Generative AI is changing the landscape of teaching and learning
Generative AI tools offer many exciting possibilities when used thoughtfully in teaching and learning. Universities have a unique opportunity to help students navigate this landscape and learn to think critically about AI.
Instructors have a range of choices with regards to AI in their courses. If you are thinking about using it in your teaching, you may wonder: How do I thoughtfully incorporate AI into my course in a way that supports my learning outcomes?
Here are six steps that you might use to answer that question.
Step 1: Consider Your Discipline
Step 2: Review Evidence-Based Strategies
Step 5: Outline a Concrete Idea
CTLM and other campus resources (including DoIT, Writing Across the Curriculum, the L&S Instructional Design Collaborative, and the Libraries) are here to help. Your peers and your students can also provide useful feedback and ideas about how generative AI is being used on campus.
As you think about how to approach AI in your teaching, consider this tip: “Integrate with the existing curriculum… and start small,” (Speicher, ACUE).
Make your own copy of this information as a handout
Step 1: Consider Your Discipline
From the humanities to the sciences, every discipline is grappling with what tasks AI can assist with, what tasks should still be performed by humans, and the ethical and practical implications involved. A growing number of academic departments, and schools/colleges are developing their own approaches to generative AI in teaching and learning that are specific to their needs.
Consider the following:
How is AI impacting your discipline? (Consider both the pros and cons.)
What types of AI literacy or AI skills will your students need in their future studies or career?
What conversations about AI in teaching are happening within your department and school/college?
Step 2: Review Evidence-Based Strategies
While generative AI is still evolving, evidence-based strategies have begun to emerge about best practices for using these tools in higher education. Here are some to consider (click the links for more detail):
AI in Assignment Design (Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation)
- Affirm What You Actually Want to Assess
- Explore When & How Generative AI Can Facilitate Student Learning
- Identify When Generative AI Cannot Facilitate Student Learning
- Create Transparent Assignment Materials
- Communicate Your Expectations for Generative AI Use
- Confer with Colleagues
Using AI to Implement Effective Teaching Strategies in Classrooms: Five Strategies, Including Prompts (Dr. Ethan Mollick and Dr. Lilach Mollick, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania & Wharton Interactive)
- Produce Many Varied Examples
- Provide Multiple Explanations
- Develop Low-Stakes Tests
- Assess Student Learning
- Distribute Practice of Important Ideas
Consider the following:
Which of these strategies resonate most with you? Which would you like to learn more about?
What questions do you still have after exploring these strategies?
Step 3: Review Examples
Examples can both serve as inspiration and help you envision ways to put the evidence-based strategies into practice. Here are some examples from UW–Madison instructors:
- “Critical AI Literacy,” Emily Hall and Abby Letak, Writing Across the Curriculum
- “Supporting Student Success Through Process-driven AI Pedagogy,” Nathan Jung, teaching faculty, Program for Engineering Communication
- “Lessons Learned,” Laura Grossenbacher, director, Technical Communication; David Dwyer, clinical professor, Nursing; Chris Kirchgasler, assistant professor, Curriculum & Instruction
- “AI as a Thought Partner: Navigating Conversations and Challenges in a Communications Course,” Sarah Clifford Glapa, instructor, Master of Public Health program
Consider the following:
Which of these examples seem most relevant to your teaching?
Which examples do you find particularly inspiring? Why?
Step 4: Consider Your Course
Now that you have considered your discipline and reviewed evidence-based strategies and examples, it’s time to think about your course. Complete the following reflection questions as you work through this step. This is a brainstorming step, so feel free to consider all ideas. You’ll choose one idea to focus on in the next step.
For what purposes would you like to use AI in your course?
What assignment types or ways of using AI might work in your course?
How might you ask students to think critically about AI as it relates to your course content and learning objectives?
How might you use AI to help promote engagement in your course?
What other uses of AI might be appropriate in your course?
Step 5: Outline a Concrete Idea
Choose just one idea from above to pursue. Make notes about how to put this idea into practice.
Think of an assignment you’re currently using or one you’d like to use in your course.
What are the learning objectives of your assignment?
Given those objectives, how might incorporating AI enhance what students learn?
How will you clearly communicate to students your expectations for the assignment with respect to the use of AI?
Step 6: Reflect and Evaluate
After you’ve tried an assignment in your course, reflect and evaluate. Consider the following:
What went well?
What were some challenges you encountered?
What changes might you make if using this assignment in the future?
References
Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation (website), accessed April 19, 2024. AI in Assignment Design.
Mollick, E. and Mollick, L. (2024) Instructors as Innovators: A future-focused approach to new AI learning opportunities, with prompts. Available at SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4802463
Speicher, S. Unlocking Human-AI Potential: 10 Best Practices for AI Assignments in Higher Ed. Association of College and University Educators (blog), accessed April 19, 2024.