I used to be privileged to show a Grad course this semester on the College of Regina. Having not taught since 2019, I used to be enthusiastic about this chance each as a result of I like educating and in addition to look at how the classroom is likely to be totally different on account of the emergence of Generative AI.
The official course identify was EC&I 832 and the course catalogue reads:
EC&I 832 Digital Citizenship and Media Literacies (3)
This course examines the complicated nature of identification and citizenship in our digital world. College students will interrogate the interconnected areas of media literacy, on-line identification, and accountable participation in native and international networks as they relate to academic contexts and society at massive.
My good pal Dr. Alec Couros has taught this course many instances and graciously handed over his syllabus and course define from earlier semesters for me to make use of. I saved an identical construction however as has been my observe since I started educating post-secondary in 2007, I constructed a lot of the content material round my community and visitor audio system. For me, that is the very best factor I can do for my college students, introduce them to a few of the smartest individuals I do know and add these individuals to their community. As my college students shared their very own summaries of their studying in addition to their remaining initiatives, every one in every of my friends had been talked about and known as out for the impression that they had on my pupil’s pondering. If I do nothing else, this was a win.
The best problem I’d face was how may GenAI play a task in our studying. Right here is the snippet of my syllabus the place I laid out the bottom guidelines:
3.1 Use of Generative AI
College students are permitted to make use of obtainable technological instruments, together with generative AI (GenAI) instruments as supplementary sources on this course. When leveraging these applied sciences, college students are inspired to critically consider the generated content material and to combine it with their understanding to provide unique work.
Whereas college students are free to make use of generative AI to brainstorm or draft their assignments, the ultimate submission ought to primarily replicate the coed’s unique understandings and insights.
Generative AI instruments could also be used to help in college students’ understanding after all content material or of their completion of coursework for this class. Nevertheless, if college students select to make use of generative AI to assist with their coursework, they have to remember to cite and credit score any generative AI instruments within the method through which they had been used.
Faculties and schooling typically is struggling to find out when, how and if generative ai ought to be utilized in studying. A part of this course would require your reflections and meta cognition as to the way you select to make use of it and whether or not it not it enhances not solely your merchandise and assignments however your individual studying.
College students ought to observe together with how they use GenAI in all writing and assignments.
We met each Tuesday night and in almost each class we wrestled with this. 2 particular incidents nonetheless have me pondering. The primary concerned one in every of my college students who reached out to me and recommended that they felt one in every of her classmates was utilizing AI to touch upon their weblog. Whereas this was not a breach of our settlement it did increase some fascinating moral dilemmas. In the event you reply to the remark, are you simply responding to a bot? Did the particular person leaving the remark really feel invested within the concepts and easily wanted help articulating it or was it merely an act of compliance? What worth does that remark provide for the author? The second incident concerned me. College students submitted a kind that outlined their pondering and a few particulars about their remaining challenge. This was meant for me to assist steer them in the fitting path and supply suggestions about whether or not the challenge would meet the standards or maybe it wanted to be broadened or possibly narrowed down. I utilized ChatGPT to supply suggestions and issues after which added my very own that was extra primarily based on my understanding of their circumstances and the potential usefulness of the challenge of their context. I shared the suggestions and was clear about my use of AI. I overtly requested each pupil to share their emotions about me doing that. A couple of responded saying they assumed I’d use it and plenty of had been fairly happy with the suggestions. Whereas nobody overtly shared any criticism, one pupil at the least, shared some uneasiness of their abstract of studying video. The reality is I felt the identical. On the one hand, AI offered total offered higher suggestions than I may need given. Alternatively, if that’s true, why would they want me? I suppose in hindsight I may need requested them to hunt suggestions from AI after which I’d be capable to add nuance, context or different customized suggestions that the AI won’t be capable to present.
I like educating and I wish to give a shout-out to my college students. You will discover them and skim a few of their work on our class weblog hub. Whereas I’m positive there have been moments of compliance and for a lot of it was simply a part of knocking off the credit they wanted for his or her diploma I additionally know that for essentially the most half, they had been engaged, and considerate and had been specializing in their studying and never their grade. I as soon as once more invited them to do some self-assessment and I’ve no motive to doubt their very own evaluation and remind them how little I feel grading has to do with studying. As a lot as I work in direction of making a group, I understand {that a} 13-week course with college students who work full time and plenty of have households isn’t a sturdy group that we’d consider however I used to be very happy with how they supported each other and pushed one another’s pondering.
Lastly, let me thank the visitor audio system and they should know the way impactful they had been to my college students:
Mike Ribble, Alec Couros, Andrew McLuhan, Wes Fryer, Jennifer Casa-Todd, Chris Kennedy, Bonnie Stewart and Dave Cormier
