Rethinking professional development in the age of Generative AI: Strategies for pedagogical transformation in higher education
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The widespread adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is transforming higher education, challenging established assumptions about teaching, learning, assessment and academic integrity, supporting teachers in critically rethinking their professional practice in contexts characterised by increasing uncertainty is fundamental. This shift raises an important question: what kinds of academic development practice are more effective than focusing only on technology?Drawing on literature on academic development, including formats such as reflective practice, pedagogical inquiry, collaborative learning, co-design, experiential learning or communities of practice, this paper focuses on the central aspect of teaching transformation that promotes critical reflection, collaborative knowledge construction with a sustained pedagogical innovation.The discussion is informed by the ongoing PRODIGIA, an exploratory project about how complementary professional learning strategies can be articulated to support AI-enhanced teaching in higher education. The project is being implemented in a Portuguese context where teaching innovation in HE has regained momentum due to recent disruptive events such as the pandemic or the surge of GenAI.The paper contends that no single professional learning strategy is sufficient to address the complexity introduced by GenAI. Rather, pedagogical transformation depends on the deliberate integration of multiple, mutually reinforcing learning processes that foster inquiry, collaboration, experimentation and critical reflection throughout AI integration.
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225657943
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