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Generative AI for Educators

As a teacher, we know your time is valuable and student needs are broad. With Generative AI for Educators, you’ll learn how to use generative AI tools to help you save time on everyday tasks, personalize instruction, enhance lessons and activities in creative ways, and more.

• Built by AI experts at Google in collaboration with MIT RAISE
• No previous experience necessary

Flexible AI training designed for teachers

This self-paced course fits into a teacher’s busy schedule with flexibility in mind. It offers hands-on, practical experience for teachers across disciplines.

online, self-paced learning

to complete the course

Learn more about the course

Developed by AI experts at Google in collaboration with MIT RAISE , this course will help you bring AI into your practice. You’ll also gain a foundational understanding of AI — you'll learn what it is, the opportunities and limitations of this technology, and how to use it responsibly.

You’ll learn how to use generative AI tools to:

• Save time on everyday tasks like drafting emails and other correspondence
• Personalize instruction for different learning styles and abilities
• Enhance lessons and activities in creative ways

More details

Close details, save time and enhance student learning with ai skills.

When you complete the online course, you’ll gain essential AI skills you can apply to your workflow immediately. By using AI as a helpful collaboration tool, you can work smarter, not harder.

Earn a certificate which you can present to your district for professional development (PD) credit, depending on district and state requirements.

Get hands-on experience using generative AI tools and apply your new skills right away.

Bring this course to your school or district

If you’re a school or district leader, we’ve designed this course to fit into a teacher’s standard school day. The five modules are each thirty minutes or less, allowing teachers to fit the training into professional development or planning periods.

Nellie Tayloe Sanders

Oklahoma Secretary of Education

Jose L. Dotres, Superintendent of Schools

Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Michael Matsuda, Superintendent of Schools

Anaheim Union High School District

Frequently asked questions

Why enroll in generative ai for educators.

Generative AI for Educators is a two-hour, self-paced course designed to help teachers save time on everyday tasks, personalize instruction to meet student needs, and enhance lessons and activities in creative ways with generative AI tools — no previous experience required. Developed by experts at Google in collaboration with MIT RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education), this no cost course is built for teachers across disciplines and provides practical, hands-on experience. After completing the course, teachers earn a certificate from the course, which they can present to their district for professional development (PD) credit, depending on district and state requirements.

Who is the Generative AI for Educators course for?

Generative AI for Educators is designed for high school and middle school educators of any subject, with no technical experience required. Any teacher who is interested in using AI to save time and enhance student education could benefit from this course.

How are the skills I learn applicable to my work?

This generative AI course for teachers will provide practical applications that help save time by increasing efficiency, productivity, and creativity. The course includes hands-on experience using generative AI tools to do things like write class correspondence (messages, emails, newsletters), create assessments and provide feedback, differentiate instruction to meet various student needs, and create instructional strategies to make lessons more engaging for students.

What will I get when I finish?

After completing the course, teachers earn a certificate that they can present to their district for professional development (PD) credit, depending on district and state requirements.

How much does Generative AI for Educators cost?

The Generative AI for Educators course is provided at no cost.

Who designed Generative AI for Educators?

Generative AI for Educators was designed by AI experts at Google in collaboration with MIT RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education).

In what languages is Generative AI for Educators available?

Generative AI for Educators is currently available in English, and we are working to offer this course in additional languages. Please check back here for updates.

Looking to help your middle school students learn AI skills?

Check out Experience AI . Created by Google DeepMind and The Raspberry Pi Foundation, this no cost program provides ready-to-use resources to introduce AI technology in middle school classrooms, including lesson plans, slide decks, worksheets, and videos on AI and machine learning.

What is generative AI?

Generative AI is artificial intelligence that can generate new content, such as text, images, or other media.

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• Getting Started with AI-Enhanced Teaching: A Practical Guide for Instructors

Home » AI Resource Hub » Teach & Learn » Getting Started with AI-Enhanced Teaching: A Practical Guide for Instructors

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Introduction

Welcome to our guide to leveraging generative AI for teaching at MIT Sloan. The fundamentals of great teaching haven’t changed with the emergence of new AI tools. However, if you’re struggling to find the time to implement certain research-backed teaching strategies, these new technologies could be just what you need. Here are just a few of the many ways you can use AI in your teaching:

• Do you want to provide students with concrete examples that help illustrate abstract concepts? AI can generate examples on demand.
• Looking to create low-stakes quizzes for comprehension checks? AI can instantly generate practice questions tailored to your needs.
• Want your students to teach new concepts to an inquisitive partner? Consider asking them to converse with an AI model.

This guide will equip you with foundational knowledge, MIT policies, curated tools, ethical considerations, suggested use cases, and avenues to get support when teaching with generative AI tools. Our goal is to provide you with the knowledge and resources to smoothly incorporate these technologies into your teaching.

Generative AI is an artificial intelligence subset that learns from data to produce new, unique outputs on a vast scale, ranging from educational content to software code and more. Central to this are foundational AI models trained on massive datasets. Generative AI models are essentially advanced language prediction tools.

There’s a lot of jargon involved in discussing generative AI systems. Learn more about generative AI terminology in the AI Glossary .

The following video is the first in Wharton Interactive’s five-part course on Practical AI for Instructors and Students . In these videos, MIT Sloan alum and Wharton Associate Professor Ethan Mollick, along with Lilach Mollick, Director of Pedagogy at Wharton Interactive, provide an accessible overview of large language models and their potential for enhancing teaching and learning.

In this first video, you can learn about the following:

• Why AI is now accessible to everyone and how students are using it
• What we mean by AI, specifically large language models and generative AI
• How models like ChatGPT work and their surprising capabilities
• The potentially outsized impact of AI on educators and creative professionals
• Ethical considerations and risks related to generative AI

You can watch the other four videos in the Mollicks’ Practical AI for Instructors and Students Course to learn more about large language models, prompting AI, using AI to enhance your teaching, and how students can use AI to support their learning.

Generative AI Tools

We encourage you to spend some time exploring the generative AI tools in this resource hub. It’s important to get a sense of any technology’s capabilities and limitations before you integrate it into your teaching. Also, trying these technologies yourself may help you get a sense of how your students are using generative AI.

Before you start using AI tools in your teaching, make sure to review MIT Sloan’s Guiding Principles for the Use of Generative AI in Courses .

The tools we’ve curated in this resource hub fall into these categories:

• AI Writing and Content Creation Tools: Large language models accessed through tools like ChatGPT and Claude can help generate written content, provide grammar suggestions, summarize texts, and more. Our overview of AI writing assistants covers the types of support they can provide along with important ethical considerations. While not a substitute for human writing, these tools can help accelerate drafting and revision.
• AI Data Analysis and Quantitative Tools: Complex data sets are now more understandable thanks to AI analytics and visualization platforms. Explore options like IBM Watson and ToolsAI to see how algorithms can help process, interpret, and generate insights based on quantitative data. Consider use cases for statistical modeling, data visualization, and other applications while keeping key limitations in mind.
• AI Image Generation Tools: Models like DALL-E 3 and Stable Diffusion enable the creation of original images, videos, and other multimedia just by describing desired outputs. With experimentation, they may enable you to transform your visual media workflows.

While you explore each platform’s potential, make sure to closely monitor for quality, bias, and responsible usage.

Ethical Considerations

The emergence of powerful generative AI systems presents exciting possibilities for enhancing teaching and learning. However, integrating these technologies into teaching also raises important ethical questions. Three key areas of concern are data privacy, AI-generated falsehoods, and bias in AI systems.

Data Privacy

Make sure to treat unsecured AI systems like public platforms. As a general rule, and in accordance with MIT’s Written Information Security Policy , you should never enter any data or input that is confidential or sensitive into publicly accessible generative AI tools . This includes (but is not limited to) individual names, physical or email addresses, identification numbers, and specific medical, HR, financial records, as well as proprietary company details and any research or organizational data that are not publicly available. If in doubt, please consult with MIT Sloan Technology Services Office of Information Security .

Note that some of this data is also governed by FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), the federal law in the United States that mandates the protection of students’ educational records (U.S. Department of Education), as well as various international privacy regulations including the European GDPR and Chinese PIPL .

Microsoft Copilot provides the MIT Sloan community with data-protected access to AI tools GPT-4 and DALLE-3. Chat data is not shared with Microsoft or used to train their AI models. Access Microsoft Copilot by logging in with your MIT Kerberos account at https://copilot.microsoft.com/ . To learn more, see What is Microsoft Copilot (AI Chat)?

Beyond never sharing sensitive data with publicly available AI systems, we recommend that you remove or change any details that can identify you or someone else in any documents or text that you upload or provide as input. If there’s something you wouldn’t want others to know or see, it’s best to keep it out of the AI system altogether (Nield, 2023). This is not just about personal details, but also proprietary information (including ideas, algorithms or code), unpublished research, or sensitive communications.

It’s also essential to recognize that once data is entered into most AI systems, it’s challenging—if not impossible—to remove it (Heikkilä, 2023). Always exercise caution and make sure any information you provide aligns with your comfort level and understanding of its potential long-term presence in the AI system, as well as with MIT’s privacy and security requirements .

Falsehoods and Bias

There are well-documented issues around AI systems generating content that includes falsehoods (“hallucinations”) and harmful bias (Germain, 2023; Nicoletti & Bass, 2023). Educators have a responsibility to monitor AI output, address problems promptly, and encourage critical thinking about AI’s limitations.

We encourage you to review our resources on protecting privacy, integrating AI responsibly into your course, and mitigating AI’s issues with hallucinations and bias:

• Navigating Data Privacy: Using generative AI tools to enhance your teaching requires a strong commitment to data privacy. This article outlines considerations for protecting your and students’ privacy when using publicly available generative AI tools for teaching and learning. These include avoiding sharing sensitive data, treating AI inputs carefully, and customizing privacy settings.
• Practical Strategies for Teaching with AI: This guide offers strategies for harnessing AI tools to augment education while addressing AI biases and hallucinations, guiding student engagement with AI tools, and developing AI literacy.
• When AI Gets It Wrong: Addressing AI Hallucinations and Bias: This article provides an overview of the biases and inaccuracies currently common in generative AI outputs. It outlines strategies for identifying and mitigating the impact of problematic AI content.

By proactively addressing ethical considerations and AI’s limitations, we can realize the promise of generative AI while upholding principles of fairness, accuracy, and transparency.

AI-Powered Teaching Strategies

Thinking about using generative AI in your teaching but not sure where to start? In this section, we’ll walk through several simple strategies for implementing research-based teaching best practices with the help of generative AI tools. These approaches are grounded in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and insights from the learning sciences . You can use the strategies as-is or think about creative ways to adapt them to your own courses.

1. Use AI to Generate Concrete Examples

Teaching often involves explaining abstract concepts or theories. While these are essential for academic understanding, they can sometimes be challenging for students to grasp without real-world context. You can use generative AI tools to come up with many concrete examples to make abstract ideas more relatable and understandable for students.

