Leveraging Generative AI for Innovative Course Design in Education

Outline

Attendees will develop their own content while the facilitator demonstrates how to fully align elements through AI-assisted course design. Participants will engage in discussions at tables and with peers to critically evaluate the generated content and propose improvements. This hands-on approach will provide practical insights into the potential and limitations of AI in the educational course design process.

Outline of Presentation:

I. Introduction (5 minutes)
A. Brief overview of generative AI in education
B. Benefits of AI integration in course design for alignment

II. The Challenge of AI in Education (10 minutes) (Table Talk and Peer to Peer discussions)
A. Opportunities and challenges presented by AI tools
B. Need for ethical and effective integration in course design

III. Leveraging AI for Course Design (15 minutes)
A. Overview and showcase of AI capabilities in course design
B. Case study: Successful implementation in online programs and courses
C. Prompts to generate the most effective responses (Individually generating prompts – table and peer discussions on word choice and results)

IV. Best Practices (20 minutes)
A. Ensuring all pieces of learner engagement are a part of the design process, including overview, outcomes, instruction, and submission details (Individually generating prompts – table and peer discussions on word choice and results)
B. Using a graduated series of higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy to engage students in learning (visuals and timeline sequence for learner engagement by participants)
C. Creating assignments that give students choice, real-world application, and engagement in learning (Individually generating prompts & editing process – table and peer discussions on word choice and results)
D. Ensuring alignment of standards, SMART goals, assessment, and assignment throughout the design process (Individually editing and revising – table and peer discussions on word choice and results)
V. Hands-on Demonstration and creation of an assessment and rubric (30 minutes)
A. Assessment Framework for course design (Individually editing and revising – table and peer discussions on word choice and results)
B. Rubric creation with AI (Individually editing and revising – table and peer discussions on word choice and results)
C. Curriculum integration strategies (Table discussions of the process)

VI. Conclusion (10 minutes)
A. Recap of key takeaways
B. Future of AI in education
C. Questions and Answer session

Supporting research

AI-generated content has emerged as a significant topic in higher education, particularly regarding academic integrity. Recent studies and institutional guidelines have explored the potential benefits and challenges of integrating AI tools into educational contexts. Many educators are scared of the unknown, and ChatGPT was exactly that when it was introduced in November 2022. Since then, educators have had the opportunity to play with it or attempt to figure out how it can assist us with efficiency while trying to trust it, or we deem it "cheating." AACTE's EdPrep (2024) defines "Generative AI is an artificial intelligence model that can create new content, mimicking certain styles or patterns in existing data. Since then, educators have been grappling with its implications for learning in K-12 and, as a result, in teacher education" (para. 1).

One key area of focus is using AI within the educational setting. AI content generation tools have been developed to assist people in finding relevant information and summarizing key findings. However, Reddit (2024) experts caution against over-reliance on these tools, emphasizing the importance of human critical thinking and deep engagement with source material. This underscores the irreplaceable role of human educators in the course design process that requires the alignment of standards, outcomes, content, and assessments. Today, humans are the only ones who can fully develop and align all elements while meeting the needs of the learners richly and thoroughly. This is a testament to the value and importance of your role as a professor.

Throughout the course design process, AI tools are being explored for their potential to streamline content creation and personalize learning experiences. However, Illinois State University's Center for Integrated Professional Development (2024) raises concerns surrounding the ethical implications and potential for academic misconduct. Many institutions are developing guidelines for the appropriate use of AI in coursework, with some explicitly addressing AI in their academic integrity policies. Research has found that students have a harder time utilizing AI to create assignments based on prompts where it has to delve into the higher processing levels that Bloom's Revised Taxonomy refers to as analyze, create, and evaluate (2024). Another challenge exists with using detection software for students' AI-generated content. As a result, there is a growing emphasis on designing courses and assignments less susceptible to AI-generated content for submission as one's work. By utilizing the higher levels in Bloom's Taxonomy, there can be a more focused creation of assignments that demonstrate critical thinking skills through analysis, evaluation, and creation of projects.

The AACTE annual meeting in 2022 stated that the future of AI integration in higher education appears inevitable, with predictions that AI tools will become commonplace in research and teaching within the next 5-10 years. This shift is likely to necessitate ongoing adaptation of course design, assessment methods, and academic integrity policies to ensure that educational outcomes are mastered by students instead of AI-generation in the learning environment.

Conclusion
It is crucial for professors in course design to use AI-generated content ethically and responsibly. The ability to merge human critical thinking and alignment within the course design process can be enhanced by using AI. This is based on the fact that one has the foundational knowledge that surrounds the full process of bringing standards, outcomes, content, pedagogy, and assessment in alignment for optimal delivery through an LMS. As AI continues to develop and become part of one's daily life, it is essential to have structures within course design to assist learners in mastering the content and analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating educational resources at a higher level of Bloom's Taxonomy.

The Journal of Teacher Education (2024) called for a proposal for this topic, stating that "Generative AI is rapidly becoming commonplace and coupled with the availability of personal devices and one-to-one technology adoption, we need to ensure that the current and future generations of teachers understand its implications, know how to adjust their pedagogy and how to use it to assist in lesson planning, assessment, and individualizing instruction (p. 2). The Journal (2024) went on to state that "Generative AI holds great potential and could transform how educational materials are created and delivered" (p. 1). Suppose teacher preparation can leverage the power of AI to assist in creating educational courses that can reach the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy while students master outcomes and content and build their skill levels for educational pedagogy. In that case, professors can work more efficiently to differentiate instruction, create accessibility, and instill pedagogical best practices while structuring their courses to fully align standards, course outcomes, learning strategies, grading rubrics, assessment and effective pedagogy.