AI Goes to College

We're in an odd situation with AI. Many ethical students are afraid to use it and unethical students use it ... unethically. Rob and Craig discuss this dilemma and what we can do about it.

They also cover the concept of AI friction and how Apple's recent moves will address this under appreciated barrier to AI use.

Other topics include:

• Which AI chatbot is "best" at the moment
• Using AI to supplement you, not replace you
• Why you might be using AI wrong
• Active learning with AI,
• and more!

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The AI Goes to College podcast is a companion to the AI Goes to College newsletter (https://aigoestocollege.substack.com/). Both are available at https://www.aigoestocollege.com/.

Do you have comments on this episode or topics that you'd like us to cover? Email Craig at [email protected]. You can also leave a comment at https://www.aigoestocollege.com/.

In this episode of AI Goes to College, Craig and Rob dig into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on higher education. They explore three critical areas where AI is reshaping the academic landscape, offering valuable perspectives for educators, administrators, and students alike.

The episode kicks off with a thoughtful discussion on helping students embrace a long-term view of learning in an era where AI tools make short-term solutions readily available. Craig and Rob tackle the challenges of detecting AI-assisted cheating and propose innovative approaches to course design and assessment. They emphasize the importance of aligning learning objectives with real-world skills and knowledge retention, rather than focusing solely on grades or easily automated tasks. At the end of it all, they wonder if it's time to rethink grading.

Next, the hosts examine recent developments in language models, highlighting the remarkable advancements in speed and capabilities available in Anthropic’s new model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet. They introduce listeners to new features like "artifacts" that enhance user experience and discuss the potential impacts on various academic disciplines, particularly in programming education and research methodologies. This segment offers a balanced view of the exciting possibilities and the ethical considerations surrounding these powerful tools.

The final portion of the episode covers issues related to the complex world of copyright issues related to AI-generated content. Craig and Rob break down the ongoing debate around web scraping practices for AI training data and explore the potential legal and ethical implications for AI users in academic settings. They stress the importance of critical thinking when utilizing AI tools and provide practical advice for educators and students on responsible AI use.

Throughout the episode, the hosts share personal insights, anecdotes from their teaching experiences, and references to current research and industry developments. They maintain a forward-thinking yet grounded approach, acknowledging the uncertainties in this rapidly evolving field while offering actionable strategies for navigating the AI revolution in higher education.

This episode is essential listening for anyone involved in or interested in the future of education. It equips listeners with the knowledge and perspectives needed to adapt to and thrive in an AI-enhanced academic environment. Craig and Rob's engaging dialogue not only informs but also inspires listeners to actively participate in shaping the future of education in the age of AI.

Whether you're a seasoned educator, a curious student, or an education technology enthusiast, this episode of AI Goes to College provides valuable insights and sparks important conversations about the intersection of AI and higher education.

Mentioned in this episode:

AI Goes to College Newsletter

Craig and Rob dig into the innovative features of Google's Notebook LM, a tool that allows users to upload documents and generate responses based on that content. They discuss how this tool has been particularly beneficial in an academic setting, enhancing students' confidence in their understanding of course materials. The conversation also highlights the importance of using generative AI as a supplement to learning rather than a replacement, emphasizing the need for critical engagement with the technology. Additionally, they share their personal AI toolkits, exploring various tools like Copilot, ChatGPT, and Claude, each with unique strengths for different tasks. The episode wraps up with a look at specialized tools such as Lex, Consensus, and Perplexity AI, encouraging listeners to experiment with these technologies to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in academic and professional environments.

Highlights:

• 00:17 - Exploring Google's Notebook LM
• 01:25 - Rob's Experience with Notebook LM in Education
• 02:05 - The Impact of Notebook LM on Student Learning
• 04:00 - Creating Podcasts with Notebook LM
• 05:35 - Generative AI and Student Engagement
• 11:03 - Personal AI Toolkits: What's in Use?
• 11:10 - Comparing Copilot and ChatGPT/Claude
• 06:00 - The Unpredictability of AI Responses
• 09:35 - Innovative Uses of Generative AI
• 26:55 - Specialized AI Tools: Perplexity and Consensus
• 37:22 - Conclusion and Encouragement to Explore AI Tools

Products and websites mentioned

Google Notebook LM: https://notebooklm.google.com/

Perplexity.ai: https://www.perplexity.ai/

Consensus.app: https://consensus.app/search/

Lex.page: https://lex.page/

Craig's AI Goes to College Substack: https://aigoestocollege.substack.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

AI Goes to College Newsletter

Welcome to AI Goes to College! In this episode, your host, Dr. Craig Van Slyke, invites you to explore the latest developments in generative AI and uncover practical insights to navigate the changing landscape of higher education.

Discover key takeaways from Dr. Van Slyke's firsthand experiences with Google's Gemini and Zoom's AI Companion, as he shares how these innovative tools have enhanced his productivity and efficiency. Gain valuable insights into Google's Gemini, a powerful AI extension with the potential to revolutionize administrative tasks in higher education. I'll delve into the finer aspects of Gemini's performance, extensions, and its implications for the academic community.

But that's not all—explore the fascinating potential of ChatGPT's new memory management features and get a sneak peek into OpenAI's impressive video generator, SORA. Dr. Van Slyke provides a candid overview of these cutting-edge AI advancements and their implications for educational content creation and engagement.

