Enhancing Online Courses With AI

A look at how CS50 has incorporated artificial intelligence (AI), including its new-and-improved rubber duck debugger, and how it has impacted the course already. 🦆 https://lnkd.in/eb-8SAiw In Summer 2023, we developed and integrated a suite of AI-based software tools into CS50 at Harvard University. These tools were initially available to approximately 70 summer students, then to thousands of students online, and finally to several hundred on campus during Fall 2023. Per the course's own policy, we encouraged students to use these course-specific tools and limited the use of commercial AI software such as ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and the new Bing. Our goal was to approximate a 1:1 teacher-to-student ratio through software, thereby equipping students with a pedagogically-minded subject-matter expert by their side at all times, designed to guide students toward solutions rather than offer them outright. The tools were received positively by students, who noted that they felt like they had "a personal tutor." Our findings suggest that integrating AI thoughtfully into educational settings enhances the learning experience by providing continuous, customized support and enabling human educators to address more complex pedagogical issues. In this paper, we detail how AI tools have augmented teaching and learning in CS50, specifically in explaining code snippets, improving code style, and accurately responding to curricular and administrative queries on the course's discussion forum. Additionally, we present our methodological approach, implementation details, and guidance for those considering using these tools or AI generally in education. Paper at https://lnkd.in/eZF4JeiG. Slides at https://lnkd.in/eDunMSyx. #education #community #ai #duck

𝐓𝐡𝐞 #𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐀𝐈 𝐡𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭? 🧐 Many #EdTech companies are marketing AI tools to educators with a focus on "speed" and "efficiency." But as an educator, I have to ask: 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍? In my experience, the true potential of AI in education lies not in saving time, but in enhancing learning outcomes. Let me share an example: Over the past three semesters, I have implemented AI-powered formative feedback tools in my courses. These tools use my assignment rubrics to provide feedback to student before they submit their final work for grading. The goal? Not to cut my grading time, but to empower students to: · Identify strengths and areas for improvement · Attempt to close knowledge gaps independently · Enhance the quality of their work before submission Since using these AI tools for formative feedback, I've noticed that my students plan ahead to allow time for revision and approach me with targeted questions about their work. As a result, I can spend time on more advanced discussions rather than basic corrections of their work. What are your thoughts on the role of AI in education? Are we too focused on efficiency at the expense of effectiveness? #AIinEducation #TeachingInnovation #HigherEd #EdTechTrends

I’m trying something different for this post. I’m going to lay out a framework for teaching with AI. I’m going to boil down everything I’ve learned from almost 2 years of using AI in the classroom into a single LinkedIn post. I could be wrong. But I’m going to try it out and see what happens. Wish me luck? ———————————— RARELY USE AI IN THE CLASSROOM At Berkeley College, my classes are either blended or online. Blended = we meet 1x a week, and so the rest online. For the in-person meetings, I rarely use AI. In fact, I try to create a low-tech space where we workshop ideas, create things, and debate. My standard is to set up a Socratic Seminar. (I almost never lecture.) The classroom is where we bask in the glow of human connection. There are some exceptions: ► We may do guided research with Perplexity or another tool. ► For peer review, students (1) get feedback from another student, (2) get feedback from a bot I created, and (3) compare the 2 to design an action plan. ► I once asked students to read a scene and draw an image of it. We then generated an image of rhetorical same scene, and compared the approaches. Using AI together lessens the environmental impact and allows us to model skepticism. But in general… AI is for the virtual parts of the course. ———————————— USE AI TO MAKE ONLINE LEARNING EXPERIENCES Save AI for where it can make the biggest impact. Usually, AI doesn’t improve the in-person experience very much. It can actually be very isolating. (It’s important to note: classes are only 75 minutes long.) But it actually can improve the online experience a ton. Here is “traditional” e-learning in a college course: 1️⃣ Complete a reading or watch a video. 2️⃣ Take a quick quiz, proving you did the work. 3️⃣ Once in a while, submit to a Discussion Board. It’s ok. But it’s so transactional. Now, using AI, we can: ► Set up role-playing scenarios ► Provide virtual support for tough readings In addition to improving student learning experiences, we can also improve online assessments. Instead of assigning yet another paper, we can ask students to submit a chat. As Mike Kentz points out, that chat gives us valuable information about how they think. There are many other options, too! ———————————— Now, this is just a general framework. I can tweak it based on the students, the course, the level, etc. This framework works with the principles of Flipped Learning. (Hi, C. Harun Böke!) It embraces José Antonio Bowen’s idea that “teaching naked” (without technology) is especially powerful in the classroom. It puts humans at the center, and AI in the margins.