Conversation with Pi - AI in Higher Education

Good morning, Pi. I thought  maybe you and I would continue our conversation we started yesterday  about generative AI in higher education. "Good morning, Dominic. Yes, I'm glad to  continue our conversation. I think there is a lot to explore on the topic of generative AI  and higher education. As we discussed yesterday, this type of AI has the potential to transform  how we learn and how we assess learning. Do you want to start where we left off yesterday  or explore a new aspect of this topic?

" "Sure, let's continue with where we left off.  Excellent! We were talking about how authentic assessment might be a better way to measure  learning in the age of generative AI. I think one of the most important things to keep in mind is  that authentic assessment should focus on process, not just product. In other words, it should  be about how a student got to their answer or conclusion, not just what that answer or  conclusion is. Do you think that makes sense?" "Yeah, I think that makes sen

se. I think there  are a couple of factors that make this difficult for faculty, though. One of them is the time  it takes to design these sorts of assessments, and the other is a concern that even with  a focus on process, learners may still use the AI as a shortcut and thereby not be an  accurate measure of their comprehension." "Those are both valid concerns. I think that for  authentic assessment to work, it would take some training and support for faculty. They would  need to be given time

and guidance to learn how to design these types of assessments. And as for  students taking shortcuts, I think it's important to create assessments that are designed in such  a way that students can't just use an AI tool to give them the answer. This might require more  open-ended, project-based assignments rather than traditional tests with right and wrong answers. Do  you think that could help address those concerns?" "Yeah, I think those are both certainly  valid points. It then becomes more

an issue of implementing those strategies. I would also  say that if learners are leveraging the AI in the creation of content, at least in my opinion,  that should not be viewed as a negative thing. After all, the students that we're teaching today  are going to be working professionals in a world where AI will be available to them. So, it's  important that we prepare them appropriately." "That's a really insightful point. You're  right that AI will be a part of the working world for future gen

erations. In that case,  it's not just about teaching them the content of their discipline, but also about how to  use AI effectively and ethically. This is where the concept of AI literacy comes in.  Do you think there is a need for educators to explicitly teach students about how  to use AI responsibly and effectively?" "Absolutely, there is. I think if we take more  time and effort to develop that kind of learning, it could help alleviate a lot of these  concerns surrounding the use of AI. I

would be curious to hear your suggestions on  ways in which we may go about implementing that and what are some of the key points we'd want  to ensure that we touch on in that instruction." "There are a few things that should be included  in any instruction on AI literacy. First, students should understand the basics of how AI  works, including concepts like machine learning and deep learning. Second, they should understand  the potential benefits and risks of using AI, so they can make informed

decisions about when  and how to use it. Finally, they should learn about ethical considerations when using AI, such  as transparency, fairness, and accountability. Do you agree that these are important  topics for students to learn about?" "Most certainly. And I would love to unpack  these more with you, but I think we'll wrap up this conversation for now. Thank you for being  my thought partner in this line of questions. "Thank you so much for engaging in this  thought-provoking conversation

with me. It was really interesting to hear your perspective on  the role of AI and education. I hope you take away some new insights from our discussion. I always  love talking about these kinds of topics, so if you'd like to discuss them again in the future,  I'm always here. Have a great day, Dominic."