How to Implement This Strategy:

• Identify an abstract concept.  Select one abstract concept or theory that you’ll be covering in your lesson.
• Choose a generative AI tool.  Select one or several AI Writing and Content Creation Tools  that you’ll use for this task.
• Teach the AI.  Prompt your chosen AI tool to engage with the concept you’ve selected. If the tool is connected to the internet, you can ask it to look up and summarize the concept. If the tool is not connected to the internet, provide it with open-source content describing the concept and ask it to summarize that information.
• Prompt the AI.  Ask your chosen chatbot for examples or applications of the chosen concept. You can use a prompt like this one created by Ethan Mollick and Lilach Mollick: “I would like you to act as an example generator for students. When confronted with new and complex concepts, adding many and varied examples helps students better understand those concepts. I would like you to ask what concept I would like examples of, and what level of students I am teaching. You will look up the concept, and then provide me with four different and varied accurate examples of the concept in action” (Mollick & Mollick, 2023-b).
• Review and select examples.  From the generated examples, select the most relevant and clear examples that align with the lesson’s objectives. Always verify the accuracy of the examples provided by the AI using trusted sources. Make sure to address and eliminate any harmful bias in AI-generated examples.
• Integrate the examples into lessons.  Incorporate these examples into your lectures, discussions, or assignments.

What’s the research? Concrete examples help bridge the gap between abstract theories and real-world applications. Research shows that exploring tangible instances can help students better relate to and understand complex concepts, activating their background knowledge and making learning experiences more meaningful (Smith & Weinstein, n.d.-a; CAST, n.d.-b).

2. Use AI to Create Practice Quizzes

Frequent low-stakes quizzes are a great way to help students test their knowledge and reinforce their understanding. However, creating quizzes can be time-consuming for faculty. With the rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, though, it’s now possible to streamline the quiz creation process. You can use AI to generate practice quizzes tailored to specific topics. Moreover, these AI-generated quizzes can be adapted to fit various teaching approaches and course requirements, offering a flexible solution for assessment needs.

• Choose your topics.  Identify the topics or concepts for which you want to create practice quizzes.
• Select a generative AI tool.  Identify one or several AI Writing and Content Creation Tools  that you’ll use for this task.
• Prompt the AI.  Ask the AI tool to generate quiz questions related to these topics. Use a quiz-question generating prompt like this one created by Ethan Mollick and Lilach Mollick: “You are a quiz creator of highly diagnostic quizzes. You will look up how to do good low-stakes tests and diagnostics. You will then ask me two questions. (1) First, what, specifically, should the quiz test. (2) Second, for which audience is the quiz. Once you have my answers you will look up the topic and construct several multiple choice questions to quiz the audience on that topic. The questions should be highly relevant and go beyond just facts. Multiple choice questions should include plausible, competitive alternate responses and should not include an ‘all of the above’ option. At the end of the quiz, you will provide an answer key and explain the right answer” (Mollick & Mollick, 2023-b).
• Review and refine the results.  Examine the generated questions for relevance and accuracy. Remove any content that perpetuates harmful biases. Modify or refine as necessary.
• Distribute the quizzes to students.  Share the practice quizzes with students. You may want to incorporate the questions into a Canvas quiz .

What’s the research? Retrieval practice, or the act of recalling information from memory, strengthens memory retention (Smith & Weinstein, n.d.-d). Practice quizzes offer students an opportunity to test their understanding and reinforce their learning, making the information more retrievable in the future.

3. Assign Students to Generate Visual Summaries

Visual aids have always been a cornerstone in effective teaching, aiding in comprehension and retention. With the rise of image-generating AI models, we now have new tools in hand to help create these visual aids. In this use case, you’ll ask students to craft visual summaries of specific topics, blending both verbal descriptions and AI-generated imagery. This not only deepens their understanding but also fosters creativity and critical thinking as they evaluate and refine the visuals produced by AI tools.

• Assign topics.  Provide students with specific topics for which they should create visual summaries.
• Guide students to explore AI Image Generation Tools . Follow the tips in our article Practical Strategies for Teaching with AI to set your students up for success with their chosen AI tool. Make sure they are aware of generative AI’s limitations and privacy implications .
• Have students create visual summaries.  Ask students to find or generate images that they can use to create visual aids for the assigned topics. Encourage students to combine text and visual information to summarize the topic’s main points.
• Review and discuss students’ work.  Examine the visual summaries in class, discussing the concepts and clarifying any misconceptions. If this assignment is graded, make sure to grade based on conceptual understanding rather than image quality.

What’s the research?  Dual coding is when learners interact with content through both verbal and visual information, enhancing memory and understanding (Smith & Weinstein, n.d.-b). This research-backed study strategy aligns with the Universal Design for Learning checkpoint “Illustrate through multiple media” (CAST, n.d.-a). Visual summaries allow students to integrate two forms of information, deepening their comprehension and making the learning experience more engaging.

4. Ask Students to Teach the AI

Deep understanding often comes from the act of explaining. In the realm of education, having students articulate their understanding of a concept can solidify their grasp and highlight areas needing further clarification. With the advent of AI tools like ChatGPT, students now have an interactive platform where they can practice this act of elaboration. By engaging in detailed conversations with the AI, students can receive instant feedback, refine their understanding, and practice the art of explanation.

To see what this strategy can look like in action, check out our blog post: Harnessing AI in Finance: Eric So’s Innovative Take on Teaching Value Investing .

• Choose a generative AI tool.  Select a free AI Writing and Content Creation Tool that students can use for this activity.
• Introduce your chosen platform to students. Follow the tips in our article Practical Strategies for Teaching with AI to set your students up for success with their chosen AI tool. Make sure they are aware of generative AI’s limitations and privacy implications .
• Assign topics.  Provide students with specific topics or concepts they should explain to the AI.
• Invite students to interact with the AI.  Encourage students to have detailed conversations with the AI, explaining concepts and receiving feedback.
• Reflect and discuss.  Ask students to reflect on their conversation with the AI and identify areas for improvement.

What’s the research?  Elaborative interrogation is a research-backed study strategy in which students deepen their understanding by asking questions and explaining concepts (Smith & Weinstein, n.d.-c). By interacting with AI, students can practice this strategy, enhancing their comprehension and reinforcing their learning.

Get Support

As you consider how to best use generative AI in your course, questions will arise. Contact us  for a personalized consultation. We’re here to be your thought partner during your development and implementation process.

Integrating artificial intelligence into your teaching offers both opportunities and challenges. In this guide, we’ve provided an initial roadmap to begin exploring this new space. We’ve covered the basics of what generative AI is, considered its potential benefits, and explored practical use cases to incorporate generative AI tools into teaching. We’ve also emphasized the importance of ethical considerations like prioritizing student privacy and addressing potential biases.

While AI offers powerful tools to augment our teaching methods, the human touch remains irreplaceable. The goal is not to replace educators but to empower them with additional resources. By combining the strengths of AI with the expertise of skilled instructors, we can create richer, more effective learning experiences for our students.

As you move forward, remember that you’re not alone on this journey. Our team is here to support you, answer questions, and provide guidance. We’re excited to see how you’ll harness the potential of AI in your classrooms and look forward to hearing about your experiences. Let’s explore, learn, and innovate together.

MIT Sloan Faculty: We want to know how you’re incorporating generative AI in your courses—big or small. Your experiences are more than just personal milestones; they’re shaping the future of pedagogy. By sharing your insights, you contribute to a community of innovation and inspire colleagues to venture into new territories. Contact us to be featured . We’re here to help you tell your story!

CAST. (n.d.-a). Checkpoint 2.5: Illustrate through multiple media. UDL Guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/representation/language-symbols/illustrate-multimedia

CAST. (n.d.-b). Checkpoint 3.1: Activate or supply background knowledge. UDL Guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/representation/comprehension/background-knowledge

Germain, T. (2023, April 13). ‘They’re all so dirty and smelly:’ study unlocks ChatGPT’s inner racist. Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/chatgpt-ai-openai-study-frees-chat-gpt-inner-racist-1850333646

Heikkilä, M. (2023, April 19). OpenAI’s hunger for data is coming back to bite it. MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/04/19/1071789/openais-hunger-for-data-is-coming-back-to-bite-it

Mollick, E., & Mollick, L. (2023, July 31-a). Practical AI for instructors and students part 1: Introduction to AI for teachers and students [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9gmyvf7JYo

Mollick, E., & Mollick, L. (2023, March 17-b). Using AI to implement effective teaching strategies in classrooms: Five strategies, including prompts. Available at SSRN: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4391243

Nicoletti, L., & Bass, D. (2023, June 14). Humans are biased. Generative AI is even worse. Bloomberg Technology + Equality. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-generative-ai-bias

Nield, D. (2023, July 16). How to use generative AI tools while still protecting your privacy. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-use-ai-tools-protect-privacy

Smith, M., & Weinstein, Yana. (n.d.-a). Learn how to study using… concrete examples. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/8/25-1

Smith, M. ,& Weinstein, Yana. (n.d.-b). Learn how to study using… dual coding. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/9/1-1

Smith, M., & Weinstein, Yana. (n.d.-c). Learn how to study using… elaboration. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/7/7-1

Smith, M., & Weinstein, Yana. (n.d.-d). Learn how to study using… retrieval practice. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/6/23-1

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How does Google keep a student’s data safe and secure?

Google Workspace for Education is built on our secure, reliable, industry-leading technology infrastructure. Users get the same level of security that Google uses to protect our own services, which are trusted by over a billion users around the world every day. While AI capabilities introduce new ways of interacting with our tools, our overarching privacy policies and practices help keep users and organizations in control of their data. In addition, all core Workspace tools – like Gmail, Google Calendar, and Classroom – meet rigorous local, national, and international compliance standards, including GDPR, FERPA, and COPPA. Chromebooks are designed with multiple layers of security to keep them safe from viruses and malware without any additional software required. Each time a Chromebook powers on, security is checked. And because they can be managed centrally, Chromebooks make it easy for school IT administrators to configure policies and settings, like enabling safe browsing or blocking malicious sites.

Is Google Workspace for Education data used to train Google’s generative AI tools like Gemini and Search?

No. When using Google Workspace for Education Core Services, your customer data is not used to train or improve the underlying generative AI and LLMs that power Gemini, Search, and other systems outside of Google Workspace without permission. And prompts entered when interacting with tools like Gemini are not used without permission beyond the context of that specific user session.

How does Google ensure its AI-enabled technology is safe for kids?

Google takes the safety and security of its users very seriously, especially children. With technology as bold as AI, we believe it is imperative to be responsible from the start. That means designing our AI features and products with age-appropriate experiences and protections that are backed by research. And prior to launching any product, we conduct rigorous testing to ensure that our tools minimize potential harms, and work to ensure that a variety of perspectives are included to identify and mitigate unfair bias.

What is Google’s approach to privacy with AI in education?

Across Google Cloud & Google Workspace, we’ve long shared robust privacy commitments that outline how we protect user data and prioritize privacy. AI doesn’t change these commitments - it actually reaffirms their importance. We are committed to preserving our customers’ privacy with our AI offerings and to supporting their compliance journey. Google Cloud has a long-standing commitment to GDPR compliance, and AI is no different in how we incorporate privacy-by-design and default from the beginning. We engage regularly with customers, regulators, policymakers, and other stakeholders as we evolve our offering to get their feedback for Edu AI offerings which process personal data.

