In January, Wharton professor Christian Terwiesch gave his MBA final exam to ChatGPT. It passed with flying colors. Now, he’s at it again with a new experiment to determine whether ChatGPT can come up with product ideas better and faster than his students. It can. And cheaper, too. “I was really blown away by the quality of the results,” Terwiesch, a professor in the operations, information and decisions department, said in an interview with Wharton Business Daily. (Listen to the podcast.) “I had naively believed that creative work would be the last area in which we humans would be superior at solving problems … so we set up this horse race of man versus machine.”
Saturday, September 30, 2023
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love AI - Andrew Westrope, GovTech
Coming up on a year since the public launch of ChatGPT, the U.S. education system is navigating another upheaval with technology. But unlike the last one — three years ago, when COVID-19 necessitated remote learning — the innovation in this case preceded necessity. I think that makes it an exciting time for K-12 and higher education, because the upheaval is one of possibility: Generative artificial intelligence is relatively user-friendly and untethered to any specific application. It’s not defined by any one problem or use case in particular, leaving educators and students to discover its uses for themselves. These are the unregulated Wild West days of AI, when we’re still figuring it out, so it’s a time to contemplate possibilities.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink approved to recruit humans for brain-implant trial - Maanvi Singh, the Guardian
Elon Musk’s brain-implant startup, Neuralink, said it has received approval from an independent review board to begin recruiting patients for its first human trial. The company is seeking people with paralysis to test its experimental device in a six-year study. Neuralink is one of several companies developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) that can collect and analyze brain signals. But its billionaire executive’s bombastic promotion of the company, including promises to develop an all-encompassing brain computer to help humans keep up with artificial intelligence, has attracted skepticism and raised ethical concerns among neuroscientists and other experts.
Friday, September 29, 2023
How to use ChatGPT to do research for papers, presentations, studies, and more - Sabrina Ortiz, ZDNet
Before we get started, it's important to understand the limitations of using ChatGPT. Because ChatGPT is not connected to the internet, it will not be able to give you access to information or resources after 2021, and it will also not be able to provide you with a direct link to the source of the information. [Google Bard just announced a number of features; it is always connected to the internet and provides a number of unique features -ray] If you'd like current information, I recommend using a chatbot connected to the internet, in addition to Bard, others that are up-to-date include Bing Chat, Claude, ChatGPT Plus, and Perplexity.
Academic Success Tip: Create Stronger Online Course Engagement - Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed
Many students and professors prefer online learning, but optimizing the digital classroom experience for engagement and active learning requires some thought. Here are four student success–focused ways to tweak online learning. A June survey from McKinsey & Company found students do not enroll in online courses because they’re not motivating or find themselves more easily bored and distracted. Professors see the difference as well—a recent Educause survey of faculty found 90 percent of faculty believe in-person delivery leads to better class engagement. Inside Higher Ed identified four strategies professors can consider to boost student engagement and learning to promote overall academic success. Active learning ranks among students’ preferred teaching styles, according to a spring 2023 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse.
Author outlines a ‘Bill of Rights’ for AI in education - Rick Hellman, eCampus News
Because ignoring the artificial intelligence elephant in the room is no longer feasible, the author of a new “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights in Education” has proposed some principles for dealing with it. The editors of the new journal Critical AI published the article, written by Kathryn Conrad, University of Kansas professor of English, online in July as a sneak preview of their February 2024 issue because they “were keen to get it out so that it could be helpful as people had conversations about the place of AI in education,” Conrad said. Conrad’s scholarly work has centered on intersections of technology and culture, usually in the context of turn-of-the-20th-century Irish modernism.
https://www.ecampusnews.com/teaching-learning/2023/09/18/bill-of-rights-ai-in-education/
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Why one community college outsourced its adjunct faculty - Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Higher Ed Dive
Higher education for decades has consistently drifted away from employing full-time faculty in favor of part-time, or adjunct, instructors. But one Michigan community college is shaking up the sector’s employment model in a different way. As of July, Northwestern Michigan College’s new adjuncts aren’t even institution staff — they work for Edustaff, a staffing firm. It’s one of several Michigan community colleges, like North Central Michigan College, to adopt this approach.
UK’s competition watchdog drafts principles for ‘responsible’ generative AI - Natasha Lomas, Tech Crunch
The principles the competition watchdog has come up with for consideration, as it kicks off another round of stakeholder engagement on AI’s potential impacts on markets, are:
Accountability: “FM developers and deployers are accountable for outputs provided to consumers”
Access: “ongoing ready access to key inputs, without unnecessary restrictions”
Diversity: “sustained diversity of business models, including both open and closed”
Choice: “sufficient choice for businesses so they can decide how to use FMs”
Flexibility: “having the flexibility to switch and/or use multiple FMs according to need”
Fair dealing: “no anti-competitive conduct including anti-competitive self-preferencing, tying or bundling”
Transparency: “consumers and businesses are given information about the risks and limitations of FM-generated content so they can make informed choices”
The AI Advantage: Boosting Student Engagement in Self-paced Learning through AI - Garima Gupta, Faculty Focus
AI is not just a shiny tech buzzword. It’s a powerful tool that’s reshaping our approach to education, especially in the realm of self-paced learning. AI empowers educators to provide students with tailored learning paths, immersive experiences, and real-time feedback—elements that boost engagement and facilitate deeper learning. AI brings immersion to self-paced learning. AI can transform static course materials into dynamic, interactive content. Imagine a history course where students interact with AI-based chatbots posing as historical figures or a literature course where AI-generated scenarios allow students to delve deeper into a novel’s context. These immersive experiences boost engagement and can make learning more memorable and fun.
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
The Innovation Continuum: Planning for What Is Next - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed
It is human nature to experience a new technology and think that’s the ultimate version of such technologies. We focus on the current hype, which may be accurate for today, but we miss the point that our history of humankind’s use of technology is comprised of a string of linked developments and enhancements of products and tools, each one with more features, better features or greater economies than the prior one. And so it is with generative AI. OpenAI’s ChatGPT was the first generative AI tool broadly released and that received widespread coverage. Will Douglas Heaven writes in MIT Technology Review that “interactive AI” may be the next step in the continuum of development of generative AI.
Higher ed is consolidating, transforming the sector - Jane Bryant, Ryan Golden, and Ian Jefferson; McKinsey
Enrollment challenges and financial strain are testing the viability of higher education. Strategic alliances offer a path forward, when undertaken with care. Colleges and universities face a markedly different landscape today than they did in 2010. Overall, student enrollment and revenues are falling. Inflation has accelerated steadily, pushing operating costs up in recent years. These forces are creating financial pressures for institutions and the students they serve. Whether they threaten the overall financial viability of an institution depends on the size, profile, and funding of the university.
