Last month, David Wiley, Chief Academic Officer of Lumen, led a webinar that highlighted how faculty members can help students harness the power of generative AI in service of their learning and metacognitive development. 

While some educators have expressed concerns about AI’s impact and use, Lumen has proactively explored ways to leverage AI that are rooted in equity and aligned with our mission to enable unprecedented learning for all students.  

David kicked off the webinar with a brief introduction to generative AI and then shared an overview of study strategies, which vary in effectiveness. Some of the most popular study techniques that students typically use are often some of the least effective. Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) can help reverse those patterns, so students support their own learning with evidence-based study strategies, including developing study prompts with platforms such as ChatGPT or Gemini. 

For example, students can develop prompts for spaced practice (studying material over a period of time), interleaved practice (mixing more than one topic to better understand an overall subject), or retrieval practice (recalling facts or concepts to enhance learning). Here is an example of a prompt for retrieval practice: 

I’m taking a college class in <class name> and I want to review what I’ve learned about <chapter name>. 
Give me a quiz where you ask me two questions about each of the following topics:

- Topic 1
- Topic N

Ask me one question at a time and wait for my answer.
Interleave the questions so that you don’t ask me two questions in a row about the same topic. 
After each answer, give me feedback on my answer and explain anything it seems like I don't understand. 
Then ask if I'd like additional information on that question. 
When I indicate I'm finished, ask me the next question.

These types of prompts can be especially beneficial in getting students to engage in high-level strategic thinking about their own learning, leaving them feeling more empowered about their academic journey. 

David concluded his portion of the webinar with some final thoughts: 

  • Using generative AI as an effective learning tool is a critically important literacy for students to develop, and it can only be developed through practice. This is especially crucial for historically underrepresented students who may not have this kind of literacy readily available to them. 
  • Generative AI systems will likely present students with information that is inaccurate. While it is remarkable that such systems can create the content we need right when we need it, we must be mindful of misinformation and biased content. 
  • However, these interactions present a way of helping students think critically and think through the techniques they will use to uncover such instances of inaccuracies or biases.

 

For more of this engaging presentation from David, watch the full webinar here.