In higher education, engagement is the essential nutrient that sustains learning. Without it, even the most carefully designed courses can lose their flavor. For online programs in nutrition and dietetics, this challenge is magnified. Students must prepare for careers that demand strong counseling and communication skills, yet much of their learning occurs asynchronously.
Recently, one faculty member and an instructional designer at Tennessee Tech University partnered to try something new. Inspired by strategies gained in the OLC Foundations course, they integrated artificial intelligence into a graduate-level Nutrition and Aging course. Their goal was straightforward but ambitious: using AI to strengthen student engagement in nutrition education while also preparing learners for a workforce where digital literacy is increasingly important.
Finding the Right Blend
The nutrition program trains students for roles in community health, clinical practice, and sports performance. In every path, effective counseling is critical. But how can students practice counseling in an online class?
This question led to the creation of a series of AI-driven counseling simulations. The faculty member designed fictional case study profiles, and students engaged in conversations with AI “clients” who presented challenges such as managing age-related health issues or adapting nutrition plans to cultural preferences.
The AI responded to students’ strategies and provided feedback they could reflect on and use to improve future sessions. For learners, it was a chance to apply theory in a dynamic, interactive way; much closer to the counseling they will do in their professional lives.
A New Serving of Active Learning
These simulations did more than spark engagement. They also built digital literacy, an increasingly vital skill. Students practiced evaluating AI-generated responses critically, adapting their counseling strategies, and thinking about ethical use of AI in professional practice.
Instead of fearing new technologies, students experienced them as supportive tools. Much like adding a nutrient-dense food to a meal plan, AI was not presented as the main course but as a supplement, an addition that made the overall learning experience richer.
Lessons from the Label
The OLC Foundations course was central to this innovation. It gave the faculty member confidence to experiment, provided frameworks for evaluating emerging technologies, and reinforced the importance of keeping learning outcomes at the center.
The instructional designer and the faculty worked together to bring those lessons into practice, ensuring the assignments were aligned with active learning strategies and designed as safe, low-stakes opportunities for students. Together, they created activities that felt intentional rather than experimental for the sake of novelty.
A Balanced Meal
By incorporating the simulations, the course provided a more engaging way to link classroom concepts to real world practice. The activities were noted by faculty and the instructional designer to encourage richer discussions around ethics, responsibility, and adaptability, skills just as essential as nutrition knowledge.
The approach also has potential beyond one course. Other faculty are considering how similar activities could be adapted to undergraduate classes or to different areas of health sciences where client communication is essential.
On the Menu for the Future
This case study shows how instructional designers and faculty can collaborate to integrate AI into online education in ways that are practical, ethical, and engaging. The key is to keep learning outcomes at the center, design activities that allow for low-stakes experimentation, and frame AI as a tool that supports teaching rather than replaces it.
For educators in any discipline, a few key strategies stand out. Start with a small activity connected to professional practice, use AI to create space for deeper engagement, and be transparent with students about goals and boundaries. When applied this way, AI can enrich online courses and prepare learners for a workforce where adaptability and digital literacy are increasingly essential.
In nutrition, this approach gave students authentic opportunities to practice counseling skills. In other fields, the same strategy might involve simulations, role-playing, or feedback exercises tailored to disciplinary needs. A “healthy approach to AI” in the classroom can help students in every discipline move from theory to practice and build the confidence to thrive in today’s complex professional environments.
Mallory Matthews serves as an instructional designer with the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at Tennessee Tech University. She collaborates with faculty to design meaningful, engaging learning experiences. She is completing her Ph.D. in Program Planning and Evaluation, where her research examines how AI and other emerging technologies can be integrated through intentional planning, evaluation, and faculty development to promote meaningful learning experiences.
Samantha Hutson is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Ecology at Tennessee Tech University. Before beginning her teaching career at Tennessee Tech in 2013, she practiced as a registered dietitian for five years. Her professional interests center on sustainable community-based and rural education initiatives. Since 2021, she has taught online graduate courses to future registered dietitians and enjoys exploring innovative ways to integrate technology into the virtual classroom to enhance student engagement and learning.