Will ChatGPT transform research? It already has, say Nobelists - Jack Grove, Times Higher Education
Nobel-winning scientists are now using large language models, but experts say their impact on research is only just starting. “I think ChatGPT can make anyone 30 per cent smarter – that’s impressive,” reflected Michael Levitt, the South Africa-born biophysicist who took the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2013. “It’s a conversational partner that makes you think outside the box or a research team who have read a million books and many million journal papers.” A pioneer of the computer modelling of molecules, Professor Levitt is not easily dazzled by technological wizardry but admits he has been impressed by the large language models (LLMs) that have emerged over the past year. “I didn’t expect to this kind of stuff in my lifetime – they’re a very powerful tool. I still write code every day but ChatGPT also writes programmes very well,” he said.
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
ChatGPT and chatbots: The Learning Transformation Catalyst Educators Have Been Waiting For - Editah Patrick, Cryptopolitan
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, artificial intelligence is proving to be a transformative force. Higher education, in particular, is experiencing significant changes due to technologies like ChatGPT. While these advancements hold the potential for positive change, they also raise questions about the traditional modes of assessment and knowledge demonstration, such as essays and tests. As an educator myself, I have grappled with these issues and have come to realize that AI offers numerous benefits for both teachers and students. AI, including ChatGPT, is reshaping education, offering transformative potential for both teachers and students. The shift from memorization to critical thinking is essential for preparing students for the modern workforce. Embracing AI as a complementary tool, not a replacement, is crucial for educational success.
DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI. - Will Douglas Heaven, MIT Technology Review
DeepMind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman wants to build a chatbot that does a whole lot more than chat. In a recent conversation I had with him, he told me that generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI: bots that can carry out tasks you set for them by calling on other software and other people to get stuff done. He also calls for robust regulation—and doesn’t think that’ll be hard to achieve. Suleyman is not the only one talking up a future filled with ever more autonomous software. But unlike most people he has a new billion-dollar company, Inflection, with a roster of top-tier talent plucked from DeepMind, Meta, and OpenAI, and—thanks to a deal with Nvidia—one of the biggest stockpiles of specialized AI hardware in the world.
Most Americans say being a man helps a person get ahead in the U.S. - DANA BRAGA, Pew Research
More Americans say being a man helps than hurts a person’s ability to get ahead in the United States these days, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. By contrast, more Americans say being a woman hurts rather than helps. An opposing bar chart showing that 60% of U.S. adults say being a man helps a person's ability to get ahead in the U.S., 14% say it hurts and 25% say it neither helps nor hurts.
It also shows 50% of U.S. adults say being a woman hurts, 24% say it helps and 25% say it neither helps nor hurts. Women are more likely than men to say being a man helps and being a woman hurts a person's ability to get ahead.
Monday, September 25, 2023
Colleges Are Missing Out on Students Who Start — But Don’t Finish — Their Applications - Emma Davis, EdSurge
The Common Application was first created with the goal to simplify the college admissions process by allowing students to submit one application to multiple institutions. However, as Olasunkanmi mentioned, it takes significant time to complete, an estimated six to eight weeks, according to admissions counselors. During the last pre-pandemic college application cycle, 2018-19, nearly 1.2 million students accessed the Common App. But a quarter of those students, almost 300,000, did not end up submitting any application through Common App. “Non-submitters” were more likely than students who submitted applications to have lower educational-occupational aspirations, be racial minorities, have parents who completed lower levels of education and live in communities with lower socioeconomic status — but they were not less academically qualified.
How AI could advance computer-based tutors—and student success - David Wiley, eCampus News
The recent development of large language models like ChatGPT has opened new possibilities for the design and implementation of computer-based tutors. Education has long struggled to help all students achieve concept mastery. With advances in AI, computer-based tutors could be one of the solutions educators have long sought.
How Students Use Unofficial Online Backchannels for Classes - Jeffrey R. Young, EdSurge
Many professors worry that online systems like Discord and GroupMe are used for cheating, but they can also help build community. Students increasingly turn to private systems to create online groups around individual college classes. It’s a practice that has gone on for years, but teaching experts say it intensified during pandemic campus shut-downs, when students were looking for ways to connect. Platforms used for these groups include Discord, a discussion service popular with video gamers; GroupMe, a text-message platform; and Slack, the messaging system popular in many professional workplaces.
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Survey: College Students Both Excited and Concerned about AI Tools - Kristal Kuykendall, Campus Technology
For the “Generative AI Through the Eyes of Gen Z” study, Touchstone Research surveyed 931 students from middle school to college age, the firm said in a news release. The sample included equal numbers of male and female students and “representative proportions” of various ethnic groups, Touchstone said. Fewer than two-thirds of respondents said they were “aware” of any generative AI tool. Among students who indicated they have used generative AI tools, 75% said they’d used them to create art, images, videos and music.
49% said they’d used the tools to “get information about something.”
43% said they’d used generative AI tools to “help with schoolwork.”
College students: 51%
Gen Z values college, but affordability concerns remain - Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive
Only about half of K-12 students who want to pursue higher education believe they can pay for it, a Gallup and Walton Family Foundation poll found. Over 4 in 5 of members of Gen Z say a college education is fairly or very important, according to a new poll from Gallup and Walton Family Foundation. However, while the survey found that 85% of Gen Z students in K-12 schools view college as important, only 62% plan to pursue higher education after they earn their high school diploma. Only about half of college-bound Gen Z students, 53%, believe they will be able to afford a postsecondary education. Black students are particularly concerned about higher education costs, with only 39% saying they believed they could pay for college.
More Professors Aware of, and Using, Open Educational Resources - Lauren Coffey, Inside Higher Ed
Bay View Analytics, with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, conducts an annual survey focused on open educational resources, or OER. They are teaching and learning materials that are openly licensed, adaptable and freely available online. This year's survey found that both usage and awareness of OER are at an all-time high, with nearly a third of instructors, 29 percent, requiring OER in their classrooms.
Saturday, September 23, 2023
The case for ChatGPT as the ultimate educator’s toolkit - Julia Lang and Dustin Liu, eCampus News
In both higher education and K-12 education, AI offers numerous potential benefits, including early interventions via identifying students at risk and its ability to provide real-time feedback to both students and teachers, helping identify areas where students may be struggling and allowing for immediate intervention. AI tools can create content quickly, such as quizzes and worksheets and complete administrative tasks, such as grading assignments and generating progress reports, freeing up more time for instructional activities. ChatGPT also has the potential to revolutionize learning for students with disabilities by making information more accessible: it can summarize information, convert text into alternative formats, and be programmed to follow any provided accessibility guidelines.
University of Texas System Bets Big on Microcredentials - Lauren Coffey, Inside Higher Ed
The system, with 250,000 students, has teamed up with microcredential provider Coursera in its largest partnership yet, which will get students credentialed by tech giants including Meta, IBM and Google. The University of Texas system, spanning nine campuses with roughly 250,000 students, is expanding its partnership with microcredential provider Coursera. The initiative announced last month is Coursera’s largest, aiming to reach 30,000 students with 35 courses by 2025.
Faculty Gender Pay Disparities Persist, Even at Vassar - Ryan Quinn, Inside Higher Ed
The American Association of University Professors, analyzing data from more than 375,000 full-time faculty members across 900 institutions, said men averaged more than $117,000 in annual salary, $20,800 more than women. Excluding assistant and associate professors and only looking at full-time, full professors, men averaged $156,700, $20,300 more than women—and 65 percent of people at this higher-compensated rank were men. Men have historically made more than women in academe—and for full professors, the gap has widened in recent years. The issue has spawned litigation at a Seven Sisters institution.
