Did you miss Derek Bruff’s take on how AI can improve assignment design?

At the top, it reads

“I like to say that tools like ChatGPT speak, but don’t think.”

Derek Bruff, Ph.D.
Strategic Advisor, UPCEA, and Visiting Associate Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, University of Mississippi

Bruff’s insights shed light on the nuanced relationship between AI tools and educational objectives. By sharing personal anecdotes and professional observations, Bruff underscores the importance of critical thinking and authentic assignments that prepare students for real-world challenges. He highlights AI’s limits and its potential to complement rather than replace human intellect, encouraging educators to rethink traditional assessment methods.

Don’t be sad if you missed it! We have Top Hat’s resources below:

Watch James Lang’s talk about how to boost academic integrity in the age of Al

“We can’t just design around AI because it’s futile: it keeps evolving. Assessment needs to be about the whole relationship you have with students: be transparent, explore variety and encourage reflection.”

Dr. James Lang
Author of Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty

Missed last week’s webinar about how to curb academic dishonesty in your course? No worries … watch below!

Don’t have time to watch either? That’s okay, here’s a summary!

With regards to academic integrity in the age of artificial intelligence, Dr. Lang emphasizes the importance of maintaining a focus on teaching and creating learning, even while being aware of and attending to academic integrity. He believes that teaching strategies and course design strategies should promote learning while maintaining the standards of academic integrity. He also mentions that these principles were the approach he took in his book “Cheating Lessons”.

 

Dr. Lang presents his approach to prioritizing learning in the current moment of higher education. He discusses the importance of varying teaching methods, being transparent about course design and expectations, and promoting reflection among students. He believes that these principles are even more important in the age of AI, as AI can perform tasks quickly, but humans have the opportunity to pause, analyze, and reflect on the process

 

Dr. Lang also discusses a 2023 study where instructors tested six low-effort strategies to reduce academic dishonesty in an introductory programming course (PDF). These strategies included talking about academic integrity at the beginning of the semester, giving a quiz on the topic, allowing students to retract work they had concerns about, reminding students about academic integrity policies throughout the semester, showing tools for success, and reminding students about available help. The study found a significant reduction in similarity scores for assignments after these interventions were implemented.

 

Dr. Lang advocates for a balanced approach to teaching in the age of AI, where the focus remains on learning and academic integrity. He suggests that educators should not shy away from traditional assignments or teaching strategies due to the capabilities of AI, but rather enhance these assignments with reflection and analysis to promote deeper learning.

Free Webinar! “Academic Integrity in the Age of AI”

Higher Learning: How to boost academic integrity in the age of AI. Headshot of James Lang and the Top Hat logo.
 
Dr. James Lang, educator and author of Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty, will share course design practices that improve student learning while reducing the incentives to cheat.
 
Dr. Lang posits that the root of academic dishonesty often lies in the pressures embedded within the educational system itself. These pressures inadvertently push students towards cheating. What’s compelling is that the strategies to counteract cheating are not just about enforcing stricter rules. Instead, they align closely with principles that cognitive theorists advocate for enhancing student engagement and learning.
 
This approach is not just theoretical. It’s backed by Dr. Lang’s extensive research and experience in education. By rethinking course design and teaching strategies, educators can significantly reduce the incentives and opportunities for students to cheat.
 
This FREE webinar on Thursday, February 1st at 2 pm EST will go over:
 
  • The common course design practices that lead to academic dishonesty
  • Teaching strategies that reduce the incentive and opportunity to cheat
  • How low stakes assessments build confidence and lead to better study decisions
  • The role transparency and motivation play in promoting academic integrity

About the Speaker

James M. Lang, PhD, is the author of six books, including Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It and Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning. He also writes a monthly column on teaching and learning for The Chronicle of Higher Education. A dynamic and highly sought-after public speaker, Lang has delivered conference keynotes and workshops on teaching at more than a hundred colleges, universities, and high schools in the United States and abroad.

Register Now to learn strategies to motivate students and improve learning in the age of AI!

FREE Webinar! AI and Higher Education: Implications for Learning, Curricula, and Institutions

Wednesday, January 10, 2024
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Register now! 

Few innovations have impacted higher education as deeply and swiftly as artificial intelligence has. Initially viewed simply as a threat to academic integrity, it’s now clear that AI presents far greater challenges—and opportunities. Goldman Sachs has estimated that AI may replace 300 million full-time jobs. This rapid workforce evolution is creating demand for an accompanying evolution of higher education to meet new expectations. During this AAC&U webinar, panelists will discuss the many ways higher education will be affected by artificial intelligence, including how AI will influence instruction, curricula, and institutions. They’ll also suggest paths forward that can help you and your institution succeed in this new era.

Panelists
Bryan Alexander

Bryan Alexander
Senior Scholar, Georgetown University

Glida Barabino

Gilda A. Barabino
President and Professor, Olin College of Engineering

William J. McKinney

William J. McKinney
Senior Director of Higher Education Initiatives, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

Lynn Pasquerella

Lynn Pasquerella
President, AAC&U

Michael Roth

Michael S. Roth
President, Wesleyan University

Moderator
C. Edward Watson

C. Edward Watson
Associate Vice President for Curricular and Pedagogical Innovation and Executive Director for Open Educational Resources and Digital Innovation, AAC&U

FREE Webinar: Will AI Replace the Educator?

Will AI Replace the Educator?

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, August 10, 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how students learn and even how educators teach. While we’re still in the early stages of realizing the vast potential of these new technologies, it doesn’t feel too soon to wonder, will AI replace teachers?

In this webinar, join esteemed professors David Lefevre and David Shrier from Imperial College Business School as they embark on an enlightening exploration of AI’s potential and its profound impact on the educational landscape.

Through their expertise and insights, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the following topics:

  • Unlocking the potential: demystifying AI and its applications
  • Revolutionizing higher education: harnessing AI’s transformative power
  • From theory to practice: examining the current landscape of AI adoption in education
  • Navigating the future: exploring the impact of AI and automation in education

Register now! All registrants will be provided access to the webinar recording.