Lehigh has introduced new training and grants to help teachers incorporate artificial intelligence into their classrooms.
By 2023, government officials will AI policy Presented by Provost Nathan Urban, it outlined ethical use, academic integrity, and the responsible handling of confidential information while encouraging innovation.
Urban University also validated its policies regarding the use of generative AI in an email sent to the campus community on September 12th. The email spoke of the importance of using AI ethically and responsibly and detailed the university’s partnership with Google Gemini to allow access for students.
The original AI policy established by Lehigh has since been re-envisioned to move from policy to practice, encouraging faculty to responsibly incorporate AI into their education.
Greg Lyman, vice chancellor for library and technology services, said Lehigh’s approach is individual-focused and aims to give faculty the flexibility to decide how to leverage AI to make their teaching more effective, while encouraging cross-departmental discussion and providing guidance as needed.
“Each teacher makes choices within their class about how AI should or should not be used,” Lyman said. “Sometimes you need coordination, guidance and support, and sometimes standard tools just aren’t adequate.”
teachers are participating Strategic methods in AI-enabled education The program launched on September 5th to provide workshops and resources to help professors use AI in their courses.
It’s a combination of self-paced online modules and in-person sessions that cover a wide range of topics, from building effective AI prompts to teaching using AI-incorporated and AI-resistant strategies, according to the LTS website.
Dr. Jeffrey Olimpo, who oversees the program and is director of the Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation, said about 15 to 20 faculty members regularly participate in in-person sessions.
He said the purpose of the program is to empower individuals and create broader awareness across campus about what people are doing with AI.
Olimpo said the program is multi-tiered, with the first level focused on awareness introducing tools for teachers to explore applications such as chatbots and tutoring systems.
He said the program will also help build a collaborative community for teachers to learn how to productively incorporate AI into their teaching.
“We have a really diverse group of people in this room,” Olimpo said. “It seems to be successfully proposed regardless of people’s previous background or use of AI.”
Brian Davison, professor and chair of the School of Computer Science and Engineering, said AI is impacting the way students learn.
In computer science and data science classes, students should learn the basics on their own before using AI tools, he said.
While professors once expected students to learn through a variety of assignments, it’s now much harder to make that assumption, he said.
“It’s OK for them to use these services to understand what they need to know,” Davison said. “But most of the time I have students do the work themselves so they understand what’s going on.”
He also said that relying too much on AI means students are missing out on the “brain exercises” of tackling problems on their own.
Davison said that as AI becomes part of the student learning experience, teachers will need to carefully adjust their teaching styles. He said adapting courses takes time, but instructors can start with small changes and gradually incorporate new tools and techniques.
While much of the early policy around AI focused on classroom integration, Lyman said the university is also exploring how it can enhance administrative operations.
“Over the past year or so, we’ve started to think more about AI in government operations,” says Lyman. “I think as a university, we are trying to make a more concerted effort to be truly supportive.”
Lehigh supports faculty AI experimentation through initiatives such as the Future Maker Grant: AI Enhancement. Fund the project Explore innovative uses of AI in education, research, and management.
Lyman said the grant received 18 proposals from various departments across campus that addressed questions about how AI can streamline and improve office operations.
He said he believes the grant will give Lehigh faculty the opportunity to experiment with generative AI and explore ways to improve student engagement and understanding.
Lehman also said that Lehigh’s approach to AI aims to improve efficiency so that students not only learn how to use tools in class, but also think critically about the larger impact.
“We want to work together to make things better for us and for each other, not just to save time and ease the burden of work,” Lehman said.