Friday, September 22, 2023
This major accreditation body is helping legitimize alternative credentials - Alcino Donadel, University Business
“As the largest institutional accreditor, we have directly witnessed the rapid expansion of alternative credentials and the confusion and questions about quality and return on investment that has resulted—both for colleges and universities and for learners,” says HLC President Dr. Barbara Gellman-Danley, according to a press release. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is launching a new initiative to tackle the proliferation of alternative credential programs as higher education embraces new business models amid a changing landscape. HLC’s Credential Lab will begin developing, testing and applying a new assurance structure for colleges and universities in order to create a framework that analyzes the quality of credentials offered by third-party providers. The HLC accredits institutions in over 19 states.
Online study sessions designed to help students succeed - Kathryn Banyon, Western Sydney University
As Year 12 students across New South Wales start to prepare for their upcoming HSC exams Western Sydney University is again offering a range of free online study sessions to assist with their HSC exam preparation. From 25-29 September 2023, Western Sydney University will be offering 25 sessions across 16 key HSC subject areas, including Advanced and Standard English and Advanced and Standard Maths. Students will also have the opportunity to complete a practice exam paper and the exam deconstruction sessions will provide a detailed analysis of questions and exemplar responses and solutions, giving local Year 12 students a helping hand when it comes to approaching the HSC. Director, Future Student Engagement at the University, Sophie Partridge said that these sessions bring a level of confidence to Year 12 students navigating their exams.
Western Michigan's Distinguished Teaching Award recipient engages learning inside and outside of the classroom - Deanne Puca, Western Michigan University
An innovative and recognized educator, Western Michigan University’s Dr. David Rudge is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award and will be honored during the Fall Award Celebration Friday, Sept. 29. Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig, provost and vice president for academic affairs, says “His dedication to students is commendable and his scholarly research in biological science is exceptional.” Dr. John Spitsbergen, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, calls Rudge a “truly outstanding instructor,” particularly noting his innovative approaches to teaching. One example is the “flipped classroom approach” Rudge used that required students to view online lectures, take online quizzes and do homework outside of class prior to class meeting. Most in-person classes were devoted to answering student questions about the online work with students being split into smaller groups.
Thursday, September 21, 2023
How to make vocational education fit for the future - Abel Schumann and Marieke Vandeweyer, OECD Today
The fast-changing job market needs vocational programmes that provide skills for the future. More work-based learning experiences and greater employer engagement would aid skills development. Upskilling will grow in importance so greater focus is needed on making vocational training accessible to adults. As digitalisation and the green transition change labour markets around the world, vocational education and training can help get people ahead of the curve and support job growth. According to the just released 2023 edition of Education at a Glance, 45% of all upper secondary students are enrolled in vocational programmes across the OECD. This rises to more than two-thirds in some countries. We need to ensure that the training they get is relevant and connects them to the labour market.
California charts the future of AI - Darrell M. West, Brookings
On September 6, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that brings his state to the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) planning. The order directs state agencies to adopt a proactive approach to AI regulation and to leverage the state’s procurement power to promote trustworthy AI principles. The order also elevates fairness and equity as important principles in AI products and services and prioritizes workforce development as a crucial component of AI deployment.
Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault Is That? - Paul Tough, NY Times
A decade or so ago, Americans were feeling pretty positive about higher education. Public-opinion polls in the early 2010s all told the same story. In one survey, 86 percent of college graduates said that college had been a good investment; in another, 74 percent of young adults said a college education was “very important”; in a third, 60 percent of Americans said that colleges and universities were having a positive impact on the country. Ninety-six percent of parents who identified as Democrats said they expected their kids to attend college — only to be outdone by Republican parents, 99 percent of whom said they expected their kids to go to college. A decade later, Americans’ feelings about higher education have turned sharply negative. The percentage of young adults who said that a college degree is very important fell to 41 percent from 74 percent. Only about a third of Americans now say they have a lot of confidence in higher education. Among young Americans in Generation Z, 45 percent say that a high school diploma is all you need today to “ensure financial security.” And in contrast to the college-focused parents of a decade ago, now almost half of American parents say they’d prefer that their children not enroll in a four-year college.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/magazine/college-worth-price.html?partner=slack&smid=sl-share
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Grow with Google - State of Oklahoma
The Grow with Google initiative is a partnership between Google and the State of Oklahoma founded in 2022 that aims to provide training, tools and expertise for greater employment opportunities in high-growth career fields. Through self-paced, online learning, participants skill up in their elected area of study and work towards certification. The State of Oklahoma partnered with Google to provide learning paths and career certifications in Digital Marketing & E-Commerce, Data Analytics, UX Design, Project Management, and IT Support. Any adult citizen of the State of Oklahoma is eligible to enroll in the program.
Lifelong Learner: What adult learners should consider about online degrees - UW Continuing Studies
According to a 2023 article by Forbes, about 30 percent of all postsecondary U.S. degree seekers studied exclusively online in 2021. More colleges across the country have online degree programs that allow students to earn a bachelor’s degree without setting foot on campus. This is great news for busy adult learners. As a returning adult student myself, I’ve earned degrees both in person and online. Here are three things to think about if you’re considering an online degree.
In the Age of ChatGPT, What’s It Like to Be Accused of Cheating? - Britt Faulstick, Drexel
“Rather than attempting to use AI detectors to evaluate whether these assessments are genuine, instructors may be better off designing different kinds of assessments: those that emphasize process over product or more frequent, lower-stakes assessments,” he wrote, in addition to suggesting that instructors could add modules on appropriate use of generative AI technology, rather than completely prohibiting its use. While the study offers a thematic analysis, Gorichanaz suggests that future research could expand the sample to a statistically relevant size and draw it from sources beyond English-language conversations on Reddit.
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Move over AI, quantum computing will be the most powerful and worrying technology - Daniel Doll-Steinberg, Venture Beat
In 2022, leaders in the U.S. military technology and cybersecurity community said that they considered 2023 to be the “reset year” for quantum computing. They estimated the time it will take to make systems quantum-safe will match the time that the first quantum computers that threaten their security will become available: both around four to six years. It is vital that industry leaders quickly start to understand the security issues around quantum computing and take action to resolve the issues that will arise when this powerful technology surfaces. Quantum computing is a cutting-edge technology that presents a unique set of challenges and promises unprecedented computational power.
UNBC (Prince George, British Columbia) tweaking education program to address teacher shortage - Ted Clarke, Richmond News
University offering 'micro-credentials' and more accessible programming options to train more teachers. “There are a lot of teachers in the schools who want to get their bachelor of education degree and they don’t have certification yet,” said Schiff. “But they can’t leave their school and leave their families and leave their community to come to Prince George and take a degree, and that’s something we’re really targeting, designing a program or various options that will make it more accessible to those folks.” UNBC is offering packages of four courses to give student teachers unable to commit to a full-time program their “micro-credentials” before they enter the grade school system.
