Like the rest of the world, educators are rapidly learning about the impact of artificial intelligence. Although still in its infancy, generative AI is already reshaping how professors teach, grade, and prepare students for careers.
At Saint Louis University, researchers in Flavio Esposito’s computer science lab use ChatGPT to help write lines of code for application prototypes. Esposito recognizes that it has benefits far beyond the lab. “Other students and researchers get information quicker,” he says. Yet he acknowledges there is apprehension from some educators about AI and the possibility of plagiarism. So to help address concerns, SLU has provided formal and informal training sessions on the subject. “A lot of faculty are interested in understanding not only how to detect cheating but also to evolve their teaching materials,” says Esposito, “so people can learn how to use this tool to better learn and teach.”
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A range of classes at Washington University center on AI and machine learning. “We’re seeing faculty across disciplines think about the ways in which generative AI broadly can play a role in their classrooms,” says Jennifer Smith, vice provost for educational initiatives and a professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences. A philosophy professor, for instance, asks students to paste generated text alongside their own writing and then discerns where the text originated. Elsewhere, discussions are taking place about how the university can leverage AI to help connect students with resources, Smith says.
Badri Adhikari, an assistant professor in computer science at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, is also grappling with the new technology. On one hand, he notes, AI can support self-directed learning: “Students can independently explore a topic and use ChatGPT as a personal tutor to grow and learn.” However, [generative AI] can also spur educators to rethink their lesson plans. “I have assignments that could help students develop fundamentals of AI, programming, and deep learning,” he says, but generative AI can complete the assignments in minutes, which can be frustrating. To tackle the problem, Adhikari created a platform, Process Feedback, that helps capture the writing/coding process. “The overall principle is that now we not only have the outcome of these students’ work but also their entire process: [They can] look back, investigate, and explore their own process.” The tool allows both educators and students to get to the core of the learning process, rather than the generated outcome.
Ultimately, experts agree that continuing to learn about AI is important. “We want our students to be competitive in the workforce and to be the kind of people who contribute creative solutions,” says Smith. “We want them to use these tools not only responsibly but also effectively.”
