College of Education Researchers Receive Outstanding Paper Award at National Ed Tech Conference
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College of Education faculty members Torrey Trust and Robert W. Maloy, along with education doctoral student Chenyang Xu, received an outstanding paper award at the 2026 Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) National Conference in Philadelphia on March 25.
The award-winning paper, “Innovation or Illusion: Technology Integration in 450 AI-Generated Lesson Plans,” featured an analysis of AI-generated lesson plans for civics education from GenAI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) as well as education-specific GenAI tools (e.g., Magic School, Brisk, Eduaide).
The researchers’ findings revealed that interactive digital technologies were missing from most AI-generated learning plans and when technologies were included it was mostly used for passive, teacher-centered purposes, such as showing a video or PowerPoint presentation.
As increasingly more teachers turn to AI to generate lesson plans or get ideas for their teaching, the study by Trust, professor of learning technology, Maloy, senior lecturer of teacher education and school improvement, and Xu shows that these tools are not the place to turn for high-quality technology-rich learning experiences to prepare students for the digital age.
For more information on the topic, related research by Trust and Maloy was described by the researchers in this article they authored for The Conversation in October 2025.