T&T VIII: ALGORITHMS, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE CLASSROOM
T&T VIII: ALGORITHMS, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE CLASSROOM
APRIL 17-18, 2026
Every day we confront the “Artificial I” in our classrooms, the new “author” of the student’s algorithmic “essay.” Demoted to consumer, the student qua student is no longer required. The word student is from the Latin, “to apply oneself” and “essay” from the French, “to try.” New technology coupled with the demand for success and consumer satisfaction, however, has made trying and applying oneself a form of superfluous engagement, an inconvenient reminder of our human vulnerability and its dissatisfactions. Relinquishing a sense of responsibility, students unwittingly become accomplices in the theft of their education.
While we navigate the new student reality, we must, at the same time, respond to
new modalities of governing and administering faculty that have promoted automated systems of evaluation, colluding with the very “Artificial I” of the students. Faculty and their grade rosters are reduced to statistics, and evaluation and documentation are used in ways antithetical to the goals of education. The very aims of education—literacy, critical thinking, civic and civil engagement—appear threatened, as technology supplants pedagogy and faculty are pressured to keep students in school and in good academic standing at all costs.
Where does this leave teaching and learning in today’s literature classrooms? How do we as teachers of literature navigate these trends? Can the study of literature still inspire students to try? Acknowledging the new challenges that face both faculty and students, our conference explores strategies for reengaging with literature pedagogy in this new environment.
Possible topics include (but are not limited to):
Practical strategies for literature instruction and assessment in the era of AI
Exploring AI pedagogies
Equity and Access using AI pedagogy
The high-tech industrialization of the classroom
Reading as an encounter with indifference
The dignity of failure
Student panel on AI use and academic pressure
Dialogue in the classroom
Methods of reading: paper vs pixel
Compulsory success and institutional metrics
Academic integrity and the new technology
Administrative pressures on faculty
Literature and embodiment
Literature and delight
Close reading today
Antihumanism and transhumanism in the classroom
Cyborg and AI “subjectivity”
AI-generated literature
AI addiction
This is an interdisciplinary call extended to community college instructors and graduate students. Additional topics are welcome. The deadline for submissions is November 15, 2025. Proposals will be accepted through our online link [active October 1, 2025.] Reach out if you have any questions. We answer emails throughout the year.
Guidelines for Proposals:
All proposals should:
· Provide title of presentation.
· Briefly summarize the content of the proposed panel.
· Provide names and contact information of all presenters.
· Provide affiliation and email address.
· Provide a 250-word proposal.
· Provide a short bio.
Here are the suggested formats:
15-Minute Individual Presentations
Individual presentations will be grouped with others that cover similar topics or areas. Each individual session will include 15 minutes for audience questions and discussion.
40 Minute Panel Presentations
This is a full session focused on a topic organized by the proposal authors. The panel should have at least two presenters. Presenters will determine the format and delivery methods for the session. There should be 15-minutes set aside for questions and discussion.
Registration fees: Full-time faculty - $125, Part-time faculty - $50, and Graduate Students - Free
Questions? Please contact us at mbarrow@bmcc.cuny.edu and msteinkoler@bmcc.cuny.edu
We look forward to hearing from you.
Drs. Margaret Barrow and Manya Steinkoler
Committee Members: Professors: Andrew Levy, Stephanie Oppenheim, and Maria Alvarez
Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY
English Department
199 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007