Document Type
Conference Paper
Publication Date
2026
Abstract
Developing strong interpersonal, leadership, and professional communication skills is foundational in counselor and education preparation programs (Fecke et al., 2023; Lateef, 2010; Stamer et al., 2023). Despite this reality, students often have limited opportunities for repeated, low-stakes practice before engaging with real clients, students, families, administrators, and other stakeholders (Lateef, 2010; Maurya, 2024; Stamer et al., 2023). This session describes a teaching practice that uses custom AI bots as simulated clients, parents, group members, and school administrators to create realistic, structured practice environments where students can rehearse counseling skills, consultation conversations, advocacy, boundary-setting, and professional decision-making without the pressure or risk of real-world consequences.
Recommended Citation
Schrader, A. M. (2026). From Prompt to Practice: Designing Custom AI Bots for Interpersonal Skill Development. In Proceedings of the 2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference at West Virginia University (pp. 1-5).
Included in
Counseling Commons, Educational Technology Commons, Psychology Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons