UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) is accepting applications through April 23 for the 2026-27 Faculty Engagement Awards. This year’s theme is “Teaching with AI Glasses: Augmented Reality for Real-Time Learning.”
Recipients of the Faculty Engagement Awards will focus on utilizing Ray-Ban Meta artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart glasses to enhance experiential learning, improve accessibility and extend instruction beyond traditional classroom boundaries.
Faculty selected for the program will receive access to Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses for the duration of the project. The glasses combine AI and wearable technology to support hands-free, real-time interaction in teaching and learning environments. Features include a built-in AI assistant with voice interaction, hands-free photo and video capture, real-time contextual assistance, contextual AI assistance and live translation capabilities.
“We’re excited to partner with faculty to explore how wearable AI technologies like Ray-Ban Meta glasses can expand what’s possible in teaching and learning,” said Amy Kuntz, learning innovation strategic initiatives coordinator for TLT. “These tools allow faculty to experiment with AI-enhanced, hands-free approaches that can encourage creative teaching strategies and new ways to interact with information and environments.”
TLT’s Faculty Engagement Awards are granted annually around a theme that combines sound pedagogy and digital tools. This year’s focus encourages faculty to explore ways that AI-enabled smart glasses can support teaching and learning such as:
- Enhancing field-based and experiential learning: Capture demonstrations, document fieldwork and provide live instructional guidance outside traditional classroom spaces
- Supporting accessibility and inclusion: Offer real-time translation, captioning support and alternative modes of interaction for diverse learning environments
- Utilizing reflective and practice-based learning: Capture demonstrations and interactions to support feedback, reflection and skill development
- Bridging physical and digital learning spaces: Connect in-person instruction with digital resources in real time
During their project, award recipients will collaborate with instructional designers to identify use cases, explore constraints and establish best practices for incorporating wearable AI into their teaching. Additionally, TLT staff will help assess the technology’s impact and share relevant findings with the Penn State community.
Award recipients will be notified in early May.
For questions or more information, contact Amy Kuntz at aer13@psu.edu.