When it comes to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, Theodora (Dora) Kourkoulou, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Educational and Instructional Technology, is in her element.Theodora (Dora) Kourkoulou,
Kourkoulou, who teaches Teaching and Learning Technologies to students in the college’s Teacher Education Program, was recently highlighted in the Center for Teaching’s first installment of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Scholars Spotlight Series.
As a part of the SoTL Scholars Spotlight, Kourkoulou participated in a Q&A article, which was published by the Center for Teaching. The following excerpt is from that article:
“Tell us what you teach, what inspired your SoTL project, and what it focuses on.
Most students take the teaching and learning technologies course I teach early in their program. It introduces the concept of technology integration and how to use technology to teach. The idea for my SoTL project emerged from noticing how students engaged with artificial intelligence. I realized that while many students were familiar with the rhetoric of AI as a creative partner, they often lacked a clear understanding of how to use it creatively or thoughtfully. In practice, this meant relying on surface-level prompting – enter a prompt, receive a response, and move on without deeper processing or engagement. Ultimately, the goal is to help these future teachers foreground pedagogy over technology by clarifying their teaching values and principles first and then making intentional decisions about how and when AI can support their practice.
How has your disciplinary expertise shaped your approach and process of conducting your SoTL study?
I am fascinated by narratives of play in education, especially those that define play in relation to culture, structure, and power. Early in my academic journey, this interest took shape through gaming, as gaming was then a dominant way to think about playfulness in learning with technologies. While gaming remains important, playfulness in education has since shifted, particularly toward AI. This evolution directly informs my SoTL project, which explores how creativity emerges within AI structures when learners are encouraged to experiment, play, and get creative. I often tell my students I want them to be playful and creative – to see our classroom as a space where exploration matters more than rigid adherence to rubrics. In engaging playfully with AI – testing its limits, questioning its outputs, and even ‘breaking it,’ students develop a deeper understanding and more meaningful interactions with it.”