NEXT: Examining AI and it’s Effect on the Classroom

It’s hard to believe, but artificial intelligence (AI) large language models (LLM) that are becoming ubiquitous, like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, only entered the mainstream in the fall of 2022. Many of us in higher education had to learn on the fly as we scrambled to catch up. The technology seemed to advance exponentially as students, professors and administrators tried to understand the pros and cons of something that could and would have significant impacts on our work.

Since then, the capabilities of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) have practically quadrupled on a weekly basis. New features are introduced constantly, and unique uses are being found with every tap of a keyboard. As the writing programs director at Furman, I have a responsibility to learn as much as I can about how GAI can support or inhibit student learning, especially as it relates to their development as writers.

I’ve been fortunate to find a like-minded group of faculty, staff and administrators at Furman who have dedicated enormous amounts of time and energy to staying abreast, as best we can, of developments in GAI. We put together a small team to participate in the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ year-long Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum, which has allowed us access to resources that support creating a set of AI literacies and competencies for our campus. Our goal has been to produce a document that can serve as a touchstone for various units across the university as they develop guidelines for GAI use, design professional development around GAI and consider how GAI might be integrated into the curriculum.

Drafting a document that can work for everyone on campus has been a challenge, especially considering how quickly the GAI landscape changes. We have applied a special focus on foundational areas of knowing and understanding while exploring, using and evaluating GAI in a variety of ways. One important theme that has emerged during our work is how crucial it is to be skeptical of AI outputs, in terms of both accuracy and relevancy, and to critically evaluate how these tools impact our ability to think, create and even be a little more human.

This entire effort has allowed us to produce a document that is nimble and broadly applicable to the Furman community. We will continue to revise and update this guidance as the technology continues to quickly evolve and become more capable.

About the Author

Magdelyn Hammond Helwig is the Writing Programs Director at Furman University. She specializes in verbal-visual collaboration, textual culture, and the role of women in higher education administration.