Overview
Exciting discussions surrounding AI-powered tools and their remarkable capabilities have been buzzing around college campuses. These discussions, while raising concerns about the potential impact of AI-driven text generators on education, writing, and academic integrity, also highlight a world of opportunities within academic environments.
AI serves as a remarkable tool that can empower students to explore the boundless depths of their creative potential. It encourages them to dive into subjects, engage passionately with the content, and ultimately discover inventive solutions to complex problems. By embracing AI in a positive light, we can unlock a world of educational possibilities that truly inspire and motivate the next generation of learners.
Strategies
- AI in Arts and Literature- In the context of arts and literature classes, AI can introduce students to AI-generated art, poetry, or storytelling. DALL-E is an AI generative text-to-image model that allows students to input a textual description and a customized visual will be created. With Adobe-Firefly, students can input an existing image and, based on the look and feel of that image, a new image consistent with the style will be generated. For analyzing literature or overcoming writer’s block, students may find inspiration with AI poem generator tools such as AI Poem Generator. These tools use artificial intelligence to generate rhyming poems on any topic. Discussing the creative possibilities and limitations of AI-generated content can spark interesting debates and inspire creative ideas.
- Adaptive Feedback- AI can provide immediate feedback on assignments and projects helping students understand their strengths and areas for improvement. For example, Microsoft’s Speaker Coach can assist students with presentation skills by analyzing speech and offering tips for improving pace, pitch, pronunciation, and filler words. This feedback guides students in refining their work and allows them to build confidence toward public speaking. For students seeking to build a strong resume and strengthen interview skills, UF Career Connections Center offers Quinncia, an interactive AI-based platform. On Quinncia, students can upload their resume and receive detailed feedback and schedule mock interviews for an industry of their choice.
- Explaining – AI chatbots and virtual assistants such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, or Google’s Assistant will generate responses to input or prompts. This can be beneficial for difficult concepts or complex readings as students can receive an instant explanation for better understanding and to help them summarize the material. If students would like to take their learning a step further, they can use generative AI to create study guides or additional questions to test their understanding. Generative AI virtual tutors will even provide simulated conversations with real-time feedback and interactive learning experiences to further skills.
- Brainstorming and Writing– When writing a paper, students often struggle with not knowing where to begin and how to organize thoughts. AI content-driven systems can help students discover articles, research papers, and other sources related to their topic assisting with idea generation. Chatbots can also be used to provide prompts on topics and ask questions for further consideration. Once students have a topic in mind, AI mind mapping tools can help organize thoughts and ideas by creating a visual representation. The University of Michigan has a Generative AI Prompt Literacy Self-Paced course that helps explore best practices related to putting your prompt skills into practice.
- Time Management- Adjusting to college life, heavy academic loads, and meeting due dates can be a stressful experience for new and returning students. Discussing the requirements for a class and introducing students to AI driven calendar and scheduling tools can help students manage their time effectively so that they can allocate enough time for regularly studying or practicing concepts, planning for projects, and planning for other important tasks.
References
- Gear up for the school year with Microsoft’s AI-powered solutions | Microsoft EDU
- How to talk to an AI: Tips for getting the most out of chatbots like ChatGPT – Washington Post
- Teaching in the Age of AI – Notre Dame Learning (nd.edu)
- Teaching Experts Are Worried About ChatGPT, but Not for the Reasons You Think (chronicle.com)
- What are the best AI tools for measuring and enhancing learner collaboration skills? (linkedin.com)