AI in Action: How the Learning Enrichment Team Is Supporting Innovation

What Has Learning Enrichment Been Doing with AI? 

A few weeks ago, we ran a workshop called AI in Action: Smart Prompts & Creative Applications for Students. The goal wasn't to tell students whether to use AI — it was to help them think about how: with accessibility, intentionality, and documentation in mind.

Those same values shape how we approach AI across all of our work. We want AI to open up new ways for students to express themselves, sharpen how they think, not replace it — and we want to be upfront about when and how it's being used.

Spotlight of Our Past Work: Exploring AI Through Research, Design, and Making

From 2D to 3D: AI and Accessibility Innovation 

One recent project explored AI-supported experiments began with a simple 2D image extraction and evolved into a 3D printing project made by Christine. 

What began as a design exploration gradually evolved into a conversation about accessibility. By using AI to translate visual images into tactile 3D forms, the project explored how information typically experienced through sight might also be accessed through touch. While still experimental, the work suggests new possibilities for making visual content more accessible and demonstrates how emerging technologies can support more inclusive ways of learning and engagement.

AI for Packaging Design (Re/Make History Series) 

As part of the Re/Make History exhibit, Christine led a hands-on workshop in September 2025 that introduced generative AI through product packaging design. Hosted in the Vitale Digital Media Lab, participants used Adobe Firefly and Illustrator to create toy packaging inspired by objects from the Penn Museum’s collection. Drawing on historical artifacts as creative prompts, the workshop explored how visual storytelling, branding, and layout shape the way a product is presented and understood.

The experience extended far beyond image generation. Participants experimented with prompt writing, refined AI-generated concepts, and transformed ideas into production-ready design files. Throughout the process, attention was placed on intentional design choices, clear communication, and the relationship between digital tools and creative practice.

The project took on a new dimension during a fabrication session at Education Commons. Using a vacuum former, students created clear plastic covers and assembled complete blister-style packages for their designs. What began as a digital concept gradually evolved into a physical object, offering a tangible connection between emerging technologies and hands-on making.

The journey concluded in Spring 2026, when finished projects were displayed as part of the Re/Make History exhibition in partnership with the Penn Museum Library. By bringing together museum collections, generative AI, graphic design, and fabrication, the workshop highlighted new ways of engaging with historical materials while demonstrating the value of interdisciplinary, experiential learning.

From Clay to Code and Back Again

Tex worked with a Weitzman professor who previously created clay sculptures and wanted to explore AI in her practice. Tex supported the development of a workflow where digital 2D images of physical 3D sculptures were used to generate AI-assisted 3D designs in the artist’s style. These digital outputs were then translated into physical 3D printed objects — and in some cases, recreated back into clay sculptures. 

The project is now being integrated into the professor’s course, where students will experiment with this hybrid process of analog sculpture → AI transformation → digital fabrication → ceramic production. The team is even adapting 3D printing processes to accommodate clay materials that can be kiln-fired, bringing the work full circle into fully ceramic sculptures for design students. 

From Prompt to Product

In December 2025, Christine and Lucky led a hands-on workshop that explored how AI image-generation tools can help turn ideas into intentional visual designs. Rather than focusing on image generation alone, participants experimented with different prompts, tested variations, and refined their results to better match their creative goals. The workshop concluded with a fabrication activity that brought those digital creations into the physical world. Participants printed their designs onto canvas tote bags, transforming AI-generated images into personalized, tangible objects. Along the way, students gained a deeper understanding of how prompt design influences AI-generated outcomes.

Beyond the workshop, Lucky continued working with students and faculty to explore practical applications of AI for digital literacy, creative projects, and emerging production workflows, helping connect new technologies with teaching, learning, and making across disciplines.

Expanding Spatial Computing at Education Commons 

Another initiative focused on this year was led by Tex, who explored how spatial computing platforms could be integrated into Penn Libraries programming. 

After seeing demonstrations of Procession, Tex reached out to the developers to better understand how the Procession (Spatial Pixel) — a spatial computing platform might fit into library programming. Several conversations and tests focused on how the system could interact with existing library technologies such as projectors, cameras, and RFID hardware.

Rather than treating technology as a standalone demo, Tex focused on how spatial computing could support; potentially, uses included interactive exhibits, projection-based installations, and new ways for visitors to engage with information. 

By coordinating with the developers, testing features on the platform’s staging site, and identifying use cases relevant to Penn Libraries staff's engagement and experimentation , Tex helped lay the groundwork for potential demonstrations and future integration into EC programming. This project reflects a broader goal at Education Commons: to explore emerging technologies not just as tools, but as experiential learning environments. 

Educational Impact for College Students 

AI becomes not a shortcut — but a structured tool for ideation, exploration, and accessibility. 

Across these projects, AI served not as a replacement for creativity or critical thinking, but as a tool for exploration, learning, and making. Whether supporting digital literacy, creative practice, fabrication, or classroom instruction, these collaborations reflect our commitment to helping students and faculty engage thoughtfully with emerging technologies. As AI continues to evolve, we remain focused on creating opportunities for experimentation, reflection, and meaningful learning across disciplines.

We always remain committed to fostering thoughtful and responsible engagement with these tools. By combining technical exploration with critical reflection, we aim to help students and faculty develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to navigate an increasingly AI-enabled world. We look forward to expanding these efforts through future collaborations, workshops, and learning opportunities.

Our work includes: 

• Pedagogical workshops for the Penn community 
• Programs exploring multiple AI platforms 
• Courseware support and instructional consultations