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Does Google consult with educators and experts when developing AI tools for use in the classroom?

Yes. A big component of being thoughtful with new technology is our commitment to partnering with schools and educators, as well as other education experts (like learning scientists) and organizations, along the way. We don’t just build for educators, we build with them. Through our Customer Advisory Boards and Google for Education Pilot Program, we also work directly with school communities around the world to gather feedback on our products and features before making them widely available. By listening to their perspectives, understanding how they’re using our tools, and addressing their challenges, we can be thoughtful in our product development and implementation. We also roll out new features gradually, ensuring that schools can stay in control of what works best for them.

What resources are being provided by Google to educate teachers on AI?

Teams across Google are actively creating and curating content and tutorials. Here are a few of our favorites, with more on the way: Generative AI for Educators A Guide to AI in Education Grow with Google: AI and machine learning courses Applied Digital Skills: Discover AI in Daily Life Google Cloud Skills Boost: Intro to Gen AI Learning Path Introduction to Machine Learning Google Arts & Culture: overview of AI Experience AI

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Introduction to teaching with artificial intelligence (ai), penn gse professional learning program, you are here.

Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are set to revolutionize teaching and learning. Explore transformative ideas, design innovative learning activities, and collaborate with peers to integrate AI into your classroom.

What Sets Us Apart

About the program.

The Introduction to Teaching with Artificial Intelligence (AI)   program convenes K-12 and higher-education educators who are eager to explore how artificial intelligence can enhance their learning environments.

  Application Deadline

• Final Deadline: July 31, 2024

Program Start September 10, 2024

Certificate Offered Penn GSE Certificate of Participation

Credits 4 Continuing Education (CE) Credits 40 Pennsylvania ACT 48 Credits

• Standard rate: $1,500
• Leadership track rate: $2,250
• 30% discount for School District of Philadelphia employees
• 15% discount available for:
• Penn GSE and Center for Professional Learning alumni
• Penn employees
• Groups of 5+ from the same organization,  contact us  prior to applying. 

  Ideal Candidates

• K-12 teachers and administrators
• Instructional leaders (e.g., coaches, mentors, professional development leaders)
• Higher education teachers and administrators
• Teachers in informal and non-traditional settings

This program aims to engage professionals in exploring the benefits and challenges of using AI in education. Through the course, gain exposure to AI tools to support teaching and learning, as well as develop a greater capacity to perceive the nuances and dilemmas of this technology, pedagogy, and its effect on education. 

The Introduction to Teaching with AI program includes three parts.

Part I: Explore You will deepen your own understanding of the recent advances in AI, as well as the questions, tensions, and possibilities it brings to the classroom, by exploring resources, materials, and videos on our online learning platform.

Part II: Envision You will engage in a series of live virtual workshops where you will design learning activities and experiences that you intend to implement in your own classroom. Workshops in previous program cohorts have included: 

• An Introduction to AI: Understanding the scope of what foundation models can do - Dr. Ryan Baker
• Considering the dangers of using AI in the classroom and supporting students to be thoughtful users of AI tools - Dr. Sarah Schneider Kavanagh
• Integrating AI to augment student thinking and collaboration - Dr. Bodong Chen
• Designing writing assignments with AI - Dr. Amy Stornaiuolo

Part III: Enact You will implement learning activities and experiences with your students in your local context. You will also participate in live virtual sessions with small teams of colleagues to connect, collaborate, reflect, and learn from each other's experiences.

By the end of the program, you will gain the ability to:

• Utilize tools such as OpenAI, ChatGPT4, and Generative AI.
• Apply scaffolding techniques taught by Penn GSE faculty experts in instructional design and learning technologies to enhance your curriculum.
• Assess how AI affects students' abilities to learn.
• Make informed decisions regarding AI implementation, usage, and policies.

Fall 2024 Schedule

*New Offering - Leadership Track

As AI continues to impact education, school and district leaders must carefully consider, develop, and implement guidance for teachers, students, parents, and tech staff. If you are in a leadership position, join our specialized AI Leadership Track to enhance your leadership skills and capabilities around AI. Develop a school resource such as incisive policies and professional development aligned with your community's mission alongside other educational leaders.

Delve deeper into thought-provoking questions such as: 

• How does and how should AI impact student learning, teacher planning, and overall school culture?
• In what ways does the system and which parts of the system - teachers, students, curriculum, AI, pedagogies/teaching/assessment practices, resources, beliefs - need to be redesigned and adjusted as a result of AI?
• How do you design policy and professional development that cultivates informed and ethical AI use?

The Leadership Track follows the same course of study through Parts I and II. During Part III, join other educational leaders for a specialized home team led by Dr. Tyler Thigpen , an expert in leading education innovation and transformation. 

• Meet with experts in the field in an exclusive small group session
• Engage in a 3 hour workshop designed for leaders to create a resource for your school such as policies, professional development, and assessment practices which address AI and align with your community’s mission.

Continuing Education Credits - FAQs & Policy

Frequently asked questions.

What are the benefits of obtaining Continuing Education (CE) credits?  

CE credits are issued on an official University of Pennsylvania transcript. Having an official record of your participation in this program can add credibility to the work that you invest in completing it.  In some school districts, CE credits can be used to help educators advance along their pay scale. 

What style of grading does this program follow?  

Programs that offer CE credits award "Pass/Fail" grading. 

Can I add CE credits after I get started in the program?  

You must decide before you start the program if you will be participating as a learner who is completing the program for CE credentialing. You will not be able to opt in after the program starts. 

Can I receive partial credit or opt out of receiving CE credits after I start the program?  

No, this program can not offer partial credit if a learner can not complete the program. However, a learner can unenroll from the program by the drop deadline and will be responsible for 100% of the program fee. 

Why might you not want CE credits?

 If you choose to receive CE credits but do not successfully complete this program, you risk receiving an F on your permanent Penn transcript.

Can participating educators receive Pennsylvania Act 48 credits if they don't register for CE credits?  

Yes! All Pennsylvania educators are eligible to receive the total amount of ACT 48 credits regardless of their preference for CE credits. 

Continuing Education Credits Policy

Please read the policy below   carefully to understand the important consequences that choosing to receive CE credits may have for your University of Pennsylvania  transcript .  

As a participant in this Penn GSE  Certificate program, you are eligible to receive Continuing Education (CE) credits for successful completion of the program requirements.   Whether or not you choose to receive CE credits for your participation in this program, all program expectations and requirements are the same.   

If you choose to receive CE credits, this course will appear on your permanent Penn transcript. 

If you decide to unenroll from this program, you will have until the Add/Drop Deadline to do so without consequence for your transcript.  This course will no longer appear on your Penn transcript.  

If you decide to unenroll from this program after the Add/Drop Deadline, then this course will appear on your Penn transcript.  Courses dropped after the Add/Drop Deadline requires instructor approval, and a 'W' will appear on your transcript in place of a grade.

If you decide to unenroll from this program after the Withdrawal Deadline, then this course will appear on your Penn transcript, and  you may earn an F.

If you choose to receive CE credits for your participation in this program but do not successfully complete it, then  you may earn an F on your Penn transcript.  

Please indicate whether or not you would like to receive CE credits for your participation in this program on your application.

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Artificial Intelligence in Education

To prepare students to thrive as learners and leaders of the future, educators must become comfortable teaching with and about Artificial Intelligence. Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT , Claude and Midjourney , for example, further the opportunity to rethink and redesign learning. Educators can use these tools to strengthen learning experiences while addressing the ethical considerations of using AI. ISTE is the global leader in supporting schools in thoughtfully, safely and responsibly introducing AI in ways that enhance learning and empower students and teachers.

Interested in learning how to teach AI?

Sign up to learn about ISTE’s AI resources and PD opportunities. 

StretchAI: An AI Coach Just for Educators

ISTE and ASCD are developing the first AI coach specifically for educators. With Stretch AI, educators can get tailored guidance to improve their teaching, from tips on ways to use technology to support learning, to strategies to create more inclusive learning experiences. Answers are based on a carefully validated set of resources and include the citations from source documents used to generate answers. If you are interested in becoming a beta tester for StretchAI, please sign up below.

Evolving Teacher Education in an AI World

Download this free report—with a framework and recommendations—on how educator prep programs can better ready their program and teacher candidates for incorporating AI.

Leaders' Guide to Artificial Intelligence

School leaders must ensure the use of AI is thoughtful and appropriate, and supports the district’s vision. Download this free guide  (or the UK version ) to get the background you need to guide your district in an AI-infused world.

UPDATED! Free Guides for Engaging Students in AI Creation

ISTE and GM have partnered to create Hands-On AI Projects for the Classroom guides to provide educators with a variety of activities to teach students about AI across various grade levels and subject areas. Each guide includes background information for teachers and student-driven project ideas that relate to subject-area standards. 

The hands-on activities in the guides range from “unplugged” projects to explore the basic concepts of how AI works to creating chatbots and simple video games with AI, allowing students to work directly with innovative AI technologies and demonstrate their learning. 

These updated hands-on guides are available in downloadable PDF format in English, Spanish and Arabic from the list below.

Artificial Intelligence Explorations for Educators unpacks everything educators need to know about bringing AI to the classroom. Sign up for the next course and find out how to earn graduate-level credit for completing the course.

As a co-founder of  TeachAI , ISTE provides guidance to support school leaders and policy makers around leveraging AI for learning.

Dive deeper into AI and learn how to navigate ChatGPT in schools with curated resources and tools  from ASCD and ISTE.

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ISTE+ASCD’s free online community brings together educators from around the world to share ideas and best practices for using artificial intelligence to support learning.

Learn More From These Podcasts, Blog Posts, Case Studies and Websites

Partners Code.org, ETS, ISTE and Khan Academy offer engaging sessions with renowned experts to demystify AI, explore responsible implementation, address bias, and showcase how AI-powered learning can revolutionize student outcomes

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This 15-hour, self-paced introduction to artificial intelligence is designed for students in grades 9-12. Educators and students should create a free account at P-TECH before viewing the course.

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AI Will Transform Teaching and Learning. Let’s Get it Right.

At the recent AI+Education Summit, Stanford researchers, students, and industry leaders discussed both the potential of AI to transform education for the better and the risks at play.

When the Stanford Accelerator for Learning and the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI began planning the inaugural AI+Education Summit last year, the public furor around AI had not reached its current level. This was the time before ChatGPT. Even so, intensive research was already underway across Stanford University to understand the vast potential of AI, including generative AI, to transform education as we know it. 

By the time the summit was held on Feb. 15, ChatGPT had reached more than 100 million unique users , and 30% of all college students had used it for assignments, making it one of the fastest-ever applications ever adopted overall – and certainly in education settings. Within the education world, teachers and school districts have been wrestling with how to respond to this emerging technology. 

The AI+Education Summit explored a central question: How can AI like this and other applications be best used to advance human learning? 