Teaching AI Competencies: Lessons from Academics Incorporating AI in the Classroom Asim Ali, Kaari Casey, Jessica Mitsch Homes - Evolllution
Asim: It’s crucial for those interacting with learners, whether through certification or credentialing programs, to ensure learners walk away with a clear understanding of how AI will affect their work. Kaari: It’s on us to help industry understand what they’re looking for and know how to assess which candidates are meeting that criteria rather than the other way away. And we need to equip our students with the ability to articulate what they’ve learned and translate it into the skills that can create a positive business impact. Jessica: We work backwards from what employers are currently doing. This spring, we made calls to 122 companies to ask them how they’re using this technology. We use that information to prepare our students for that reality.
Monday, September 18, 2023
You hate AI for all the right reasons. Now reconsider. - Josh Tyrangiel, Washington Post
Imagine if your brain got 10 times smarter every year over the past decade, and you were on pace for more 10x compounding increases in intelligence over at least the next five. Throw in precise recall of everything you’ve ever learned and the ability to synthesize all those materials instantly in any language. You wouldn’t be just the smartest person to have ever lived — you’d be all the smartest people to have ever lived. (Though not the wisest.) That’s a plausible trajectory of the largest AI models. This explains how, since roughly the middle of the Obama administration, AI has gone from a precocious toddler to blowing through many of the supposed barriers between human and machine capabilities. The winners and losers might be in flux, but AI is likely to insinuate itself into most aspects of our lives.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/09/10/ai-future-power-imperfection-technology/
What OpenAI Really Wants - Steven Levy, Wired
For Altman and his company, ChatGPT and GPT-4 are merely stepping stones along the way to achieving a simple and seismic mission, one these technologists may as well have branded on their flesh. That mission is to build artificial general intelligence—a concept that’s so far been grounded more in science fiction than science—and to make it safe for humanity. The people who work at OpenAI are fanatical in their pursuit of that goal. (Though, as any number of conversations in the office café will confirm, the “build AGI” bit of the mission seems to offer up more raw excitement to its researchers than the “make it safe” bit.) These are people who do not shy from casually using the term “super-intelligence.” They assume that AI’s trajectory will surpass whatever peak biology can attain. The company’s financial documents even stipulate a kind of exit contingency for when AI wipes away our whole economic system.
Artificial intelligence technology behind ChatGPT was built in Iowa — with a lot of water - MATT O’BRIEN AND HANNAH FINGERHUT, AP
The cost of building an artificial intelligence product like ChatGPT can be hard to measure. But one thing Microsoft-backed OpenAI needed for its technology was plenty of water, pulled from the watershed of the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers in central Iowa to cool a powerful supercomputer as it helped teach its AI systems how to mimic human writing. As they race to capitalize on a craze for generative AI, leading tech developers including Microsoft, OpenAI and Google have acknowledged that growing demand for their AI tools carries hefty costs, from expensive semiconductors to an increase in water consumption.
Sunday, September 17, 2023
Setting HE Coursework in the ChatGPT Era: Assessing the Process, Not the Product - Adam Finkel-Gates, Medium
Rather than focusing on the final essay, I’m going to assess my students based on their interaction with ChatGPT. The prompts they use, the questions they ask, all become a direct reflection of their understanding of the subject. This approach can be universal, applicable across courses, highlighting the students’ critical thinking and understanding rather than their ability to construct an essay. In this evolving ChatGPT era, my assessment strategy for students pivots from traditional methods to a more interactive, process-centric approach. Rather than solely evaluating the final essay or content generated by AI tools like ChatGPT, I will focus on the students’ interaction with the platform. Each prompt, query, and directive they give the AI becomes a testament to their grasp of the subject matter.
Is the political climate in southern states driving a faculty exodus? - Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive
Political interference in higher education and changes to tenure are significantly affecting faculty morale and retention in a handful of southern states, new survey findings from the American Association of University Professors suggest. The association, working with state faculty groups, surveyed more than 4,250 faculty members in Florida, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina from Aug. 14 to Sept. 1. Two-thirds of participants hold tenure. Overall, two-thirds of surveyed faculty said they would not recommend their state to colleagues as a desirable place to work. One-third are actively seeking academic employment elsewhere, the survey found. Meanwhile, 1 in 5 have already interviewed for jobs in other states since 2021.
What Students Said About the Spring of ChatGPT - Ross Aikins and Albert Kuo, Inside Higher Ed
If interviews with students tell us anything, it’s that an ever-growing number of students are turning to AI as a first resort for almost everything following OpenAI’s public release of ChatGPT in November 2022. All of this points to an “AI inevitability” in academia in terms of students assuming its fair use. The way students see it, many jobs and industries don’t care as much about the process—as opposed to the product—as we do in academia. Whether they are correct or not, students who believe this are likely to value AI-aware class environments that provide them opportunities to better learn how to responsibly use tools that could enable their promotion and professional advancement in postgraduate careers. Anything that makes college easier in the meantime is a bonus.
Saturday, September 16, 2023
China’s Baidu Introduces ChatGPT Rival Ernie Bot - DEEBA AHMED, Hackread
Ernie Bot (full name: Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration) is the first generative AI chatbot publicly released in China. Although it is available globally, users need a Chinese phone number to register and log in. Ernie Bot, similar to its primary competitor ChatGPT, offers users the ability to inquire about various topics or request assistance in creating market analysis, generating marketing slogans, and summarizing documents. However, it is worth noting that when it was released in mid-March, MIT Technology Review’s Zeyi Yang dubbed its performance mediocre compared to ChatGPT.
Meet generative AI's 'super users': 70% of Gen Z use GenAI - Sabrina Ortiz, ZD Net
On Thursday, Salesforce released its Generative AI Snapshot Research: The AI Divide, which surveyed more than 4,041 people 18 or older across the US, UK, Australia, and India regarding their AI usage. The survey found that although half (49%) of overall respondents have used generative AI, the numbers differ greatly between different age groups. Specifically, generative AI users are concentrated among younger users, with 65% of generative AI users being Millennials or Gen Z, people born between 1981 and 2012, according to the Pew Research Center.
My 5 favorite AI tools for school: Class is in session, and generative AI can help - Sabrina Ortiz, ZD Net
A common misconception is that generative AI can harm education by promoting cheating. However, when used properly, these tools have the potential to improve student learning and transform workflow significantly. Today, a student can use AI to help them find sources for a paper, which cuts down on time searching on Google. They can then use the technology to save time on reading materials and synthesizing ideas into a paper. The key to correctly using AI for schoolwork is identifying the right tools and use cases. Since there are so many tools, I compiled the list linked below from months of testing to make your life easier.
