colleges

Who Will Be the Academic Prompt Engineering Experts? [Boston]

On 04/11/2023, in 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, business, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty, MBA, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, United States, universities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Who Will Be the Academic Prompt Engineering Experts? — from wallyboston.com by Wally Boston

Excerpts:

As I mentioned in a post a month ago, prompt engineering is the term of art for prompting a generative AI tool like ChatGPT-4 to produce an answer to a question, analysis of a problem, or an essay about a particular topic.
…
It’s ironic that the “experts” providing prompt engineering courses are not academics. I happen to believe that there are academics mastering prompt engineering as I write this.
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Last week, I wrote about generative AI tools that could be used to decrease the instructional design time required to build a college course. I also wrote an article about Villanova University professor Noah Barsky’s opinion piece suggesting that all MBA curriculums should be rewritten to teach their students how to utilize AI tools in their professions. Business schools with outdated curriculums will not prepare their graduates for businesses expecting them to be able to master state of the art AI tools.

Also relevant/see:

From DSC:
Read that again…

“In June, when students are finishing up their classes, they may be punished by their instructors for using AI as a writing tool. But in July, when they’re out on the job market, they can be punished by their employers or potential employers for not knowing how to use AI as a writing tool.”

Also relevant/see:

11 Tips to Take Your ChatGPT Prompts to the Next Level — from wired.com by David Nield
Sure, anyone can use OpenAI’s chatbot. But with smart engineering, you can get way more interesting results.

Excerpts:

You don’t have to do all the typing yourself when it comes to ChatGPT. Copy and paste is your friend, and there’s no problem with pasting in text from other sources.
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Another way to improve the responses you get from ChatGPT is to give it some data to work with before you ask your question.
…
Your answers can be seriously improved if you give ChatGPT some ingredients to work with before asking for a response.

Stanford’s 2023 AI Index Report — from aiindex.stanford.edu

Why some college professors are adopting ChatGPT AI as quickly as students — from cnbc.com by Carolyn Chun

Key Points:

A recent analysis by researchers at NYU, Princeton and the Wharton School finds that many of the jobs that will be most “exposed” to generative AI such as ChatGPT are in the college teaching profession.
One of the first narratives to emerge from the sudden explosion in usage of ChatGPT is the risk of students cheating on writing assignments.
But use by college teachers is growing quickly too, and adoption by educators may be critical to making the case that AI will augment the jobs humans are doing rather than replace them.

Also relevant/see:

ANALYSIS: ‘Microcredentials’ poised to disrupt higher ed as degrees lose relevance to employers — from campusreform.org by Shelby Kearns; with thanks to Ray Schroeder on LinkedIn for this resource

Key points:

Survey respondents are demonstrating confidence in microcredentials–online training programs that take no more than six months to complete–as four-year degree programs often overlook job training.
‘Grade inflation and efforts to help everyone … attend college make it harder for employers to differentiate among applicants.’

The Secret to Great Learning Design? Focus on Problems, not Solutions — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman
What a recent resurgence of research into problem-based learning has taught us about the value & impact of problem-based approaches

Excerpts:

Problem-based learning is an instructional approach that engages students in active, collaborative, and self-directed learning by exploring complex, real-world problems (rather than sitting and listening to a stage on the stage).

In a Problem-based learning scenario, students work in small groups and, under the guidance of a facilitator or instructor, identify, research, and analyse a problem before proposing and evaluating potential solutions and reaching a resolution.
…
Here are five of the most interesting research projects published on problem-based learning in the last few months:

Some items re: the state of — and the future of — higher education

On 03/31/2023, in adjunct faculty, Alternatives, business side of he, colleges, community colleges, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, higher education, leadership, parents/guardians, reinvent, society, sociology, staying relevant, surviving, United States, universities, youth, by Daniel Christian

When It Comes to College Closures, the Sky Is Never Going to Fall — from chronicle.com by Lee Gardner
Are you tired of reading nearly annual predictions of a looming wave of colleges shutting down? Not nearly as tired as one Chronicle reporter.

