By Our Reporter
Shillong, April 17: Educators from four leading colleges gathered at Union Christian College (UCC), Shillong, for a dynamic two-day workshop focused on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into a participatory teaching and learning framework. The initiative aimed to equip faculty members with practical strategies for navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education.
The Faculty Development Workshop, titled “AI-native Education – Its Participatory Paradigm in Teaching and Learning,” was held at UCC Shillong on April 15 and 16.
The programme opened with welcome remarks from UCC Vice Principal Dr MC Daimary, followed by an address from Jesuit Fr. Dr. Xavier Vedam, general secretary of the All India Association for Christian Higher Education (AIACHE), who shed light on the vision behind the initiative.
Jointly organised by AIACHE, Scottish Church College, and St. Paul’s Cathedral Mission College, Kolkata, with support from ASIANetwork (an initiative of the United Board, New York), the event drew around 80 faculty members from the participating institutions.
The workshop featured eight interactive technical sessions designed to foster active engagement and collaboration. The opening session, “The Participatory Paradigm: World Café,” was skillfully facilitated by Dr Mark Pixely of Leadership Inc. (Shenzhen, China), setting a collaborative tone for the rest of the workshop. This was followed by a session on “Project-Based Learning” led by Professor Loren Weybright, an international education consultant from New York.
The first day continued with insightful presentations: “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Higher Education” by Prof Varghese Panthalookaran from Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology, Kerala, and “Implications for Teaching in the Disciplines” by Dr Glen Shive (Scotland). An additional session conducted online by Prof. Spencer Benson (Washington, D.C.) deepened understanding of AI’s role in higher education.
Day two began with Dr Pixely leading a session on “The Participatory Paradigm – Open Space Technology,” which employed a unique three-tiered self-structuring process. Participants were empowered to raise critical questions, develop ideas, and explore the central theme: “Issues and Opportunities in Implementing the Participatory Paradigm in Higher Education.”
Following lunch, Prof Weybright guided participants through practical applications of project-based learning, including methods for effective formative and summative assessments. The workshop concluded with group discussions, facilitated by Dr Pixely, focused on actionable follow-up plans within each participating institution.
Conference Coordinator Dr Banshaikupar L Mawlong highlighted a key takeaway:
“We have transitioned from instruction-based to research-based education. Now, we’ve gained valuable insights into entrepreneurial education — where success is measured by students recouping their educational investment through start-ups and effectively pitching their ideas in a ‘shark tank’ scenario.”
It may be noted that a similar workshop featuring the same facilitators was successfully conducted at Scottish Church College, Kolkata, on April 11 and 12.