Tag: ChatGPT

Transforming Higher Education: How AI and Skilled Educators Can Shape the Future of Learning

I once taught first-year international students an introduction to a university course. Several students mentioned they recorded their lectures because it was a challenge for them to follow their instructors with the language barrier and the instructors speaking style. They would then review their recordings after the class. With this method, students can focus on the instructor with their heads up instead of having their heads down to take notes thereby missing some visual and oral cues from the professor when they’re emphasizing essential concepts.

An instructional designer told me that seats behind the third row in a big lecture hall may as well be considered distance learning. The students who engage by asking questions and participating in discussions are few and often seated in front of the class. During the pandemic, the same instructional designer also noted that Zoom sessions might appear more intimate for students because they can see the instructor up close, including their facial expressions, rather than a minuscule figure in front of an auditorium.

The thoughts above made me think ChatGPT and other generative AI tools could enhance learning and drive transformative changes to higher education. Here are some possibilities:

Flipped classroom. Just like the first example I provided above, AI tools that summarize materials, and introduce concepts in different modes beyond lecture format that may resonate more with the student’s learning styles, can prepare students for active discussions in the classroom. Instructors can provide asynchronous materials (videos, etc.) that students can study before class, and the instructors can then use the class sessions for interactive discussions.

Guide on the side instead of the sage on the stage. Related to the idea above, if higher education is concerned about ChatGPT being used as a cheating device or leading students to become lazy/disengaged, the role of instructors could shift from someone who lectures on stage to an active facilitator. When I attended courses at the UC Berkeley Haas Business School for my executive leadership program and a leadership academy, I was in awe of the caliber of the faculty members. They were experts in their respective fields and skilled facilitators who fostered an engaging and collaborative learning environment. Using the Socratic method, they solicited students’ ideas through dialogues instead of monologues, which was a refreshing experience for a student like me.

Personalized learning. Generative AI as a feedback mechanism can help bridge the gap for students who may be struggling with language barriers and enhance the overall learning experience for all students by addressing their unique strengths and areas for growth. AI tools like ChatGPT can enable personalized learning experiences by providing students with targeted resources and customized feedback based on their learning needs and preferences.

Enhanced accessibility. AI-powered transcription and translation services can make course content more accessible for international students, students with disabilities, or those who prefer learning through different modalities. For example, universities can provide recorded lectures transcribed and translated into other languages, and visual aids can describe visual objects for students with visual impairments in detail, similar to ChatGPT for Be My Eyes.

Virtual mentorship and coaching. Universities can use AI tools like ChatGPT to provide personalized guidance, mentorship, and coaching to students outside the classroom. Students can access on-demand support, helping them navigate academic and personal challenges and improving their overall university experience. An application of this concept is to provide students with self-service applications that can “nudge” or remind them to take certain actions based on information available in student information, learning management systems, or other university systems.

Data-driven teaching and learning. AI tools can analyze vast amounts of student performance and engagement data, allowing instructors to make real-time data-driven decisions or to have better information about their students. One example of this concept is a dashboard for faculty that includes information about their students, including their socioeconomic status, demographic backgrounds, and academic performance in their current or previous courses related to or prerequisites to their class. Along with the data are suggestions for adjusting their courses to improve their students’ performance. The use of generative AI in this way can help faculty members identify struggling students early on, provide targeted support, and continuously improve their teaching strategies and course content.

By adopting the concepts above and integrating AI tools like ChatGPT into higher education, institutions can create more engaging, inclusive, and effective learning environments that enhance student success and better prepare students for the dynamic world they will enter upon graduation. In this new paradigm, faculty members will continue to play a crucial role, not as the sole distributors of knowledge but as skilled facilitators and guides who support and empower students on their learning journeys.


The Case Against Generative AI in Higher Education: 100 Arguments

The debate around incorporating generative AI in higher education is a hot topic among educators, scholars, practitioners, and other interested parties. It’s essential to explore why generative AI may not be the ideal end-all solution for higher education. While there are opportunities and potential advantages of AI-driven learning, such as enhanced efficiency, personalization, and accessibility, we must also consider the possible risks and unintended consequences that come with it.

Below are 100 arguments that reveal the intricate nature of the issue, touching upon ethical dilemmas, pedagogical impacts, the erosion of human agency, and threats to academic freedom. By sharing these insights I hope to encourage a more balanced and informed discussion on the role of Generative AI in shaping the future of higher education. These are generated by ChatGPT, so please offer your critique to the 100 items below.

The Case Against Generative AI in Higher Education: 100 Arguments


In the Line of Fire: Four Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercises for Campus Emergency Preparedness

created by Bing AI

As a member of our campus’ emergency operations center teams and cybersecurity stakeholders (hint: everyone on campus), we need to recognize the importance of being prepared for a wide range of disruptions and disasters that can affect higher education institutions. In recent years, my campus has experienced various natural and man-made incidents, including floods, fires, technology disruptions, and power outages. In addition to these challenges, the increasing prevalence of cybersecurity threats, such as ransomware, distributed denial of service (DDoS), and other forms of attacks, has heightened concerns within higher education. This is primarily due to the valuable student, research, medical, employee, and financial data that higher education systems possess. To enhance our preparedness and response capabilities, we regularly conduct tabletop exercises that focus on various scenarios.