Excerpts:

I’ve learned a lot of things about how colleges work in the last 10 years, including that they die hard. They make new appeals to students and alumni. They scrimp. They raise their tuition-discount rate yet again. They limp along with budget deficits, sometimes for years. They make withdrawals from their endowments. They sell off assets. They look for partnerships, mergers, and buyers, although sometimes when it’s far too late.

I could be wrong, of course, and there may be a giant wave of college closures rearing somewhere on the horizon. But I can guarantee you that there are dozens of institutions in danger of quietly slipping toward a gradual end as you read this.

Also highly relevant here/see:

Contingent faculty jobs are still the standard, AAUP report finds — from highereddive.com by Laura Spitalniak

Dive Brief:

Colleges are continuing to increase their reliance on faculty positions that lack pathways to tenure, according to a new report from the American Association of University Professors. Over two-thirds of faculty members, 68%, held contingent positions in fall 2021, compared to about 47% in fall 1987.
Part-time work is also becoming more common. Almost half of faculty, 48%, taught part time in fall 2021, up from 33% in fall 1987. Less than 1% of all part-time faculty positions are tenured or tenure-track, according to AAUP.
Both of these factors are cutting into the number of available tenured positions, the report said. Fewer than 1 in 4 faculty members, 24%, held tenured full-time positions in fall 2021. That number fell from 39% in fall 1987.

Americans Are Losing Faith in College Education, WSJ-NORC Poll Finds — from wsj.com by Douglas Belkin (behind a firewall)
Confidence in value of a degree plummeted among women and senior citizens during pandemic

Excerpt:

A majority of Americans don’t think a college degree is worth the cost, according to a new Wall Street Journal-NORC poll, a new low in confidence in what has long been a hallmark of the American dream.

The survey, conducted with NORC at the University of Chicago, a nonpartisan research organization, found that 56% of Americans think earning a four-year degree is a bad bet compared with 42% who retain faith in the credential.

Skepticism is strongest among people ages 18-34, and people with college degrees are among those whose opinions have soured the most, portending a profound shift for higher education in the years ahead.

ChatGPT: Student insights are necessary to help universities plan for the future — from theconversation.com by Alpha Abebe and Fenella Amarasinghe

Excerpt:

In the race to get ahead of new technologies, are we forgetting about the perspectives of the most important stakeholders within our post-secondary institutions: the students?

Leaving students out of early discussions and decision-making processes is almost always a recipe for ill-fitting, ineffective and/or damaging approaches. The mantra “nothing for us without us” comes to mind here.

To help new students adapt, some colleges are eliminating grades [Marcus]

On 03/28/2023, in assessment, change, colleges, credentialing, experimentation, higher education, ideas, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, liberal arts, student-related, teaching & learning, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

To help new students adapt, some colleges are eliminating grades — from npr.org by Jon Marcus

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Experiences like these are among the reasons behind a growing movement to stop assigning conventional A through F letter grades to first-year college students and, sometimes, upperclassmen.

Called “un-grading,” the idea is meant to ease the transition to higher education — especially for freshmen who are the first in their families to go to college or who weren’t well prepared for college-level work in high school and need more time to master it.

But advocates say the most important reason to adopt un-grading is that students have become so preoccupied with grades, they aren’t actually learning.

