As questions about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education continue to grow, SHSU faculty and staff recently met to discuss the use of AI in their classrooms at the Fall 2024 AI Mini Conference.
The conference hosted a syllabus workshop, a working lunch, and a series of breakout sessions on topics ranging from “Manage Al with Assessments,” “Resource Website and Policy Discussion,” “Al Integration in Your Classes,” and “Al Work-Life Balance.” The conference was hosted in the LSC by the Academic Affairs Al Workgroup, a committee of faculty, staff, and administrators across various departments at the university. The committee sought to provide information about AI capabilities and tools, asking instructors to examine their approach to AI when considering their students and teaching philosophies rather than steering the conversation to a specific course of action.
“Planning an event like this, it's essential to maintain intellectual humility and approach it as an opportunity to bring people together to discuss the issues, not lecture them on what to do; the best way to put on an event like this is to bring in people on our campus who are doing innovative things and let them share with their colleagues,” said Dr. Benjamin Mitchell-Yellin, director of the Teaching & Learning Center, Associate Professor of Philosophy, and Al Workgroup chair. “There is so much good work being done here, and there are so many people with good ideas; the trick is to showcase this in a way that allows for open discussion and engagement. If people leave thinking ‘Wow, I think I want to try that’ or ‘Hey, that was a cool idea I just heard,’ then it'll be a success. It'll be even more successful if people end up collaborating with folks they talked to at the event.”
With the support of the provost and upper university administration, attendees were able to receive policy updates and best practice advice for their courses, allowing for instructors to plan their courses accordingly and for staff to be knowledgeable on the subject of AI. As of Fall 2024, the university supports individual instructors’ policies on their students’ use of AI in the classroom. As instructors arrange and adapt their courses in a world where large language models are readily accessible, Mitchell-Yellin said the committee’s goal in the conference was to offer a space to share a variety of ideas and approaches.
“People have different views on AI, and they have different experiences with it, but it's important to realize that not everyone's experiences are the same, and it's also important to hear from people with different views,” he said. “One thing I liked best about the conference is that the opening workshop asked instructors to consider their own classroom AI policies in relation to their course objectives; it's not just a matter of personal opinion, and it's important to be able to explain to our students why we're making the choices we are in the classes we craft for them. I heard people really grappling with the reasons they chose to permit, require, or prohibit the use of AI in their classes, and I loved that people with different views on this were willing to hear from each other. This is a great way to model what the university space is all about—joint inquiry and learning.”
Plans for next year’s event are underway, and the Al Workgroup continues to research AI integration and methods in higher education while planning an event that will cater to a diverse university audience. For more information about SHSU Generative AI Guidance, visit https://www.shsu.edu/dept/academic-affairs/faculty-success/ai-guidance/index.html.