Fellows’ Notes

At the end of the ISUComm Foundation Courses Curriculum  Redesign Institute, the leadership team asked the fellows  to write a note to their colleagues who also teach Foundation Courses. What did they want to tell their teaching colleagues about their work in the Redesign Institute, about critical AI literacy, about teaching writing at this moment in time? What would be helpful and encouraging for Foundation Courses instructors to hear as they start the new semester?At the link below, you can read all of the contributing fellows notes!

Redesign Institute – Fellows’ Notes

Cornell Brellenthin: Initially, on becoming a part of the design institute, I was excited to “play” with AI, integrating it into the curriculum, knowing that it will be an inevitable part of our students’ futures.  At the conclusion of the institute, I have come to appreciate that human intelligence is still superior to artificial intelligence, and as I go forward in shaping my courses for students, my intent is to help them, too, discover, that while AI can be helpful in some aspects, in cannot replace the rich complexity of the human mind.  Understanding how AI works, grappling with its shortcomings in the areas of ethics, bias, intellectual property and the environment, and learning how to use the generative tools, gives both instructors and students control over AI and greater confidence in our unique capacity to compose.

Ali Ebrahimpour: What broadly stood out for me was a definite assurance that learning is a process like a journey that you have to go through. Main learning principles never fall into the conspiracy of technology unless we give up learning what’s best for improving our classes and students. My experience with AI tools began with unwavering enthusiasm and continued into taking everything about AI with a grain of salt. AI is not a concern, I believe our concern should be about how much we value our students’ work, their engagement, their voice and their real presence in the learning environment. Through the iteration process with the redesign team what I learned from my colleagues was defining a role for AI tools if they can facilitate learning for our students other than that we just need to enjoy working with our students and reading their original works. 

Erin Frink-Durben: First off, thank you for your dedication to ISU and our department. We wouldn’t be the fantastic college we are without your hard work. When it comes to working with AI and multimodal composition, I would make sure to take your time, explore, and have fun. I felt apprehensive going into my exploration of AI, but I think that once you allow yourself to relax and see the capabilities of the programs, you’ll actually start to enjoy the vast possibilities when creating learning activities for your classes. While you may have fun letting your imagination loose to explore AI, I would also remind myself about its limitations and the importance of teaching students what the technology can successfully do and what it cannot. Additionally, it is important to implement AI in your class with confidence and approach it without apprehension so that the students feel comfortable using it. Lastly, I would make sure to remind the students that although AI use [may be] acceptable in your classroom, it may not be acceptable in other classes, so be sure to advise your students to communicate with their professors.

Ginnia Kovach: I think it’s helpful to remember that your perspective as a person/scholar/writer/teacher/reader is a valuable one. Responding to and engaging with AI in a critical way is important, and the knowledge about these technologies is constantly, quickly evolving. These facts – the fact that it’s important and the fact that knowledge is multiplying and changing rapidly – can make this topic paralyzingly intimidating. But do not forget that your own intelligence is an incredibly valuable resource, and your humanity is of immeasurable value. So look at this issue with your own eyes and your own brain and your own heart, keeping in mind that your students have to do that too. Be honest about your criticisms, excitement, misgivings, and whatever else you bring to this challenging moment. Don’t flatten the complexity you offer this whole conversation. These technologies are made by fallible human beings who have their own interests in mind; there are ethical issues with it on multiple levels. You do not have to fully understand all aspects of this issue to engage with it in a way that is beneficial to yourself and your students. Remember your own areas of interest and expertise as a communicator; those are the professional strengths you bring to this issue. Also, please use each other, us, and the leadership team as resources for understanding, using, tinkering with, and critiquing this technology. Help us as we try to get a sense of when it is good to use it and when it is not good to use it. I liked something Abram said about human thoughts first, AI second; even that brief statement contains a principle that is really helpful to me. Keep in mind that while we all have varying degrees of enthusiasm or expertise, we all care about the students and our own integrity as teachers and writers; more conversations and connections between all of us will help create an environment of problem-solving and creativity and growing understanding.

Kristen Neumann: Thank you for sharing yourself and your talents with your colleagues and students across campus. Iowa State University is lucky to have you! As I’m thinking about our AI responsive curriculum, one thing that strikes me as most helpful is a willingness to “play” and experiment with the capabilities and shortcomings of LLMs (and engage in conversations about it!). As lifelong learners and responsive educators of the changing world around us, I believe it is especially important to be familiar with new technologies and have the willingness to help students navigate their use. As you familiarize yourself with AI and grow in your own confidence, you’ll only be better equipped to have conversations with your students and draw your own personal boundaries in regard to AI use and ethics. For me personally, after much of my own experimentation and forcing AI to “hallucinate,” I feel much more skeptical of the technology and more confident in my ability to interact with AI and explain these interactions to students. As we draw back the curtain on AI, its potential uses, and the importance of human writing and critical thinking skills, I feel as though we’ll become stronger, more engaged educators who are ready to meet students where they’re at. 

Ben Parker: If you’re feeling apprehensive about AI and what it portends for teaching English, just know that you’re not alone. It’s easy to dismiss AI as a tool only for academic dishonesty (“CheatGPT”), but it’s increasingly going to be a part of life. As AI evolves, so too should our navigation of effective and ethical use of it. We’re all likely to spend the remainder of our academic careers continually renegotiating with our students what AI can and can’t do and how to use it ethically. In some ways, it changes everything; in other ways, it’s not that different than Socrates and the Sophists negotiating ethical use of the tools of rhetoric. 

Sam Piccone: If the world of AI feels like a dark or uncertain place that you’re afraid of, you’re right, it certainly is. But, navigating a place like that with a bunch of people who feel similar makes a huge difference, and the journey becomes less about fear than exploration. Understanding and acknowledging that idea has made it much easier for me to engage with this technology, and hopefully, it will for everyone here at ISU. So, be prepared to stumble, make mistakes, and discover strange and creative things in the process. If we allow AI to be a tool that inspires us as instructors, it can be the same for our students, which sounds like a pretty solid goal to me. 

Josie Wickman: Don’t worry, you’ve got this!  I know with all the changes, you might be feeling apprehensive.  I was initially concerned about how AI would affect our classrooms.  Hopefully, our AI statement gives you some guidance and reassurance.  I do recommend playing around with AI, learning what it can and can’t do, and just having fun practicing prompting.  Just as English instructors want students to practice writing to build their confidence, consider doing the same with AI.  I feel much more comfortable talking about AI to my students now that I’ve had a chance to learn about it and experiment with it.  Also, take a look at the new learning activities we created!  There are some fun things available that I think will give instructors a good foundation to slowly ease their way into incorporating discussions of AI in the classroom.