The Science of Learning Meets AI

This research-grounded guide helps college educators use generative AI to strengthen, not sideline, what they already know about effective teaching.

Drawing on decades of experience in faculty development and learning science, Ludwig and Zakrajsek propose a three-stage progression model―Adapt, Create, Embed―to help faculty from any discipline thoughtfully incorporate AI into their teaching. Rather than chasing the latest tech tools, this book focuses on how AI can deepen student learning by enhancing time-tested frameworks such as TILT, Universal Design for Learning, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and Backward Design, all summarized in a handy appendix. Each chapter includes classroom-tested examples, reflection prompts, and activities ready for individual exploration or group discussion.

Whether you’re skeptical, curious, or cautiously optimistic, this book offers a clear, practical path to using AI as a partner, not a replacement, in ways that support students and reinvigorate teaching.

Lewis D. Ludwig is a Professor of Mathematics at Denison University, where he served from 2020 to 2025 as the Director of the Center for Learning and Teaching.

Todd D. Zakrajsek is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill and Director of the ITLC-Lilly Conferences on Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning.