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Teaching Profile: Suhail Y Tayeb

Updated: Sep 16

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Integrating AI and the flipped classroom model to enhance student learning


Clinical Assistant Professor

Schack Institute of Real Estate


Recipient of Teaching Advancement Grant, NYU Center for Teaching and Learning, 2025




Nexus:  What do you teach?



Nexus: What teaching practice, activity, or technology do your students benefit from the most?


Suhail: I was awarded the Teaching Advancement Grant from NYU for my work to create an AI-powered flipped classroom to increase student engagement and ownership of learning.


In a flipped classroom (NYU login required), students are asked to complete prereadings and assignments in advance of class, such as responding to NYU Brightspace discussion questions. In my courses, students watch short AI-generated videos and respond to discussion prompts ahead of time. Class time is then used for applied and interactive activities.


Nexus: How do you develop AI-generated videos?


Suhail: I select Adobe Stock images or use Adobe Firefly, an AI video and image generation tool. Then I use tools like Play.ht for AI narration, as well as Camtasia for editing to keep them clear and short (<6 minutes). 


I pair AI-generated videos with structured discussion board posts, including guiding questions aligned with learning objectives which ensure students come to class prepared. 

I am currently exploring AI assistants like StudioD-ID and multilingual versions of videos like HeyGen to further enhance student accessibility.


Nexus: How do students benefit from AI videos in flipped classroom instruction?


Suhail: Students come to class more confident, prepared, and engaged after watching brief AI-generated videos and responding to structured prompts in the NYU Brightspace Discussion Board (NYU login required) before class. 


This approach is especially effective for students who were previously hesitant to speak up in class. By engaging with content in advance, students arrive with an understanding of key ideas to participate in classroom activities, such as quizzes, role plays, and case discussions. They can also revisit the videos after class at their own pace to support retention.


Nexus: What advice would you give to faculty members interested in incorporating AI-generated videos into a flipped classroom model?


Suhail: Implementing a flipped classroom with AI video pre-work takes effort up front, but the payoff in student engagement and learning outcomes is worth it. For faculty who are just getting started, I recommend iterating and experimenting to build one module first, then using student outcomes and data to develop future modules. 


  1. Start small. Create or select three or four short, structured videos (<6 minutes) to front-load learning content and require pre-class discussion posts in NYU Brightspace. Release these videos weekly rather than all at once to reduce overwhelm. 


  2. Plan for group work and discussion during live class time. Use the classroom or Zoom room to apply and extend learning. Plan for group work and prepare guiding questions to strengthen student discussion. Over time, you might prompt students to design in-class guiding questions and propose activities to enhance their ownership of learning.


  3. Model. At the start of the term, demonstrate expectations for how students should engage with AI videos and complete pre-assignments in the flipped classroom model. 


  4. Revise your process over time. For additional inspiration and ideas for an AI-powered flipped classroom, consider watching this video I created on NYU Stream (NYU login required) or on YouTube.


Nexus: Do you have any testimonials or feedback from your students about their experience that you can share with us? 


Suhail: Student feedback helps me iterate and optimize learning. My students have shared the following feedback:


“Professor Tayeb reimagined lectures and encouraged the integration of AI into all we do. Along with integrating AI, he had higher expectations for what we could produce.”


“Extremely refreshing class structure compared to endless single-sided lectures. This way we actually get to discuss ideas back and forth with peers.”


“The videos and guiding questions made me feel prepared before walking into class discussions.”


“The flipped classroom idea is great. The [video] lectures to be watched outside of class, combined with the in-class discussions, were very effective.”


Nexus: What’s next in your field/industry?


Suhail: The future of real estate lies at the intersection of AI, sustainability, and data transparency. Through an NYU Research Catalyst Grant, I am helping to develop standards and metrics to improve sustainability in real estate development. 


These efforts are included in my upcoming book, Sustainable Real Estate, co-authored with Amy Jaffe and supported by NYU’s Dean’s Research Grant. The book features case studies from leading developers and innovators, translating research into actionable strategies for a more resilient and accountable industry.

Bio:


Professor Suhail Tayeb is Clinical Assistant Professor at the NYU SPS Schack Institute of Real Estate and is Director of the Schack Center for Sustainable Built Environment, where he has been teaching since 2024. He holds an MS from London Business School and a BS from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.


Professor Tayeb was awarded the 2025 Teaching Advancement Grant from the NYU Center for Teaching and Learning to innovate AI integration into the flipped classroom model. He is the author of Profitable and Sustainable Real Estate Investing: An Investor’s Guide (2023).


Learn more and connect with Professor Tayeb via the NYU SPS Faculty Directory and LinkedIn.






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