As someone who has worked in education for over 50 years, I believe this is one more technological advance that teachers, administrators, and parents will ultimately adjust to. Still, there will be bumps and bruises along the way. It is up to us to teach students how to use these apps for positive learning.
I am preparing my contribution to ethically and effectively use this technology in schools. I teach a graduate course in Education Leadership for prospective school administrators in Integrating Technology in schools. I have been teaching this course for eight years, and its content has changed significantly as rapid technologies have invaded schools. Last year, I introduced the topic of Generative AI, which triggered questions and conversations among educators who needed more awareness of this new technology. This year, we will dive deeper into ways to use AI as a teacher tool and how to help students use the tools effectively and ethically. Simply ignoring or banning the Generative AI is not a solution. Neither is trying to punish suspected AI use since the current tools to detect AI writing still lack accuracy.
My preliminary thoughts on how administrators, teachers, and students can use AI productively in teaching and learning are below.
- Craft Clear Policies: Establishing clear policies on the allowed and prohibited uses of generative AI in assignments is crucial. Not all generative AI is a form of plagiarism. Apps can be used to brainstorm, organize, and revise. This clarity ensures that both teachers and students understand responsible AI use.
- Communicate Expectations: Some schools have set policies defining levels of AI use, and teachers communicate to students which AI uses are appropriate for each assignment. Clearly communicate to students the appropriate and inappropriate use of generative AI tools in technical skill assignments. Guiding on when and how AI can be used and the consequences of misuse helps set expectations.
- Do Your Homework: A teacher must explore many new apps and understand their features. There must be more time to be an expert on these, but be curious, listen, and keep yourself informed. The Common Sense organization website shares excellent suggestions and links to the most used education apps. There continue to be dozens of articles on this new technology. Stay active in your professional organizations and literature.
- Modify Assignments: Teachers can modify written assignments to minimize the effectiveness of generative AI. Following are some ways to modify assignments. Teachers can even use AI to alter this. The app MagicSchool.ai has many teachers’ tools for writing and will also rewrite your student assignments to make this more AI-proof.
- Make Assignments Personal: Design questions that are personal, reflective, specific, and local examples, making it more challenging for students to use AI to write a whole assignment simply and with little thought.
- Encourage Higher Order Thinking: Designing assessments that promote higher-order thinking skills, such as analyzing, evaluating, and creating, can deter students from relying solely on generative AI tools.
- Scaffold Assignments: If the learning goal is to improve writing, break down assignments into chunks, requiring students to provide outlines, first drafts, and final papers explaining their decisions and learning process. This approach focuses on the process rather than just the final product.
- Incorporate Video Presentations: Include oral or video presentations where students explain their work and learning, adding a layer of accountability beyond written submissions. In some cases, replace a written assignment with a video and PowerPoint to reveal what students have learned.
- Relevant Assignments: Focus on student tasks that require hands-on application, problem-solving, or practical demonstrations that are challenging for AI to replicate accurately.
- Analyze AI Power and Limitations: With older students demonstrate AI tools, analyze AI-generated content from different perspectives related to academic integrity, authority, validity, and trust within the course context. Have students analyze AI-generated work in groups, focusing on evidence, sources, bias, and other critical aspects of the course content. AI can be a powerful learning tool.
These ideas will get you thinking and talking as I work on my plans for updating my course graduate students this summer.