Which trends are on your radar? Fantastic resource for #HigherEducation about the changing ecology: Higher Learning Commission’s Annual Trends Report. https://t.co/Lzgph6u3lP

— Melanie Booth, Ed.D. (@boothmelanie) March 25, 2023

A Spotify model of personalised higher education — from timeshighereducation.com by Michael Rosemann and Martin Betts
With technology offering greater potential for a personalised approach to higher education, Michael Rosemann and Martin Betts look at what universities can learn from the ubiquitous music platform Spotify

Excerpts (emphasis DSC):

Selection, or the P(upil)-route as educationalist Dan Buckley calls it, means personalisation driven by the learner. This is the fastest-moving form of personalised learning. Not only do students benefit from true omnichannel education – choosing between face to face and online – they also independently navigate the internet’s resources and online databases in search of the knowledge that will help them to achieve their learning targets.
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Automation, or the A-route, is the new enabler of personalised learning. As with personalised medicine, finance or entertainment, education is starting to use digital technologies to unlock new models of tailored engagement. While for most universities, AI-driven, personalised education is not an option as the required capabilities are missing and significant investments would be necessary, there is a range of alternative forms of automated personalised learning. For this, we look to providers outside the sector for inspiration.

Here are Spotify-inspired ideas that universities ambitious enough to provide personalised learning could explore.

From DSC:
Rosemann & Betts use the term “omnichannel education” — I like that term. Very nice.

60% of Higher Education Leaders Say Continuing Education is Not Well-Integrated into Institutional Portfolio Offerings

On 03/23/2023, in adult learning, business side of he, Canada, career development, colleges, community colleges, higher education, leadership, learning ecosystem, lifelong learning, online learning, strategy, universities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

60% of Higher Education Leaders Say Continuing Education is Not Well-Integrated into Institutional Portfolio Offerings — from finance.yahoo.com
Despite Belief that CE Programming Positively Affects Enrollments in Traditional Programming, CE Units Remain Under-Resourced

Excerpt:

TORONTO, March 22, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — While 71% of senior leaders within higher education institutions support scale and growth of continuing education (CE), more than half (57%) feel that their CE units are understaffed to execute on institutional goals. This is according to the 2023 State of Continuing Education report. Published by higher education engagement platform leader Modern Campus, in partnership with the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE), The EvoLLLution, and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), the study explores professional, continuing, and online (PCO) unit program offerings, institutional support and capabilities, perceptions of the competitive landscape, and continuing education collaboration and integration within the larger institution.

“The future higher education institution is rooted in CE, but delivering on that promise requires both strategic and operational support from the institution,” said Amrit Ahluwalia, senior director of content and strategic insights at Modern Campus and editor-in-chief of The EvoLLLution. “It is our sincere belief that the findings of this study will enable CE professionals to advocate for greater resources and allow them to be seen for the critical functions that their portfolio plays for institutions and learners alike.”

DC: What a great, smart move! I wish more schools of education would do this!

On 03/22/2023, in colleges, Daniel S. Christian, education, ideas, instructional design, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, psychology, student teaching/teacher education, teachers, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

DC: What a great, smart move! I wish more schools of education would do this!

“TCU is integrating the science of learning into undergraduate teacher education.”https://t.co/Jvd69l37vv #studentteaching #schoolsofeducation #learningscience #cognitivepsychology #learning

— Daniel Christian (he/him/his) (@dchristian5) March 22, 2023

DC: Other potential curricula would involve instructional design and instructional technology (which now includes using AI).

“6 Ways to Use ChatGPT to Save Time” [Finley] + “Using AI to make teaching easier & more impactful” [Mollick]

On 03/18/2023, in adjunct faculty, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, assessment, colleges, community colleges, education, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty, future, game-changing environment, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, pedagogy, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, science, skills, teachers, teaching & learning, universities, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

On the K-12 side of things:

6 Ways to Use ChatGPT to Save Time — from edutopia.org by Todd Finley
Teachers can use the artificial intelligence tool to effectively automate some routine tasks.

Excerpt:

In the paragraphs that follow, I’ve divided these tasks into the following categories: planning instruction, handouts and materials, differentiation, correspondence, assessment, and writing instruction and feedback. Welcome to the revolution.

Lesson plans: Ask ChatGPT to write a lesson plan on, say, Westward Expansion. The tool composes assessments, activities, scaffolding, and objectives. Want that in the form of problem-based learning or revised for a flipped classroom? ChatGPT can adjust the lesson plan according to your instructions.

