Challenge
Mary Dobson, Professor, Interior Decorating in the Design and Visual Arts Programs at Georgian College in Ontario, describes herself as a beginner in using AI in teaching. She advocates for embracing AI as an educational tool rather than resisting it, emphasizing the importance of engaging with technologies students are already using.
A central objective for Professor Dobson in integrating AI-based activities and assignments is to model how students might apply AI in their professional practice after graduation.
Experimentation and Results
In Fall 2024, Professor Dobson introduced AI into the second-year course, Professional Practice. Students were tasked with creating a collage reflecting their individual design style and personal brand. Using AI tools, they prompted AI to generate three images aligned with their described vision and to compose a brand statement. Students then evaluated the accuracy of the AI-generated content in aligning with their described vision and reflected on their experience engaging with AI tools.
This in-class activity sparked significant enthusiasm, collaboration and discussion. Students eagerly shared both their results and insights from creating a presentation of their design style and working with AI.
The students had a choice of using Copilot or ChatGPT for their research and, although some encountered initial difficulties, the activity provided valuable experience using their phones as learning tools and in conducting fruitful conversations with AI.
In early 2025, Professor Dobson attended a one-day workshop at Georgian College on using AI tools from Anthology to create role-play assignments to increase student engagement. She immediately saw potential applications for her courses and began developing ideas during the workshop.
Professor Dobson teaches in the one-year certificate program, Art and Design Fundamentals, which brings together students with diverse interests, including graphic arts, game design and simulation, and interior design. Her course focuses on fundamentals of the design process, including documentation. Many artistically inclined students find this content unappealing. To combat their disinterest, she developed an AI-based assignment requiring students to conceptualize a living room design, including sourcing furniture.
She used Anthology to develop a tool she called The Furniture Helper, which guided students beyond familiar furniture retailers toward quality Canadian sources. The tool asked targeted questions to refine vague prompts like “a brown armchair” into more detailed design requirements. Once their preferences were defined, students received names of suitable furniture companies matching their specifications.
Students then visited these company websites to select pieces, record dimensions and source images for their room design. As part of their submission, students described what they learned about AI usage through their research.
Because students began this exercise in class, Professor Dobson could work with them and observe their interactions with her tool. Her intentionally supportive design facilitated quick engagement and minimal confusion.
In the two-year Interior Design Diploma program, Professor Dobson teaches a first-year, second-semester course titled History of Furniture. For this course, she used Anthology to develop an AI-supported project in which each student was assigned a different 20th-century furniture designer. They were required to research the designer’s work, influences and materials used — drawing not only from major sources but also from blog posts, particularly for lesser-known figures. Students created illustrated profiles of their designated designers.
An optional, ungraded question, “How did this assignment advance your learning?” prompted thoughtful responses. Many students expressed appreciation for how AI helped in both research and the development of transferable professional skills. Although this course is offered online only, the students navigated through the AI component independently and without difficulty.
Professor Dobson noticed her students’ consistent politeness in their AI interactions, perhaps as they were aware she would be reading the texts of these discussions.
Next Improvement Steps
In response to several students accepting the first version of information provided by AI tools without requesting revisions or clarification, Professor Dobson plans to revise her assignment prompts to encourage deeper inquiry and critical engagement with AI responses. She will incorporate student feedback to guide her in refining instructions, aiming to prompt more nuanced interactions with the technology and a more analytical and critical approach to AI outputs.
Professor Dobson’s AI-based assignment for the second-year, fourth-semester course, Merchandising, will be used in class at the end of the Spring 2025 semester. It is a Capstone project aligned with institutional and global goals for learning and change. Georgian College is a designated Changemaker Campus by Ashoka: Everyone a Changemaker, an initiative supporting leadership and adaptability in a changing world. The assignment also reflects THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development (SDGs) developed by the United Nations (UN).
This Capstone project instructs students to design a retail store concept that provides social benefit by reselling used clothing, housewares and more. Group work, client-centred design principles and alignment with sustainability principles are all part of the assignment.
Classroom preparation focuses on themes such as equity, dignity and collaboration with social partners. Using Socratic questioning strategies in their communication with AI, students are guided to prioritize client needs. Final presentations include store designs and reflections on how the group work aligns with relevant UN Sustainability Goals.
The project supports broader reflection on the professional and social impact of design, reinforcing Changemaker values such as empathy and collective responsibility. These values are embedded in the questions developed by her Anthology tool, helping students integrate them into their design choices.
Looking toward Fall 2025, Professor Dobson plans to incorporate AI-based activities and assignments into the new courses she will be teaching. She aims to enhance the clarity and depth of assignment instructions to promote more meaningful student-AI dialogue. She may set limits on the number of questions AI asks of students as some reported impatience with the numerous demands.
She will also research the latest AI applications in the interior design field to ensure she incorporates the best content for her students’ professional success.
Potential
Professor Dobson does not hesitate to include AI in teaching and learning as she is confident that, no matter how sophisticated 3D imaging and AI applications become, they will not replace the intuitive eye and judgement of a skilled professional. She is also confident that AI has many benefits in teaching and learning, including significantly enhancing graduates’ efficiency and professionalism.
For Further Information
Mary Dobson
Professor, Interior Decorating
Design and Visual Arts Programs
Georgian College
Barrie, Ontario
