AI Coaches

Students rethinking teaching with AI

AI Coaches are specially trained students who support teaching in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in university teaching. 
They combine technical know-how with an understanding of teaching methods and ethics, thereby helping to make courses more innovative, interactive, and efficient. 

AI coaches are not purely technical experts—they are educational partners with AI expertise. They... 

• understand how AI models work and how to use them responsibly, 
• are proficient in prompting techniques to develop high-quality teaching materials and learning activities, 
• design AI-supported learning and feedback processes, 
• always keep data protection, fairness, and ethical use of AI in mind, and critically reflect on where AI creates real added value for teaching. 

AI Coaches can support teaching staff in various phases of teaching design—from planning to evaluation. They help integrating AI into courses in a responsible, creative, and practical way. 

Typical fields of application:

• Development or optimization of courses

• Creation of learning objectives, quiz questions, or teaching modules with AI

• Designing interactive, AI-supported learning activities

• Development of didactically meaningful, AI-supported feedback and assessment systems

• Consultation on ethical, legal, and didactic issues related to AI 

The training of AI Coaches covers a wide range of skills: they know how current AI models work, understand ethical and data protection issues, and can provide targeted support for teaching staff using AI-based tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, or adaptive learning systems). 
When selecting an AI Coach, motivation, expertise, and personal strengths—such as in prompt design, lesson planning, or the creation of active learning environments—play an important role. 

Developing teaching together

AI Coaches expand the didactic scope of teaching staff—not by replacing, but by supporting them. They bring new perspectives, creative impulses, and technical understanding to teaching, thereby promoting future-oriented teaching at UZH. 

UZH teaching staff, who want to use AI in their teaching, can request the support of an AI Coach. AI Coaches can be booked in packages of 30 and 60 hours, with the option of requesting an extension. AI coaches can be booked starting from February 2026.
To do so, send an email to Lukas Löffel and/or Margherita Valle – they will find the right coach for you. In the email, please include:

• A brief description of your project incl. a time frame

• The estimated number of hours required (30 or 60)

If you have any questions, please contact Lukas Löffel and Margherita Valle  from the Educational Development department.  

AI Coaches are not tutors and do not offer support for content preparation, literature research or developing of subjectp information. Likewise, coaches funded by us may not be involved in research projects or for scientific theses.

Their focus lies on providing didactic and technical advice on the use of AI in university teaching. The aim is to make teaching more innovative, efficient, and responsible.