Open AI made waves recently with the current release of ChatGPT, a free tool for creating AI-generated writing. While AI writing is not new, the power and ease of use of ChatGPT has created waves in higher education, prompting us to reconsider both the ways we teach writing, and the ways that we use writing as a tool for learning & assessment.
Many believe that the emergence of AI tools will cause a complete paradigm shift in education, in ways similar to the emergence of computers, and then the internet. How can we, as educators, respond to the immediate challenges (and opportunities!) of ChatGPT, while also preparing ourselves for this shift? A series of March workshops, organized by the newly formed AI in Education Taskforce, will explore the ways that we as educators can respond to the availability of these tools, both strategizing how we can maintain the role of writing in helping students to learn, and preparing students for a world in which AI tools are a fundamental part of the writing process.
Teaching and Learning with Artificial Intelligence
2:00-3:15 p.m. on March 3, 2023, via Zoom
Late in 2022, ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI) writing assistant from OpenAI, began to roil the pedagogical waters of higher education. Since then, faculty from every discipline have been grappling with the opportunities and threats posed by the new technology.
If you’re curious about how ChatGPT works, or if you want to learn how faculty and students might use AI writing assistants, please join your higher ed colleagues from around Idaho at a workshop on teaching and learning with AI. The workshop—facilitated by faculty and staff from Boise State’s Center for Teaching and Learning, eCampus Center, and Learning Technology Solutions—will give participants hands-on practice with ChatGPT, as well as an opportunity to discuss its implications for higher ed with colleagues from around the state.
“Teaching and Learning with Artificial Intelligence” is designed for faculty at Idaho colleges and universities; educational developers, instructional designers, and teaching assistants from those institutions also are welcome to participate. To join us via Zoom on March 3, please register for the workshop.
Teaching and Assigning Writing in an AI World
The rapid emergence of freely available tools for AI-generated writing (most recently, the release of the current version of ChatGPT) promises to upend higher education in fundamental ways, similarly to other technological innovations such as computers and the world wide web. As instructors, how can we ensure that writing continues to play a valuable role in both assessing student mastery, and giving students ways to think through ideas? How might the ways that we assign writing in our courses change to reflect this new landscape, and how can we prepare students to write in a workforce in which AI is a moral part of the writing process? Please come to the workshop with the student instructions for any current writing assignment in your courses, and plan to leave having thought through how you might change it to reflect student access to AI writing tools.
- March 13 from 3:00-4:15 in Person
- March 15 from 10:00-11:15 on Zoom
AI with AI: Maintaining Academic Integrity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
- March 14, 1-2 p.m. in Person
- March 17, 9-10 a.m. on Zoom
Are you concerned students may misuse Artificial Intelligence (AI) writers like ChatGPT? Are you curious how you might invite AI use that advances student learning, creativity, and critical analysis? If so, we’ve designed this workshop for you! You’ll first get a quick overview of how AI writing assistants work, including what they can and can’t do. Next, we’ll discuss which student uses of AI you might encourage to help students achieve your course learning outcomes, as well as which uses you’d discourage because they would prevent learning and verge into academic misconduct— behavior that has the effect of interfering with education. (You have the academic freedom to make these decisions for your courses!) We’ll close with a short drafting session where you’ll affirm for students your commitment to authentic learning and explain how they should or should not use AI.