Playlab: What This Educator Learned by Building an AI Bot for his Students

How a Webinar Sparked an AI Breakthrough in Teaching

When Mike McQuiston, a longtime Criminal Justice professor at Las Positas College, logged into a professional development webinar, he wasn’t expecting it to change the way he taught. But one presentation in particular—by Ethnic Studies instructor Fabiola Torres, who built a custom AI study-guide bot for her students—sparked an idea that would reshape his own classroom approach.

From Inspiration to Action

Motivated by what he saw, Mike joined the inaugural Playlab AI Professional Learning Community (PLC), a program supported by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and UC Berkeley’s School of Education. Through the cohort, he explored how educators could design AI tools that don’t replace teaching but instead extend it.

For his project, Mike created the Analytical Research Paper Navigator (ARPaN), a chatbot designed to guide Criminal Justice students through complex criminological theories. Built with the same language and style he used in his own lectures, ARPaN became a way for students to get help outside of office hours—whether late at night or right before an assignment deadline.

A New Perspective on AI in Education

What surprised Mike most was that the tool didn’t “cheat” students out of learning. Instead, it reinforced the lessons he wanted them to understand. By asking thoughtful questions and providing structured guidance, ARPaN acted as a digital “thinking partner,” not a shortcut.

He also designed it with care—using gender-neutral language, avoiding stereotypes, and encouraging students to give feedback on how it could improve. While some students were hesitant at first, many admitted they learned more than expected from interacting with the chatbot.

Beyond the Classroom

By summer 2025, Mike stepped into a new role as Dean of Academic Services at Las Positas College, handing ARPaN over to an adjunct instructor who immediately began exploring its potential in class. The project lives on as an example of how AI can promote access and equity in education, providing personalized support to students whenever they need it most.

Looking Ahead

Mike’s journey shows how a single webinar can spark innovation that impacts hundreds of students. His work at Las Positas demonstrates that when used thoughtfully, AI tools can strengthen—not replace—the role of educators, giving students new ways to engage with challenging material.