Dr. Farrah Arif had had it. The senior lecturer at the School of Business Management, Queen Mary University of London, decided it was time to do more than use AI as a topic of discussion. Instead, she integrated AI use into the learning process of her first-year students. Her goal was to teach them to evaluate, question, and reflect on AI outcomes, not simply present outputs.

The methodology to attain this objective hinged upon designing activities that would elevate AI from a shortcut or crutch to a tool for critical thinking. Arif used five elements to attain this outcome:

1. Encouraging interactive group sessions. Instead of traditional lectures, Arif asked students to use collaboration apps such as Mentimeter and Padlet to share ideas, respond to prompts, and analyze material during lectures, making her talks dynamic and participatory.
2. Learning by doing. Arif devised hands-on learning activities with specific AI tools so that students could learn to use them. (Not all incoming students had experience with AI apps.) The students did more than learn to use the apps; they were asked to assess their effectiveness and limitations. In addition, the assignments included an element of critical and ethical analysis.
3. Learning together. In small groups, students collaborated and interacted with peers. The setting allowed students to experience varied perspectives while they watched the importance of collaboration and communication in real time as they completed assignments.
4. Adding a flexible learning pace. Given that not all students in the course were at the same level of AI use and knowledge, Arif allowed them to practice and refine their work at their own pace.
5. Finishing up with a group project. Arif’s team project added a real-life experience element to students’ work. For this learning module, dshe tasked students with designing avatar-based influencer marketing campaigns for actual brands. Learners in Arif’s course developed 60-second AI-generated videos and created strategies that would build the videos into other promotional activities they designed.

The benefits of this framework are multifold. First, making AI central to the assignment had great appeal to today’s students. The team project also offered groups the freedom to choose a product to market from a multitude of industries. For example, one group decided to center its influencer campaign on a popular beverage for which the students created a virtual influencer script voicing key features consumers aged 18-34 sought in a beverage.

Next, the assignment provided assessment along the way from the instructor and peers, giving students time to revise and analyze.

Overall, this thoughtful, thorough learning module transcends the mere aptitude of using AI. Rather, students are guided throughout the course to think critically about AI use and outputs.

Perhaps even more important, this approach demonstrates to instructors the potential of AI as a pedagogical tool instead of a threat.

Source: Arif, F. (2026, August 4). Turning AI use into active learning. AACSB. http://www.aacsb.edu