The purpose of this focus session is to explore the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in SDL sessions for medical education, specifically within the context of the IAMSE Conference theme. As we transition into an era dominated by digital technologies, it is essential to equip students with the skills to leverage contemporary AI tools for collaborative problem-solving in authentic case scenarios. This session aims to empower educators to utilize AI resources effectively to create case scenarios and facilitate self-directed learning whereby students utilize AI to identify learning objectives, find evidence-based advancements, and develop NBME-style questions. We will accomplish this by treating participants as learners, and immersing them in a collaborative, self-directed learning experience.

In the US, health professions schools are rapidly adopting self-directed learning (SDL) practices with little attention paid to the resources learners will use during the SDL cycle. With recent advances in technology, AI is poised to serve as a primary resource for the current generation of learners during the SDL process. Hence, it is important for educators to embrace AI when designing SDL experiences to foster an engaging, self-paced, and personalized learning experience that prepares students to develop the skills of lifelong learning.

Agenda & Methods
In this 90 minute session, we will create an immersive workshop environment where participants act as learners in a SDL experience. We will begin with an introduction to the AI tools that can be used in this setting (15 minutes). Following, participants will be divided into small groups, each receiving an authentic case scenario. Groups will use AI tools to analyze the case, identify learning objectives, and discuss evidence-based advancements and solutions (30 minutes). After a short debrief, groups will reconvene and generate NBME-style questions using AI tools (20 minutes). Groups will report out in the large group, where they will reflect on their learning process, the effectiveness of the AI tools they used, and the generation of their questions (10 minutes). The session will close with a large group discussion about challenges and advantages of using AI in self-directed learning (15 minutes).