“Technology offers the prospect of universal access to increase fundamentally new ways of teaching,” said Graduate School of Education Dean Daniel Schwartz in his opening remarks. “I want to emphasize that a lot of AI is also going to automate really bad ways of teaching. So [we need to] think about it as a way of creating new types of teaching.” 

Researchers across Stanford – from education, technology, psychology, business, law, and political science – joined industry leaders like Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, in sharing cutting-edge research and brainstorming ways to unlock the potential of AI in education in an ethical, equitable, and safe manner. 

Participants also spent a major portion of the day engaged in small discussion groups in which faculty, students, researchers, staff, and other guests shared their ideas about AI in education. Discussion topics included natural language processing applied to education; developing students’ AI literacy; assisting students with learning differences; informal learning outside of school; fostering creativity; equity and closing achievement gaps; workforce development; and avoiding potential misuses of AI with students and teachers. 

Several themes emerged over the course of the day on AI’s potential, as well as its significant risks.

First, a look at AI’s potential:

1. Enhancing personalized support for teachers at scale

Great teachers remain the cornerstone of effective learning. Yet teachers receive limited actionable feedback to improve their practice. AI presents an opportunity to support teachers as they refine their craft at scale through applications such as: 

• Simulating students: AI language models can serve as practice students for new teachers. Percy Liang , director of the Stanford HAI Center for Research on Foundation Models , said that they are increasingly effective and are now capable of demonstrating confusion and asking adaptive follow-up questions.
• Real-time feedback and suggestions: Dora Demszky , assistant professor of education data science, highlighted the ability for AI to provide real-time feedback and suggestions to teachers (e.g., questions to ask the class), creating a bank of live advice based on expert pedagogy. 
• Post-teaching feedback: Demszky added that AI can produce post-lesson reports that summarize the classroom dynamics. Potential metrics include student speaking time or identification of the questions that triggered the most engagement. Research finds that when students talk more, learning is improved.
• Refreshing expertise: Sal Khan, founder of online learning environment Khan Academy, suggested that AI could help teachers stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in their field. For example, a biology teacher would have AI update them on the latest breakthroughs in cancer research, or leverage AI to update their curriculum.

2. Changing what is important for learners

Stanford political science Professor Rob Reich proposed a compelling question: Is generative AI comparable to the calculator in the classroom, or will it be a more detrimental tool? Today, the calculator is ubiquitous in middle and high schools, enabling students to quickly solve complex computations, graph equations, and solve problems. However, it has not resulted in the removal of basic mathematical computation from the curriculum: Students still know how to do long division and calculate exponents without technological assistance. On the other hand, Reich noted, writing is a way of learning how to think. Could outsourcing much of that work to AI harm students’ critical thinking development? 

Liang suggested that students must learn about how the world works from first principles – this could be basic addition or sentence structure. However, they no longer need to be fully proficient – in other words, doing all computation by hand or writing all essays without AI support.

In fact, by no longer requiring mastery of proficiency, Demszky argued that AI may actually raise the bar. The models won’t be doing the thinking for the students; rather, students will now have to edit and curate, forcing them to engage deeper than they have previously. In Khan’s view, this allows learners to become architects who are able to pursue something more creative and ambitious.

And Noah Goodman , associate professor of psychology and of computer science, questioned the analogy, saying this tool may be more like the printing press, which led to democratization of knowledge and did not eliminate the need for human writing skills.

3. Enabling learning without fear of judgment

Ran Liu, chief AI scientist at Amira Learning, said that AI has the potential to support learners’ self-confidence. Teachers commonly encourage class participation by insisting that there is no such thing as a stupid question. However, for most students, fear of judgment from their peers holds them back from fully engaging in many contexts. As Liu explained, children who believe themselves to be behind are the least likely to engage in these settings.

Interfaces that leverage AI can offer constructive feedback that does not carry the same stakes or cause the same self-consciousness as a human’s response. Learners are therefore more willing to engage, take risks, and be vulnerable. 

One area in which this can be extremely valuable is soft skills. Emma Brunskill , associate professor of computer science, noted that there are an enormous number of soft skills that are really hard to teach effectively, like communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving. With AI, a real-time agent can provide support and feedback, and learners are able to try different tactics as they seek to improve.

4. Improving learning and assessment quality

Bryan Brown , professor of education, said that “what we know about learning is not reflected in how we teach.” For example, teachers know that learning happens through powerful classroom discussions. However, only one student can speak up at a time. AI has the potential to support a single teacher who is trying to generate 35 unique conversations with each student. 

This also applies to the workforce. During a roundtable discussion facilitated by Stanford Digital Economy Lab Director Erik Brynjolfsson and Candace Thille , associate professor of education and faculty lead on adult learning at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, attendees noted that the inability to judge a learner’s skill profile is a leading industry challenge. AI has the potential to quickly determine a learner’s skills, recommend solutions to fill the gaps, and match them with roles that actually require those skills. 

Of course, AI is never a panacea. Now a look at AI’s significant risks:

1. Model output does not reflect true cultural diversity

At present, ChatGPT and AI more broadly generates text in language that fails to reflect the diversity of students served by the education system or capture the authentic voice of diverse populations. When the bot was asked to speak in the cadence of the author of The Hate U Give , which features an African American protagonist, ChatGPT simply added “yo” in front of random sentences. As Sarah Levine , assistant professor of education, explained, this overwhelming gap fails to foster an equitable environment of connection and safety for some of America’s most underserved learners.

2. Models do not optimize for student learning

While ChatGPT spits out answers to queries, these responses are not designed to optimize for student learning. As Liang noted, the models are trained to deliver answers as fast as possible, but that is often in conflict with what would be pedagogically sound, whether that’s a more in-depth explanation of key concepts or a framing that is more likely to spark curiosity to learn more.

3. Incorrect responses come in pretty packages

Goodman demonstrated that AI can produce coherent text that is completely erroneous. His lab trained a virtual tutor that was tasked with solving and explaining algebra equations in a chatbot format. The chatbot would produce perfect sentences that exhibited top-quality teaching techniques, such as positive reinforcement, but fail to get to the right mathematical answer. 

4. Advances exacerbate a motivation crisis

Chris Piech , assistant professor of computer science, told a story about a student who recently came into his office crying. The student was concerned about the rapid progress of ChatGPT and how this would deter future job prospects after many years of learning how to code. Piech connected the incident to a broader existential motivation crisis, where many students may no longer know what they should be focusing on or don’t see the value of their hard-earned skills. 

The full impact of AI in education remains unclear at this juncture, but as all speakers agreed, things are changing, and now is the time to get it right. 

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Artificial intelligence in education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in education today, innovate teaching and learning practices, and accelerate progress towards SDG 4. However, rapid technological developments inevitably bring multiple risks and challenges, which have so far outpaced policy debates and regulatory frameworks. UNESCO is committed to supporting Member States to harness the potential of AI technologies for achieving the Education 2030 Agenda, while ensuring that its application in educational contexts is guided by the core principles of inclusion and equity.   UNESCO’s mandate calls inherently for a human-centred approach to AI . It aims to shift the conversation to include AI’s role in addressing current inequalities regarding access to knowledge, research and the diversity of cultural expressions and to ensure AI does not widen the technological divides within and between countries. The promise of “AI for all” must be that everyone can take advantage of the technological revolution under way and access its fruits, notably in terms of innovation and knowledge.

Furthermore, UNESCO has developed within the framework of the  Beijing Consensus  a publication aimed at fostering the readiness of education policy-makers in artificial intelligence. This publication,  Artificial Intelligence and Education: Guidance for Policy-makers , will be of interest to practitioners and professionals in the policy-making and education communities. It aims to generate a shared understanding of the opportunities and challenges that AI offers for education, as well as its implications for the core competencies needed in the AI era

The UNESCO Courier, October-December 2023

• Plurilingual

by Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education

International Forum on artificial intelligence and education

• More information
• Analytical report

Through its projects, UNESCO affirms that the deployment of AI technologies in education should be purposed to enhance human capacities and to protect human rights for effective human-machine collaboration in life, learning and work, and for sustainable development. Together with partners, international organizations, and the key values that UNESCO holds as pillars of their mandate, UNESCO hopes to strengthen their leading role in AI in education, as a global laboratory of ideas, standard setter, policy advisor and capacity builder.   If you are interested in leveraging emerging technologies like AI to bolster the education sector, we look forward to partnering with you through financial, in-kind or technical advice contributions.   'We need to renew this commitment as we move towards an era in which artificial intelligence – a convergence of emerging technologies – is transforming every aspect of our lives (…),' said Ms Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education at the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education held in Beijing in May 2019. 'We need to steer this revolution in the right direction, to improve livelihoods, to reduce inequalities and promote a fair and inclusive globalization.’'

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• Artificial intelligence

AI in Education: Benefits, Challenges, and Best Practices

By OpenLearning

March 7, 2024 min read

• 1. Benefits of AI in Education
• 2. Challenges of AI in Education
• 3. Best Practices for Embracing AI in Education
• 4. Getting Started with AI in Education
• 5. Overcoming Resistance to AI in Education
• 6. Future Trends in AI and Education

Explore the impact of artificial intelligence in education, from its advantages to the obstacles faced, along with key tips for implementation.

In a world that's constantly evolving, the field of education is no exception. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a popular tool in the education landscape, promising a new era of efficiency, creativity, and support in teaching and learning like never before. 

This blog post discusses AI in education, delving into the benefits, challenges, and best practices for educators looking to integrate AI tools into their courses.

Benefits of AI in Education

Artificial intelligence brings with it a wealth of opportunities in online course design and delivery, among them:

Efficiency in Content Creation:   AI can produce and update educational content quickly, freeing educators from laborious tasks. This not only saves time but also ensures that content remains current and relevant. 

→ Watch: Generate an entire course using the OpenLearning AI Course Builder  

Task Automation:   Repetitive administrative tasks can now be automated using AI, enabling educators to focus on what truly matters – their learners. This could mean more time for hands-on facilitation, and fewer learners left behind.

Enhanced Student Engagement:   AI can be a powerful ally in keeping learners engaged and motivated. By analysing individual learning patterns, adaptive AI tools can personalise content delivery, catering to unique learning styles. On the other hand, generative AI tools can be trained to incorporate learning design best practices into course activities.

Visual Learning Aids:   Complex information can be visualized quickly and accurately using image-generating AI tools like Canva, Visme, Microsoft Sway, and more, making abstract concepts more accessible for learners. 

Support for Special Needs:   AI capabilities such as text-to-speech, visual recognition, speech recognition and more can be tailored to support learners with special needs, offering ways to adapt learning resources for more inclusive lessons.

Fostering 21st Century Skills:   Introducing AI in the wider cultural context not only imparts technical skills, but also nurtures critical thinking and ethical considerations around the use of such technology.

Virtual Tutors: Provide immediate feedback and support to students, helping them to overcome learning challenges and achieve mastery of complex concepts. Intelligent tutoring systems can adapt their instruction based on students' responses and provide targeted interventions when necessary.

Challenges of AI in Education

With every great opportunity introduced by AI tools and capabilities, educators should be supported in overcoming the challenges that arise as well. For example:

Technical Expertise:   Some educators may struggle with a lack of technical expertise, spending an excessive amount of time and effort trying to adapt AI tools to their needs. To design effective prompts for generative AI tools, educators need to understand how to formulate questions that elicit the desired responses from AI systems—which can sometimes require knowledge about the underlying processes.

→ Watch: How to use OpenLearning’s AI Assistant to create engaging learning activities

Cost:   Implementing AI-powered solutions can be financially demanding, making it a challenge for institutions with budget constraints. However, with many providers opting to use a credit system to manage usage among different team members and issue invoices, the cost has become less prohibitive.

→ Explore: How much does it cost to deliver AI-powered courses on OpenLearning?

Ethical Concerns:   Privacy, security, plagiarism, inequity, and the potential disruption of the job market are among the ethical concerns that need careful consideration when integrating AI in education. 

Quality Concerns:   Maintaining high standards and ensuring AI-generated content aligns with educational objectives is critical. An over-reliance on AI tools may lead to a decline in quality and richness of educational content, with the risk of perpetuating inaccuracies or biases present in the training data of the AI model. 

→ Read: How to ensure quality and accuracy of AI-generated content

Human-AI Collaboration: There may be resistance to adopting AI in education due to concerns about job displacement. However, AI is not a replacement for human creativity. Educators and learners contribute unique perspectives and creative thinking that AI cannot replicate. Instead, AI serves as a valuable tool to augment human capabilities.

Best Practices for Embracing AI in Education

Implementing AI in education requires a thoughtful and strategic approach to maximise its benefits while addressing potential challenges. Here are some best practices to consider when integrating AI technologies into education:

• Start Small and Define Clear Objectives:   Begin with a pilot project or a specific use case to assess how AI can enhance teaching and learning. Clearly define your objectives and expected outcomes, such as improving learner engagement or reducing time spent on course creation.
• Choose Reliable AI Partners:   Select reputable AI technology providers or partners with a track record of success in education, who share your commitment to quality and ethical use. Look for solutions that are user-friendly, adaptable, and customisable to your institution's unique needs.
• Review Generated Content:   Choose AI tools that allow for human intervention. Review and refine generated content to fit your curriculum, teaching style, and learner needs. Adaptable solutions can be tailored to different subjects, levels, and learning objectives.
• Provide Training:   Offer training sessions for educators to familiarise them with the AI tools and how to integrate them effectively. Ongoing support is essential to ensure educators can make use of AI's capabilities confidently.
• Address Ethical Concerns:   Address ethical concerns associated with AI use in education. Establish guidelines for responsible AI deployment, ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability in decision-making processes. Educate students about the ethical implications of AI and its impact on society. Encourage critical thinking and discussions about responsible AI use, bias mitigation, and potential consequences. 

Getting Started with AI in Education

Embracing AI in education requires a strategic approach. Here's how to begin:

• Identify Needs:   Pinpoint areas where AI can add value, such as content creation, personalisation, or assessment.
• Determine Objectives:   Define clear objectives for integrating AI, whether it's improving student engagement or streamlining administrative tasks.
• Prepare the Team and Technology:   Provide training for educators to ensure they're comfortable with AI tools. Evaluate and choose AI solutions that align with your educational goals.
• Track Performance Indicators:   Establish measurable performance indicators to evaluate the impact of AI. For example, tracking learning outcomes and efficiency. Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the impact of AI on teaching and learning outcomes. Regularly monitor progress and use data-driven insights to refine strategies.

As AI continues to shape the landscape of education, understanding its benefits, challenges, and best practices is paramount. Educators and learners who are able to use AI to their advantage will have access to a growing world of possibilities

Overcoming Resistance to AI in Education

Given the challenges of implementing AI in education, it is unsurprising that there is resistance among stakeholders. Here are some strategies to address common concerns and misconceptions:

• Educate stakeholders: Provide clear and accurate information about the potential benefits of AI in education and address any misconceptions or fears.
• Highlight the role of teachers: Emphasise that AI is meant to enhance, not replace, the role of teachers. AI can support teachers by automating administrative tasks and providing personalised learning experiences.
• Ensure privacy and security: Address concerns about learner privacy and data security by implementing robust privacy policies and security measures. Communicate these measures to stakeholders to build trust.
• Involve stakeholders in decision-making: Include teachers, learners, and administrators in the decision-making process regarding the implementation of AI tools. This collaborative approach can help address concerns and ensure buy-in from all stakeholders.
• Share success stories: Highlight examples of successful AI implementations in education and showcase the positive impact on student learning outcomes. This can help alleviate fears and demonstrate the potential of AI in education.

Future Trends in AI and Education

The field of AI in education is continuously evolving, and there are several future trends to watch out for:

• Adaptive learning: AI systems will become more sophisticated in adapting learning materials and interventions to meet the individual needs of students. This personalised approach will further enhance learning outcomes.
• Natural language processing: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants will become more advanced in understanding and responding to natural language, providing instant support and guidance to students.
• Data analytics: AI algorithms will continue to improve in analysing educational data and generating actionable insights for educators. This will enable data-driven decision-making and personalised instruction.
• Augmented reality and virtual reality: AI technologies will be integrated with augmented reality and virtual reality to create immersive and interactive learning experiences.

These trends have the potential to transform education and create more engaging and effective learning environments.

In summary, AI in education offers numerous advantages, including personalised learning experiences, increased efficiency, and enhanced student support and engagement. However, implementing AI in education comes with challenges such as the availability of reliable data and the need for specialised technical expertise. By following best practices, such as starting small, providing training and support, fostering collaboration, and monitoring and evaluating the impact, educators can successfully integrate AI in the classroom.

Here are some frequently asked questions about AI in education:

Q: Will AI replace teachers?

A: No, AI is meant to enhance, not replace, the role of teachers. AI can automate administrative tasks and provide personalised learning experiences, but human teachers are still essential for building relationships, providing emotional support, and facilitating meaningful learning experiences.

Q: Is AI in education accessible to all students?

A: Efforts should be made to ensure that AI tools are accessible to all students, regardless of their background or abilities. Equity should be a key consideration in the implementation of AI in education.

Q: How can AI improve learning outcomes?

A: AI can improve learning outcomes by providing personalised instruction, immediate feedback, and targeted interventions. It can adapt learning materials to meet unique needs and learning styles.

Q: What are the ethical considerations of AI in education?

A: Ethical considerations include learner privacy and data security. It is important to have robust privacy policies and security measures in place to protect student data.

By addressing these questions and concerns, educators can make informed decisions about the implementation of AI in education.

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AI education and AI in education

Recent news headlines of students using generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT to write term papers may be what comes to mind for some when thinking about how AI is being introduced in classrooms. But it isn’t the only story to tell about AI in education – or education on AI.

AI is transforming how students learn to engage with the world around them and use new technologies to create solutions to real problems.

Researchers in California have developed an award-winning online game to teach high school students university-level AI and computational thinking concepts. Another team of researchers in California are using AI to teach AI with activities facilitated by a virtual human AI avatar meant to engage young children and their families in learning about AI concepts. On the other side of the country, middle school students in Maine starting their fall semester will soon look at the capabilities of an AI bird feeder that will be placed in their schoolyard before diving into AI or historical data set projects about puffins living off the coast of Maine.

These are only three projects among many that have received grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation in the last several years, and the number grows larger by the day.

NSF leadership in AI for education

“For more than 30 years, NSF has both led and invested in AI research projects to support, reimagine, and transform learning and teaching with the use of emerging technologies,” says James L. Moore III, NSF assistant director for STEM education. “Through NSF-funded research, we are learning how to harness AI to make education more equitable, inclusive, and accessible.” These research projects include helping the nation understand what AI means for the future of education, how it can benefit classrooms, including students, teachers, and parents, and what methods are best to inspire, engage, and teach future generations about AI. 

“NSF has been leading the AI frontier, not chasing it,” said Chia Shen, a program officer in NSF’s Directorate for STEM Education. “We have a rich portfolio in this area with a strong impact. This is part of how we as an agency help the nation and the issues we have with AI like ethical issues, and biases; it’s not just about ChatGPT.”

In fact, in 2019, an NSF-funded project led to the development of national guidelines for teaching and learning about AI in K-12 school settings. Prior to this, there were few to no curriculums in the U.S. dedicated to teaching young, pre-college students about the fundamental knowledge and skills related to AI. Now educators and curriculum developers can visit the AI for K-12 initiative website to find guidelines. Teachers can use these to develop instructional experiences in AI for their students to better prepare them for the rapidly growing field.

Interactive AI exhibits

NSF-funded resources can also introduce younger learners to AI. Researchers at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies and the University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Hall of Science are designing an interactive AI exhibit tailored to elementary-aged children. AI concepts are generally taught in college and graduate level courses, so researchers had to come up with new, accessible ways for children to engage with the exhibit effectively.

The researchers also had to keep in mind that children often have shorter attention spans and must be presented with new information in quick, easily digestible lessons. With that in mind, the research team developed several interactives that break down complex AI concepts into a series of more digestible activities. The activities include small games wherein a child is asked to help the virtual human AI avatar perceive, learn, reason and plan. For example, children can interact with a virtual human that tries to interpret which facial expressions they are making. Children can also guide a virtual human avatar through the task of cleaning up a cafeteria by identifying specific steps it needs to take.

In addition to conveying these complex concepts, researchers also want to spark curiosity about how AI works.

From the exhibit, researchers also discovered a few unexpected things. Ari Krakowski, director of the Center for Transforming Science and Society, noticed museum visitors and their families getting excited about the human aspect of AI. When children were engaging with the activity wherein the virtual human AI avatar is meant to determine what facial expression the visitor is making, parents and older siblings began to get involved as well and learn together through the experience.

“There was this joy and interconnectedness in the room,” said Krakowski.

Games that teach AI concepts

Ning Wang, a research associate professor at USC who worked on the "Virtual Human" exhibit, worked on another NSF project that began with a desire to teach AI concepts to younger audiences through a gaming platform. This ended up having more profound impacts than she initially planned.

The game, ARIN-561 , provides players with the opportunity to explore a strange new planet as a crash-landed astronaut. Through a well-paced tutorial and AI transfer module, players begin the game by learning about common methods used in AI called classical search algorithms by testing different possible routes to save their wayward robot friend.

Before making the game widely available, students across the country were able to test it alongside other educational games to pick a winner of the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference Student’s Choice Award. In that process, the research team learned that two students who were recent refugees from Ukraine had taken the game home and began using it to learn English. Because the students were previously familiar with the topic, they could learn the language through the dialogue of the game and then talk about the shared experience with their classmates. “I don’t know if we could have wished for a better response from the students,” Wang said.

AI helping students connect with local environments

AI in education doesn't just help students improve computational thinking skills in the classroom. It can also create new ways to connect learners with their local environments, allow them to think critically about ecological problems, and aid them in coming up with realistic solutions.

