During the spring 2026, GenAI raised multiple conversations and questions among higher education teachers, addressing a need for joint discussions related to the expectations, concerns, and future thoughts about the use of AI in higher education context. This was a valuable moment for our project to contribute professional development and practices of higher education teachers by facilitating a workshop around the topics of AI and learning. 

The workshop focused on mapping teachers’ current thoughts and experiences of using AI as part of their work in higher education. The discussions raised multiple important perspectives on co-creating sustainable AI-mediated practices in the higher education context, including tensions in professional ethics and aims when using AI for teaching, differing institutional expectations for AI use, willingness to find the most beneficial ways of supporting student learning in the age of AI, and at the same time, the urgency of developing well-grounded pedagogical practices in this new landscape. We thank our twelve participants from different fields, who opened up a valuable conversation about how we should support teachers in developing their teaching in AI-mediated higher education. 

The workshop was facilitated by Anni Silvola from the RESHAPE project and Heidi Niemelä, university teacher and doctoral researcher in sociolinguistics. During the upcoming academic year 2026–27, the project will facilitate another AI-focused workshop with teachers.