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Unlocking Innovation: Harnessing Generative AI to Enhance Teaching and Learning (9/24/24)

Unlocking Innovation: Harnessing Generative AI to Enhance Teaching and Learning

September 24, 2024

 

Presentation Developer: Dr. Pedro Hernandez, Department of Social Work

Presenter: Dr. Candis Pizzetta

This interactive workshop offers a hands-on exploration of generative AI for higher education, designed to inspire instructors to enhance their teaching methods, streamline feedback, and boost student engagement. Led by experienced faculty, the session dives into the practicalities and ethics of using AI tools like ChatGPT in real-world academic settings.

Participants learn how to harness AI for:

  • Prompt Engineering: Craft smarter prompts to get the best results, fine-tuning responses to fit the needs of students at different academic levels.
  • Efficient Grading & Feedback: See how AI can quickly assess work and provide consistent, actionable feedback on assignments, helping students learn from each submission.
  • Dynamic Course Design: Discover ways to use AI as a “teaching assistant” to refresh syllabi, create adaptive lesson plans, and make daily discussions more interactive.

In a special segment on ethical AI use, the workshop addresses the big question of the moment: Should we openly encourage students to use AI? Educators share strategies for talking to students about AI, setting clear boundaries, and integrating AI in a way that supports both academic integrity and critical thinking.

Complete with examples, live demonstrations, and insider tips on avoiding common AI pitfalls, this workshop is perfect for educators interested in leading their classrooms with innovation and integrity. Don’t miss the chance to gain valuable, practical insights that could transform your teaching approach.

The workshop demonstrated several specific AI applications designed to assist educators in streamlining their teaching, grading, and feedback processes while engaging students more effectively. Here are the key uses highlighted:

  1. Grading & Feedback Automation:
    • AI can help with grading objective assessments like quizzes and short answers quickly and consistently, providing personalized feedback based on the instructor’s grading criteria.
    • For writing assignments, it offers feedback on grammar, style, and content structure, helping students improve technical skills like punctuation and subject-verb agreement.
  2. Tutoring and Study Assistance:
    • AI can act as a “tutor,” guiding students through complex topics using step-by-step prompts and checking their understanding after each question.
    • Instructors can use AI to simulate peer review or prompt feedback that students can apply independently.
  3. Course & Lesson Planning:
    • AI assists in building and updating course outlines, suggesting new ways to introduce complex concepts and offering fresh ideas for daily lesson plans that encourage interactive learning.
    • It can generate tailored examples, practice questions, and case studies that make lessons more engaging and relevant to students.
  4. Adaptive Learning & Student Support:
    • AI analyzes grade data to identify patterns, helping instructors proactively address areas where students typically struggle.
    • Instructors can create adaptive content, allowing students to explore different ways of approaching a problem and developing personalized study guides.
  5. Research and Citation Assistance:
    • AI can support research by reviewing research questions, hypotheses, and even managing citations, especially when citation guidelines change.
  6. Simulating Student Interactions:
    • AI can role-play scenarios that mimic real-life challenges in fields like social work or group projects, allowing students to test their responses and practice decision-making in controlled environments.
  7. Classroom Technology Support:
    • For instructors less experienced with design, AI can help create engaging visuals and course materials, including aesthetically-pleasing presentations and content that aligns with students’ current interests and digital literacy levels.

By blending AI with instructional techniques, the workshop showed how these tools can foster more engaging, flexible, and adaptive learning environments for both students and educators.