Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools Proliferate In Classrooms

Among the many AI tools gaining popularity are those that help with routine tasks, translations, grammar checks, adding citations, and aiding non-native English speakers with syntax and readability. Before this year, AI use in a typical classroom was a slow creep, but now that the governance of the development and use of AI is the realm of private companies, faculty and teachers need to upskill themselves in the benefits and risks of AI use in the classroom.

One immediate need is to upskill ourselves and our students to understand how pervasive technology is impacting our daily lives. Everyone uses browser searches for directions, menus, shopping, and information. As adults, we hope we critically assess the results of our browser searches. However, I see how little students (K-12 and post-secondary) critically think about the results technology produces. Back in the day, teachers would teach Boolean search terms to assist students in refining their internet searches. Now, with a simple term search in a browser such as Google, an AI Overview “conveniently” takes the work out of any search by providing an AI-generated snapshot with key information and links to dig deeper. But guess what, artificial intelligence learns patterns and structures from the data it is trained on and uses that to create something new. While exciting, this technology is rapidly evolving and improving, and may provide inaccurate or offensive information. 

On the positive side, new AI tools have been developed to assist faculty and teachers in supporting students without adding to their workloads. PlayLab created a freeware AI tool, the Personalized Writing Tutor for Analytic Writing. The developers created the tool to give individualized advice and feedback on student writing assignments before submitting them to the teacher and dubbed it “Project Toni.” Within “Project Toni”, students paste their essays into the platform and the chatbot gives them recommendations on structure, organization, and other aspects of good writing, like argumentation and reasoning. By providing the first round of feedback, Project Toni’s AI can provide feedback on rough draft writing before a faculty or teacher needs to review a final draft.  Theoretically, Project Toni can free up faculty and teachers to spend additional time providing individualized assistance to students. While some studies boast that AI can save up to 10 hours per week, that doesn’t mean those hours can be redirected to providing individualized instruction to those who need it most. Does this mean AI will displace faculty and teachers in a modern or futuristic classroom? I firmly believe AI will not.

As AI continues to evolve, AI’s use in writing can support the brainstorming and ideation phases of research, expedite reviews of existing literature and research, assist in organizing thoughts and logical arguments, and reduce the number of rough drafts. However, at the heart of writing is the understanding that an author is a human. Overuse or a lack of knowledge of incorporating AI into the writing process cedes control of the writing process to a machine and any control over intellectual property. As we know, a machine has no accountability or responsibility for the output.  

As faculty and teachers, it is our responsibility not only to understand AI, but also to use AI so that we can be the human in the room explaining to students that AI technology is neither good nor bad but is never neutral. 

Brenda M. Perea

Public Interest Technology University Network