by Robert Cole, Program Director, Reinert Center
As we move further into the semester many of us have questions that are still not completely settled when it comes to the assignments that we are doing with our classes. Among the questions like, Is this assignment still a good fit for my course? Is a new and important question regarding whether I should include generative artificial intelligence (AI). There is no right or wrong answer to this question as it depends heavily on the context of the situation and many other factors. My intention here is to provide some of the benefits and some of the limitations around using generative AI and to bring out some considerations that may be helpful in making that decision.
Several benefits have been identified by others who have put generative AI to use in courses. One such benefit is that employing its use can be helpful in the generation of rough drafts, outlines, and ideas about a topic. Potentially even more helpful to students who are non-native language speakers is that this technology can summarize and clarify dense or lengthy text that takes these students much more time to read and understand than many native speakers. Along the same lines, generative AI can also assist students with language acquisition and grammar. Finally, the use of this kind of tool might also allow faculty to discuss rhetoric, style, and digital literacy issues in a discipline specific context.
Many of us have heard of some of the shortcomings of the use of generative AI. Things like the creation of inaccurate, incomplete, or just fabricated information are an issue. In addition, citations can also be erroneously created and/or matched with research that is not linked to the cited authors. There have been issues with plagiarism and because of how the AI was trained, it reiterates biases present in its training data. Perhaps one of the most concerning limitations is that these tools merely replicate human creativity and thinking and coax some users out of thinking for themselves, undermining the process of ideation.
While this is not an exhaustive list of benefits or limitations of incorporating generative AI into your course, it may be a way to begin to inform your decision-making process. Other things you may want to consider in helping your decision-making process may be determining what kinds of threats and opportunities you perceive may exist for your teaching because of using AI in your course. You may want to test one or more of the generative AI tools to see what they will actually do in relation to what you want to teach. Finally, consulting policies for the university, your school or college, or even programs or departments to determine if this kind of tool would be welcome in a specific environment may assist in informing your decision.
Whatever you decide regarding the use of generative AI tools in your course, if you want to discuss it with a member of the Reinert Center staff we are happy to assist you. A more concise Resource Guide is available on our website. If you would like to request a consultation on this or other topics, please fill out this Consultation Request Form.
References
Ohio State University. (n.d.). AI: Considerations for teaching and learning. Teaching
and Learning Resource Center. https://teaching.resources.osu.edu/teachingtopics/ai-considerations-teaching-learning. Accessed 11 Aug. 2023.
Schmidli, Laura. “Considerations for Using AI in the Classroom.” L&S Instructional
Design Collaborative, idc.ls.wisc.edu/guides/using-artificial-intelligence-in-theclassroom/. Accessed 11 Aug. 2023.
Trust, T. (2023, August 4). Essential considerations for addressing the possibility of
AI-driven cheating, part 1. Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning.
https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technologyarticles/essential-considerations-for-addressing-the-possibility-of-ai-drivencheating-part-1/. Accessed 11 Aug. 2023
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