Additionally, you'll receive expert guidance on recognizing AI-generated text, equipping you with the tools to discern authentic student responses from those generated by AI. Uncover valuable tips and strategies to detect and address inappropriate AI use in academic assignments, a crucial aspect in today's educational landscape.

Join Dr. Craig Van Slyke in this enlightening episode as he navigates the dynamic intersection of generative AI and higher education, providing invaluable insights and actionable strategies for educators and professionals.

Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the transformative role of generative AI in higher education, and learn how to effectively leverage these innovative tools in your academic pursuits. Embrace the future of AI in education and stay ahead of the curve with AI Goes to College!

To subscribe to the AI Goes to College newsletter, go to AIGoesToCollege.com/newsletter.

--- Transcript ---

Craig [00:00:14]: Welcome to AI Goes to College, the podcast that helps higher education professionals navigate the changes brought on by generative AI. I'm your host, doctor Craig Van Slyke. The podcast is a companion to the AI Goes to College newsletter. You can sign up for the newsletter at ai goes to college.com/ newsletter. This week's episode covers my impressions of Google's Gemini. Here's a spoiler. I really like it. An overview of an awesome zoom feature that a lot of people don't know about.

Craig [00:00:47]: A new memory management feature that's coming to chat gpt soon, I hope. OpenAI's scary good video generator, and I'll close with insights on how to recognize AI generated text. Lately, I've found myself using Google's Gemini pretty frequently. I just gave a talk, actually, I'm about to give a talk. By the time you listen to this, I will have given a talk on the perils and promise of generative AI at the University of Louisiana Systems for our future conference. I wanted to include some specific uses of generative AI for the for administrative tasks. I have a lot of use cases for academic tasks, but I wanted something more for the staff side of the house. Gemini was a huge help.

Craig [00:01:33]: It helped me brainstorm a lot of useful examples, and then I found one I wanted to dial in on, and it really helped quite a bit with that. I didn't do a side by side comparison, but Gemini's performance felt pretty similar to Chat GPT's. By the way, I use Gemini advanced, which is a subscription, service, and it's kind of Google's equivalent to chat GPT 4. One of the most promising aspects of Gemini is that it has some extensions that may prove really useful in the long run. The extensions will let you do a lot of things, for example, asking questions of Gmail messages and Google Drive documents. There's also a YouTube extension that looks interesting. My initial testing yielded kinda mixed results. It did well in one test, but not so well in another.

Craig [00:02:22]: I'll try to do a longer little blurb on this later. The Gmail extension did a pretty good job of summarizing recent conversations. So I don't know. I I think it's something to keep an eye on. So currently, there are extensions for a lot of the Google Suite, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Flights, Google Hotels, Google Maps, and YouTube. So this is certainly worth keeping an eye on. And if you weren't aware, Gemini is Google's replacement for Bard. They rolled out some new underlying models and did a rebrand a few weeks ago.

Craig [00:02:54]: So, anyway, if you haven't checked it out in a while, I think it's probably worth doing. One of my favorite new ish, AI tools is Zoom's meeting summary. This thing is really awesome. It actually came out as part of their AI companion, which they released last fall, but didn't really get a l...

Generative AI is reshaping the landscape of higher education, but the introduction of AI detectors has raised significant concerns among educators. Craig Van Slyke and Robert E. Krosler delve into the limitations and biases of these tools, arguing they can unfairly penalize innocent students, particularly non-native English speakers. With evidence from their own experiences, they assert that relying solely on AI detection tools is misguided and encourages educators to focus more on the quality of student work rather than the potential use of generative AI. The conversation also highlights the need for context and understanding in assignment design, suggesting that assignments should be tailored to class discussions to ensure students engage meaningfully with the material. As generative AI tools become increasingly integrated into everyday writing aids like Grammarly, the lines blur between acceptable assistance and academic dishonesty, making it crucial for educators to adapt their approaches to assessment and feedback.

In addition to discussing the challenges posed by AI detectors, the hosts introduce Beautiful AI, a powerful slide deck creation tool that leverages generative AI to produce visually stunning presentations. Craig shares his experiences with Beautiful AI, noting its ability to generate compelling slides that enhance the quality of presentations without requiring extensive editing. This tool represents a shift in how educators can approach presentations, allowing for a more design-focused experience that can save significant time. The episode encourages educators to explore such tools that can streamline their workflows and improve the quality of their output, ultimately promoting a more effective use of technology in educational settings. The discussion culminates with a call for educators to embrace generative AI not as a threat but as a resource that can enhance learning and teaching practices.

Takeaways:

• AI detectors are currently unreliable and can unfairly penalize innocent students. It's essential to critically evaluate their results rather than accept them blindly.
• The biases in AI detectors often target non-native English speakers, leading to unfair accusations of cheating.
• Generative AI tools can enhance the quality of writing and presentations, making them more visually appealing and easier to create.
• Beautiful AI can generate visually stunning slide decks quickly, saving time while maintaining quality.
• Using tools like Gemini can significantly streamline the process of finding accurate information online, offering a more efficient alternative to traditional searches.
• Educators should contextualize assignments to encourage originality and understanding, rather than relying solely on AI detection tools.

Links referenced in this episode:

• gemini.google.com
• beautiful.ai

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Grammarly
• Shutterstock
• Beautiful AI
• Google
• Wright State University
• WSU
• Gemini

Mentioned in this episode:

AI Goes to College Newsletter