As generative artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance rapidly, higher education institutions are considering strategies to adapt and equip students with the skills they need to succeed in an AI-driven workforce.
Despite the urgent need for AI literacy, a recent BestColleges survey found that only 53% of students said they were assigned coursework that required the use of AI. This may be, in part, because faculty and staff are often unsure about how to integrate AI into the student experience. Less than one-third of higher education professionals have experience using AI as part of their work, according to a report from campus technology solutions provider Ellucian.
Dr. Mustafa Akben, Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Elon University Love School of Business, is an applied generative AI researcher and AI enthusiast. His passion for AI literacy led him to become an early adopter of AI tools and a strong advocate for their integration into undergraduate education. His innovative methods and creative generative AI applications were recognized last year, including winning the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology AI competition for his machine learning model.
Akben's commitment to leveraging AI as part of the curriculum stems from the belief that AI can transform learning and better enable students to adapt to the needs of the modern workforce. He uses several approaches to address gaps in AI integration readiness that can help faculty better assess the challenges and opportunities AI presents in student work.
In the classroom, Akben encourages students to consider three impacts that AI could have on the future of work: replacement, augmentation, and transformation. Akben encourages students to evaluate situations in which AI could replace human work, such as automating repetitive tasks that do not provide significant value. This is where we can transform work by unleashing greater creativity if we can augment human work, such as using creation tools to support writing and improve accessibility. He emphasizes that while AI will not surpass human intelligence in the workplace in the near future, it is likely to complement and ultimately improve the work produced.
Akben urges students to develop skill sets that will protect them from a potential future in which certain jobs may be automated. He believes that by focusing on uniquely human abilities such as critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, and ethical judgment, students can excel in their future careers. He also emphasizes the importance of understanding how working with AI tools can enhance your capabilities and change the way you approach problems. Through this balanced perspective, Akben aims to empower students to navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape and secure their place in the future workforce.
Akben's research also explores the impact of generative AI on human cognition, with a particular focus on creativity. In a recent study, he tasked students with generating ideas under three conditions: working independently, using Google for inspiration, and using AI for inspiration. The results were amazing. Students in the AI group created the most interesting ideas. What's even more impressive is that when these students generated ideas again without the help of AI, their creativity outperformed that of the other groups. This suggests that interaction with AI has had a lasting impact on the creative process. Dr. Akben's research highlights the potential of AI as a powerful tool to enhance creativity based on human expertise and intention, and he plans to publish the findings this year.
In essence, generative AI leverages insights from a variety of fields, including mathematics, philosophy, linguistics, neuroscience, and more. Akben says that to unlock the full potential of AI on campus, all academic disciplines must be involved in the discussion. Collaborative efforts between experts from a variety of disciplines and university leadership are essential to address the complex challenges presented by AI. With this in mind, Akben recommends that universities form AI task forces comprised of faculty and student voices from a variety of disciplines, departments, and majors to foster a culture of collaboration and integrate an interdisciplinary approach to AI adoption. At Elon University, he participates in one such task force.
Finally, Akben recommends a proactive approach that avoids campus bans on student use of AI technologies. Rather than limiting these tools, especially as students want to learn how to utilize them effectively, Akben recommends that educators adopt a proactive approach and investigate ways to integrate these technologies into their curriculum. For example, educators can design assignments that require students to use AI tools and then critically evaluate the results. It can also focus on developing skills that AI currently lacks, such as complex analysis, social cognitive abilities, and nuanced ethical judgment. By fostering AI literacy alongside these unique human capabilities, educators prepare students for a future where collaboration with AI is most likely the norm.
As college educators explore the impact of generative AI on their fields and consider how to better prepare students to become leaders leveraging AI in their careers, collaboration, creativity, and active engagement will unlock AI's full potential. It is clear that this will be the key. For more information, see “AI and Your Teaching,” a resource produced by Elon University’s Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning.