#45: Co-Designing GenAI Reading Technologies: Scaling Practitioner Expertise Within a National R&D Initiative

This case study examines the U-GAIN Reading R&D Center’s national leadership cohort, a practitioner-centered initiative exploring how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)-enabled learning technologies can enhance early reading instruction in grades 1-3. The cohort brings together 11 educators from 10 school districts across seven U.S. states to collaboratively co-design resources for integrating GenAI-enabled reading interventions in schools. Using participatory and sociocultural approaches, we studied how educators participated in seven co-design meetings to explore effective uses of GenAI-enabled learning technologies in classrooms. Data sources include practitioner-researcher artifacts, meeting notes, and survey and 1:1 check-in responses. Data were analyzed using directed content and constant comparative methods. Initial findings are organized across three phases of co-design: Backgrounding, Ideating, and Refining. Emerging insights aim to explore how practitioner-researcher co-design work can support large-scale national R&D initiatives.