This fall, middle school students in Maine will use an AI bird feeder set up in their schoolyard to learn how the machine captures, transmits and identifies images of birds that stop by for a visit. For example, they will learn how often the AI correctly identifies each bird and what leads to incorrect identifications. From there, students will be able to jump from birds at their school to the puffins captured on cameras placed on islands off the coast of Maine . Researchers watching those cameras realized that they couldn’t observe the puffin burrows 24/7, but, with the help of AI, they could capture significantly more data and images of the birds and their babies.

Students won’t be able to interact with the cameras and its AI capabilities just yet, but Penny Noyce, a science education leader and principal researcher on the project, said, “It will be interesting to see if some of the kids latch onto either birding or AI as a result of this. Birding is a way that non-scientists remain involved in science throughout their lives.”

It is easy to see from these examples that the interaction between AI and education goes far beyond how students might use ChatGPT. AI allows students at all grade levels to interact with the world around them, learn about themselves and other people and explore STEM in new ways. NSF is dedicated to continuing to fund projects researching the impact and possibilities of AI inside and outside of the classroom.

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Home Courses ICT Artificial Intelligence for Education: Exploring the Frontiers of ICT

Artificial Intelligence for Education: Exploring the Frontiers of ICT

One-Week course in: Berlin , Dublin , Ghent , Helsinki , Malta , Nicosia , Rome

Description

Concept by Veerle Ponnet

Intermediate computer proficiency courses are designed for individuals who already have good understanding of technology. Participants will build upon their skills by learning how to use a variety of resources, including learning apps, Microsoft 365 apps, and photo and video editing platforms.

Teachers often lack the time or the capacity to keep up with the rapid pace of change in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) .

Artificial Intelligence (AI) , in particular, is a quickly growing sector in ICTs that is promising a revolution in many fields, including education.

While AI has great potential in enhancing student learning outcomes , there is a need for teachers to be trained in the effective implementation of AI in the classroom.

How can schoolteachers learn to use AI effectively with their students?

The course will introduce participants to AI in education and provide strategies and knowledge to make AI an ally of teachers and learning, rather than a threat to them.

During the course, participants will learn about the benefits of using AI in the classroom , as well as its potential risks. Participants will also gain hands-on experience with AI tools such as Chat GPT for language practice and conversation simulations, as well as AI assessment and feedback tools.

Additionally, participants will learn about other AI applications such as PowerPoint Speaker Coach for developing communication skills, Perplexity for self-directed learning, Yippity for generating assessments, Grammarly for enhancing students’ writing ability , and more.

Moreover, the course will also guide participants in creating a student contract for using AI-generated content in assignments and implementing it in the classroom effectively. Finally, participants will discuss the ethical considerations that come with using AI in education.

They will evaluate the use of AI in education and make informed decisions about its implementation in their own teaching practice.

By the end of the course, participants will have gained practical knowledge and strategies for using AI tools , creating effective learning environments, and ensuring ethical considerations when using AI in education.

Requirements

Suggested computer proficiency: Intermediate

What is included

  Unmatched Support : full day chat assistance

  Fully Fundable : tailored on Erasmus+ budgets

  Flexibility Guaranteed : easy changes with minimal restrictions

  360° experience : from coffee breaks to cultural visits

  Post-Course Training : 100€ voucher on 40+ online courses

Learning outcomes

The course will help the participants to:  

• Understand the benefits and ethical considerations of using AI in the classroom;
• Familiarise yourself with various AI tools and applications available for education;
• Acquire skills using Chat GPT, AI assessment, and quest-based learning for languages and receive personalized feedback;
• Gain the ability to integrate AI tools into lessons and activities to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes;
• Learn the best practices for implementing AI in the classroom, including the design of a student contract for AI-generated content;
• Boost self-confidence in using AI to support student learning and growth.

These learning outcomes aim to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the role of AI in education and the skills to effectively use AI tools in the classroom.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – introduction to artificial intelligence in education.

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools;
• Overview of AI in the classroom and its benefits.

Day 2 – Chat GPT for language learning

• Hands-on experience with using chat GPT for language practice and conversation simulations;
• Strategies for integrating chat GPT into language lessons.

Day 3 – Al assessment and feedback tools

• Overview of AI assessment tools and how they can be used to provide personalized feedback;
• Hands-on experience with AI assessment tools and how to use them in the classroom.

Day 4 – Ethics and AI in education

• Discussing the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI in education;
• Debating the pros and cons of using AI-generated content in student assignments.

Day 5 – Designing a student contract for Al-generated content

• Creating a student contract that outlines the guidelines and expectations for using AI-generated content in assignments;
• Strategies for implementing the student contract in the classroom;
• Final thoughts.

Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.

Upcoming sessions

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Dates and locations

You can register for any date, even if it's not yet confirmed, especially if you're interested in courses several weeks away. Once we have a few more enrollments, we will confirm the date. If we are unable to confirm it, we will offer you alternative options.

Discover all courses and activities in Berlin

Berlin, Germany

Cultural Activities

• Discover Berlin Tour -> See famous landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz, and Checkpoint Charlie
• The Berlin Wall Tour

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Dublin, Ireland

• Walking Tour -> Learn about Irish customs
• Saturday Full Day Tour -> Visit to Glendalough & Russborough House
• Irish Dancing

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Ghent, Belgium

• Ghent’s 48 city card -> Access to many attractions -> Free public transport around the city

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Helsinki, Finland

• A 1.5-hour walking tour in Helsinki city center
• A 3-hour Saturday excursion or a visit to a museum

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Malta, Malta

• 7-day transport ticket (excluding ferries)
• Valletta Walking Tour (subject to availability)
• Afternoon in Mdina
• Friday Maltese Traditional Food (Self-paid lunch)
• Full-day excursion to Gozo

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Nicosia, Cyprus

• Walking tour -> Explore the historic city center -> Welcome dinner (self-paid)
• Visits to Limassol, Omodos -> Includes a visit to a winery -> Enjoy traditional cuisines

Discover all courses and activities in Rome

Rome, Italy

• A Rome 48-hour pass -> Free access to your first museum or cultural activity -> Reduced tickets to all other attractions -> Free access to the city’s public transport

*A 60 € late registration fee will be applied if you register less than 8 weeks before the course start date. All prices are VAT included or not due.

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Overcoming the Stresses of AI in Education

• While AI allows schools to create more personalized learning journeys for students, professors still must focus on the fundamentals of education.
• Chatbots can be used to provide students with answers to basic questions, allowing faculty to spend more time providing deeper feedback on student work.
• Professors need to experiment with AI tools to reduce their own anxiety about the technology and realize how useful it can be in the classroom.

  While artificial intelligence (AI) is ubiquitous in the business world, it’s becoming just as common in the educational sector, as students rely on it to complete assignments and teachers use it to design tests and grade papers. Yet the technology is still new enough that both students and professors are still uncertain about when and how to employ it.

At EDHEC Business School in France, we have long sought to reflect current technology in our programs. We were among the earliest members of the Future of Management Education ( FOME ) Alliance, a group of international business schools that are reimagining digital learning. Our 2020–25 strategic plan includes an emphasis on tech and the humanities, with the goal of ensuring that students can make “managed and well-considered use of technology and data science.” As part of our strategy, this fall students in our Master in Management program will have the option of pursuing a track that focuses on using data science and AI in business contexts.

This commitment to technology has led many of EDHEC’s professors and program directors to speculate on the future of AI in education. These include Michelle Sisto, a former associate dean of graduate studies and current head of EDHEC’s AI initiative; Benoît Arnaud, dean of programs and the leader of EDHEC’s technology, AI, and sustainability strategies; and Arne De Keyser, a professor of marketing whose research focuses on understanding how people react to and experience new technologies.

Recently, these three AI specialists were recorded as they engaged in an unstructured discussion about how to incorporate AI into the classroom in ways that reduce anxiety for students and teachers—and improve learning outcomes across the board. Below is a transcript of their conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Benoît Arnaud: We are all feeling a bit stressed about AI, but should we be? I believe AI will bring professors and students closer together, enabling and allowing business schools to offer even more personalized learning journeys—an excellent outcome. However, there is also concern about becoming overreliant on AI. Are we going to rely on it like we rely on GPS? Does anyone use maps anymore?

Michelle Sisto: I appreciate the GPS analogy, because it reminds us of tech innovations’ impact on our everyday lives. However, I believe we can avoid overreliance on AI by showing students how to use it to boost productivity and be a partner in the reasoning process without expecting it to fully replace hard skills and subject expertise.

Arne De Keyser: I agree that we should teach students to see AI as a useful tool, not a replacement for critical thinking. I think that’s the way most business schools are handling this transition. At any rate, we don’t have much choice—AI is here, and it’s not going away. At some point in the future, just like with GPS, we’ll look back and wonder how we ever got along without it.

Arnaud: You’re right. So, if AI is here to stay, what do we want to do with it in management education? We need to reframe the situation. We shouldn’t ask, “What can AI do for me?” but “What can I do with AI?”

“With AI amplifying disinformation and social media creating bubbles, it is ever more important for schools to help our students become informed and participative citizens. This means we must change the way we teach.”—Michelle Sisto

De Keyser: I guess this question of how to use AI to improve business education and the student experience is part of what makes some of us anxious.

Arnaud: Yes. We’re still trying to figure out what will constitute social interactions and what will constitute immersive learning in an AI-enhanced environment. We’re also trying to calculate the actual cost of keeping all this technology going, including the impact on climate. Will the carbon footprint be too large, and if so, will we need to focus on vital activities only?

Sisto: Another thing that keeps me up at night is the lack of research on the best uses of AI in the classroom. How can we use it as a sparring partner that will debate with us and give us alternative explanations for why something is happening? We don’t have the answers yet; we’re still waiting to see how students will use it and what the cognitive impact will be over time. Will it make them lazier? Will it be used differently by different types of students?

De Keyser: I have a lot of the same questions. AI has the potential to revolutionize higher education, but it’s still imperative for educators to think about the fundamentals of learning and what students want and need to get out of education. Will classes go fully online and digital, for instance? That’s a longstanding debate.

But we do see that campus life is still vital for students. This is where they make connections for life. They want to be part of a community of peers and connect with their professors. Things like student associations and clubs are integral to the student experience and can’t be replicated online.

Sisto: I agree that higher education is about more than acquiring a list of competencies. It’s also about learning to interact with and collaborate with others. With AI amplifying disinformation and social media creating bubbles, it is ever more important for schools to help our students become informed and participative citizens. So, this means we must change the way we teach.

I recently used a chatbot that was trained to help students with online course material. Students appreciated the immediate feedback they could get because the chatbot could answer simple questions where and when they were working on homework and projects.

De Keyser: So, did you have fewer questions after class? Did you feel like the chatbot was stealing the show?

Sisto: I still had plenty of people ask questions at the end of each class—so, no, I never felt like I was being replaced. However, the chatbot did free me up from having to answer many emails, and I spent that time providing deeper feedback on student work. AI can be very valuable in that sense, freeing time that professors can spend in strong value-added activities. In a course of 80 students, the time needed for individual feedback is significant.

