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Shillong Hosts Faculty Workshop on AI Integration in Higher Education

By CM Paul |

Shillong, April 16, 2025: Educators from four prominent colleges convened at Union Christian College (UCC) Shillong for a dynamic two-day workshop focused on incorporating artificial intelligence into a participatory teaching and learning framework. The initiative aimed to equip faculty members with essential strategies for navigating the evolving landscape of higher education.

The Faculty Development Workshop, titled “AI-native Education - its Participatory Paradigm in Teaching and Learning,” took place at UCC Shillong on April 15th and 16th, 2025.

The program commenced with welcoming remarks from UCC Vice Principal Dr. M.C. Daimary, followed by an address from Jesuit Fr. Dr. Xavier Vedam, General Secretary of the All India Association for Christian Higher Education (AIACHE), who provided insights into the program's inception.

Organized collaboratively by AIACHE, Scottish Church College, and St Paul’s Cathedral Mission College, Kolkata, with support from ASIANetwork (an initiative of United Board New York), the event drew approximately 80 faculty members from the participating institutions.

The workshop featured eight interactive technical sessions designed to foster active engagement among attendees. The opening session, "The Participatory Paradigm: World Cafe," was expertly facilitated by Dr. Mark Pixely of Leadership Inc (Shenzhen, China), setting a collaborative tone for the subsequent discussions. This was followed by a session on "Project Based Learning" led by Professor Loren Weybright, an International Educational Consultant from New York.

The afternoon of the first day continued with insightful presentations on "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Higher Education" by Prof. Varghese Panthalookaran from Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology, Kerala, and the "Implications for Teaching in The Disciplines" by Dr. Glen Shive (Scotland). A fifth session, conducted online by Prof. Spencer Benson (Washington DC), further broadened the understanding of "AI and Higher Education."

The second day began with Dr. Mark Pixely leading a session on "The Participatory Paradigm - Open Space Technology." This session employed a unique three-tiered self-structuring meeting process, empowering participants to raise questions, develop concepts, and deepen their understanding of the conference theme: "Issues and Opportunities to implement the Participatory Paradigm in Higher Education."

Following lunch, Professor Weybright guided participants in the practical application of project-based learning, including effective strategies for formative and summative evaluations. The workshop concluded with Dr. Pixely facilitating discussions within groups from the same institution, focusing on concrete follow-up actions and implementation strategies.

Dr. Bhanshai L. Mawlong, the Conference Coordinator, emphasized a significant takeaway from the workshop: "We have transitioned from instruction-based education to research-based education. Now, we have gained insights into entrepreneurial education, where the success of education is measured by students recouping their educational investment through start-ups and effectively pitching their ideas in a 'shark tank' scenario."

Notably, a similar and successful program featuring the same facilitators was previously held at Scottish Church College Kolkata on April 11th and 12th.

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