Sara Baxley

1. How do (or will) you use AI in your teaching, and what are your favorite resources?

Initially, I regarded AI as a bad apple with the potential to spoil all learning opportunities. However, as the saying goes, I quickly realized that “what we resist persists.” I now regard AI as an intriguing and unfamiliar “guest” in the classroom. With this perspective, I have a more curious and constructive approach to AI and recognize that students need support learning how to use it ethically and effectively. Nevertheless, I am still learning how to use it to support effective learning opportunities.

In Moral Issues, I have added a module on AI and Ethics in which students learn about and discuss the inherent advantages and risks of various AI technologies. This module integrates readings, activities, and discussions in which students reflect on the ethical implications of AI technology for society and practice using generative AI tools.

In Writing Seminar, integrating AI into the learning environment has been more challenging. While I do not permit students to submit AI-generated work for assessment, I allow students to experiment with using AI throughout the writing process. To support students’ transparent, ethical, and effective use of AI, I ask that students share their AI practices and discussion threads. This way, I can better understand how students use AI.

2. Can you share or describe an example or two of an AI assignment?

In the Moral Issues module, students learn how society already uses AI technology and reflect on ethical implications for communities. Additionally, assignments in this course engage students in analyzing and fact-checking AI-generated content, creating follow-up questions, and researching to understand the ethical implications for society better.

In both Moral Issues and Writing Seminar, students report on their use of AI for all homework assignments and share their generative AI discussion threads. Students volunteer their discussion threads for reflective in-class activities that I call “The AI Experiment.” Using these discussion threads with the class, students critique the AI-generated content and then experiment with different prompting. This reflective activity aims to help students recognize the limitations and value of generative AI while engaging them in critical thinking.

I am also investigating the possibility of using generative AI in a Socratic Seminar-style lesson that prompts students to reflect on and analyze local, regional, and global issues. I am interested in learning more about the possibility of designing a simulated learning opportunity using AI and VR technology.

3. What do you tell students about using AI?

I inform students that this is a joint learning journey. Together, we will discover how to use AI ethically and effectively. Throughout the semester, but especially in the first few classes, we discuss examples of ethical and effective AI use in the learning environment.

My syllabus states that students may use AI, though they must use it ethically, transparently, and effectively to support their learning opportunities. I explicitly define cutting and pasting or paraphrasing AI-generated content as plagiarism. As such, I do not permit students to use AI-generated content for written assessments.

4. What challenges, if any, have you had with AI in your courses?

Change always brings challenges. Echoing Pema Chodron’s sentiment, our greatest challenges are also our best teachers. For me, the biggest challenge was overcoming my discomfort and biases about using AI, especially ChatGPT, in the learning environment. While the challenges for students may be less novel, the speed and ease at which ChatGPT generates content may exacerbate these challenges. Since AI provides even more unrestricted access to vast amounts of information with varying levels of accuracy, educators need to help students understand how crucial it is to be diligent in verifying the accuracy of AI-generated information and the importance of considering the ethical implications of such content. Finally, instructors must continue to dissuade students from using AI as a shortcut to get a grade and instill in students an appreciation for the effort and discomfort that goes with the learning process.

5. How do you think AI has or will impact your domain?

I am still determining how AI will impact the subjects that I teach. However, there are serious ethical risks inherent in AI. In this regard, it is exceedingly important to collaborate across disciplines to ensure that the development of AI technology considers social and ethical implications for all sentient beings and their habitats and communities.

Applicable to the learning environment, I suspect that AI will not be able to replace the teacher fully, but we will need to define how AI can effectively support student learning. This may also require updating learning outcomes for some subject areas.