Teaching with AI Symposium

Schedule:

Separating the Wheat from the Chaff: What You Really Need to Know About AI, Teaching, and Learning

Regan Gurung (OSU), Ph.D.

9:05 am- 10:20 am | Schumacher Flex Commons

AI presents us all with many different affordances. Universities scramble to establish AI policies to guide faculty, staff, and student use of this blossoming technology but there are some big questions that still need to be addressed. In this presentation, I shall first provide a snapshot of current faculty and student attitudes towards AI to establish a framework to guide how we work with AI. We will consider what is lost when we use AI and what is gained with an evenhanded sifting and winnowing of current empirical research on AI in higher education. In particular, we focus on the questions we should all ask ourselves as we decide how much to invite Large Language Model agents into our lives.

Interviews, Debates, and Devil's Advocates: AI Assignment Designs That Deepen Student Learning

Jenel Cavazos (OU), Ph.D.

10:30 am - 11:45 am | Moody 104

Generative AI has put faculty in a difficult position: ignore it, ban it, or design around it. This hands-on session offers a fourth option — create assignments that use AI as a thinking partner while keeping the cognitive work squarely with students. Drawing on examples from a large-enrollment introductory psychology course, we'll work through several scalable, adaptable assignment templates, each tied to a distinct learning goal: perspective-taking, theoretical application, and metacognitive critique. Participants will leave with a draft of at least one AI-augmented assignment adapted to their own course, plus practical guidance on framing, disclosure, and assessment.

Teach Like a Champ: A Discussion with Regan Gurung

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Moody 104

This session is a special event featuring author, psychologist, and pedagogical expert Regan Gurung, as he discusses his new book, Teach Like a Champ: The Psychology-based Guide to Effective and Efficient Teaching. Faculty in higher education are experiencing high levels of burnout while also dealing with a greater need to be accountable for effective teaching. What are the components of quality teaching and how can one be both effective and efficient as an educator? In this conversation, Regan shall share some key elements of what it takes to be a great teacher - to teach like a champ - as well as how to do so while safeguarding mental health and prioritizing non-academic areas of life. [Pizza will be provided for registered attendees]

Putting the “Intelligence" into Students' Usage of AI: Teaching the Importance of Expertise

Krisstal Clayton (UNT), Ph.D.

1:30 pm - 2:45 pm | Schumacher Flex Commons

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have become increasingly integrated into academic and professional environments. While students will likely need AI skills for the workplace, and many use it for learning and assignment completion, AI-generated output is not always accurate. Identifying these inaccuracies requires human intelligence. Thus, students would benefit from applying their expertise and skepticism when interacting with AI. As educators, we have a unique opportunity to help students develop their critical thinking skills about AI in the practical context of a controlled classroom setting while meeting essential learning objectives. Using Milgram’s Obedience Study and simulated ChatGPT output, a 4-part assignment was created to teach students about Milgram’s classic study, basic experimental design, ethics in research, APA formatting, and flawed survey items. To investigate performance, students were primed to perceive ChatGPT-generated responses as either imperfect or trustworthy. Student attitudes towards AI were also collected. The importance of human intelligence as the foundation for using AI as a tool will be highlighted.

Teaching and AI: Q&A

Moderator: Karenna Malavanti, Ph.D.

3:00 pm - 3:45 pm | Moody 104

In this Q&A with our keynote speakers Regan Gurung, Jenel Cavazos, and Krisstal Clayton, we will explore common questions about AI use, academic integrity, student engagement, ethical considerations, and equitable access. The conversation will highlight strategies for integrating AI as a tool to support critical thinking and inclusive pedagogy, while also acknowledging its limitations and risks.