Dissertation in Practice Defense for Haoyong Lan

Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Time: 10 - 11:30 a.m. ET

Zoom Link: Available upon request. Contact Haoyong Lan at hal306@pitt.edu

Dissertation Title: "From Prompts to Practice: Developing AI Literacy for Research Among Engineering Doctoral Students"

Dissertation Description: Haoyong Lan's Dissertation in Practice examines the Problem of Practice of limited AI literacy skills in generative AI research tools among Carnegie Mellon University engineering doctoral students. Grounded in improvement science methodology, Lan designed and implemented a 90-minute in-person AI Literacy Library Workshop teaching prompt engineering skills through the CRAFT framework: Context, Role and Responsibility, Action and Approach, Format and Function, and Testing and Tuning. Using a mixed-methods approach combining pre- and post-workshop surveys with a 30-day follow-up focus group interview, Lan measured changes in participants' AI-related self-efficacy, conceptual understanding, perceived barriers, and sustained practice change. Findings revealed significant self-efficacy gains, strong framework comprehension, meaningful barrier reduction, and high workshop satisfaction among engineering doctoral student participants.

Dissertation Committee:

Jodi Forlizzi, Ph.D. Herbert A. Simon Professor in Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

Tinukwa Boulder, Ph.D. Professor of Practice and Associate Department Chair in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Leading, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh

Dissertation Director: Veena Vasudevan, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Practice in Digital Media and Learning, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh