| Title | AI-Powered Course Assistant for Forestry: Enhancing Engagement and Interactive Learning |
|---|---|
| Faculty/College/Unit | Forestry |
| Status | Active |
| Duration | 2 Year |
| Initiation | 04/01/2025 |
| Project Summary | With increasing diversity in student backgrounds, skill levels, and cultural experiences, Forestry instructors face growing challenges in meeting varied learning needs while ensuring quality education. Leveraging UBCO’s tutor bot, we aim to develop a GenAI tutor for large Forestry courses. Referring to verified materials, the AI tutor will explain course concepts, policies, and provide tailored guidance on assessments to foster independent problem-solving. To support students with varying English proficiency, the tool will integrate the Faculty of Forestry’s Multilingual Forestry Dictionary, offering verified explanations of forestry terms in multiple languages. The tool will also feature domain-specific, interactive support like a geomatics assistant and tree walk guide. By incorporating GenAI, we aim to reduce the workload on teaching teams, allowing them to focus on more complex student support while maintaining academic integrity. Ultimately, this project will foster an engaging and impactful learning environment for our diverse student body. |
| Funding Details | |
| Year 1: Project Year | Year 1 |
| Year 1: Funding Year | 2025/2026 |
| Year 1: Project Type | Large TLEF |
| Year 1: Principal Investigator | Sarah Gergel |
| Year 1: Funded Amount | 84,603 |
| Year 1: Team Members | Sarah Gergel, Professor, Forest and Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry Co-applicant: Michelle Zeng, Sr. Manager, Educational Strategies, Teaching and Learning Support (TLS) / Office of the Dean, Faculty of Forestry Project Team: Nicholas Coops, Head, Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry |