University Park, Pennsylvania – C. Edward Watson, Vice President of Digital Innovation at the American College and University Association (AAC&U), and founding director of AAC&U on AI, pedagogy and curriculum, will lead an education-focused session with Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Tuesday, April 15th.
Talk: “Accepting AI as essential learning: Preparing students for a life beyond university”
Watson will present a speech entitled “Employing AI as Essential Learning: Preparing Students for University and Post-University Students” from 10am to 11:30am at Dreamlee, on the first floor of the Seals Building on the Penn State Park Campus.
About Watson’s speech: Generic AI tools have had an incredibly quick impact on the way we learn, work, think, and create. The initial response to higher education was to develop strategies to reduce the impact of AI in classrooms, but it is clear that AI capabilities and literacy must be accepted as essential learning for most universities. These reactions and reality create the challenging tensions that higher education has to work to resolve.
From his new book, “Teaching with AI: A Exaction Guide to A Betaclation Guide to A Betaclation Guide in New Era of Human University Press, 2024), Watson details the challenges and opportunities that have emerged for higher education, particularly in terms of pedagogical practice and student learning. The central focus of this keynote is the concrete approaches and strategies that higher education can adopt, both within the classroom and in the larger curriculum structure, allowing students to be prepared to the fullest for the lives they are waiting for after graduation. He also details the pedagogical possibilities regarding the ways in which AI has a positive impact on student learning.
Workshop: “Exploring AI for Education and Learning”
From 1:30pm to 3:30pm, Watson will promote a hands-on workshop called “Exploring AI for teaching and learning.” Designed for those interested in adopting AI within the curriculum or course context, this practical workshop begins by providing participants with a guided exploration of the major generator AI tools currently in use. The world of generator AI is not monolithic as there are a variety of systems, each with different advantages and disadvantages. After exploring this landscape, the workshop will migrate to specific applications of AI within teaching and learning settings.
An important theme is how faculty can help students achieve their course learning outcomes. Assignment design, feedback and grading become important topics. A distinctive feature of this session is the opportunity for participants to explore AI within a specific context of their course. Relatedly, participants are encouraged to bring in at least one assignment they plan to use or have recently used in the fall semester.
Dreamy attendees are encouraged. Alternatively, the virtual option is available for Pennsylvania participants on all campuses and Pennsylvania participants on campus who work or study remotely.
Visit the Dreamery Speaker Series web page to find out more and register for the session.