Friday, September 15, 2023
Preparing Students for the GenAI Enhanced Workforce - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed
The common adage repeated again and again is that AI will not take your job; a person with AI skills will replace you. The learners we are teaching this fall who will be entering, re-entering or seeking advancement in the workforce at the end of the year or in the spring must become demonstrably skilled in using generative AI. The vast majority of white-collar jobs will demand the efficiencies and flexibilities defined by Generative AI now and in the future. As higher education institutions, we will be called upon to document and validate GenAI skills. This demands that we integrate the appropriate skills and knowledge into our learning outcomes for classes and for programs. In addition, learners will be best served if we can provide opportunities for them to build portfolios of meaningful and relevant GenAI activities.
Shaping the future of education using stackable credentials - Times Higher Education
Microlearning is an educational approach that has gained momentum in recent years. The concept of stackable credentials could create a paradigm shift in the education sector by challenging the traditional linear model of education. “There’s been quite an explosion in microlearning,” said Graham Bell, director of digital education at Cranfield School of Management. Microlearning programmes offer learners the flexibility and autonomy to study the modules they choose and in the order they prefer. The programme at Cranfield is self-paced and globally available, with minimal entry requirements. This offers learners the opportunity to build their capabilities over time, with the option to progress to a master’s degree.
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/shaping-future-education-using-stackable-credentials
Economics professor: Higher education has adapted slowest to AI - Jay Waagmeester, Iowa State Daily
Dr. Tyler Cowen speaks to students and faculty about “The Economics of Articifial Intelligence” on September 7, 2023, In the Great Hall of the Memorial Union as a part of the Iowa State Lecture Series
Higher education has adapted slowest to artificial intelligence (AI), according to Tyler Cowen, economics professor at George Mason University. “We stand at a very unusual moment in human history,” Cowen said. “For the first time, I think ever, human beings actually have created a different kind of intelligence.” “I see different parties in the world adapting to AI at different speeds, and you know comes in last on speed, it’s actually higher education so far,” Cowen said to a nearly full Durham Great Hall Lecture Series event Thursday.
Thursday, September 14, 2023
Why Professors Are Polarized on AI - Susan D’Agostino, Inside Higher Ed
Faculty uncertainty and anxiety surrounding the role of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning are high, which may nudge them into oppositional, values-based social groups, Javanbakht said. There’s a lot of fear,” said an English faculty member at a Midwestern college who spoke about the sensitive situation on the condition of anonymity.“There’s already job insecurity,” Stanford said. “There are compensation challenges. There’re moves to unionize. There’s the adjunctification of higher ed.” Now, generative AI tools have left some academics asking, “Do people still value my subject area, my expertise, my discipline? Do people still value learning this in the way I think it should be taught?”
Calbright zeroes in on adult student support after rocky start - Danielle McLean, Higher Ed Dive
Calbright College had a slow and rocky start since it opened its doors in 2019. But over the last couple of years, California’s free online community college has notched wins and reached state-mandated milestones. The college is designed to give working adults the flexibility to complete a certificate program, allowing them to boost their earning potential while overcoming barriers they would face at a typical college. So far, Calbright has designed and validated 17 new programs, meeting a key legislative milestone. The number of certificates Calbright has awarded since its launch has also steadily increased — from 116 in June 2022 to 286 in June 2023, according to its recent milestone report.
https://www.highereddive.com/news/calbright-whats-next-online-college-california/692941/
OpenAI will introduce new products - Daniel Casil, GearRice
For the first time, OpenAI will hold a conference in San Francisco. Called “DevDay”, it will support the arrival of new products, such as the appearance of watermarks for AI content, and certainly improvements in terms of GPT-4 image understanding. What about GPT-5? On its blog, the Californian company managed by Sam Altman remained vague on the program of the event. An opening speech, several round tables organized by members of the company’s management, and finally the revelation “new tools”. A form will arrive in the next few weeks to apply for physical participation in the event. OpenAI says there will only be a few hundred places.
https://www.gearrice.com/update/openai-will-introduce-new-products/
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Benefits and Ethics - Susan Fourtané, Fierce Education
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most prevalent technology trends in higher education going into 2023. AI can be used to improve and enhance the educational experience for students, providing personalized learning tailored for each student as well as offering novel ways of accessibility. AI can help to improve student engagement with course materials contributing to a successful outcome. However, there are also potential ethical concerns which need to be addressed including fairness, bias, and the potential for AI to replace human teachers in the future.
How to Integrate AI into Higher Education - Susan Fourtané, Fierce Education
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a controversial subject in higher education, however, there is a plethora of opportunities where colleges and universities can effectively integrate AI into their teaching and learning. “AI is great for dramatically speeding up time-consuming tasks. If you were building a deck and needed to drill in screws to hold the lumber in place, you’d likely use an electric drill instead of a hand screwdriver. Both produce the same result, but the electric drill is faster and more efficient than doing the task by hand. AI works in a similar way with tasks that are traditionally cumbersome or data-intensive,” explains Michael Vaughn, Education and Adoption Specialist at Open LMS, working on a generative AI use policy.
A comprehensive and distributed approach to AI regulation - Alex C. Engler, Brookings
A defining challenge of AI regulation is creating a framework that is comprehensive, but still results in rules that are tailored to the nuances of AI in different applications, such as in educational access, hiring, mortgage pricing, rent setting, or healthcare provisioning. This paper proposes a new regulatory approach—the Critical Algorithmic System Classification, or CASC—to allow federal regulators to flexibly govern algorithms used in critical socioeconomic determinations. The CASC framework will help preserve crucial consumer and civil rights protections in the algorithmic age, with sensible restrictions and without major changes to the structure of the federal government.
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Teaching with AI - OpenAI
We’re releasing a guide for teachers using ChatGPT in their classroom—including suggested prompts, an explanation of how ChatGPT works and its limitations, the efficacy of AI detectors, and bias. We’re sharing a few stories of how educators are using ChatGPT to accelerate student learning and some prompts to help educators get started with the tool. In addition to the examples below, our new FAQ contains additional resources from leading education organizations on how to teach with and about AI, examples of new AI-powered education tools, and answers to frequently asked questions from educators about things like how ChatGPT works, its limitations, the efficacy of AI detectors, and bias. Read examples linked below.
OpenAI wants teachers to use ChatGPT for education - Carl Franzen, Venture Beat
Today, the company published a new blog post titled “Teaching with AI” that outlines examples of six educators from various countries, mostly at the university level though one teaches high school, using ChatGPT in their classrooms. “We’re sharing a few stories of how educators are using ChatGPT to accelerate student learning and some prompts to help educators get started with the tool,” the company writes.
Report Finds Microcredentials Poorly Understood or Utilized by American Workers But Critical for Professional Development - Kate Lucariello, Campus Technology
Continuous upskilling is not yet the norm: Only 35% of U.S. workers had taken any professional education or training during the year, but 80% were interested in doing so. There is no clear preference for training providers: Twenty percent would prefer certificates from online courses with a non-university provider, while 14% prefer college or university courses. Microcredentials are not widely understood: Higher paid workers ($100,000+) do understand them, but while 38% of others said they were familiar with them, 30% said they could not identify what they are.
