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Demystifying AI: A Practical Introduction for Instructors

  • Page ID
    251498
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    Message from the Author

    ✉️ AI for Teaching: Foundations and First Steps

    Welcome—and thank you for taking the time to explore this resource.

    Whether you’re feeling curious, cautious, or overwhelmed by artificial intelligence (AI), you’re not alone. Like many educators, I’ve been watching AI evolve from a distant concept into a daily reality. What once felt futuristic now shows up in grading tools, writing assistants, and even the questions our students are asking. This book was created to help instructors navigate that shift—with clarity, curiosity, and confidence.

    This isn’t a book about becoming an AI expert. It’s a book about starting where you are. It’s about understanding what AI is, how it works at a basic level, and how it can (and can’t) support your teaching. It’s written for instructors across disciplines and levels of technical comfort, with real-world teaching in mind—not theoretical research or tech-sector hype.

    In this book, you’ll find:

    • Plain-language explanations of AI tools and terms
    • Practical examples of how instructors are using AI to save time, support students, and strengthen engagement
    • Space for reflection about ethics, equity, and the future of learning

    I believe we don’t need to fear AI, but we do need to understand it. And that starts with honest, accessible conversations grounded in education, not automation.

    If this book helps you feel even 10% more prepared to explore, question, or try a tool, then it’s doing its job. Thank you for being willing to learn alongside your students, your colleagues, and the rest of us, navigating this together.

    Warmly,
    Pamela L. Huntington
    Instructional Designer / Faculty
    Merced College
    Fall 2025


    This page titled Demystifying AI: A Practical Introduction for Instructors is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Pamela Huntington, Merced College.