{"id":72903,"date":"2024-09-13T10:41:54","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T17:41:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=72903"},"modified":"2024-09-13T10:41:54","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T17:41:54","slug":"trail-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/trail-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcoming AI into the classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Speaking a second language can be nerve-racking. You wonder if you conjugated the verb correctly, found the right noun, added the correct gender, pronounced the words right. You say the words in your head first, trying to remember which sounds to stress and the letters that make a different sound than English. Plus, how bad <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">is<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> your accent, really?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Speaking a second language to an AI chatbot is significantly less scary and more practical.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Helping to overcome obstacles in language learning is part of the motivation behind a project that Spanish professor <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Yuly Asenci\u00f3n-Delaney<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> is doing. This semester, she will develop speaking activities that target real-life situations using chatbots, with the goal of helping students have simple conversations in Spanish.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This project is one of 10 in NAU\u2019s inaugural Transformation through Artificial Intelligence in Learning (TRAIL) program, which gave small grants to faculty members so they could develop innovative ways to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to support student learning. The overall goal of the Office of the Provost, which sponsors TRAIL, is to ensure NAU students gain the skills and comfort they need to be competitive in the workforce.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThe only way we can be successful in preparing students for the use of AI in their professions is by empowering our faculty to explore this area and apply their expertise and innovative thinking,\u201d said <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">John Georgas<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, senior vice provost of academic operations. \u201cThis program is intended to support them in doing just that.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When the provost\u2019s office put out a call for proposals, the response was huge, Georgas said. Faculty are obviously interested in embracing GenAI to support student learning and research. The 10 projects selected represent a breadth of disciplines and desired outcomes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Yuly Asenci\u00f3n-Delaney<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Department of Global Languages and Cultures, College of Arts and Letters: Using chatbots to increase language learners&#8217; willingness to communicate in Spanish as a second language<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Jeff Berglund<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Department of English, College of Arts and Letters: The Possibilities and Perils of Using Generative Artificial Intelligence in Indigenous Literature Classrooms\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Blue Brazelton<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Department of Educational Leadership, College of Education: Generative AI and Organizational Leader Development<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Marco Gerosa<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences: Leveraging Large Language Models to Boost Students&#8217; Software Design and Architecture Skills\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kiley Huntington<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Department of Social Work, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences: Improving Student Learning Outcomes with a Generative AI Peer Review Partner\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"6\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Alana Kuhlman<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Department of English, College of Arts and Letters: An AI Literacy Module for Students Across the Disciplines<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"7\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Nick McKay<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, School of Earth and Sustainability, College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences: Integrating Generative AI in Environmental Science Education: Enhancing Fieldwork, Data Analysis, and Technical Writing<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"8\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">David Politzer<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, School of Art, College of Arts and Letters: Tackling AI Anxiety with Art Students: Using Role-Playing, Visual Analysis and Experimentation to Ease into Artificial Intelligence<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"9\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Janice Sweeter<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, School of Communication, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences: AI in the Strategic Communication Classroom and Industry<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"10\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Jonna Vance<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Philosophy Department, College of Arts and Letters: Dialogues with Generative AI: Exploring Human-AI Adversarial Collaborations<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A peek at the projects<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Asenci\u00f3n-Delaney\u2019s project will provide an initial assessment of the impact of AI-powered practice on students\u2019 familiarity and comfort with conversing in another language. It also will allow her to determine how feasible the use of chatbots as conversation partners could be in terms of cost, time and availability of AI tools. It\u2019s the first step in what could potentially be an innovative approach to language learning.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cSome AI tools provide students with options for responses, pronunciation models and feedback, and interaction with chatbots can happen at any time, anywhere\u2014includingon students\u2019 mobile devices,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can practice a language with human conversational partners, but that would cost a lot of money and students wouldn\u2019t be able to practice at a time and place convenient for them.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Huntington, an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Social Work, is taking GenAI in a different direction\u2014as an editor. Students will work on a research paper, and half of them will work with peer editors while the other half will use AI. The students will receive feedback from AI that they must evaluate for accuracy and implement if appropriate. He hopes students not only turn in improved papers thanks to meaningful feedback from AI but also explore how to use AI ethically in writing and get them thinking about out-of-the-box opportunities AI offers.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThis is particularly valuable for social work students, as my own experiences after graduating left me in isolated positions with limited peer support,\u201d he said. \u201cAI could have been invaluable to me, and I want students to have that benefit as they move forward in their careers.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Georgas is looking forward to seeing the outcomes of the different projects, which will be shared in a showcase next semester.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThe impact these technologies are having on the professions that we\u2019re preparing our students to enter is immeasurable,\u201d he said. \u201cBy the time they graduate, our students will inevitably be expected to not just be familiar with AI technologies but to be able to use them in complementing their everyday work.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Top photo: An image generated by ChatGPT using the DALL-E platform to illustrate Brazelton&#8217;s project. ChatGPT generated this prompt: Create a horizontal image of diverse organizational leaders collaborating with AI tools in a modern office setting. Show leaders analyzing AI-generated data visualizations on screens, discussing strategies, and brainstorming with AI assistants. The atmosphere is innovative and focused on leadership development with generative AI integration. I then asked it to generate the image.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_72905\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-72905\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-72905\" src=\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AI-art.png\" alt=\"AI-generated images of abstract art\" width=\"800\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/402\/2024\/09\/AI-art.png 1000w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/402\/2024\/09\/AI-art-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/402\/2024\/09\/AI-art-768x461.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-72905\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Two images generated by DALL-E through the Canva platform illustrating Politzer&#8217;s project. The prompt was: &#8220;Illustrate a classroom of diverse art students easing AI anxiety through creative exploration. Show students role-playing as AI entities, analyzing AI-generated artworks on screens, and blending traditional art with AI tools. The scene is dynamic, inclusive, and supportive, combining art and technology to foster understanding.&#8221; ChatGPT wrote the prompt. Compare to the same prompt in Hotpot.ai below.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_72907\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-72907\" style=\"width: 512px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-72907\" src=\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/8-kVsVeZDCVM0Q0C9.png\" alt=\"AI-generated image of a classroom.\" width=\"512\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/402\/2024\/09\/8-kVsVeZDCVM0Q0C9.png 512w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/402\/2024\/09\/8-kVsVeZDCVM0Q0C9-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/402\/2024\/09\/8-kVsVeZDCVM0Q0C9-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-72907\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Hotpot created this image to illustrate Politzer&#8217;s project with almost the same prompt as above: &#8220;Illustrate a classroom of diverse art students easing AI anxiety through creative exploration. Show students in one classroom analyzing AI-generated pictures of buildings on screens, and blending traditional art with AI tools. The scene is dynamic, inclusive, and supportive, combining art and technology to foster understanding.&#8221; I asked it to make the art on the walls of buildings rather than faces because using AI to create likenesses of people&#8217;s faces is still a murky area.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"search-results-excerpt-link\" href=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/trail-program\/\">Speaking a second language can be nerve-racking. You wonder if you conjugated the verb correctly, found the right noun, added the correct gender, pronounced the words right. You say the words in your head first, trying to remember which sounds to stress and the letters that make a different sound than English. Plus, how bad&hellip;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":72904,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research-academics"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72903\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}