Artificial intelligence has become a prevailing force in every aspect of life, and that certainly includes higher education.
In many cases, students are more proficient than their professors in integrating this emerging technology into their lives on and off campus.
For this and other reasons, Leslie Bruce, a full-time lecturer in the English Department at Cal State Fullerton, and colleague Alison Marzocchi, professor in the Mathematics Department, organized the AI conference held Feb. 21 in the Titan Student Union.
Designed to help faculty adapt to AI technology, the conference featured a variety of workshops, panels, roundtable discussions and a keynote speaker, covering topics ranging from integrating AI into course assignments, using AI ethically and responsibly, using the technology to enhance cultural competency and others.
“Alison and I thought, OK, why don’t we break down these silos that we often end up in within academia, in our disciplines, in our departments and in our offices,” said Bruce, who is the director of Writing Across the Curriculum LIAISONS program. “And ask people to come together and share their experiences and just try to create a safe space to have these conversations about what people are doing or not doing in their classes and maybe their rationales for those actions or inactions.”
Marzocchi said the highlight and most engaging segment of the conference was the student panel, where roles were reversed, and students became teachers and teachers became students.
Each student panelist shared their individual experiences related to their use of AI, which then prompted a series of questions from instructors in the audience.
“I would not be surprised to learn that this was the session during which faculty learned the most,” Marzocchi said.
Panelists shared that some professors allow the use of AI in certain instances, some don’t allow AI at all, and some professors don’t ever discuss AI with their students.
“My experience so far is that only one professor has even been very open about the use of AI,” said Giselle Tlaxcuapan, a third-year math major and member of the panel. “AI was included in almost every single lecture. Every topic we went over that day would kind of prompt the teacher to ask us, or the professor to ask us, how can you use AI for this? And it makes us think, it makes us question when we should, when we shouldn’t, and so I think her giving us the space to question ourselves and our own integrity is what helped a lot of it.”
Panelist A.J. Heiss, a third-year physics major, said AI isn’t mentioned at all in his physics classes.
However, the professor of his geography class permits the use of AI within certain parameters.
“She was probably the only professor that I’ve had who was OK with it,” Heiss said. “I think maybe the professors that don’t want you to use it is because maybe they don’t understand it themselves.”
Heiss and Tlaxcuapan both said they use AI to create study guides.
“It can enhance your learning and not detract from your learning,” Heiss said. “It’s not a crutch, it’s a tool. It’s something that you can use to help you learn and understand a subject better on a deeper level. So, if you have a question and you can’t ask a professor, instantly ask ChatGPT.
Lecturer Rose Adams, who teaches several art history classes in the Department of Visual Arts, recalled being afraid of losing her job about two years ago when AI was making its way into the education field.
“I had an existential crisis when this whole AI came into the picture,” Adams said. “I was wondering if I was going to have a job, if I should just go into another field because I was pretty panicked about the whole thing. And then finally, in 2024, I said, you know what, I’ve got to take the bull by the horns and do something, and so I started integrating AI into my assignments.”
Britt Marlow, an adjunct professor of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, was among professors providing insight in a faculty panel titled “Integrating AI into Course Assignments,” which talked about the responsible use of AI in Academia.
Marlow provided examples of how AI can be a valuable tool for both teaching and learning if it is used responsibly, within the guidelines of academic integrity.
“Generative AI can be incredibly helpful for academics,” the professor said. “It allows us to quickly find resources and understand complex theories, which is especially useful when preparing for classes.”
Marlow also discussed the practical applications of AI in the classroom, sharing personal experiences of how students react to the technology.
“Students are often nervous about admitting to using AI, but it’s important to have open conversations about it,” the professor said.
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