the learning process, not as a shortcut but as a tool for deeper understanding.
Skip to main content Beyond the bot: learning how to learn with AI by Paul McKean, February 12, 2026 Share facebook icon twitter icon linkedin icon Undergraduate Willamette University Associate Professor of Exercise and Health Science Brandi Row Lazzarini BA’96 approached artificial intelligence first as a learner. Working on a research project in 2023, just as ChatGPT was taking the world by storm, Row Lazzarini used AI to learn how to improve her computer programming skills for analyzing her biomechanics data. The experience piqued her curiosity, and she quickly started to think about how the technology might begin to shape her students’ learning. “I was observing how AI can help us learn, but also observing how it could interfere with learning,” Row Lazzarini says. “So I really just became interested in listening to all the perspectives I could find on the matter.” It’s an approach that she takes to helping students incorporate AI tools into their coursework. In her courses, students develop the self-awareness and critical thinking skills they need to use the technology effectively and responsibly. They then turn their insights into high-impact projects on topics that are relevant to them — from future physical therapists using AI to help develop patient education materials to first-year students exploring how AI might transform their own career search. A methodical approach Last fall’s first-year colloquium course “Generative AI and the Learning Experience” began with...
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