The Robotic Age Arrives in the Classroom

Many believe that the Information Age, generally believed to have begun in the mid1960s, is transitioning into the Robotic Age. Certainly AI is reaching into more and more corners of everyday life with an unrealized - and perhaps unimaginable - potential ahead. Meanwhile, AI chatbots have arrived on the doorsteps of educational institutions and are unlikely to disappear. Engaging students in discussions about the tool's potential, as well as its limitations, will be key to a successful integration.

Challenges to Educators

The immediate challenge for educators at all levels is how to adjust curriculum to take advantage of AI's potential without compromising primary and critical educational objectives. Consensus appears to be growing that it may require a complete overhaul of existing approaches and pedagogy. Some view this overhaul as long overdue and representative of a great opportunity for education to reinvent itself. To this end, information is already becoming available to help educators:

• identify ways in which the technology can make their jobs more efficient by helping to write syllabi, create classroom activities and generate ideas for classroom discussion, among other ideas;
• identify ways in which to restructure class assignments and assessments to prevent students from using AI to complete their work for them, and
• use AI in creative and productive ways in the classroom. 

Additionally, educators are looking at ways AI can help students who have learning issues, special needs or speak English as their second language.

AI In the Classroom

The links included in the page "Associated Sources for Using AI in the Classroom" include sources that provide a variety of ideas and examples. It is in no way definitive and it is anticipated that in a very short time more and more resources will appear that address this topic. It's also likely that various academic departments within WCSU and other institutions will begin to share approaches and cross-pollinate ideas during the coming year as everyone becomes more familiar with the tool, its capabilities, limitations and successes within various assignments.  

Excerpt of NYT Interview with Ethan Mollick, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Q. Can schools stop students from cheating with A.I. chatbots?

A. The short answer is no. The long answer is A.I. use is undetectable. You can't ask A.I. to detect A.I. It's just going to lie to you. Every instinct we have about how to stop plagiarism doesn't work.

You can change how you teach. You could have people do oral exams. But the old homework assignment is basically cracked by A.I.

Q. How can teachers adapt?

A. You may have to hold people accountable with in-class exams, with having the Wi-Fi turned off, your Chromebook in demo mode. There are ways of solving this problem in the short. term.

Q. How should students approach generative A.I.?

A. I would demand clarity. Does this mean that I'm allowed to use A.I. to generate ideas? Could A.I. come with an outline that I work on? Can I ask for feedback from A.I. in my work? Am I allowed to use A.I. as a teammate? Can I ask the A.I. advice for something? Can I ask to explain why I got a question right or wrong?

I think you are allowed as a student to ask for what does this mean, while being patient with your teachers that they haven't figured it out either. Nobody knows the answer.

Singer, Natasha. "Taking the Pulse of Students and Teachers on A.I." The New York Times. August 28, 2023. p. B2