“I’m amazed when colleagues tell me they tried a tool like ChatGPT once and didn’t get the answer they wanted, so they never used it again. ChatGPT is not a one-magical-click solution. It requires having a conversation of sorts to get meaningful output.”—Arne De Keyser

Arnaud: OK, let’s switch gears and talk about business school faculty and AI. How do we help professors think entirely differently about pedagogy in the face of AI?

Sisto: That’s a crucial question. Here, we’ve run small workshops with several teams. We introduce faculty to the tools of generative AI and explain how these are different from other tools. When we show faculty how to properly interact with AI and get the help they need, they say, “Oh, this is pretty useful,” and their anxiety levels decrease quickly.

De Keyser: Practice is key. I’m amazed when colleagues across different schools and countries tell me they tried a tool like ChatGPT once and didn’t get the answer they wanted, so they never used it again. People need to learn how to work with it. ChatGPT is not a one-magical-click solution. It requires having a conversation of sorts to get meaningful output.

Sisto: Yes, I’ve heard that too, which is why it’s crucial to delegate AI ambassadors—people ready to use this new technology to resolve even bigger problems. Ambassadors can help other team members feel more confident about AI.

For example, we have a professor working closely with our Pedagogical Innovation Lab to evaluate student work in her taxation course. She has gone through several iterations of prompts and styles of rubrics. At each stage, she compared AI feedback to professor feedback to understand what AI does well and what it is does poorly and to evaluate the consistency of its answers.

In parallel, she and another professor are doing a study across institutions to understand the degree of “acceptability” of AI feedback from the student perspective. They both have shared these experiences with our faculty at large to allow others to learn from their experience and to inspire further experimentation.

Arnaud: I’d like to hear more about critical thinking in the era of AI because I see it as paramount to solving some of the biggest problems of our century, such as addressing climate change, ensuring diversity and inclusion, and reducing social disparities. How can we use AI and curriculum restructuring to help our students contribute positively to society and the planet?

De Keyser: I like that. A professor’s role with students is to push back and demand more from them—a deeper analysis, a more critical look. So, as AI becomes a greater source of information in the classroom, I think we professors should demand even more of our students. The message should be: “You have AI supporting you, and if you bring your critical thinking, you can go even farther than before. And make a real difference where it matters.”

“I see AI as paramount to solving some of the biggest problems of our century. How can we use AI and curriculum restructuring to help our students contribute positively to society and the planet?”—Benoît Arnaud

Sisto: I agree. There’s an opportunity with AI to ramp up learning, not dumb it down. And I think the same opportunity exists for the administrative side of business schools. AI will push us to do better in terms of campus operations, including the overall governance and structuring of our data. We need to think about how we’re going to organize everything from the policy documents we create to the enterprise resource planning software we use for student data. With better organization, preparing documentation for accreditations might be easier—at least, that would be my dream outcome.

Arnaud: That’s a nice dream, and I think it could become a reality. We need to give ourselves the time to reimagine the way we do things.

De Keyser: My hope is precisely that: that AI gives us more time to think. AI could reduce the time we spend focused on administrative duties—any repetitive paperwork or analyses—giving us the freedom to reimagine business education. That would be a considerable improvement, in my opinion.

Arnaud: Any final thoughts as we wrap up?

Sisto: One thing we haven’t touched on yet is the value systems behind various AI tools and how those values could impact our students. For example, Google’s Gemini AI tool recently depicted German Nazis and American Founding Fathers as racially diverse. These were explicit misrepresentations of history that had the objective of being more inclusive. So, precisely whose values are these AI tools replicating, and do we want to delegate this to a small number of private companies?

De Keyser: Well, that’s something that really worries me, especially since we live in an increasingly polarized world.

Sisto: Right. And the Google example is just the beginning. Most of the AI tools we’re using now were created in Western Europe and the U.S., but there will soon be models from other countries. We don’t know what the underlying values of these tools will be or how they might clash with other AI value systems down the road.

Arnaud: Excellent point. The ethics of AI are tricky. Millions of people around the globe can’t even imagine what we’re talking about today because they don’t have access to reliable internet, which seems like an even more significant challenge to tackle. So, how can we ensure these new tools are transparent and accessible?

Sisto: These are excellent questions that we should tackle together—“we” meaning the global business community.

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PRODUCTION - 26 July 2023, Baden-Württemberg, Karlsruhe: A student at a high school sits in front of ... [+] a laptop and uses an AI tool. A class at Lessing Gymnasium used artificial intelligence to work on Büchner's drama fragment "Woyzeck". Students worked together with the AI on tasks related to the text. Photo: Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa (Photo by Philipp von Ditfurth/picture alliance via Getty Images)

By Lisa Chau

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a niche technology reserved for specific high level functions and industries — it has quickly evolved into a transformative force in homes, offices, and classrooms.

While the technology is transformative, its impact hasn’t been uniformly positive. For example, teachers are seeing students take advantage of AI to cheat on assignments. It makes their jobs easier. With AI, cheaters never prosper.

“Students think that educators won't detect it. Our English teachers run any suspicious work through software that detects the use of AI, but honestly it is usually obvious to teachers,” said Stephen Whiteley, a recently retired York Suburban High School science teacher who taught for 34 years.

“The biggest risk is that some students will believe they will never have to have an original thought… AI might help, but [it] can't substitute for true problem solving.”

It’s not all bleak. AI is revolutionizing how teachers address the diverse learning needs and paces of individual students. Educators can leverage AI to facilitate personalized learning by way of intelligent tutoring systems and platforms that analyze students' strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. The platforms then tailor and pace content to suit each individual student.

Differentiated instruction is crucial for catering to diverse student needs, especially in classrooms with students of varying abilities. AI algorithms are already used to adapt math and reading lessons in real-time to ensure that every student receives an appropriate level of support and challenge. Ideally, such data-driven approaches allow for more effective and inclusive teaching practices by improving student engagement and achievement while helping educators identify and address learning gaps more effectively.

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TOPSHOT - Banners of US artificial intelligence company OpenAI fly near an installation depicting ... [+] the legendary "Trojan horse" built entirely out of microelectronic circuit boards and other computer components, outside at the campus of Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv on June 5, 2023. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

“One way in which AI should be incorporated into the classroom is through a beginning ‘dialogue’ between the student and the application,” said Professor Dr. Daniel Perrone, an adjunct professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. “Although AI may be able to provide a substantive ‘answer’ to a composition or literature question, the student can use the application's initial response to build on it with the student's own research and explanation to add a humanistic touch to the response — and to fill in any blanks.”

Tech leaders have warned that critical thinking skills will become essential in the workplace because AI will handle mundane and administrative tasks. Indeed, part of the appeal of AI is that it can eliminate or severely reduce rigamarole.

“You know what the biggest problem with pushing all-things-AI is? Wrong direction,” author Joanna Maciejewska wrote on X. “I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes,”. Maciejewska’s post has garnered more than 3 million views and over 24 thousand reposts.

Because of this powerful appeal, teachers must be intentional in using these new tools to bolster education and outcomes in the classroom rather than relying on them as shortcuts.

Alice Keeler is a 25-year veteran math teacher with a masters degree in educational media design and technology. She helps teachers effectively integrate student-centered technology in the classroom.

“We are only starting to scratch the surface of AI in education,” Keeler said.

“Hopefully, AI will let us see that getting the right answer or regurgitating facts isn't as important anymore. Even students who struggle with grammar or writing a letter can be successful in this new world if they can utilize generative AI,” she said.

Unfortunately, Keeler has been witnessing the opposite.

“Many math programs and other tools have thrust upon students terrible videos and low-level questions, which are neither engaging nor a good use of technology,” she said. “I see a tendency with AI to double down on this, making worksheets faster or using robots as tutors. Is this really an improvement? AI should be used to make schools more flexible, more humanizing, and to allow for more interactions with people. It should enable students to engage in meaningful, creative tasks that teach critical thinking, so we aren't trying to compete with robots but rather become the best human beings we can be.”

So, it is necessary now to further build and navigate the technology in such a way that it enhances our lives rather than detract from it. AI technologies must be steered in such a way that it significantly improves educational outcomes and workforce readiness. To do so, it is crucial that we address challenges related to access, data privacy, and teacher training to ensure the equitable and ethical implementation of AI in education.

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Ethics of artificial intelligence in healthcare is focus of new online certificate course

By Amy Ellis 07-10-2024

As the landscape of artificial intelligence continues to expand, medical journals and organizations like the American Medical Association are churning out articles on how new technologies are revolutionizing healthcare.

From back-office tasks to patient care, AI is already being used to answer patient questions after hours, assist doctors with monitoring and even diagnosing patients, and streamlining all kinds of administrative functions like medical records and billing.

No, ChatGPT is not going to replace your healthcare provider anytime soon.

However, it will not be long before AI will be assisting in surgeries or testing out new treatments to determine outcomes before they are prescribed for patients.

Just as important as the innovations are the ethical questions raised by AI, particularly in medicine, said Sergio Litewka, director of global bioethics at the University of Miami Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy .

Working with instructional designers in the Division of Continuing and International Education (DCIE), Litewka launched an online course last fall on the Ethics of AI in Medicine .

Offered entirely in Spanish, the five-module, self-paced course is geared toward medical professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean who may not have access to the latest information on AI.

"There are very few courses on the ethics of AI in healthcare – and even less so in Latin America," said Litewka, who is originally from Argentina and has extensive experience with healthcare education and reform in Latin America. He is also an associate professor in the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The AI in medicine course is a collaboration with the Center for Applied Ethics at the University of Los Andes in Colombia.

"The idea is to make sure physicians are aware of and thinking about the ethical considerations of these new tools," he added. "There is a lot of hype and a lot of opportunity around AI. We don’t want to discourage the use of these tools. But we don’t want to have someone so excited about using the tool that they forget to consider the human element."

This is an area in which Litewka has considerable experience. In 2011, he was appointed by President Obama to the US Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. Since then, he has worked on numerous educational programs on ethics in research throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Beyond medical professionals, the course on ethics of AI in medicine is also aimed at students in biomedical disciplines, as well as lawyers, journalists, legislators and others who may have an interest in knowing more about the topic.

"We have about 20 learners right now from Argentina, Mexico and Colombia, and we are looking to expand that to many other countries in the region," Litewka said.

"UM is very well known and respected in the region," Litewka said. "This is part of our institute’s legacy of service. They know us and they trust us because of our previous work with them on research ethics."

Working with the Office of Professional Advancement , Litewka said the University is now able to offer a certificate to those who pass a series of tests while completing the course. Students also receive a digital badge to place on their websites or LinkedIn pages.

Each of the five modules in the course were peer-reviewed by ethics experts, one a professor at the Division of Ethics in Science and Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and the other, a professor from the European University Francisco Valles Institute of Clinical Ethics in Madrid, Spain.

The course covers topics like informed patient consent for use of AI, protection of patient information, the problem of bias in many large language models like ChatGPT, and even more worrisome, "hallucinations," when AI tools make up information that sounds plausible.

The effect of such aberrations could be disastrous in a medical setting, Litewka said.

