CORE 2096 Final Reflection

Hey guys! That’s the end of an amazing course (so sad)! Here’s my final reflection for the course. I really had so much fun and learnt a lot as you’ll see😊

Most Impactful Learning Experiences

1. About Myself:
   The most impactful moment was creating and iterating on my moral dilemma game, The Weight of Truth. Designing scenarios about honesty forced me to reflect on my own values and how I make decisions under pressure. Getting feedback from my classmates and professor, especially when they told me to change my game from big political issues to the kinds of everyday personal dilemmas we all actually face, really made me realize how much my own ideas can grow when I listen to other perspectives instead of just aiming for perfection on my own; this whole process showed me that real progress comes from being open, letting others challenge me, and using those insights to make my work and thinking stronger. This project taught me to value authenticity and self-reflection in my personal contexts.
2. Academic Life:
   Interviewing professionals like Dr. Mohamed Abdallah and Engineer Amir Eissa for my AI in Construction Engineering assignment was transformative. Their insights on how AI is revolutionizing project management, risk assessment, and sustainability made me see the direct connection between what we study and what’s happening in the industry. It motivated me to deepen my coding and data analysis skills (logic mainly because AI tools now know the syntax and much of the logic), knowing that these are now essential for success in engineering. This was not only reflected on my thesis project that was AI-driven but it also affected how I use AI in my all my courses (I really improved in writing prompts and using the right tool for every different situation).
3. Social Life:
   Participating in the Soliya Connect Program, even though it wasn’t perfect, taught me the value of dialogue and listening. Navigating conversations with students from different countries made me more patient, open-minded, and aware of group dynamics: how language and confidence can affect who gets heard. I now pay more attention to creating inclusive spaces in group discussions, both in and out of class and more open to them after being more of an introvert for my whole childhood.
4. Career:
   Learning about AI’s real-world applications in construction (from predictive maintenance to safety monitoring and sustainability) showed me that the future of engineering is interdisciplinary. My thesis project on AI-driven water leakage detection feels more relevant than ever, and I’m inspired to keep pushing for innovation in my field. This made me realize that using AI in construction engineering is incredibly important. And we’re still in the phase before the boom, so there are much to add to the industry (I need to work on this).

Three Assignments That Best Show My Learning

1. The Weight of Truth: A Moral Dilemma Game
   • Why? It’s the clearest example of how I turned theoretical values into an interactive, real-world experience. The game’s evolution (from political to personal, from biased to neutral design) mirrors my own learning journey of shattering perfectionism and the audience’s (people who play the game) journey of saying the truth in difficult situations.
   • Link: Final Draft Game
2. AI in Construction Engineering Assignment
   • Why? This assignment combined interviews, research, and real-world application. It’s where I synthesized academic theory with professional practice, showing how AI is transforming construction and what that means for my future career.
   • Link: AI in Construction Engineering
3. Exploring AI Research Tools
   • Why? This post demonstrates my ability to critically evaluate AI tools (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Consensus, Keenious), compare their strengths and weaknesses, and reflect on how they can support academic research. This helped me learn how to write prompts and which AI tool is better for which situation.
   • Link: Exploring AI Research Tools

What I Would Change About the Course

• Soliya:
  Early Soliya sessions felt disconnected from real issues. I’d replace generic questions with discussions about current events, AI in education, climate change, social media’s impact, and global conflicts, to make dialogue more meaningful and engaging. In addition, I felt the sessions were a lot; they needed to be shorter and less amounts of time because it took so much time every week alongside the other assignments. I would recommend that we make them two Soliya sessions throughout the semester, and if they’re the same quantity, then one hour would be enough.
• Group Projects:

The assignments were very impactful for me in this course. However, I didn’t have the opportunity to have any group project (like groups of 4), which could have been more engaging. I recommend making this in like a debate, podcast, or a Hackathon on any topic using AI, which will not only make students learn how to use AI but also to collaborate with each other more effectively.

• Field Trip

In addition, I would recommend making a field trip to an orphanage. This would not only help students understand the content of the course but also feel it. After that, a group project on the orphanage visit (project like doing a video on the community service aspect of the visit) would make it more impactful.

Who should take the course:

This course is perfect for curious, open-minded students who want to bridge theory and practice (AI included), challenge their values and understand other perspectives, and learn how digital tools and dialogue shape the future of education, work, and society.

Reflection on Tools Learned

AI tools are now a core part of my academic and professional journeys, especially for coding, project planning, and research in construction engineering (they are needed to be used wisely 

Creative Presentation: Letter to Future Students

Dear Future CORE 2096 Students,

If you want a course that pushes you to think deeply, understand other perspectives, and use technology to solve real problems, this is the one. You’ll get to build things (like games), have fun, work a lot with your peers, interview professionals, and learn how AI is already changing your academic and professional lives. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out. Outstanding learning and fun experience!

You can find all my past assignments in this reference: https://reflect.creativitycourse.org/?writer=Faris+Elnabarawi

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, please comment below 😊