Innovative use of AI enhances lesson on bridging cultural differences

Each semester, BA1500 students in the University of Missouri’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business enter the fictional world of the Mintanans, a simulated country inspired by communication styles and business norms found in Southeast Asian cultures, to better understand the importance of bridging cultural differences in a professional setting. 

As part of the lesson, which is based on a resource from Michigan State’s globalEDGE program, students are given a brief overview of Mintana and challenged to complete a business deal with a fictional Mintanan company. In previous years, students role played the part of the Mintanans, but the role play was often inconsistent, and picking up cultural cues proved difficult for students playing the part of the domestic company. 

“One of the challenges in teaching intercultural communication is that roleplay can feel awkward or uneven,” said Angela Knoerr, a Learning Technology & Curriculum Development Specialist at Trulaske. “Students often feel uncomfortable acting out another culture, and instructors can’t guide every interaction in large classes.”

This year, instructors teamed up with Trulaske’s Center for Transformative Technology (C4TT) to try something new.

“The C4TT students helped bring this experience to life by integrating an AI-driven roleplay agent that represented the Mintanan business associate,” Knoerr said. “They refined prompts, tested interactions, and ensured that the AI stayed aligned with the lesson’s learning goals and cultural sensitivity guidelines. Their work allowed the technology to model realistic communication patterns while keeping the focus on learning empathy, adaptability and global awareness.”

The new AI element was presented as an option, so students could choose the traditional roleplay or the AI Agent. 

“This alone created more buy-in, which always helps,” said Tim Hill, an assistant teaching professor who used the program in his class. “So, whether they were using the digital agent or the in-person roleplay – students were more invested in their experience because they had a say in it.”

According to Mikala Scarpiniti, a lab instructor who implemented the new AI tool in her class, the new simulation provided more consistency for all the student teams and helped quieter students feel more engaged. Through the AI-generated role play, students spotted cultural differences more quickly and were more effective at picking up cues.

“Our discussion afterwards was more in depth, and we were able to discuss how their questions prompted the AI simulation,” Scarpiniti said.

Farouk Hamdan, a project manager for the C4TT and an information technology student at Mizzou, led the creation of the AI agent. By using ChatGPT, Hamdan was able to customize the agent’s responses and structure to align with the Mintana lesson objectives. 

“My role was to make sure the agent could guide students effectively, answer questions accurately, and enhance understanding through interactive dialogue,” Hamdan said. “As a result, BA1500 students had a smoother, more intuitive experience.”

The C4TT team worked to ensure the AI agent was relatable and easy to use. The team helped shape prompts, refined instructions, and created a tool that supported learning outcomes. 

“It allowed each experience to be different as the AI agent could go off script in ways that might surprise students, while better pointing out or changing course when the students made cultural miscues in their efforts,” Hill said. “It wasn’t always perfect (and sometimes was a very bad negotiator, countering with a better deal for students then what they had offered/targeted), but even that created different conversation.”

Introducing Mizzou students to transformative technology is one of Trulaske’s pillars of success. Access to AI and other leading-edge technology empowers students to introduce these technologies to others in the workforce after graduation, which amplifies the impact of Trulaske’s mission.

“Understanding how to use AI prepares Trulaske students for the modern business world,” Hamdan said. “These tools are reshaping every industry and learning to use them responsibly and creatively gives students a competitive edge in both innovation and problem-solving.”

The C4TT team’s efforts helped create a guaranteed, high-quality experience for every student. 

“The AI could stay on track, model appropriate cultural behaviors, and provide every student with a chance to practice negotiation skills in a safe, low-pressure environment,” Knoerr said. “It’s an effective, affordable way to scale immersive learning while maintaining consistency.”

Mizzou’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business prepares students for success as global citizens, business leaders, scholars, innovators and entrepreneurs by providing access to transformative technologies, offering experience-centered learning opportunities and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.