Artificial Intelligence
Dear Faculty Relations: I’m hearing constantly about artificial intelligence in the classroom, and I’m queasy about how it’s being used by my students. Do I embrace AI? Or do I go back to giving exams in blue books? —A Human Intelligence (HI)
Dear HI: For better or worse, artificial intelligence is not going away, and bringing back blue books will not keep your students from using it. Our goal is now to help our students value their own integrity and learning by creating assessments that are more authentic, inclusive, and creative indicators of student learning. We need to embrace the potential of AI by seeking ways to adapt our teaching and learning practices.
All successful courses begin with good design where assessments and activities are aligned with clear learning goals and objectives. Ask yourself, how might I use AI as a tool to help my students learn content and critical thinking skills? How might I use AI to help them to reflect and assess information while also meeting the learning objectives for my course?
Keep in mind, instructor competency with and preference for using AI plays a big role in ensuring the success of AI in your course. Make sure to read department and university policies and be transparent about these policies with your students. Integrate the use of AI with instructional strategies that promote active learning such as group work and peer review. Let your students know your objectives for using AI and make the use of AI relevant to their real-world experiences. The Teaching and Learning Center at the Ohio State University, for example, offers that you might modify for your courses.
Need more resources? Explore CTL’s webpage on the AI assessment scale for ideas on when, why, and how to incorporate (or limit) AI use in assessments. For further reading and resources about AI in the classroom, you can also visit our page on Teaching, Learning & AI. And finally, consider getting involved in conversations with other faculty across campus by joining the Teaching, Learning, & AI Community of Practice (TLAI COP) or schedule a one-on-one consultation with CTL.
Written by Kalpana Gupta, Professional Development Lead, Center for Teaching and Learning