Generative AI in Education: Delight, Disaster, or a Fight Worth Fighting?
Generative AI in Education: Delight, Disaster, or a Fight Worth Fighting?
(4-2-2025)
Terry Dibble – Coordinator, Unaffiliated Disciplines; Senior Lecturer, English; IU Columbus Division of Liberal Arts
Kevin Jones – Senior Faculty, IU MBA Columbus; Associate Professor of Management; IU Columbus Division of Business; Center for Teaching & Learning
Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion at the Center for Teaching and Learning! This event is designed for staff and faculty members who are interested in exploring the role of AI in education.
We will delve into critical topics such as the real and potential flaws and impacts of Generative AI, and possible ways of harmoniously integrating AI into our scholarly and educational work. Come to listen, share your insights, and join the conversation. Your participation will help shape the future of AI in our educational practices.
We can address some or all of the following questions:
- Should we require all students to use AI in our courses, or should we warn them against it?
- Is Generative AI, in its current state, damaging and fatally flawed?
- Do we need a General Education course in Generative AI?
- We’ve seen too many ‘one size fits all’ educational technologies. Is AI going to be just another one of those, or can it be, on the contrary, a flexible tool offering special opportunities for each of us?
The goal for this session is to enhance faculty and staff awareness around the unique challenges and circumstances of our student athletes. This session offers an opportunity to build positive and supportive relationships.
SUMMARY of concerns that were shared:
- All of us saw dangers and opportunities for our students regarding AI. But, as someone pointed out, most of Wednesday’s participants were already regular attendees at Kevin’s AI workshops; we could conclude that most IU Columbus-Ivy Tech instructors are not in the loop on AI for education and probably need some guidance.
- Open AI contains “stolen” content – what about copyright violations?
- Observed misuse of AI by some students is proving to be detrimental to their learning.
- Does AI cause loss of critical thinking skills? One study suggests this, but there is no longitudinal data.
- AI may seem friendly on social media, but is not a “person”, not a source yet may be used to influence and even mislead the user.
- Decisions about availability of AI tools, made at the University level, are having unpredictable—and sometimes unnoticed—effects on teaching and learning at IU Columbus. It was pointed out that student populations at regional and local campuses have their own special needs and risks regarding AI.
- Many of us are already incorporating some work with AI into our classroom teaching. Our Wednesday group allowed us to begin to share our resources and teaching approaches. Let’s do more of that!
- There are some signs that students distill AI content without understanding the materials. They may not know the material in such a way to apply it. How can we teach differently to avoid this?
- Should there be a basic AI competency course as part of the first-year experience onboarding?
- AI tools possibly useful for higher education are coming out as frequently as once a week, and being adopted almost as rapidly. Are they efficient and effective for OUR teaching and learning?? What could be our role in assessing these tools?
- The University hasn’t done much to guide us so far, but probably will do something soon. Interfacing with IFC on this matter will be important.
- If we start some sort of working group, should it include participants from both IU Columbus and Ivy Tech?