Monday, September 11, 2023
How UT Austin is helping students, staff embrace VR - EdScoop Podcast
On the Cutting EDge podcast, the founding director of the Texas Immersive Institute at the University of Texas at Austin says she’s working to help make virtual reality — and other similar technologies — accessible for students and faculty at the university. Erin Reilly, the institute’s director, says the Immersive Institute is designed to help students understand topics in different ways, through better storytelling and other more visual opportunities presented by reality augmentation.
Personalized Learning For All: Meeting The Scalability Challenge In Online Education - Emma Jones, eLearning Industry
The potential of personalized learning has revolutionized education by catering to individual learners' needs and preferences. However, the scalability challenge poses a formidable obstacle. We can overcome this obstacle and ensure that tailored learning is available to everyone by utilizing technology, cutting-edge pedagogies, and collaborative collaborations. This will open up a world of educational opportunities for students all around the world. Let's work to create a future where every learner, regardless of geography or background, can experience the transforming potential of individualized learning as we navigate the changing terrain of online education.
Student satisfaction with online learning improving, says survey - Tom Williams, Times Higher Education
UK students are growing more satisfied with their online learning experiences, but more than half still do not agree that they are engaging or motivating enough, according to a survey. Jisc’s annual digital experience insights survey polled more than 27,000 higher education students and found that 80 per cent of them rate the quality of online learning on their course as above average, an increase of 3 per cent compared with pre-pandemic.
Sunday, September 10, 2023
How AI-based learning is changing higher education - Roger James Hamilton, eCampus News
The conventional educational model, while effective in certain aspects, has faced criticism for its one-size-fits-all approach. Enter AI-based learning, a paradigm shift that introduces personalized and adaptive learning experiences. No longer are students bound by a rigid curriculum; AI algorithms now meticulously dissect individual learning patterns and preferences to tailor course materials and teaching methods. This dynamic customization not only amplifies learning, but also instills a profound sense of ownership over the student’s education–a fundamental trait for any aspiring entrepreneur navigating the complexities of the business world.
Let’s equip students with the skills to use ChatGPT critically and responsibly - Michael le Cordeur, Daily Maverick
The American futurist Alvin Toffler said that all we can be sure of is change. ChatGPT has shaken academics out of their academic nap. There is no longer a place for handing out notes which students must memorise. A paradigm shift is required similar to the mind shift made with the arrival of the internet. To keep up with the rapid development of AI and remain relevant, education is forced to adjust their approach to TLA [teaching and learning assessment]. Educational institutions will thus have to prepare for the world of AI. There are concerns. There will always be. But it would not be wise to discourage students from making use of it. Students will use it, just like they use smartphones, calculators and Google. Rather we must equip students with the skills to use ChatGPT critically and responsibly, in which case it can follow the same route as previous AI models.
How one elite university is approaching ChatGPT this school year - Tate Ryan-Mosley, Technology Review
There was no moment, ever, when Yale thought about banning it. We thought about how we can encourage an environment of learning and experimentation in our role as a university. This is a new technology, but this is not just a technical change; it’s a moment in society that’s challenging how we think about humans, how we think about knowledge, how we think about learning and what it means. I got my staff together and said, “Look: we need to have guidance out there.” We don’t necessarily have the answers, but we need to have a curated set of resources for faculty to look at. We don’t have a policy that says you must use this, you shouldn’t use this, or this is the framework for using it. Make sure your students have a sense of how AI is relevant for the course, how might they use it, or should they not use it.
Saturday, September 9, 2023
The pedagogy behind skills-based assessment - Jeff Fiske, eCampus News
Increasingly, colleges and employers are looking for strategies that will allow them to adopt skills-based learning and assessment, either as part of microcredentialing or a corporate training and development program. A more effective approach is to ensure that those courses and assessments are built on sound pedagogical practices that actively help learners actually learn the content they are supposed to be mastering. Without meaningful, verifiable learning taking place, those microcredentials hold no value or credibility.
How automation is shaping the future of work - McKinsey
The future of work is still in flux. Economic uncertainty is wearing on, hybrid and flexible work models are as popular as ever, and attitudes toward work are shifting. Plus, new generative AI tools are poised to introduce more automation and could prompt an additional 12 million occupational shifts in the US workforce by 2030, according to McKinsey Global Institute directors and senior partners Kweilin Ellingrud and Olivia White, MGI partners Michael Chui and Anu Madgavkar, partner Saurabh Sanghvi, and colleagues. To make sense of these trends and see how organizations and employees can adapt to them, read the full report on generative AI and the future of work in America, and dive deeper with more insights linked below.
The state of AI in 2023: Generative AI’s breakout year - McKinsey Report
The latest annual McKinsey Global Survey on the current state of AI confirms the explosive growth of generative AI (gen AI) tools. Less than a year after many of these tools debuted, one-third of our survey respondents say their organizations are using gen AI regularly in at least one business function. Amid recent advances, AI has risen from a topic relegated to tech employees to a focus of company leaders: nearly one-quarter of surveyed C-suite executives say they are personally using gen AI tools for work, and more than one-quarter of respondents from companies using AI say gen AI is already on their boards’ agendas. What’s more, 40 percent of respondents say their organizations will increase their investment in AI overall because of advances in gen AI. The findings show that these are still early days for managing gen AI–related risks, with less than half of respondents saying their organizations are mitigating even the risk they consider most relevant: inaccuracy.
Friday, September 8, 2023
The future of artificial intelligence in education - Mangus Westerlund, Science Norway
In the rapidly evolving world of technology, my research over the last decade has been guided by the question of how we can harness technology, using it mindfully, to catalyze societal benefits. Amidst complex challenges like preserving individual privacy and resisting corporate pressures, I have found my own research affected. Categorizing technology as good or bad does not provide much insight, but rather in examining and refining our relationship to it, focusing on its judicious use, we can, at least to some degree, have an informed discussion of its meaning to us.
How to Use Gamification and Interactive Learning to Improve Online - Oli Ballard, Business Leader
Gamification has gradually found its way into almost any area of life, and e-learning is not an exception. The results are impressive — according to research, students do 35% better when the educational process includes gamification elements. So what is the secret of its effectiveness? At its core, you’ll find gamification employs game mechanics such as points, levels, badges, and challenges to transform learning into an immersive experience. This technique taps into the human desire for achievement, fostering healthy competition and motivation. Interactive learning helps shift focus from passive consumption to active participation. This encourages learners to collaborate, experiment, and critically analyze concepts.
https://www.businessleader.co.uk/how-to-use-gamification-and-interactive-learning-to-improve-online/
New Technology and Attitudes Emerge from the Pandemic - Lois Elfman, Diverse
At the start of 2020, there was robust availability of online higher education, but no one anticipated that a worldwide pandemic called COVID-19 would soon usher in a new world of distance learning. “The pandemic opened the door for many faculty to experience teaching online that hadn’t before,” said Dr. Elizabeth M. Luoma, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Sacred Heart University. “In general, it’s really opened conversations about flexibility and thinking about how we can use technology to be more inclusive to provide opportunities.”
