City University Qatar (CUQ), in partnership with Ulster University, concluded April’s CUQ Career Lab Series with a forward-looking workshop titled Integrating AI Tools to Enhance Pedagogical Practices. Held on 29th April 2025 at the Lusail Campus, the session was led by Dr George Mikros from Hamad Bin Khalifa University, who shared practical strategies for using AI to support and transform higher education teaching.

AI in the Classroom: From Theory to Application

The workshop opened with a look at the rising use of AI in global education. Citing recent surveys, Dr Mikros highlighted that over 90% of university faculty worldwide plan to expand their use of AI within the next two years, and that students are already engaging with generative AI on a weekly basis.

Attendees explored how tools like ChatGPT (GPT-4o), NotebookLM, and Gamma AI can streamline lesson planning, support content development, and create engaging, accessible materials.

Building Smarter Workflows with AI

Dr Mikros demonstrated how these tools can be integrated into a simple yet powerful workflow:
Generate ➝ Verify ➝ Visualise.

• ChatGPT was used to draft structured lesson plans, assessments, and class discussions.
• NotebookLM enabled real-time fact-checking and source-grounded answers, helping educators create accurate, evidence-based content.
• Gamma AI transformed that content into polished, interactive slides within minutes—ideal for lectures, revision guides, and conference materials.

Participants also learnt how to use the PROVE Framework for prompt engineering:
Purpose, Role, Output, Verification, and Examples—ensuring more reliable and targeted results from generative AI tools.

Responsible Use in Education

Beyond functionality, the workshop also addressed the importance of responsible AI integration. Dr Mikros reviewed ethical standards from UNESCO and the EU AI Act, touching on:

• Academic integrity and AI-resistant assessments
• Data privacy and transparency
• Human oversight and the need for institutional guidelines

He also presented practical methods for maintaining academic standards while embracing AI’s benefits, such as combining AI outputs with human review and using reflective journals in student assessments.

Preparing Educators for the Future

With AI rapidly shaping education, the session positioned digital literacy—and especially prompt engineering—as a core competency for modern educators. Faculty were encouraged to experiment, adapt, and lead innovation within their institutions.

As Dr Mikros concluded:
“The future belongs to the thinkers, the builders, and the innovators. In tomorrow’s world, intelligence is powered by chips—but insight is powered by you.”

Interested in the future of education?
Explore upcoming CUQ workshops and programmes here:
👉 https://cuq-ulster.edu.qa/careerlab