by Kamarie Chapman, Theatre and Dance
Overview
With the access to Generative Artificial Intelligence becoming increasingly popular and accessible, it can sometimes feel like looking for plagiarism and AI-Generated responses from students (as an educator) has become another full-time job in and of itself. A job that no one I know is excited to take on. And the calls for committees to “solve the problem” and alarmist articles seem to be flooding into the zeitgeist of academics everywhere. It appears the message being sent indicates the very idea of higher education has been under attack since the release of ChatGPT in November of 2023.
This cycle is exhausting, and I have known more than a couple educators who decided to hang up their academic robes in search of new work this year; if the ramifications of pandemic isn’t bad enough, now the battle to get students to care about their education seems even more defeatist.
Maybe it is in some respects; the traditional methods of pedagogy have been taking some hard (much needed) speculation and educators are being pressed to adapt. And while this can be frustrating, isn’t this the way of being an educator? Should we not be constantly reevaluating ourselves and asking ourselves if what and how we are teaching our subject matter is effective and relevant?
I absolutely believe this and have been thrashing against my traditional education to incorporate new practices that make higher education more accessible for as many people from as many backgrounds as possible.
Embracing the advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence has been enlightening. I can tell you this, I will never struggle my way through a list of MLA citations and sources again. I will never write another cover letter for a part-time job over the summer months that is just to keep me financially afloat, and I will never hesitate to have ChatGPT or Google Gemini check my grammar on a letter of recommendation again.
For many people over the age of forty, we were taught to perform long division by hand. We memorized complex equations, spellings of impossible words, and were adamantly asked: Are you going to carry a calculator around with you everywhere you go? Or a dictionary?
Turns out we all do.
I am a person that has lived with ADHD all my life. Sometimes this neurodivergence really serves me well in immediate focus of tasks that need to be completed right away. I’m extremely good at organizing and figuring out how to get work done. I also have major crash periods after stressful times that are difficult to shake off. Sometimes even starting a 750-word article for review is a giant mountain.
Colleges and universities across the country are taking advantage of hybrid classes. The last snow storms we had here at WWU may have closed down the campus, but I was able to continue my lessons for the week by toggling my classes to zoom: like we all did during the pandemic lockdowns. And while there is absolutely no denying that being in person with my classes is much more fulfilling, the fact that I can so easily toggle the entire class or open a zoom room for some participants to observe and engage during a live class is awesome. The ability to attend a lecture from afar and not miss out on the education that someone with mobility challenges or other accessibility needs far outweighs the administrative desire to ensure participants are attending classes in a room that likely isn’t very accessible anyhow.
So isn’t it also awesome that we can all access to the tools Generative AI can offer?
I think we can all agree that it’s not a perfect system, but if we truly desire to diversify our campuses, we need to embrace the tools that are available to make our classes more equitable.
Generative AI has the potential to create a more equitable college experience for students who struggle in many of the ways traditional pedagogy falls short.
Impact on Teaching and Learning
Students struggling to turn in written assignments should be taught how to use these new tools for “the power of good”.
Creating assignment requiring students to use Generative AI can only inform them better appropriate uses vs. letting the machine do the work for them.
Thinking beyond disciplinary boundaries and opening up to the idea of how non-human facilitators can offer a deeper understanding of course content is far more productive.
Steps/Tips/How-To Implement
Starting is a little counter-intuitive. Encouraging students to use these generative AI programs feels sometimes like teaching students how to get around the system. However, showing them the shortfalls of programs, and educating them about proper use, can be an incredibly powerful.
Here’s a bulleted list to get you started:
- Schedule a day early in the term and have everyone bring a device with whatever program or app they would like to use (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.).
- Have the participants sit in groups and ask them to enter in specific questions from your lessons already in a form that could easily be applied to an online quiz. An example: In 25 words or less define Cinema Verite. In less than 50 words, define Jacobian Theatre.
- Have the students share what they generative program answered. They quickly figure out that not only is the AI creating an answer that doesn’t match the source materials offered, but that it also will reach for connections that do not make sense in the scope of the course.
- Next have the students use the program to create a study schedule for themselves. This takes a minute — they enter in their weekly schedule and any weekly commitments that are regularly a part of what they do (including meals, friend hangouts, video gaming, etc…). This proves to be extremely impactful for participants. Realizing that this is one of the tools we use for the “power of good.”
- Have the students find a job listing on Indeed or the like — one they would qualify to apply to (likely at a large chain store in retail or food service). Have them copy/paste the job requirements into the program and ask for a basic cover letter outline.
- Have them ask the program to help them start an essay with their own bulleted points of research.
- Create some first-week-of-term assignments that include AI. Need some ideas? Try here. Or here.
This is only something I started employing this year. Usually around week three right when they finally have some kind of significant weekly written response due. We will play with the program for a portion of the class and then discuss the ethics behind the uses. Having this open discourse with the group seems to nip burgeoning temptations to use Generative AI inappropriately right in the proverbial bud.
At least for now. See, I believe they have had so many threats about what using Generative AI for assignments will do, they simply do not know how to use this amazing tool toward their advantage so they can deepen their understanding of the subject matter while freeing up the worry to have things perfectly grammatical. Because, I appreciate a person who can write a first draft with impeccable grammar and spelling, but if that’s the only thing I’m assessing a student on then I’m likely being distracted by what they are offering in the way of expressing their retention of the materials.
Hopefully some of this resonates for you reading this short(ish) abstract. If nothing else, perhaps if gives some pause when thinking about ways to constantly detect the use of Generative AI (here at WWU there are no programs at the moment for that), and offers some ideas for creating a more inclusive atmosphere in your courses that can lead to everyone being more excited about the possibilities.
References and Other Resources
Some of these are actual references I have used to create this presentation, some of these are
guidelines created by other universities over the course of the last two years. All have helped. There
now seem to be a plethora of resources out there. These are just a few to get you going.
Direct References:
Barger, Amira (2023). “How AI is already transforming DEI, and what leaders should keep in mind.” Fast Company, Mansueto Ventures, 25 Feb. 2024.
Coleman, K. (2023). Generative AI and education ecologies. Pacific Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 5(1), 19-20.
Popenici, S., Rudolph, J., Tan, S., & Tan, S. (2023). A critical perspective on generative AI and learning futures. An interview with Stefan Popenici. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 6(2), 311-331.
“What is Generative AI?” January 19, 2023, Michael Chui, Bryce Hall, and Alex Singla.
More Sources:
Cornell – Center for Teaching Innovation
WWU Teaching and Learning Co-op (AI and Chatbots Teaching Considerations)