2025 SSG Awards

In 2025, three projects were funded through the SEIRI Seed Grants program to the total amount of $88,466. These projects represent innovative approaches to integrating emerging technologies and pedagogical methods into STEM education at Indiana University Indianapolis.

Intergrating Education About Generative AI into the Psychology Curriculum  

Principal Investigators:
Deborah Herold - Teaching Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Psychology
Amy Pearce - Teaching Professor, Neuroscience, Department of Psychology
Tina Chen - Lecturer, Department of Psychology

Abstract:
The use of generative AI (genAI) tools like ChatGPT is growing exponentially. These tools are impressive. They can increase efficiency and automate certain tasks. Students are increasingly turning to genAI to search for information, improve grammar and phrasing in written assignments, and generate ideas for projects. Some are relying on genAI tools to summarize required readings, search for answers on exams, and write papers for them. Dependence on genAI is a growing concern, and most students have likely not considered the potential long-term consequences of relying on genAI tools or how their use relates to their career readiness. While there are a plethora of workshops, articles, and books available on genAI and education, most are focused on how instructors can use genAI tools to streamline tasks or create assignments that require students to use genAI. There is less information on the cognitive, social, or ethical costs of relying on genAI. The discipline of psychology offers a unique perspective on this topic. Our curriculum offers courses on ethics, neuroscience, cognition, research methods, and lifespan development. Each course contains content that can be linked to both the risks and benefits of genAI use in school, at work, and at home. This project aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of discipline-based, educational materials that incorporate generative AI literacy into the Psychology Department curriculum. The goal is to encourage students to think critically about the costs and benefits of using generative AI tools, relying on relevant concepts from each course. 

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GeoEthics Modules (GEMs)

Principal Investigators:
Catherine Macris – Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Kathy Licht  – Professor and Department Chair, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Gabe Filipelli – Chancellor's Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Samuel Nyarko  – Assistant Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Andrea Jain – Professor, Department of Religious Studies
Samuel Kahn – Professor, Department of Philosophy

Abstract:
This project aims to design, implement, and evaluate a set of interdisciplinary instructional modules. GeoEthics Modules (GEMs) will integrate ethical reasoning into Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) courses. Led by a team of faculty from EES and the School of Liberal Arts (SLA) at Indiana University Indianapolis, the project builds on the success of prior GeoEquity Modules to focus more explicitly on ethical frameworks for decision-making in scientific contexts. The GEMs will use real-world, place-based environmental issues, such as aging water infrastructure in Indianapolis and the Colorado River Compact's impact on Indigenous communities, to guide students through structured ethical reasoning using Kidder’s model of ends-based, rule-based, and care-based thinking.

The project has two main objectives: (1) to revise and expand GEMs and implement them in a range of EES courses, and (2) to assess their impact using a Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) approach. The modules will follow a flipped-classroom format that includes pre-class preparation, in-class ethical discussions, and post-class reflections. While each module is delivered in a single class period, the format is intentionally modular, allowing for scalable implementation across the curriculum.

Collaboration is a cornerstone of the project. Liberal Arts faculty will co-design and co-facilitate the modules alongside EES instructors, supported by a faculty Community of Practice. An interdisciplinary team will conduct both qualitative and quantitative analysis to assess student outcomes such as ethical reasoning, empathy, and disciplinary identity. These assessment tools will be refined in partnership with SEIRI experts, with consideration given to integrating validated instruments for ethical reasoning.

GEMs are expected to engage 300–400 undergraduate students over the two-year grant period and will remain embedded in the curriculum beyond the duration of the grant. By promoting cross-disciplinary faculty collaboration and values-based STEM instruction, this project aligns with IU Indianapolis’s strategic goals and national calls for integrating ethics into undergraduate science education. It also lays a strong foundation for external funding proposals aimed at scaling this work to other disciplines and institutions.

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Training Tomorrow's Health AI Leaders: Cross-Disciplinary EMR Innovation for Experiential Learning

Principal Investigators:
Saptarshi Purkayastha – Professor and Program Director of Health Informatics, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics

Abstract:
Our project, Training Tomorrow’s Health AI Leaders: Cross-Disciplinary EMR Innovation for Experiential Learning, advances discipline-based education research (DBER) by systematically integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into health informatics pedagogy through AI-enhanced educational electronic medical record (EMR) systems. Building upon a previously funded SEIRI grant, the initiative aims to strengthen competency-based learning across undergraduate and graduate programs in the Biomedical Engineering and Informatics (BMEI) Department at Indiana University Indianapolis and four partner institutions. The project’s core objective is to design, implement, and evaluate AI-augmented EMR platforms that provide authentic, hands-on learning experiences aligned with contemporary healthcare practice.

Three specific aims guide this work: (1) developing AI-integrated EMRs to support eHealth workforce preparation, (2) assessing the impact of AI-driven clinical decision support and automated coding through usability studies, and (3) validating scalability through multi-institutional collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, Grand Valley State University, SUNY Downstate, and the University of Pittsburgh. Grounded in situated and experiential learning theories, the instructional redesign incorporates active learning and the TPACK framework to foster ethical, human-centered AI literacy.

A longitudinal, mixed-methods evaluation framework based on Kirkpatrick’s model will measure student learning outcomes, behavioral application, and institutional impact. Approximately 700 students will benefit from the intervention. The open-source nature of the AI-enhanced EMR promotes accessibility and scalability, positioning the platform as a replicable model for national curricular reform. Broader impacts include contributions to educational research methodology, health informatics policy, and preparation of an AI-literate healthcare workforce leaders. Findings and materials will be widely disseminated through Creative Commons licensing, a dedicated project website, national conference presentations, and publications.
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