Whether searching for information on Google or ordering drive-thru food, the presence of artificial intelligence technology is growing.
Artificial intelligence has made its way into the lives of the students and educators, which has many wondering if artificial intelligence can be used in conjunction with a college education.
Citrus’ Academic Senate has formed its own AI task group this year to begin addressing the concerns surrounding the impact that this technology will have. The team includes English professor Becky Rudd and architecture professor Tommy Reyes.
Reyes said that there are some practical applications of AI, such as teachers creating chatbots specific to their course to answer basic questions students often have.
“I see AI as a tool, the more I use it, the more I see its limitations,” Reyes said.
He highlighted that AI is great for outlines and coming up with ideas when students are writing papers, but that students need to be taught to use it ethically, so as not to cheat themselves out of learning essential skills.
Reyes said AI is an exciting form of technology that is fun to play with, and educators can use that to make learning fun. Several times, Reyes brought up the importance of integrity and maintaining students’ ability to think critically.
“We can see how it can be ethically abused but also where AI can be a tool,” Reyes said. “Integrity is essential to becoming a professional.”
Reyes said innovation and critical thinking are connected, and that if people abandon that, people begin to lose their humanity.
The role of AI in education has been a topic of discussion in past academic senate meetings.
Professors from Citrus have attended AI conferences and workshops that discussed capabilities and limitations of the rapidly growing technology.
As for changes students can expect to see in the application of AI in the classroom, it is hard to tell. The technology is available. Universities like Harvard have begun rolling out AI tools such as an AI tutor in its physics department.
“It’s already rolled out in the CSUs (Cal State University) and UCs (University of California), I think it’s only a matter of time until it gets to the CCs (Community College),” Reyes said. “The future belongs to those that can use AI to enhance their capabilities.”
Reyes said that AI can be viewed as a continuation of technology, like the internet and computers. Reyes said that he still recommends students use the library for their research.
The AI Workgroup is still in its infancy, but Academic Senate President Lisa Villa said it wants to serve as a hub for faculty to ask questions regarding AI and also be a resource for information on professional development opportunities.
“This school has a solid reputation of leaning on faculty purview for these kinds of conversations,” Villa said in an email. “I don’t believe we will see any directives come from our campus administration until this workgroup/COP (community of practice) feels confident in moving forward with specific recommendations.”
