In Case You Missed It: Authentic Learning in the Age of AI
By Katie Walden and Brian Mulholland
On October 6, faculty organized a workshop aimed at assisting instructors in rethinking their authentic learning goals in light of AI advancements. This event was a joint effort between faculty from the College of Arts and Letters, College of Science, ND Learning, and the Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence.
For those who were unable to attend, here are the key takeaways from the panel.
#1: Concerns about student use of generative AI present an opportunity to reimagine teaching practices.
Many instructors are thinking about how traditional assignments/assessments might be impacted by generative AI. Those concerns are valid, but we can also be excited about assessments that are more closely aligned with course learning goals and surfacing the types of thinking (and habits/practices) we want students to build.
#2: Learning goals can be bigger than your course or discipline.
When asked about how they wanted students to be impacted by a course, faculty in our workshop were much more focused on aspects of interpersonal engagement, relationality, and dialogue than particular disciplinary competencies. We can think about how those values and aspirations shape what we ask students to do in our courses, how it connects to our particular discipline and course, and how we talk with students about the work we’re asking them to undertake.
#3: Move toward assessments that give students agency and value process as much as product.
One strategy for helping students understand how their own learning is shortchanged by ineffective uses of generative AI is to move in the direction of assessments that students have some stake or role in shaping. We can also think about how to craft assessments that promote metacognition and reflection on process, rather than incentivizing students to focus solely on a final product.
Resources:
- Panel Presentation Google Slide Deck
- Panel Presentation Recording (NetID required, 1 hr., 14 min.)
Related:
- See the Launch Post on the “Teaching in the Age of AI” series for links to register for future events.
- Check out our resource on Teaching in the Age of AI.