Key Takeaways

• Willamette University’s Brandi Row Lazzarini uses AI to enhance student learning, promoting critical thinking and responsible use of technology.
• Students engage deeply with topics, using AI as a supplementary tool rather than a shortcut, and produce meaningful projects.
• A collaborative project highlights the real-world impacts of AI on business and student career paths, fostering practical application of knowledge.

Embracing AI in Education

Brandi Row Lazzarini, an Associate Professor of Exercise and Health Science at Willamette University, started exploring artificial intelligence while enhancing her computer programming skills for biomechanical data analysis. This experience sparked her interest in how AI can influence student learning, as well as the potential challenges it brings.

Row Lazzarini emphasizes the importance of developing critical thinking skills in students, guiding them to use AI tools effectively in their coursework. Students are encouraged to engage with topics that resonate personally, allowing for high-impact projects. These range from future physical therapists creating AI-driven patient education materials to first-year students investigating how AI could affect their career searches.

The fall course, “Generative AI and the Learning Experience,” took a structured approach by beginning with the science of learning to examine AI’s effects on education. Students fashioned analytical essays, using AI not as a shortcut but as a facilitator for surveying research. This methodical process included rigorous peer feedback and human-centric reviews. By the end, students realized that their deep engagement with the material allowed them to outpace AI’s feedback.

One student, Sonali DeSilva-Craycroft, highlighted the necessity of understanding AI’s evolution, asserting that courses like the colloquium are vital for the contemporary educational landscape.

Row Lazzarini views Willamette as a prime environment for leveraging AI in ways that promote learning rather than hinder it. Her experience as an alum underscores the benefits of small, interactive classes where students develop proficiency through meaningful projects. She insists that applying knowledge to relevant topics encourages deeper learning and discourages reliance on AI.

The course culminated in a collaborative project where students investigated AI’s real-world implications. Groups explored themes such as the adverse effects of AI on commercial artists and created resources to educate peers about the risks associated with AI therapy tools. One specific project entailed analyzing AI’s impact on business operations, including a career table assessing the automation risk for various jobs.

For student Major LeProwse, this project was particularly rewarding as it allowed the team to present their findings creatively through a website. Such projects exemplify how students can utilize AI thoughtfully to explore meaningful issues affecting their futures.

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