2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Teaching in the Age of AI: A Case Study in Restructuring Undergraduate Technology Education for Responsible AI Integration

Presented at Innovative Engineering Instruction with Military Service as Context

Full Paper-Evidence-Based Practice.
The rapid proliferation of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) presents a disruptive challenge to traditional paradigms of teaching and assessment in higher education, raising significant concerns regarding academic integrity and the cultivation of critical thinking skills. This paper presents a comprehensive case study of a large, required undergraduate technology course designed for non–computer science and non-engineering majors. In response to the challenges posed by GenAI, the course underwent a systemic pedagogical redesign, moving beyond simple policy adjustments to a holistic restructuring of its instructional and evaluative framework. The intervention is built on three core pillars: (1) a principled AI usage policy that permits GenAI as a tool while requiring student-led problem decomposition and detailed documentation of all interactions; (2) a transition to an active learning, flipped-classroom model emphasizing pre-class preparation and in-class application; and (3) a strategic rebalancing of assessments to favor authentic, supervised evaluations that provide direct evidence of student competency. Analysis of assessment data, course materials, and student performance metrics indicates that this integrated approach successfully maintained academic rigor, with students meeting or exceeding established learning outcome benchmarks. Furthermore, qualitative findings reveal that the redesigned model enhanced student engagement, accountability, and independent problem-solving skills, effectively mitigating academic integrity risks associated with unsupervised AI use. This paper concludes that this framework offers a structured, scalable, and data-validated model for responsibly integrating GenAI in higher education, demonstrating how a synthesis of established pedagogical best practices can transform a technological challenge into an opportunity to cultivate more resilient, ethical, and future-ready learners.

Authors

Lt. Col. Devon Michael Callahan United States Military Academy [biography]

LTC Devon Callahan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the United States Military Academy, West Point. He teaches across the computer and cyber science curriculum, including Cyber Foundations (CY305), Programming Fundamentals (CY300), Network Engineering and Management (CY350), Introduction to Computing and Information Technology (IT105), Database Systems (CS393), and Advanced Networks (CS484), with a focus on software-defined networks.

He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Engineering in Computer Science from the University of South Carolina, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Methodist University. His research interests include artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, network optimization, systems design, and integration and testing. His work emphasizes the application of network science to both computer and social networks to enhance system performance and resilience.

LTC Callahan began his military career as a Signal Soldier, enlisting with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, and rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Commissioned through Officer Candidate School, he has served in multiple leadership positions across the Signal Corps. His previous assignments include Platoon Leader and Executive Officer in the 327th Signal Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Division G6 staff officer and Company Commander, Bravo Company, 10th Sustainment Brigade, both with the 10th Mountain Division; and Signal Advisor to the Royal Saudi Air Defense Force under the U.S. Military Training Mission Task Force. He also commanded the Satellite Communications Station at Camp Roberts, California.
Major Joseph Salmento United States Military Academy [biography]

MAJ Joseph Salmento is a senior instructor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department at the United States Military Academy. He was the Assistant Course Director for CY305 during the implementation of the changes outlined in the case study.
Brian Scott Petty United States Military Academy

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