AI Literacy, Affordability, and STEM Innovation for the Age of Artificial Intelligence Systems
Preparing faculty, researchers, and institutions to design, teach, and evaluate learning in an AI-powered world — grounded in Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI).
Building Locally. Sharing Globally. Scaling Ethically.
Building Locally. Sharing Globally. Scaling Ethically.
Why This Work Matters
Artificial intelligence is transforming higher education — but without equitable design, it risks reproducing the same barriers built into traditional systems.
Faculty and institutions don't just need AI skills — they need ethical, affordable, research-grounded models of adoption that work across languages, regions, and access levels. - AI must support learning, not replace it.
- AI must lower barriers, not raise cost.
- AI must scale equity, not exclusion.
The DiackResearch Model of AI-Enabled Professional Development
Our approach integrates AI + Affordability + STEM Innovation, built on 25 years of leadership in reusable learning resources through MERLOT, SkillsCommons, PhET Interactive Simulations, and PocketLab STEM sensors. We train educators to design AI-powered, JEDI-aligned, multilingual, and reusable learning systems — supported by autonomous agents, avatar guidance, and portfolio-based certification aligned to SACSCOC 2025 and UNESCO AI Literacy.
Reusable. Scalable. Ethical. Globally Deployable.
What Makes DiackResearch Different
DiackResearch is not a training marketplace or a software vendor — it is an academic innovation lab advancing AI4STEM and AI4D through research, reusable open resources, and globally scalable professional development. We combine AI systems, OER, multilingual delivery, and portfolio-based evaluation to prepare institutions for the future of learning — not just the tools of the moment. We are different because:
- Research-based, not trend-based
25+ years of leadership in MERLOT, SkillsCommons, STEM simulations, and AI in education. - Distributed Consulting Model
Training + AI agents + multilingual pipelines = scalable support across regions. - Reusable + Affordable Learning Ecosystems
AI + OER + STEM = access without cost barriers. - People, not platforms
We train faculty, doctoral students, designers, and leaders — not just “AI users.” - Portfolio before Certificate
Evidence replaces attendance. Competency replaces compliance. - Built for global deployment
Programs operate across HBCUs, African universities, ministries, and open education networks.
Diack research network
Framework for AI-Enabled Professional Development
Our approach prepares institutions for AI-powered learning through six core principles that make training scalable, affordable, evidence-based, and globally deployable.
Pillar 1 . Automation Before Labor:
AI agents support logistics, credentials, reminders, and analytic — so human expertise stays focused on mentorship and instructional judgment.
AI agents support logistics, credentials, reminders, and analytic — so human expertise stays focused on mentorship and instructional judgment.
Pillar 2 . Portfolio Before Certificate
Competency is demonstrated through artifacts, prompts, assessments, and reflection,
aligned to international frameworks such as SACSCOC 2025 and UNESCO AI Literacy.
Competency is demonstrated through artifacts, prompts, assessments, and reflection,
aligned to international frameworks such as SACSCOC 2025 and UNESCO AI Literacy.
Pillar 3 . Multilingual by Design
All programs are delivered in English, French, Arabic, and Portuguese,ensuring global access across HBCUs, African universities, and open education networks.
All programs are delivered in English, French, Arabic, and Portuguese,ensuring global access across HBCUs, African universities, and open education networks.
Pillar 4 . Affordability & OER Reuse
Programs are built on cost-free, reusable learning resources — extending decades of work in MERLOT, SkillsCommons, PhET, PocketLab, and Open Education movements.
Programs are built on cost-free, reusable learning resources — extending decades of work in MERLOT, SkillsCommons, PhET, PocketLab, and Open Education movements.
Pillar 5 . STEM Innovation & Simulation-Based Learning
Virtual labs and AI-assisted course design expand STEM access without physical infrastructure barriers — enabling low-cost, high-impact science education.
Virtual labs and AI-assisted course design expand STEM access without physical infrastructure barriers — enabling low-cost, high-impact science education.
Pillar 6 . Global Deployment & Institutional Readiness
Models scale from small cohorts to national and cross-border implementation
through distributed consulting and AI-powered delivery pipelines.
Models scale from small cohorts to national and cross-border implementation
through distributed consulting and AI-powered delivery pipelines.
diack research network
Turning Principles into Practice
Every DiackResearch program is built on this framework — combining AI systems, instructional design, multilingual access, and evidence-based certification. Whether you're a faculty member, doctoral student, instructional designer, or institutional leader, the next section shows the pathways available to you.
Where AI Meets Affordability & STEM Learning
Artificial Intelligence is not replacing our work in reusable, affordable learning — it is extending it.
For more than two decades, DiackResearch has advanced cost-free digital learning ecosystems through MERLOT, SkillsCommons, PhET Interactive Simulations, and PocketLab STEM labs. In the age of AI systems, that mission expands:
For more than two decades, DiackResearch has advanced cost-free digital learning ecosystems through MERLOT, SkillsCommons, PhET Interactive Simulations, and PocketLab STEM labs. In the age of AI systems, that mission expands:
- AI makes learning adaptive and scalable
- OER makes learning reusable and affordable
- STEM innovation makes learning future-ready
This is where AI meets affordability, where STEM meets access, and where global collaboration becomes academic practice.
Building Locally. Sharing Globally. Reusing Openly. Scaling Ethically.
Building Locally. Sharing Globally. Reusing Openly. Scaling Ethically.