Thursday, September 7, 2023
The First 3-Year Degree Programs Win Approval - Josh Moody, Inside Higher Ed
Three-year bachelor’s degrees are coming to Brigham Young University–Idaho and affiliated Ensign College next year, following approval of the truncated programs by an accrediting body. By eliminating electives, BYU-Idaho will bring five three-year programs online in April: applied business management, family and human services, software development, applied health, and professional studies. Ensign will offer two such programs: communication and information technology. Both institutions are owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and operated by the Church Educational System. The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities approved the seven programs—each of which requires between 90 and 94 credit hours instead of the standard 120—at its June meeting and sent a formal approval letter late last month.
OpenAI to Teachers: Tools to Detect ChatGPT-Generated Text Don't Work - Michael Kan, PC Mag
As teachers tap tools to detect whether students are using ChatGPT to cheat, OpenAI says don’t bother: The tools aren't reliable. The company issued the advice in a new FAQ instructing educators about the use of ChatGPT in schools, including the potential pitfalls in trying to detect AI-written text. A number of tools have emerged to address how AI-powered chatbots can help students cheat on their homework assignments and tests. But according to OpenAI, depending on a tool to suss out AI-written text from a student’s work is loaded with problems. “While some (including OpenAI) have released tools that purport to detect AI-generated content, none of these have proven to reliably distinguish between AI-generated and human-generated content,” the company wrote in the FAQ.
OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Enterprise for Businesses - ERIC HAL SCHWARTZ, Voicebot.ai
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Enterprise, a commercial version of its popular generative AI chatbot aimed at business users. Designed for enterprise activities, the new offering seeks to bring the power of large language models (LLMs) into corporate workflows. Recent surveys have shown a lot of demand among businesses for generative AI and ChatGPT’s enterprise form is likely to be very popular thanks to name recognition alone.
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
A comprehensive and distributed approach to AI regulation - Alex C. Engler, Brookings
While algorithmic systems have become widely used for many impactful socioeconomic determinations, these algorithms are unique to their circumstances. This challenge warrants an approach to governing algorithms that comprehensively enables application-specific oversight. To address this challenge, this paper proposes granting two new authorities for key regulatory agencies: (1) administrative subpoena authority for algorithmic investigations, and (2) rulemaking authority for especially impactful algorithms within federal agencies’ existing regulatory purview. This approach requires the creation of a new regulatory instrument, introduced here as the Critical Algorithmic Systems Classification, or CASC. The CASC enables a comprehensive approach to developing application-specific rules for algorithmic systems and, in doing so, maintains longstanding consumer and civil rights protections without necessitating a parallel oversight regime for algorithmic systems.
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing society, whether you like it or not. These 7 business schools are offering A.I. certificate programs to help you get ahead - Preston Fore, Fortune
So, for those looking down the barrel of A.I., finding a way to retool and learn in-demand skills may help propel you into an advanced career in the world of tech—with a high-paying salary. At Meta, the starting base salary for A.I. and machine learning technical program managers is $193,000. At Apple, machine learning engineers start at $199,800. One starting point to achieve these careers is obtaining a certificate in A.I. Mostly online and some as low as $599, programs can provide students with the necessary technical, financial, and ethical skills. Plus, students can learn on their own time over the course of a few weeks. The programs can provide a quicker learning route—and at a much cheaper cost—than seeking a master’s degree in A.I. or an MBA with an A.I. concentration.
SNEAK PREVIEW: A BLUEPRINT FOR AN AI BILL OF RIGHTS FOR EDUCATION - Kathryn Conrad, Critical AI
As this special issue elaborates at some length, today’s AI entails a host of ethical problems, including the nonconsensual “scraping” of human creative work for private gain, amplification of stereotypes and bias, perpetuation of surveillance, exploitation of human crowdworkers, exacerbation of environmental harms, and unprecedented concentration of power in the hands of a few corporations that have already proven themselves poor stewards of the public interest.5 The reality of increasing harm in the deployment of these systems has led the EU to place “AI systems intended to be used for the purposes of assessing students” and “participants in tests commonly required for admission to educational institutions” in their highest category of risk, alongside those used for law enforcement and administration of justice (EU AI 2023, n.p.). Teaching critical AI literacy (Bali 2023) includes making this larger context visible to students. Advancing such literacy does not preclude the possibility of envisioning AI tools that work.
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
What’s the future of generative AI? An early view in 15 charts - McKinsey
Generative AI has hit the ground running—so fast that it can feel hard to keep up. Here’s a quick take pulled from our top articles and reports on the subject. Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, it’s been all over the headlines, and businesses are racing to capture its value. Within the technology’s first few months, McKinsey research found that generative AI (gen AI) features stand to add up to $4.4 trillion to the global economy—annually. The articles and reports we’ve published in this time frame examine questions such as these:
What will the technology be good at, and how quickly?What types of jobs will gen AI most affect?Which industries stand to gain the most?What activities will deliver the most value for organizations?How do—and will—workers feel about the technology?What safeguards are needed to ensure responsible use of gen AI?
With 1 Sentence, Google's CEO Just Explained the Biggest Downside of A.I., and It's a Warning for All of Us - Jason Aten, Inc.
The lesson here is that the things that are designed to help or entertain us have unintended consequences. Technology can make life easier in a lot of ways, but it also has the potential to cause harm--usually in ways we've never considered. In the case of A.I., the benefits could be enormous and society-changing. At the same time, the risks are unknown and could also be society-changing. If nothing else, Pichai's warning should cause everyone to stop and consider the lessons learned from previous forces with the same potential for good--and destruction.
Judge: Montana State University justified in shift to remote learning, doesn’t owe reimbursement - KEILA SZPALLER, Daily Montanan
Montana State University had the right to protect the health of students during the COVID-19 emergency by shifting to remote education — and it didn’t break a contract in doing so. So said Lewis and Clark District Court Judge Michael McMahon in an order granting summary judgment to the Bozeman flagship against plaintiff Anthony Cordero, an MSU graduate. “There is no material factual dispute whether MSU had the right to deliver online educational services. It certainly did under the circumstances,” McMahon wrote. “The Court absolutely agrees with MSU’s argument that its ‘transition to online instruction and social distancing measures was at most merely an infringement on Cordero’s enjoyment, which does not constitute a taking.’”
Monday, September 4, 2023
University Says It Won’t Charge for Textbooks. Professors Ask How. - Ryan Quinn, Inside Higher Ed
West Texas A&M's Faculty Senate voted no confidence in its president last spring, partly for his talk of a “textbook-free” campus. Now he's doubling down. “If a course requires a textbook, the college’s dean will utilize college resources to pay for the textbook—not the student or student fees,” Walter V. Wendler wrote in an email Thursday to students, staff and faculty members. (His message did note that there are a “multitude of examples … which will surface” of “reference books and digital materials,” such as the International Building Code, that won’t be considered “textbooks.”) “I wrote an op-ed published on October 26, 2018, entitled Text-Book Free, Not Free Textbooks,” Wendler wrote. “I waited and prodded for campus responses for five years.