"If you go to a doctor and the doctor has one opinion and the (AI) model has another, which do you listen to?" he explained. "There is research that shows these models can be more accurate than physicians in some cases. But they can also make things up. It creates a lot of ethical issues."

One of the toughest challenges for the course, Litewka said, is the rapid pace of new AI tools in medicine. Based on the speed of AI development, he said he envisions regular updates being needed to keep the course up-to-date and relevant.

That should not be a problem for instructional designers with the Digital Learning and Design Institute (DLD), which designed and launched the course on the University’s Elevate platform.

"It was great working with Dr. Litewka and his team to bring this course to life," said Claudia Velasquez, the chief designer on the course. "We hope we can continue to work with the School of Medicine on similar projects."

April Macadangdang, assistant director of the institute, said the course provides an important opportunity for Spanish-speaking learners.

"This Spanish-language AI course can significantly benefit learners in Latin America," she added. "It fosters accessibility, improves learning outcomes, promotes career advancement, and equips professionals with the basic knowledge of ethics around AI in healthcare. It is a great project for us and for our partners in Latin America."

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Which college degrees are best? How AI is throwing a wrench in the debate.

The rise of artificial intelligence technology, including chatgpt, is looming large over college-goers while challenging popular assumptions about the value of some degrees..

Josephine Perl knows from experience that most college students pursuing humanities degrees inevitably get asked a version of the same question: What will you do to make a living?

It’s an inquiry the 20-year-old philosophy major at Boston University said especially troubles students like her since the launch of ChatGPT. Some predict the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot will decrease the worth of the refined language skills of workers with humanities degrees, credentials that have been declining for the past decade.

As AI has begun to reshape the job market, the types of jobs that could be most impacted by its rise to prominence are slowly becoming more apparent. Though research into the topic is nascent, there are indications that the career prospects for workers in communications and computer coding could be relatively more endangered than other professions.

For now, conclusions about which fields will be hardest hit by bots remain speculative.

“I suspect we’re going to be going through some sort of sea change,” said Manav Raj, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied ChatGPT’s effects on the workforce. "It’s hard for me to tell you exactly what those skills are that will maintain value.” 

The uncertainty is looming large over college-goers while challenging popular assumptions about the value of some degrees. The federal government at the same time is gearing up to slap fresh regulations on colleges to ensure students get their money’s worth.

The discourse will surely endure as students return to campuses this fall. But Perl, the philosophy major in Boston, hasn’t been deterred by what she calls the “hype” around AI. She’s been writing novels since she was 11 and hopes to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. She feels compelled to go after her dreams of becoming a novelist and wants to write the kind of young adult fiction she read as a kid – a skill she thinks AI won't be capable of simulating. 

Other philosophy students she knows are banking on going to law school. She considers that option at times, especially as a student who relies on scholarships to pay tuition.

“Some people are more concerned with being able to make a living," she said.

Are computer science degrees still a safe bet? 

The debate over which college degrees will translate into the highest-paying jobs has persisted for decades, particularly as enrollment in higher education became more widespread in the latter half of the last century. 

In recent decades, the skyrocketing cost of college and a crisis over student loan debt have forced students and families to consider more carefully which programs will give them the best results. This fall, the number of undergraduates studying computer and information sciences surpassed the number of humanities majors after years of the techies trailing behind. 

Six-figure median annual incomes aren’t uncommon for computer science majors who become software developers. New data published Thursday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center also shows student retention in computer science programs was rising in the fall of 2022 when ChatGPT was introduced. 

Yet in the past year, chatter on social media has brimmed with anxiety-filled pondering over whether advancements in AI could render programming degrees useless. Some of that fear is understandable, said Todd Thibodeaux, the president of the tech trade group CompTIA, which tracks industry trends. 

He doesn’t think radical shifts in the industry will happen quite as quickly as some fear. But the brisk evolution of marketable skills will force students to be pickier about which colleges they attend, he said.

“Don’t go to a school where they’re using books that were written five years ago,” he said. 

All the hand-wringing hasn’t fazed Arpita Pandey, a 19-year-old computer science major at the University of California, San Diego. She chose the career path out of a lust for a stable job. There’s a familiarity to the profession, too. Her dad has been a software developer for more than two decades. Like her sister, who also studied computer science, Pandey plans to pursue a master’s degree to make herself more competitive in the job market. 

“Having entry-level coding experience isn’t really cutting it anymore,” she said. “We’ve had to start picking up new skills that AI can’t beat us at.” 

A lifeline for the liberal arts?

Even billionaire Mark Cuban, who made his fortune selling his technology companies in the early days of the internet, has waded into the discourse. The mogul has long argued that, in the coming decades, AI will bolster employers' desirability for students who study the humanities. In February, Cuban doubled down on that prediction. 

“I said this years ago and I’ll say it again, in an AI world, being trained in those liberal arts can be very valuable,” he wrote on X . 

College programs in the humanities – which includes subjects such as English and philosophy – have been in crisis for years. Since 2012, the number of students in those majors has declined precipitously , from roughly 240,000 to less than 180,000 a decade later, according to federal data. 

“There’s obviously a lot of cause for concern,” said Robert Townsend, the co-director of a project at the American Academy of Arts & Sciences that keeps tabs on the drop in humanities majors. 

Data indicates that students at four-year colleges who graduate with humanities degrees earn more on average than workers with just a high school diploma. And despite the often-opaque cost, undergraduate degrees typically set young people on the path to higher earnings over their lifetimes. (Whether other types of college degrees are worth the expense is a trickier subject.)

But return on investment is a complicated notion. Whether students and their parents ultimately feel they've spent their college funds wisely depends on many variables, including which school they attended and how much financial aid they received. 

Dennis Ahlburg, an economist and former Texas college president who wrote a book on the humanities crisis, tends to agree with the billionaire entrepreneur. More than anything, Ahlburg said, businesses value good workers who can think critically. 

It's hard for families to anticipate which degrees will pay off, he acknowledged – especially when the sticker prices can vary so widely. The advice he gave his 18-year-old son, who is headed off to college soon, was to study something he’s passionate about. 

“Life is often a hell of a long stretch to be doing something that you hate,” he said. 

Biden plans more college oversight

As the agonizing over AI continues, the Biden administration is preparing to implement regulations to hold colleges more accountable for providing degrees that set students up for success. The policies , which would force schools to provide more detailed information to students about whether certain programs are a wise investment, are commonly referred to as "gainful employment" and "financial value transparency" regulations .

A Supreme Court decision handed down last week weakening federal government agencies could jeopardize those rules, however, by making them more vulnerable to court challenges. The policies went into effect this month, though colleges will have until October to implement the reporting requirements.

Read more: Supreme Court curbs power of federal regulators, overturning 40-year precedent

By that time Katie Priest, a philosophy and communications major at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, will be in her senior year. A lot has changed for Priest since ChatGPT was first launched in November 2022. The app's arrival left her terrified about whether she had set herself on the right career path. 

“It was like the end of the world,” she said. But doing some research on AI with one of her professors calmed her nerves, leading her to conclude it won’t be able to fully replace her or others hoping to teach philosophy at the college level.

She hasn't fully escaped the technology's implications, though. Her mom relies on a crafting blog as an extra source of income, she said, and ever since Google introduced new AI features in May, web traffic to the site has plummeted. So has the money her mom was making from it.

Zachary Schermele covers education and breaking news for   USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele .

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Voice AI Summer School students Bhavya Reddy Seerapu and Shriamana Ganesh-Sudhadhakai consult with Dr. Jamie Toghranegar, Bridge2AI-Voice program manager.

USF hosts first-ever summer course on using voice and AI as a diagnostic tool

• July 9, 2024

Research and Innovation , Student Success , USF Health

By Donna Smith , University Marketing and Communications

Recent developments in artificial intelligence are empowering researchers to evaluate how one’s voice can assist in the prediction and early detection of disease. In collaboration with the USF AI+X Institute, USF Health is helping train the next generation of medical professionals through the launch of its first-ever course dedicated to understanding how voice can be used as a biomarker for health – helping to identify neurological, respiratory and psychiatric diseases.

Dr. Yael Bensoussan

“While there are many programs that teach students how to work with imaging and other clinical data, being prepared to understand and analyze voice data is going to put these students in a unique position,” said laryngologist Dr. Yael Bensoussan, assistant professor of otolaryngology at USF Health. “There are many startups out there in many different industries that are looking for that expertise, because it's still really rare to find it. We're positioning them to be to be ready to go apply for these jobs.”Bensoussan is co-principal investigator of the National Institutes of Health-funded Bridge2AI-Voice program, a consortium of 50 professionals such as clinicians, speech pathologists, informaticians, AI scientists and bioethicists working to standardize AI datasets and their ethical use in health care.

As part of the program, USF is one of four universities nationwide selected to host the inaugural Voice AI Summer School. The five-week course is training students ranging from undergraduates to medical students to process voice audio, identify acoustic and speech features, such as hoarseness or tremor, and train and test algorithms that can screen and or aid in diagnosis.

Trevor Pharr

Trevor Pharr, a rising second-year student in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, says that his love for singing led to an interest in becoming a physician specializing in otolaryngology. Pharr completed a double major in biochemistry and music at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and is now studying the groundbreaking field of voice AI. 

“I would never have guessed I’d be studying this, but it’s a bit serendipitous that this really, really good voice study is happening now, because it is something I’ve been interested in for years,” Pharr said. “I'm just glad to be a part of this experience.”

Forty-five students from across the country were selected for the intensive program, with 15 based at USF. They’re divided into teams made up of students from the tech and the health fields. Students practice how to collect voice data and are invited to volunteer their own voices, which Bensoussan says further deepens their understanding of the technology.

“Sometimes engineers are presented with data without necessarily understanding how it was collected,” Bensoussan said. “I think it's really important to understand how it was collected, and the best way to understand it is to do it yourself.”

Faculty members from USF’s AI+X Institute – a multidisciplinary research and development center focused on AI – are teaching sessions on the intricacies of AI model development using acoustic data for health care purposes. Many are from the USF Department of Computer Science and Engineering, including Distinguished University Professor and Chair Sudeep Sarkar, who also serves as a director at the AI+X Institute.

“Our involvement underscores our commitment to fostering the next generation of AI researchers and practitioners from different disciplines – the ‘+X’ part of our identity,” Sarkar said. “This program provides a unique platform for participants to gain hands-on experience, engage with cutting-edge research and collaborate with leading experts in the unique problem domain of voice-based medical diagnosis.”

Shriamana Ganesh-Sudhadhakai 

Shriamana Ganesh-Sudhadhakai is a second-year master’s student at Georgia Tech University studying bioinformatics. He is attending the Voice AI Summer School because he hopes to enter the bioinformatics workforce.  

“Bioinformatics falls somewhere in between biology and computer science,” Ganesh-Sudhadhakai said. “I want to be in the industry focusing on research and product development, so the ideal goal for me is to learn all the technology that is available right now.”

Bensoussan hopes that the benefits of the Voice AI Summer School will have a far reach beyond just the students who are enrolled.

“A lot of our project is open science, so hopefully the curriculum we’re building will be able to benefit a broader community, because that's how things are discovered.”

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