Ask Janet: Leveraging AI for Course Design, Instruction and Learning

Concurrent Session 1

Session Materials

Brief Abstract

Have you ever wondered how artificial intelligence could enhance course development and transform the way you educate in today's digital age? Join this session to discover how two instructors leveraged ChatGPT to design college courses and elevate their students' learning experiences by harnessing the power of AI-driven tools and technologies.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Mariann Hawken, University of Maryland - Baltimore County

As Director of Instructional Technology at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Dr. Mariann Hawken serves as a strategic partner for creating and promoting professional development that engages the adult learner and is an advocate for online learning through quality course design and effective practice. She works with an amazing team to support digital tools and instructional technologies used to innovate teaching & learning and facilitate student success.

Co-presenter: Susan Biro, University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Extended Abstract

Have you ever wondered how artificial intelligence could enhance course development and transform the way you educate in today's digital age? In NBC’s The Good Place, a comedy about the afterlife, Janet is an all-knowing anthropomorphized database and personal assistant designed to help humans. Join this session to discover how two instructors leveraged ChatGPT as their own Janet to design and transform college courses to elevate their students' learning experiences by harnessing the power of AI-driven tools and technologies.

As early as the 1960s, researchers recognized the potential of AI to transform education (Carbonell, 1960; Suppes, 1966). With the advancements in machine learning and natural language processing, AI's impact on the educational landscape has only grown more profound. Extensive debate about the value of AI and its impact on learning and critical thinking have generated a range of responses on policy and practice. Moreover, instructional technologies now embrace AI for writing support, study guide creation, originality detection, or personal assistance. Whether an institution bans AI tools or embraces flexible AI policies, faculty are faced with a rapidly changing technology. As such, AI-driven tools are among the many active and innovative approaches to learning that educators need to consider as we seek to reach, retain, and successfully educate college learners. 

In this session, we share our experiences developing a pair of foundational graduate courses, Applied Learning Science and Best Practices in College Teaching, in a post-master's certificate program for college teaching. Students in this one-year certificate program explore key topics like culturally responsive teaching, engaging diverse college learners, reaching students with motivation strategies, assessing college-level learning, and designing courses using innovative practices. By integrating AI-driven technologies like ChatGPT into the curriculum design and instructional process, and continuously reflecting on our efforts, we have created engaging, dynamic, and personalized learning experiences for our students.

Session objectives

1. Describe the potential of AI-driven tools to enhance course development, student engagement, assessment and grading, course management, and educator productivity

2. Identify key advantages and opportunities for the integration of AI-driven tools in the educational process.

3. Compare the impact of AI technologies against traditional methods and assess their suitability for different educational contexts

4. Develop an actionable plan for integrating AI tools into your teaching practice

5. Communicate the benefits and challenges of adopting AI-driven tools in education to colleagues, administrators, and other stakeholders

Content and audience engagement

This session will not be highly technical, but attendees should have some experience with course development. Presenters will share examples of how ChatGPT 3.5 and 4.0 function and participants will have opportunities to try ChatGPT 3.5. Presenters will also provide a resources and reference guide via QR code and use Poll Everywhere to engage attendees with time for Q&A.

Session flow (10-12 min segments)

The session will open with brief introductions. To gauge participant familiarity with and perspectives on AI tools, the audience will be invited to respond to an interactive poll about the use of AI tools and perceived value in course development and instruction. This valuable input will help tailor the discussion to address the specific needs and interests of the audience. Following the poll, an overview of AI tools, particularly ChatGPT, will be presented, showcasing their capabilities and potential applications in the realm of higher education (D’Agostino, 2023). This segment will provide a solid foundation, preparing participants for a deep dive into the exciting world of AI-enhanced teaching and course design. 

Building upon this foundation, we will delve into real-world examples and success stories illustrating the impact of ChatGPT in course development. Participants will gain insights into effectively harnessing ChatGPT for crafting and refining learning objectives, pinpointing relevant course resources, expanding opportunities for engagement, and designing innovative projects or assessments that inspire critical thinking. Through hands-on activities and collaborative discussions, attendees will acquire practical knowledge and techniques to integrate ChatGPT into their own pedagogical practice for course design and preparation.

Next, we will explore the benefits of using ChatGPT for teaching including learner engagement, assessment development, and grading feedback. Participants will explore how to use ChatGPT to create course announcements, interactive activities, discussion prompts, and collaborative projects that encourage active learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving among students. Additionally, we will review how ChatGPT can develop a variety of assessments or performance-based evaluations and a library of constructive feedback. During the interactive portion of this segment, participants will submit prompts to ChatGPT to create and revise a course announcement or set of multiple choice questions.

Finally, we will share how we leveraged the AI tool with students who are preparing to become college teachers themselves through real-life examples, hands-on practice, group discussions, and personal reflection. Additionally, candid conversations about addressing the ethical considerations, data privacy, algorithmic bias, and appropriate use of AI tools help future college teachers be aware of the potential pitfalls and be prepared to make informed decisions about incorporating ChatGPT into their practice (Mills & Goodlad, 2023). 
 

References

Carbonell, J. R. (1960). AI in CAI: An artificial intelligence approach to computer-assisted instruction. IEEE Transactions on Man-Machine Systems, 11(4), 190-202.

D’Agostino, S. (2023). ChatGPT advice academics can use now. Inside HigherEd. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/01/12/academic-experts-offer-ad...

Mills, A., & Goodlad, L. M. E. (2023). Critical AI: Adapting college writing for the age of large language models such as ChatGPT: Some next steps for educators. Critical AI. https://criticalai.org/2023/01/17/critical-ai-adapting-college-writing-f...

Suppes, P. (1966). The uses of computers in education. Scientific American, 215(3), 207-220