Promising, Then Revoking, ‘Forever’ Alumni Status for Certificate Grads - Kathryn Palmer, Inside Higher Ed
University of Southern California tentatively settles false advertising lawsuit by graduates of certificate programs, raising issues of how colleges value different students. Who gets to claim alumni status at the University of Southern California and benefit from its powerful network? For years, Brian Ralston, who earned a graduate certificate in music scoring for motion pictures and television from USC in 2002, thought he did. They learned the university had updated its bylaws sometime in the 2010s—without notifying affected graduates—to no longer grant alumni status to graduate certificate holders who don’t otherwise have a traditional bachelor’s or graduate degree from USC.
Growing public concern about the role of artificial intelligence in daily life - ALEC TYSON AND EMMA KIKUCHI, Pew Research
Overall, 52% of Americans say they feel more concerned than excited about the increased use of artificial intelligence. Just 10% say they are more excited than concerned, while 36% say they feel an equal mix of these emotions. The share of Americans who are mostly concerned about AI in daily life is up 14 percentage points since December 2022, when 38% expressed this view. Concern about AI outweighs excitement across all major demographic groups. Still, there are some notable differences, particularly by age. About six-in-ten adults ages 65 and older (61%) are mostly concerned about the growing use of AI in daily life, while 4% are mostly excited. That gap is much smaller among those ages 18 to 29: 42% are more concerned and 17% are more excited.
Sunday, September 3, 2023
In an age of AI, understanding the value of a human is key - Keith Nuthall, University World News
Educators will need more than ever to understand the unique value of a human and to perceive large language models as legitimate and useful sources of ideas rather than shortcuts and avenues for cheating, according to tech-focused educational entrepreneur and author Priten Shah. Shah told University World News that the rapid development of artificial intelligence should prompt a re-evaluation of education’s ‘three Rs’ – away from reading, writing and arithmetic and towards “rhetoric, relationships and reasoning”. In a forthcoming book, AI and the Future of Education: Teaching in the age of artificial intelligence, Shah defines that unique value as the capacity for emotional connection with other humans.
ChatGPT Calls for Scholarship, Not Panic - Andrew C. Higgins, Inside Higher Ed
ChatGPT usage declined 10 percent in June, sparking a flurry of speculation that the bloom is off the rose for the chat bot. But that analysis overlooked what’s probably obvious to most academics: the spring semester ended in May. So, what should we expect this fall when our students log back on? According to Ethan Mollick, we are facing a “homework apocalypse.” Mollick’s eye-catching title belies the fact that his essay offers a sober, thoughtful discussion of how AI may affect academic assessment in the fall.
AI ADVISORY BOARDS: Giving Students and Teachers a Voice - Barbara Anna Zielonka
In the effort to centre students in the use of AI, it is crucial to recognize that they are the ones who will be most affected by this transformative technology. As AI has the potential to revolutionize education, it is extremely important to involve students in the conversation about how it is implemented and utilized. There are many ways to empower students in this dialogue, and one promising avenue is through the establishment of AI advisory boards at schools. AI advisory boards can serve as a platform for students to have a genuine voice in their education. By bringing together students, administrators, and AI experts, these boards can become a forum for brainstorming innovative ideas and solutions to enhance the educational experience. Through such collaborations, students’ perspectives and needs can be considered, leading to increased student engagement and a more effective learning environment.
Saturday, September 2, 2023
To ensure value for students and taxpayers, colleges must be held accountable for student outcomes - Stephanie Riegg Cellini, Brookings
The market for higher education does not operate like other markets. It exhibits several types of market failure that make government intervention imperative for protecting students and taxpayers. One market-based approach to solving problems of imperfect information is to simply provide more information to students, but information provision alone is not sufficient to protect students and taxpayers. New research shows that accountability systems, like gainful employment, that sanction or close poor-performing for-profit colleges, do not reduce college access, but instead cause students to attend colleges with better outcomes.
Students Know What They’re Looking for Online. Are Colleges Delivering What They Want? - Robert Ubell, EdSurge
But are colleges paying attention to what online students want most? Are virtual classes delivering what they expect? These days senior college leaders should be eager to find out, as enrollment overall is falling even while interest in online courses is on the rise. A recent analysis of federal government data by Jeff Seaman of Bayview Analytics shows that enrollment in on-campus courses fell nearly 11 percent in the past decade and almost 30 percent from 2020 to 2021. In contrast, enrollment in online courses shot up from nearly 34 percent over the 10-year period and leaped 110 percent in the first years of the pandemic.
Majority of Faculty Prefers In-Person Teaching, but Just Barely - Lauren Coffey, Inside Higher Ed
An Educause survey finds that faculty members also want more help and time when it comes to working with technology and remote learning. Faculty preference for in-person teaching has eroded considerably in the years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the explosive growth in remote learning, a new survey finds. Educause’s “Faculty and Technology” report found that 53 percent of faculty prefer teaching courses in person. In the 2019 survey, 73 percent of faculty surveyed said they preferred teaching mostly or completely on-site.
Google DeepMind testing ‘personal life coach’ AI tool - Hibaq Farah, the Guardian
AI experts cite ethical concerns over relationships humans may develop with such chatbots. The next time you lie in bed and absent-mindedly ask your old friend Google for a piece of life advice, don’t be surprised if it speaks back to you. DeepMind, the tech firm’s artificial intelligence arm, has announced it is testing a new tool that could soon become a “personal life coach”. The project will use generative AI to perform at least 21 different types of personal and professional tasks, including life advice, ideas, planning instructions and tutoring tips, according to documents seen by the New York Times.
Friday, September 1, 2023
AI-generated art cannot receive copyrights, US court says - Blake Brittain, Reuters
A work of art created by artificial intelligence without any human input cannot be copyrighted under U.S. law, a U.S. court in Washington, D.C., has ruled. Only works with human authors can receive copyrights, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said on Friday, affirming the Copyright Office's rejection of an application filed by computer scientist Stephen Thaler on behalf of his DABUS system. The Friday decision follows losses for Thaler on bids for U.S. patents covering inventions he said were created by DABUS, short for Device for the Autonomous Bootstrapping of Unified Sentience.
AI's multi-view wave is coming, and it will be powerful - Tiernan Ray, ZD Net
In very short order, neural networks are about to expand dramatically with a fusion of data forms that will look at life from many sides. It's an important development, for it may give neural networks greater grounding in the ways that the world coheres, the ways that things hold together, which could be an important stage in the movement toward programs that can one day perform what you would call "reasoning" and "planning" about the world. The coming wave of multi-sided data has its roots in years of study by machine learning scientists, and generally goes by the name of "multi-view," or, alternately, data fusion. There's even an academic journal dedicated to the topic, called Information Fusion, published by scholarly publishing giant Elsevier.
Don’t wait—create, with generative AI - Michael Chui, Kelsey Robinson, and Alex Singla, McKinsey Podcast
Generative AI could add enormous value across the global economy, from banking to life sciences. The companies that use the technology quickly and effectively will have the edge.
Good things will come to those companies that don’t wait. On this edition of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey AI experts Michael Chui and Alex Singla discuss McKinsey’s new report about the generative AI (gen AI) opportunity with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly. Hear how companies should immediately seize the gen AI opportunity to gain competitive advantage.
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