by Sandra Abegglen & Barbara Brown, University of Calgary, Canada.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education – but while much of the global conversation focuses on policy and prediction, a new open-access publication from the University of Calgary takes a different approach. AI in Higher Education Innovation Exchange (2025) brings together educators who are not just talking about AI but actively experimenting with it in their classrooms, programs and institutions.
The book—which is freely available via Pressbooks and PRISM—features a collection of case studies written by faculty, learning designers, librarians and students, exploring what happens when AI meets pedagogy in real-world contexts. The result is a vibrant and critically reflective snapshot of a sector in motion: educators navigating possibilities, challenges and ethical questions as they learn alongside the technology itself.
From event to exchange: a model of transdisciplinary collaboration
The publication originated from the AI in Higher Education Innovation Exchange, a one-day event held on June 12, 2025, at the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Ethics, Literacy, and Integrity (CAIELI) at the University of Calgary. Supported by a Transdisciplinary Scholarship Connector Grant, the exchange brought together educators, researchers and academic leaders from across disciplines, including education, computer science, ethics, the social sciences, humanities and libraries, to imagine new ways of integrating AI into higher education.
The day featured lightning talks, collaborative writing sessions, and a hands-on ‘AI Case Study Studio’ to help authors write about their practice. This innovative tool enabled participants to co-create case studies by engaging directly with AI systems, using them not only as subjects of reflection but as partners in knowledge-making. This blend of critical discussion and creative experimentation shaped the foundation for the open-access collection that followed.
Research in action: learning with AI, not just about it
Each case study in the book documents ‘research in action,’ offering insights into the lived experience of integrating AI into teaching and learning. Some contributors explored how AI can support creative assessment design or enhance student feedback. Others examined issues of academic integrity, digital literacy and equity – asking what ethical, transparent and inclusive AI use might look like in different institutional settings.
The contributors didn’t just write about AI; they used it as part of their creative process. The AI Case Study Studio supported rapid drafting and synthesis, modelling how human-AI collaboration can generate new forms of scholarly and pedagogical knowledge. The process itself became an inquiry, raising questions about authorship, creativity, and what it means to think and write alongside intelligent systems.
An invitation to the sector
More than a book, AI in Higher Education Innovation Exchange represents a model for collective knowledge-making. It demonstrates the value of transdisciplinary collaboration in a rapidly evolving educational landscape, where technological innovation meets human creativity, care, and criticality.
The editors invite educators, researchers and students to explore the collection, adapt its ideas, and contribute to the ongoing conversation. As AI continues to reshape higher education, projects like this remind us that innovation flourishes not in isolation, but through community, experimentation and exchange.
Dr. Barbara Brown, PhD, Associate Professor at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.
Dr. Sandra Abegglen, PhD, Researcher and Postdoctoral Candidate, University of Calgary, Canada.
Reference and acknowledgement:
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