Coming up with engaging and realistic tabletop scenarios can be a challenge at times. This is where ChatGPT, an AI language model, can provide value by suggesting scenarios and guiding questions to consider. As a principle, cybersecurity professionals and others who design and coordinate these tabletop exercises should use ChatGPT as an initial attempt or as an idea generator to stimulate creative thinking and ensure a comprehensive approach to their exercises.

Below are four tabletop exercises designed to address different aspects of campus preparedness and cybersecurity concerns. These exercises, generated by ChatGPT, include detailed scenarios and guiding questions to help participants better understand the potential risks and challenges and facilitate discussions on effective response strategies:

Exercise: Multi-Vector Cyber Attack
Exercise: Unauthorized Access to Sensitive Data
Exercise: Social Engineering Attack on Physical Security
Exercise: Supply Chain Compromise

By engaging in these tabletop exercises, campus’ emergency operations center team and cybersecurity stakeholders can proactively identify gaps in our preparedness and response plans, refine our strategies, and strengthen our ability to protect the campus community and its valuable data assets. These exercises, whether generated by ChatGPT or other means, encourage collaboration, foster communication among departments, and promote a culture of continuous improvement in our emergency response and cybersecurity efforts. Using ChatGPT as a tool to generate initial ideas for tabletop scenarios can significantly streamline the process and provide valuable insights for enhancing campus preparedness.


Applying ChatGPT in Student Affairs Education: AI-Generated Case Studies for Realistic Learning

This blog post is about the value of using case studies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), including ChatGPT, for practical and effective learning for student affairs professionals, student leaders, and programs for undergraduate and graduate programs.

Over the past few years, I have been a judge for a national virtual student affairs-focused case study competition. I recently completed this year’s competition, which inspired me to explore new ways of generating case studies for student affairs professionals. Additionally, I have been a mentor for the NASPA Undergraduate Fellowship Program (NUFP) for the past eight years, working with undergraduate students from underrepresented communities who are interested in pursuing student affairs as a career. As a staff advisor for student organizations for the last two decades, I have advised student leaders in navigating challenging scenarios; these scenarios are expected as they consistently appear every year, but some scenarios are unique for that particular year.

These experiences, coupled with my interest in the potential of ChatGPT in higher education, led me to consider how Generative AI, like ChatGPT, can be used to create student affairs-focused case studies for undergraduate fellows, graduate programs, student leaders, advisors, and student affairs professionals.

The Value of a Well-Designed Case Study

A well-designed case study is an invaluable learning tool, especially in student affairs. It provides students and professionals with a realistic scenario that allows them to apply their knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities to real-life situations. This kind of experiential learning fosters a deeper understanding of theories and concepts, encourages reflection, and promotes the development of problem-solving skills.

Using ChatGPT to Generate Student Affairs Case Studies

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is a powerful language model demonstrating its capacity to generate human-like text based on given inputs. By leveraging the capabilities of ChatGPT, we can generate a wide range of student affairs-focused case studies tailored to specific learning objectives and outcomes. These case studies can be used in various educational settings, such as classrooms, workshops, and professional development programs.

Below are some ways ChatGPT-generated case studies can benefit student affairs professionals and students:

  1. Customization: ChatGPT allows educators and professionals to customize case studies based on their needs, goals, and contexts. This means that case studies can be tailored to address the unique challenges and situations most relevant to a particular group of learners or professionals.
  2.  Variety: With ChatGPT, we can generate various case studies to expose learners to various issues and scenarios. This variety provides learners with new scenarios instead of those presented with the same problems and contexts that may need to be updated or relevant today.
  3.  Time and Cost Efficiency: Creating case studies can be time-consuming and costly. ChatGPT streamlines the process by generating case studies quickly and efficiently, allowing educators and professionals to focus on other essential aspects of their work. It is important to note that the generated case studies may need to be modified for accuracy and more details.
  4.  Adaptability: As the field of student affairs continues to evolve, ChatGPT-generated case studies can be easily adapted and updated to reflect new trends, challenges, and best practices, ensuring that learners are constantly engaged with the most current and relevant material.

Here are examples of case studies generated by ChatGPT:

Case study 1: Balancing Academic and Extracurricular Involvement
Case study 2: Supporting Students’ Mental Health
Case Study 3: Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion in Student Organizations
Case Study 4: Addressing Student Food Insecurity
Case Study 5: Building a Comprehensive Campus Wellness Program

Conclusion

As the needs of our students and the nature of our work as student affairs professionals evolve, we must continue to explore and embrace new technologies and methodologies that enhance our ability to educate and prepare the next generation of student affairs professionals. The integration of ChatGPT in generating student affairs-focused case studies holds the potential to enrich the learning experiences of students and professionals alike.


The Many Applications of Generative AI, Beyond Student Learning and Teaching

Generative AI, including ChatGPT, is a technology that can potentially transform higher education across all areas of campus operations. Using the Higher Education Reference Model, which outlines the core capabilities of learning and teaching, research, and enabling capabilities, this document, Higher Education Reference Model (HERM) Capability Model & Generative Artificial Intelligence provides ideas on how Generative AI can be applied in higher education.

While generative AI has already proven its potential to revolutionize/disrupt the student learning experience, it can streamline admissions, automate administrative tasks, and support facilities management and IT support. Additionally, AI can help researchers make sense of large amounts of data, identifying patterns and trends and generating new hypotheses.

Ensuring ethical and transparent use of AI is vital. As professionals in higher education, we must continue to explore the various applications of generative AI and its potential to transform higher education beyond the classroom.

Source: https://library.educause.edu/resources/2021/9/the-higher-education-reference-models


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