Concordia College is hosting a two-day intensive workshop for faculty to investigate the use of generative artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT in teaching. While faculty across the country are approaching AI with fear and concern as they think about the many ways students might cheat in their writing or on assignments, these faculty are taking a different approach.
Dr. Darin Ulness, a chemistry professor at Concordia who has been a leader in this initiative, says students need to understand how to utilize these tools in their future careers. “And faculty need to embrace what technology can do for them and their students to enhance teaching and learning,” he says. Ulness has been teaching in both chemistry and physics and is a campus leader in using technology in the classroom and lab.
Faculty attending the workshop have a range of experience using AI and, while many are just beginning to understand the potential benefits, instructional designer Joe Kennedy, hopes prospective students realize Concordia will uniquely prepare them for a post-AI workforce and life.
“We already prepare students to ask tough questions, adapt to new environments, and consider the holistic impact they can have,” says Laurie Probst, library director. “This is just the next step in our mission.”
The workshop is June 6 and 7.