Building a Discipline-Specific Faculty Learning Community for AI Conversations in Healthcare
When a Microbiology instructor piloted Blackboard’s AI Conversation tool to simulate nurse–patient dialogues, students described the experience as transformative, helping these future nurses practice empathy, clinical reasoning, and science communication in realistic, low-stakes ways. Seeing this impact, our teaching and learning center launched a discipline-specific Faculty Learning Community (FLC) for Nursing and Public Health faculty. The FLC invited educators, writing specialists, and academic computing partners to explore using an AI Conversation tool in our Learning Management System through shared examples, reflective discussion, and asynchronous collaboration spaces. Within one semester, FLC participation doubled as faculty developed confidence designing AI-supported role plays aligned with clinical communication outcomes and spread the word among their colleagues. This session shares a replicable framework for building an AI-focused, discipline-specific FLC that can be used with any LMS or AI tools. This includes meeting structure, cross-functional partnerships, and strategies for assessing impact to help your campus connect locally across disciplines while thinking globally about ethical, effective AI integration.
Presenters
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Christine Rodriguez
Associate Director Center for Academic Excellence and Professor of the Practice Biology,
Fairfield University
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Jay Rozgonyi
Assoc. Vice Provost for Pedagogical Innovation & Effectiveness,
Fairfield University
Resources & Downloads
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PPT Slides PDF file for Building a Discipline Specific FLC AI Conversations in Healthcare
Updated on 3/8/2026