Faculty Spotlight
May Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Frances Johnson Embraces AI to Cultivate Critical Thinking in Writing
This month, Digital Learning & Academic Innovation proudly features Dr. Frances Johnson, a longtime educator who is boldly integrating AI into her curriculum to develop students' critical thinking, reflection, and digital literacy. As a fully remote instructor based outside San Antonio, Dr. Johnson has become a leading voice in ensuring technology supports students in developing stronger writing skills.
Dr. Johnson teaches technical composition courses and is committed to preparing freshman students for the digital demands of the 21st century. Her recent innovations involve integrating AI tools such as Google Gemini and ChatGPT into writing assignments to spark inquiry, promote reflection, and explore the boundaries between machine and human reasoning.
For example, in her technical writing course, students begin by using AI to research communication practices within their future careers. “Rather than have them blindly search the internet,” she explains, “I encourage them to ask the AI specific questions to retrieve career-relevant information. But that’s just the starting point.” Students then compare AI-generated results with real-world examples, identifying discrepancies, validating sources, and evaluating credibility. The culminating assignment asks students to reflect on whether AI truly met the expectations of their field—or if human oversight was essential.
This scaffolding leads students to recognize that AI isn’t foolproof. In fact, Dr. Johnson recounts that some students mistakenly submitted AI-generated APA citations filled with incorrect formatting, such as including the program’s asterisks instead of italicizing in citations. “That was a teachable moment,” she recalls. “They learned that AI still needs human judgment—and that’s where their thinking becomes vital.” Because AI outputs must be reviewed for accuracy, students are pushed to evaluate, cross-check, and reflect on the reliability of the information, deepening their critical thinking skills in the process.
Beyond citation and research, she is already imagining next steps. In her fall freshman course, she plans to incorporate AI to generate a list of sources, followed by structured activities where students check for accuracy and authenticity, distinguishing between websites, journal articles, and magazines. Additional assignments may include prompting AI to generate a resume or visual content, then reflecting on how well it serves a particular audience or goal.
Her students’ responses have been overwhelmingly positive. “They’re excited about using AI,” she says. “Not just because it’s new, but because they get to evaluate it. They’re learning how to question it—and how to learn from it.”
Dr. Johnson’s pedagogy is grounded in critical reflection. She incorporates the Driscoll Method of Reflection, guiding students to ask, “What did I learn? What will I do with it?” When students are evaluating the information produce by the AI and revising their own writing, she reminds students that reflection and iteration are key life skills.
Her advice to fellow faculty members considering AI in the classroom is simple yet powerful: “Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I’m learning too.’ Let your students be part of the process. You help them, they help you—and everyone grows together.”
Through her work, Dr. Johnson demonstrates that integrating AI doesn’t diminish the human element of teaching—it amplifies it. Her teaching is not only responsive to technological change but also deeply human, preparing students to think, question, and lead in an evolving digital world.
2025 Spotlights
Explore the 2025 Faculty Spotlights featured in the Digital Learning Digest newsletter. Click on a faculty member below to learn more.
Dr. Harper facilitates collaboration between her aspiring educator students, local families, and community organizations through community-driven initiatives like Books, Balls, and Blocks, the Read to Lead Preschool Summer Camps, and the Week of the Young Child event. These programs not only enrich learning experiences for young children, but also provide TAMU-CC students with hands-on opportunities to develop their teaching skills and interact with families. 
The Read to Lead Summer Preschool Camps empower families with preschool-aged children through engaging, play-based experiences that foster school readiness. This two-day program is a collaboration between TAMU-CC, United Way’s Success By Six, and the Nueces County Public Library. TAMU-CC Early Childhood Education students play a key role in the camps, leading interactive read-aloud sessions enhanced with singing, fingerplays, and group interactions. They design hands-on learning centers that extend book concepts, covering math, science, literacy, social-emotional skills, and creative arts. Students also engage directly with families, helping caregivers understand the educational value of the activities and offering strategies for replicating these experiences at home.