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- Higher Ed Issue #2: AI+Ed in the News, Lesson Plan Example, Webinars
Higher Ed Issue #2: AI+Ed in the News, Lesson Plan Example, Webinars
France Hoang
June 18, 2024 • Est. Reading Time: 7 minutes
The AI Collaborative:
Higher Education Edition
The latest news and notes for higher education leaders interested in AI in the classroom and for classwork.
Quote to AI Generated Image of the Week
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
- Benjamin Franklin
This Week In 3 Bullets
AI and Higher Ed in the News
Coursera Launches Free Course for University Leaders on Generative AI: Coursera introduces a free course, "Generative AI for University Leaders," to educate higher education leaders on the fundamentals of generative AI and its impact on students and the workforce.
Survey Reveals Divide Among Students, Faculty, and Administrators on AI Use: A recent survey highlights a growing discrepancy among students, instructors, and administrators in their use and views on generative AI, with students leading the way in adoption.
Boston University Calls for 'Critical Embrace' of Generative AI in New Policy: Boston University publishes a report calling for a "critical embrace" of generative AI, recommending that faculty not universally prohibit its use and instead support AI literacy among students and faculty.
College Unbound Develops Groundbreaking Generative AI Policy: College Unbound announces the launch of its groundbreaking Usage Guidelines for AI Generative Tools for faculty and students, marking a significant milestone in the integration of artificial intelligence in higher education.
Higher Ed Leaders See AI as Key to Future-Proofing Students' Degrees: Many higher education leaders believe that teaching generative AI skills is crucial for future-proofing students' degrees, as AI skills are increasingly in demand in the workforce.
Example AI Use Case in the Classroom
Lesson Plan: Exploring AI Capabilities in Essay Writing
Objectives:
Understand the current capabilities and limitations of AI language models in essay writing: (1) Develop critical thinking skills by evaluating and comparing AI-generated and human-written content (2) Foster responsible AI use by recognizing the importance of human oversight and original work
Activity 1: Student Essay Draft (60 minutes)
(1) Provide a prompt or topic for a short essay (e.g., "The importance of education in society") (2) Students individually draft an essay responding to the prompt without any AI assistance
Activity 2: AI-Generated Essay Draft (30 minutes)
(1) Use a language model AI (e.g., Claude) to generate an essay draft on the same prompt (2) Display or distribute the AI-generated essay to students
Activity 3: Comparative Analysis (60 minutes)
In small groups, students analyze and compare the AI-generated essay to their own drafts (1) Discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and differences between the AI and human-written essays (2) Identify areas where the AI excelled or fell short (e.g., factual accuracy, coherence, creativity)
Wrap-Up Discussion (30 minutes)
Reflect on the experience as a class (1) Discuss the potential uses and limitations of AI in academic writing (2) Emphasize the importance of human oversight, critical thinking, and original work (3) Explore ethical considerations and responsible AI use in education
Potential Outcomes:
Students gain hands-on experience with AI language models and their capabilities (1) They develop critical evaluation skills by comparing AI and human-written content (2) Students understand the strengths and limitations of AI in essay writing (3) They recognize the importance of human oversight, original thinking, and ethical AI use (4) The activity fosters discussions on responsible technology integration in education. Note: Proper citation and acknowledgment of AI-generated content should be emphasized throughout the lesson.
Higher Education Leaders Partner to Advance Collaborative AI in the Classroom
The following higher education leaders recently joined boodleAI’s Leadership Council on Collaborative AI in Higher Education:
Dr. David Barnes, Former Senior AI Ethics Advisor, DARPA; Former Chief AI Ethics Officer, US Army AI Integration Center; Professor and Deputy Department Head, Department of English and Philosophy, U.S. Military Academy
Natalia Pierson, Associate Director of Prospect Management Research, Norfolk State University
Interested in joining? Apply today.
From the Collaborative
Leveling the Field: How AI Can Empower Disadvantaged Students. Dr. Denise Turley discusses how AI technologies like intelligent tutoring systems, language learning tools, and personalized learning platforms can help close educational achievement gaps by providing customized instruction and support tailored to the needs of disadvantaged students.
Explainable AI: A Must for Higher Education Dr. Thomas Conway provides an overview of the importance of explainable AI (XAI) in higher education assessment, highlighting its potential to address concerns about fairness, transparency, and accountability in AI-powered grading and evaluation systems.
Interested in having your work included here? Please submit using this link.
This Week’s Collaborative AI for Higher Ed Webinars
June 18th | 1PM ET/10AM PT | Course: Fundamentals of Generative AI for Educators
Register Here
June 19th | 4PM ET/1PM PT | Live Q&A: Addressing Concerns about AI and Academic Integrity
Register Here
Access training, resources, AI tools, and a supportive community of educators to responsibly integrate GenAI into your curriculum with the Collaborative AI Accelerator for Higher Education - BoodleBox.
Behind the Curtain
This newsletter exists to inform and connect those in higher education interested in helping faculty and students responsibly collaborate with GenAI. Come learn more about BoodleBox for Education, and if you’re already onboard, bring a colleague - we’d really appreciate it.
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