I’m a high school math and science teacher who uses ChatGPT, and it’s made my job much easier — from businessinsider-com.cdn.ampproject.org by Aaron Mok; with thanks to Robert Gibson on LinkedIn for this resource

Excerpt:

Shannon Ahern, a high school math and science teacher, was afraid that ChatGPT would take her job.
But her mind changed after she started using the AI for class prep, which saved her hours of time.
Here’s how Ahern is using ChatGPT to make her job easier, as told to Insider’s Aaron Mok.

On the higher education side of things:

Using AI to make teaching easier & more impactful — from oneusefulthing.substack.com by Ethan Mollick
Here are five strategies and prompts that work for GPT-3.5 & GPT-4

Excerpt:

But one thing that is not changing is the best way for people to learn. We have made large advances in recent years in understanding pedagogy – the science of learning. We know some of the most effective techniques for making sure material sticks and that it can be retrieved and used when needed most.

Unfortunately, many of these advanced pedagogical techniques are time-consuming to prepare, and many instructors are often overworked and do not have the resources and time to add them to their teaching repertoire. But AI can help. In the rush to deliver AI benefits directly to students, the role of teachers is often overlooked.

Teaching: What You Need to Know About ChatGPT — from chronicle.com by Beth McMurtrie

Excerpt:

Digital literacy is more important than ever. Artificial-intelligence tools, and generative AI in particular, raise a host of ethical, political, economic, and social questions. Plus, this tech is soon going to be everywhere, including students’ future professions. (The technology behind ChatGPT, in fact, just got an upgrade this week.) Colleges need to figure out how to graduate digitally savvy students in all disciplines.

“The integration of technology into our lives is so pervasive that the restriction of education about AI to the computer scientists and the computer engineers makes no more sense than the restriction of taking English classes by English majors,” said Weber.

Designing Virtual Edtech Faculty Development Workshops That Stick: 10 Guiding Principles — from er.educause.edu by Tolulope (Tolu) Noah
These ten principles offer guidance on ways to design and facilitate effective and engaging virtual workshops that leave faculty feeling better equipped to implement new edtech tools.

Excerpt:

I share here ten guiding principles that have shaped my design and facilitation of virtual synchronous edtech workshops. These guiding principles are based on lessons learned in both my previous role as a professional learning specialist at a major technology company and my current role as a faculty developer at a university. In the spirit of James M. Lang’s book Small Teaching, my hope is that the principles shared here may prompt reflection on the small yet impactful moves academic technology specialists, instructional designers, and educational developers can make to create virtual learning experiences whereby faculty leave feeling better equipped to implement the edtech tools they have learned.

Somewhat relevant/see:

Evidence-Based Learning Design 101 — by Dr. Philippa Hardman
A practical guide on how to bake the science of learning into the art of course design

Excerpt:

As I reflect on the experience and what I’ve learned so far, I thought I’d share a response to the question I probably get asked most: what process do you use to go from an idea to a designed learning experience?

So, let’s do a rapid review of the four step process I and my bootcamp alumni use – aka the DOMS™? process – to go from zero to a designed learning experience.

Learning Ecosystems

Who Will Be the Academic Prompt Engineering Experts? [Boston]

Stanford’s 2023 AI Index Report

Why some college professors are adopting ChatGPT AI as quickly as students [Chun]

ANALYSIS: ‘Microcredentials’ poised to disrupt higher ed as degrees lose relevance to employers [Kearns]

Some items re: the state of — and the future of — higher education

Higher Learning Commission’s 2023 Trends

Bruff: “Did you know that the entire collection of teaching guides written by the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching has been shared?”

A Spotify model of personalised higher education [Rosemann & Betts]

60% of Higher Education Leaders Say Continuing Education is Not Well-Integrated into Institutional Portfolio Offerings

DC: What a great, smart move! I wish more schools of education would do this!

Designing Virtual Edtech Faculty Development Workshops That Stick: 10 Guiding Principles [Noah]

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