ITE Webinar: AI in the Classroom: Practical Tools and Critical Thinking

This webinar is led by the ITE Education Council and Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC)

When: November 3, 2026 | 2:00 -- 3:00 p.m. ET

Webinar Description:

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how educators teach and students learn. This joint ITE and CUTC webinar will explore practical, responsible ways to integrate AI into the classroom. helping educators save time while preparing students to use AI responsibly and critically.

The 60-minute webinar will focus on two key areas:

Using AI to Streamline Classroom Preparation
Explore practical workflows that demonstrate how AI can assist educators with developing and refreshing classroom materials. Panelists will share examples of using AI to help create materials such as assignments, discussion questions, lesson plans, presentations, and other instructional resources, while maintaining faculty expertise and oversight.

Teaching Students to Question and Validate AI
As students increasingly turn to AI, knowing how to use it responsibly is key. Educators can help students recognize when AI results may be incomplete, inaccurate, biased, or simply wrong. This discussion will explore approaches for teaching students to critically evaluate AI, validate information using trusted sources and professional knowledge, and understand where human judgment remains essential.

Throughout the webinar, panelists will share practical examples and approaches that transportation educators can adapt for their own courses.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify practical applications of AI for classroom preparation, including developing and refreshing assignments, lesson plans, discussion questions, presentations, and other instructional materials.
• Apply strategies for teaching students to critically evaluate AI-generated information, including recognizing potential inaccuracies, bias, incomplete information, and other limitations.
• Integrate responsible AI practices into transportation education by emphasizing validation with trusted sources, professional knowledge, and human judgment when using AI-generated content.

Moderator: Efthymia (Fay) Kostopoulou, Postdoctoral Scholar | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan, USA

Presenters:

• Mike Lanotte, Assistant Professor | Michigan State University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering | East Lansing, Michigan, USA
• William Mapp, Chief Technology Officer | Qlarant | Annapolis, Maryland, USA