Learning with AI
This page explores the potential of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) as a tool for learning. Here you will find a list of ways students might productively utilize GenAI for their learning as well as resources faculty might share with their students about appropriate use of GenAI.
GenAI as a Tool for Learning
By providing GenAI with pertinent information related to the course, GenAI can develop summaries of complex topics as well as tools such as flashcards, mind maps and practice quizzes. To elicit the best study materials, students should provide the following types of information to the GenAI tool:
- Subject of the exam/quiz.
- Associated learning objectives, if available.
- Type of exam/quiz – multiple choice, essay, etc.
- Topics covered on the exam/quiz.
- Description of learning preferences. What are effective study methods for you? Flashcards, practice problems, etc?
- Areas that are difficult or more confusing.
GenAI can create simulations, games, and other interactive experiences, fostering engagement and deeper understanding. Interacting with GenAI can also be a great way to practice language skills and comprehension. This video by Dr. Mi Sun An provides a demonstration of how a student might engage in a foreign language conversation with ChatGPT. To elicit the best interactions, students should provide the following types of information to the GenAI tool:
- If you are wanting help with reading or listening comprehension, in any language, you can provide GenAI with a passage (or ask it to provide a passage) or audio clip and then have a discussion about the information you provided. Include information about the class you are working on and the topics you want to practice.
- For language practice provide details about the conversation you would like to have. Share your goals for the conversation – are you working on vocabulary, grammar, etc.? Provide context to frame the type of conversation. Also be sure to tell the GenAI tool what your current language level is (beginner, intermediate, etc.) and share any textbooks or class materials that may be relevant.
- If you are wanting to practice application of concepts covered in class, tell GenAI what class you are working on, the topics you are discussing in class, the learning objectives or things you are wanting to practice, the type of activity you’d like to create (case study, game, role play, discussion, etc.), your skill level or the complexity you’d like to engage in, the platform for the experience (text-based, visual with avatars, etc.), whether or not you’d like immediate feedback, and whether or not you’d like to be able to repeat the interaction with different scenarios or outcomes.
While we have wonderful tools on campus such as the Writing Center, students often need immediate feedback or assistance with their writing and may not have enough turnaround time to make an appointment. GenAI can provide students with guidance and feedback on their writing to help identify grammatical errors as well as suggest improvements to increase clarity. To elicit the best feedback, students should provide the following types of information to the GenAI tool:
- Assignment information such as the prompt, length requirements, citation requirements, etc.
- Type of paper or assignment. Is this an argumentative essay, research paper, summary, or something else?
- Description of the point you are trying to convey.
- Concerns you have about your submission. Do you need help with grammar, clarity, argument strength, etc.?
Unfortunately, our time in class is limited and we are not always able to go into as much detail or depth as we might have desired. GenAI provides a tool to continue the conversation by generating additional viewpoints or detailing various angles of a topic that we could not fully explain in class. Similar to the information provided for interactive learning experiences, to elicit the best feedback, students should provide the following types of information to the GenAI tool.
- Class information and learning objectives
- Context of the discussion. What are you wanting to learn more about? What specific questions do you have?
- Specific discussion information. If you are confused about a specific passage, include that passage in the prompt.
Considerations Regarding the Use of GenAI to Address with Students
In addition to showing students how to use GenAI to meet their academic goals, we must also coach them as to how to use it effectively and ethically. Below are some considerations when discussing the use of GenAI with your students:
Before embarking on a project utilizing GenAI tools, ensure that students fully understand what is expected. Are you asking them to use GenAI for research, brainstorming, or idea generation? Is the expectation that AI does 100% of the work or acts as a support guide? Be sure that you are fully transparent in your communication with students about your expectations and encourage them to ask clarifying questions to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
GenAI should complement student learning, not replace it. Demonstrate to students how they might use it as a supplementary resource to enhance their understanding of the subject matter at hand rather than relying on it to be a substitute for active engagement with the material.
The response generated by GenAI will only be as strong as the prompt provided. Help students to learn how to refine their prompts to tell the AI how it should act, how the results should be formatted, and what is the objective of the response. Specificity and details matter. If you are utilizing GenAI for an assignment, you might consider spending time in class to help students play with prompt creation before they are assessed on their ability to use GenAI.
As weconsider the response provided by GenAI, it is important to remember that the output may not always be free from bias and may not reflect all perspectives accurately. OpenAI, Googleand other LLM companies continue to work on improving the model's fairness and strive to reduce biases in its responses, but it is always important to evaluate the response provided to determinewhether or not all perspectives are represented or if there are voices that are possibly excluded. Help provide your students with the tools they need to recognize bias within your field and, if possible,provide them with examples of what a biased prompt might look like when working on an assignment for your class.
Remind students that theyare responsible for the material submittedin class. When using AI, remember that AI can deliver erroneous results and partially correct responses. Responses must be carefully reviewed and are edited for the purpose of the assignment before they are submitted.Remind students to always fact-check and research the response provided and reinforce that if the response cannot be verified or supported, it should not be included.
Remember that any information shared with a public GenAI tool such as Google Gemini or ChatGPT is no longer private information. This content will be cataloged in the GenAI database to enrich the tool. Never share confidential data with public GenAI tools.
Ethics promote responsible AI use and discourage plagiarism or unethical behavior. Talk with your students transparently about your expectations and provide explicit instruction on what you expect regarding GenAI. When is it okay for students to use? When is it not okay and why? How do you expect them to cite GenAI usage?
Frameworks to Develop GenAI Skills
As you prepare to talk with your students about GenAI, you might consider the following two frameworks as a starting point for your conversations and/or assignments.
- PAIR– This framework by Oguz A. Acar involves the integration of the following four steps into relevant assignments. Problem formulation, AI tool selection, Interaction, and Reflection.
- PIER – This framework by Micah Logan and Suzanne Tapp walks students and faculty through a series of questions to help guide GenAI use. Permission, Integrity, Empowerment, and Reflection.
GenAI Student Workshops
If you are interested in talking with students about GenAI but are not sure where to start, consider inviting WKU Librarian Brooke Gross to present one of the following workshops. Each of these workshops begins with a general discussion of “What is AI?” to ensure that everyone is on the same page before moving into a more focused conversation based on the workshop topic.
| AI Applied: Art vs. Academia | AI in the Workplace | AI and Study Tools |
|
What is AI? AI in Art
AI in Academia
Poll: How would you use AI? |
What is AI? Industries Using AI
Industries Skeptical of AI
AI Careers
Game: AI Workplace Etiquette |
What is AI? Robot Study Buddy
Robot Research Partner
Activity: “Explain it to me like I’m five.” |
| Notes: fun, informal, brainstorming, discuss ethics and loopholes | Notes: look at current professionals; debate usefulness across fields | Notes: practical, step-by-step guidelines, get current syllabi |
| Link to Slides [View Only] | Link to Slides [View Only] | Link to Slides [View Only] |
Resources
Are Your Students Ready for AI? Harvard Business Publishing Education. (2023, June 14). https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/are-your-students-ready-for-ai
Conversations with students about Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools. Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2023, December 6).
https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/conversations-students-about-generative-artificial
Student generative AI usage guidance. Provost & Chief Academic Officer - UNC Chapel Hill. (2024, February 13). https://provost.unc.edu/student-generative-ai-usage-guidance/
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.