Why Institutions and Educators Choose DiackResearch
For more than 15 years, DiackResearch has led large-scale innovation in instructional design, AI readiness, and academic quality assurance across HBCUs, African universities, ministries of education, and global partners. Our approach combines AI-enabled learning systems, evidence-based pedagogy, and equity-driven quality standards—ensuring that every program we deliver is academically rigorous, internationally aligned, and accessible across languages, cultures, and bandwidth realities. We do not train AI as a tool — we model how AI transforms learning systems, accreditation, and human development.
✅ What Sets Us Apart
✅ What Sets Us Apart
- 15+ years in higher-education quality assurance and online learning design
- Founder of the AI4D Lab and AI4STEM networks (Africa + HBCUs + Global South)
- Official partnerships with PhET, PocketLab, Nectir AI, Boostlingo, and MERLOT/SkillsCommons
- Recognized for Open Education leadership and reusable digital learning ecosystems
- Portfolio-based certification aligned to SACSCOC 2025, UNESCO AI Literacy, and JEDI standards
- Multilingual delivery by design (English • French • Arabic • Portuguese)
- Distributed consulting model — scalable from 1 institution to national systems
Professional Development Pathways
Our AI-enabled training ecosystem offers nine pathways designed for educators, researchers, doctoral students, and institutions preparing for the age of intelligent learning. From foundational AI Literacy for Educators to advanced tracks in Assessment, STEM course redesign, scholarly AI research, and institutional AI readiness, each pathway blends multilingual access, portfolio-based certification, and real-world implementation. The final pathway — Avatar-Led Instruction & Remote Course Delivery — introduces a new model of scalable, accredited teaching powered by AI avatars, enabling institutions to launch low-cost, globally accessible learning programs across HBCUs, Africa, and the Global South.
AI Literacy for Educators
6-week guided learning with avatar support, weekly labs, and portfolio certification aligned to UNESCO + SACSCOC AI standards.
Multilingual Webinar Series
Live and on-demand sessions with Boostlingo interpretation (EN • FR • AR • PT), covering emerging AI policies, tools, and ethics.
AI for Dissertation Coaching
Research design, prompt engineering, and writing support for doctoral candidates using Nectir AI, Claude, and NotebookLM.
Assessment in the AI Era
Deep-dive track for faculty on rubric redesign, AI-assisted feedback, and academic integrity beyond plagiarism detection.
AI + OER + Course Redesign for STEM
Project-based track integrating PhET simulations, PocketLab virtual labs, and reusable AI-generated learning objects.
AI-Enabled Global Teaching Fellows
Competitive fellowship for early-career faculty to co-teach with avatars and deploy bilingual AI course assistants.
AI Scholar Studio (Graduate Research Lab)
Ongoing mentorship and publication pipeline for master's + doctoral students researching AI in education and development.
Institutional AI Readiness Certification
Admin-track program for provosts, deans, and CIOs — includes policy audit, ethics alignment, and deployment roadmap.
Avatar-Led Instruction & Remote Course Delivery
Scaling access to accredited learning through AI instructors and global course syndication.
Global Partnerships Powering Ethical, Accessible AI Learning
These partners help us deliver AI-enabled learning that remains affordable, multilingual, and accessible—even in low-connectivity regions.
We design for reliability across low-bandwidth environments. Below are the partners that make our AI-enabled, multilingual, and affordable PD model practical and scalable.
We design for reliability across low-bandwidth environments. Below are the partners that make our AI-enabled, multilingual, and affordable PD model practical and scalable.
- MERLOT / SkillsCommons — open, reusable learning assets and quality frameworks.
- PhET Interactive Simulations — high-impact STEM simulations adaptable to low-bandwidth classrooms.
- PocketLab — sensor-based virtual/remote labs for affordable STEM experimentation.
- Boostlingo — live interpretation + captions (EN • FR • AR • PT) for inclusive access.
- Nectir AI — course-embedded AI assistants and analytics for faculty and students.
- Skilldora — accredited, avatar-led micro-courses for scalable workforce and degree-adjacent learning.
- AI4D / AI4STEM Networks — cross-institution research, capacity building, and shared pilots across HBCUs and Africa.
Ready to Work Together?
Choose the path that fits your context—pilot a cohort, co-develop a course, or launch a multilingual webinar series.
Choose the path that fits your context—pilot a cohort, co-develop a course, or launch a multilingual webinar series.
- 🔘 Join a Cohort — upcoming start dates and enrollment details
- 🔘 Request Institutional Partnership — pilots, policy, and deployment support
- 📧 training@diackresearch.net • info@diackresearch.net
Building Locally. Sharing Globally. Scaling Ethically.
jedi quality assurance
A 25-Year Commitment to Quality, Equity, and Future-Ready Learning Systems
Led by Professor Moustapha Diack — an international award-winning scholar in instructional design, artificial intelligence, and immersive learning environments — DiackResearch has spent more than two decades shaping global models for ethical, accessible AI-enabled education. His work has supported HBCUs, African universities, ministries of education, and international open-education networks, advancing scalable learning systems grounded in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI).
All programs are evaluated against international quality assurance benchmarks — including SACSCOC 2025 guidance, UNESCO AI Literacy standards, and the DiackResearch JEDI Quality Framework — to ensure that AI-enabled learning remains ethical, equitable, and globally inclusive.
Bring AI-Enabled Learning to Your Institution
AI-enabled education is no longer experimental—it's operational, multilingual, and scalable. The institutions that move first will define the standards the rest of the world follows. If you're ready to integrate AI responsibly, support faculty transformation, or certify your campus for AI readiness, DiackResearch provides the strategy, training, and implementation support to make it real—grounded in evidence, equity, and global accreditation standards.