Exploring AI and Learning in the Age of Generative Intelligence
Join us for two thought-provoking talks from University of Missouri–Kansas City faculty — Dr. Alexis Petri and Dr. Larry Wigger — exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming teaching, learning, and cognitive development.
A brief reception will follow — all are welcome.
Talk 1：Critical AI Literacies: Navigating the Andragogical and Heutagogical Terrain of Generative AI
Abstract: As generative AI reshapes higher education, a new challenge emerges—not of access, but of literacy. “Critical AI Literacies” explores the tension between corporate and educational frameworks of AI and the shifting ground between andragogy and heutagogy in teaching and learning. Drawing on conversations with recent graduates, business leaders, and faculty, this session examines how neurodivergent learners and instructors alike traverse this evolving landscape—where critical reflection, ethical awareness, and inclusive design must guide the use of AI as both tool and teacher.
Bio: As Director of the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence and Associate Research Professor of English and of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Foundations at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, I study how narrative, data, and design intersect to create more humane and accessible academic systems. My research bridges faculty learning, digital accessibility, and organizational storytelling, extending into applied studies on program evaluation and institutional capacity building for partners such as the National Science Foundation and the Carnegie Foundation. Current work explores Critical AI Literacies and the andragogical and heutagogical dimensions of generative AI in higher education.
Talk 2：Pedagogy versus Heutagogy: Neuroscience-Informed Strategies for AI-Enhanced Classrooms
Abstract: Artificial intelligence now sits at the center of both work and learning, challenging educators to strengthen, not surrender, human cognition. This paper links economic change, cognitive neuroscience, and educational pedagogy to show how critical thinking becomes the decisive learning outcome in an AI age. Drawing from research on memory, feedback, and reinforcement, it then outlines how knowledge is built, not merely accessed. These principles are then applied in redesigning an undergraduate analytics course using an AI platform to individualize challenge and feedback. The result is a model for teaching that uses AI to cultivate reasoning, adaptability, and ethical awareness.
Bio: I have served on full-time faculty at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management, University of Missouri – Kansas City, since 2015. My appointment is as Teaching Professor of Supply Chain Management, with a secondary appointment as Faculty Director of Accreditation, Assessment, and Data Reporting. I hold a PhD in Economics and a Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics from UMKC, a Master of Science in Supply Chain Management and a general MBA from Elmhurst University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from William Jewell College. My research agendas include blockchain use to improve supply chain visibility, public policy options to mitigate workforce constraints, and automation impacts in the workplace. My graduate studies in three tangential disciplines, combined with two decades of industry experience, have equipped me to contribute substantively at this nexus of accelerating technological change, business innovation, and societal shifts.
Special Guest: Shu-Ching Chen
Shu-Ching Chen, Ph.D., executive director of the Data Science and Analytics Innovation Center (dSAIC) — a University of Missouri System–wide center — will attend the reception following the talks.