Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence Role-Playing Chatbots on Classroom Management Competencies
This interactive session discusses the results of a research study on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) role-playing chatbots to support classroom management skill development among pre-service teachers. Presenters will share details regarding the creation of the chatbot to simulate common disruptive or defiant student behaviors as well as role-playing scenarios. Key findings demonstrated statistically significant gain in classroom management self-efficacy. Participants will learn how to create and train their own coach GPT chatbot for use in their respective academic contexts.
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the steps of staging an AI chatbot classroom intervention for scaffolding skills acquisition.
- Discuss potential applications of AI-chatbot role-playing exercises on skills and competency development.
- Create a customized coach GPT chatbot for use within various instructional or programmatic contexts in K12 or higher education.
Rae Mancilla, University of Pittsburgh, US
Rae Mancilla is the Executive Director of University Digital Education at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Excellence in Digital Education (Pitt EDGE). She leads institution-wide strategy and innovation in digital learning, advancing online and hybrid program development, academic excellence and cross-campus collaboration. A dynamic leader in higher education, she works closely with Pitt’s 16 schools and industry partners to strengthen the quality, accessibility and impact of digital education across the University.
With over two decades of experience in instructional design, curriculum development, faculty development, program evaluation and assessment, Mancilla is a nationally recognized expert in online learning and digital accessibility. She currently serves as vice chair of the Quality Matters Instructional Design Association, a bilingual peer evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, a Quality Matters Master Reviewer and Research Colleague, and an invited scholar for the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction.
Mancilla’s research interests include instructional designer professional development, digital accessibility and program evaluation. She is the co-editor of Guide to Digital Accessibility: Policies, Practices and Professional Development (2023, Stylus) and co-author of Mentoring Instructional Designers in Higher Education (forthcoming 2026, Routledge).
Abigail Dutcher, Indiana Wesleyan University, US
Dr. Abigail Dutcher is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Teacher Education at the University of Saint Francis in Indiana. With over a decade of experience in K–12 education and instructional coaching, her work focuses on preparing pre-service teachers through innovative, research-informed practices. Her scholarship explores the integration of artificial intelligence in lesson planning and teacher preparation, as well as inclusive and equitable instructional design. Dr. Dutcher is committed to developing educators who use technology, inquiry, and culturally responsive practices to support diverse learners.
