Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Practicum Highlights
School of Advanced Studies (SAS) organized a practicum focused on developing solutions for the use of artificial intelligence in higher education. SAS initiative seeks to explore methods for integrating AI into educational settings.
Experts from various institutions, including the Samolet Group, Lektorium, DSTU, and RANEPA gathered to exchange their experiences and insights on the utilization of Big Language Models (BLM) in education. Practicum participants, including students, faculty, and educational program administrators from the University of Tyumen, gained valuable knowledge from the event.
Expert Reports
How AI Is Being Applied to Pedagogical Design and Evidence-Based Learning
Andrey Komissarov, Head of the Center for Digital Competencies at Samolet Group and co-author of the book “Artificial Intelligence in Education,” discussed the application of AI in pedagogical design and evidence-based learning.
Andrey explained how pedagogical design has evolved with the advent of prompt design (or prompt engineering) and outlined the main risk when working with chatbots: humans/users may cease to think critically. The challenge lies in finding a balance between automation and the cultivation of critical analysis.
Companies work in the education sphere and associations outside universities are actively engaging with AI. For example, Andrey's team previously developed a project on the digital footprint of the learning process for the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives. This project focuses on the analysis of various learner’s activities, including engagement, teamwork, communication, attitude, emotions, and comprehension of the material. The goal is to determine the most effective form of learning and the optimal way to present/teach the material.
The Samolet Group is currently developing an AI tutor based on GPT-4 and Llama 2 to assist 8th and 9th-grade students in learning social studies. Teachers register in the platform and assign homework, which the AI solution assesses through oral conversations with the students. The aim is to help students develop thinking and speaking skills and approach the subject independently. The platform provides assessments and detailed feedback to the teachers.
Watch the lecture recording on our YouTube channel.
Explaining Scientific and Philosophical Texts and Evaluating Business Cases with AI
Alexander Didenko, Head of the Laboratory of Management Neurosciences at IBS, RANEPA, presented his findings on the application/active usage of AI in understanding scientific and philosophical texts and evaluating business cases.
During his presentation, Alexander shared the results of his year-long testing of ChatGPT with the audience, emphasizing two main ideas:
1. ChatGPT can aid in comprehending complex texts, including those written by Deleuze.
2. A chatbot can assist in understanding complex texts if questions/prompts are posed correctly.
“Studying philosophy is akin to playing rugby or American football. You push and navigate through the first, second, and third paragraphs, but then someone tackles you, and you find yourself crawling towards the fourth paragraph. It feels as if you are thrown back and must start the understanding process anew,” — shares Alexander Didenko.
Additionally, ChatGPT proves to be a valuable tool for evaluating case solutions. While the assessment of case solutions is often perceived as a tedious and time-consuming task, AI can significantly simplify and expedite the process. Nonetheless, it remains crucial to verify the information provided by AI chatbot, necessitating analytical and expert skills.
In conclusion, the synergy between human effort and AI can lead to productive and efficient outcomes.
Watch the lecture recording on our YouTube channel.
Improving University Processes with AI
Alexey Lysenko and Maxim Chavychalov from the Institute of Advanced Technologies (IAT) at "School X," DSTU, shared insights on enhancing university processes through AI during their interactive session with the audience.
Alexey Lysenko, Associate Director, and Maxim Chavychalov, Associate Professor, departed from the traditional lecture format and engaged the audience in a conversation. They deliberated on various topics including the reasons behind ChatGPT 4.0's higher rate of factual errors compared to ChatGPT 3.5, the implications of changes in large language models on their educational applications, and recounted their personal encounters with AI.
For example, students from School X are currently developing multiple AI solutions for the Faculty of Applied Linguistics aimed at streamlining future workloads. Additionally, Alexey and Maxim's project on summarizing and analyzing student feedback by course showcased the efficiency of AI in handling extensive data sets and conducting prompt analyses, especially when time is of the essence.
Moreover, ChatGPT proved instrumental in aiding Alexey and Maxim to change the university's management structure, addressing the necessity for employee retraining and education. This highlights the chatbot's capability not only to assess the current situation but also to strategize for the organization's long-term development—a crucial aspect of effective strategic planning.
“GPT is more than just a chat room where users can request non-existent literature or math solutions. Through the utilization of large language models, we demonstrate the capacity to address genuine challenges faced by educators. This technology is on track to revolutionize education in different and complex ways. GPT is evolving into a practical tool,” — elaborates Maxim Chavychalov.
Watch the lecture recording on our YouTube channel.
How Artificial Intelligence Impacts Educational Product Management
During his presentation, Yakov Somov, the founder of the online educational platform Lektorium, shared three important ideas.
It becomes more complex to work with an educational product
The expert explained that to capture and maintain the audience's attention, it is essential to understand the changing roles in content creation and use. Additionally, it is crucial to develop a well-structured outline for each educational product.
Complex content requires constant interactivity
Yakov argues that despite the rise of automation, the ability to read and process large texts remains crucial for individuals to form and retain a complex understanding of the world. However, he emphasizes the importance of creating an environment where humans can constantly interact with complex content.
In the future, it is possible that dashboards and AI assistants will become more prevalent
We discussed potential future scenarios, such as the creation of dashboards to track user results and the availability of personal AI assistants on marketplaces.
Watch the lecture recording on our YouTube channel.
Group Work
The participants of the practicum had a group task where they were assigned to develop AI solutions for the university community. The underlying assumption was that universities must embrace new technologies and leverage them to enhance the quality of education.
Students
How can AI be effectively utilized in the learning process to optimize educational outcomes required in the current context?
Faculty
How can AI be effectively integrated into course design and delivery to ensure students achieve the desired educational outcomes?
Educational program administrators
How can AI be effectively employed in addressing labor shortages by automating certain faculty functions within the educational process?
SAS serves as a hub for developing innovative educational solutions
The School of Advanced Studies (SAS) is an international BA program for talented students. SAS is also a center where future educational standards and methodologies are developed for use in universities across the country.
Several years ago, SAS emerged as a pioneer in introducing individualized educational pathways, the “2 + 2” system, and the core curriculum program in Russia. Presently, SAS is directing its attention towards artificial intelligence in education, marking a significant experimental milestone for the institution.
Andrey Shcherbenok, SAS Director: “To discuss how students and professors will function in an AI-driven world, it is necessary to examine the education process comprehensively. Currently, our comprehension of AI's potential in education is fragmented, with individual ideas and approaches challenging to integrate into a cohesive structure - a sound educational program should be systematic. Thanks to practicum, we have made significant progress in comprehending the possibilities that AI presents. It is expected that SAS will move towards restructuring its pedagogical practices to become an experimental platform for engineering tools for the use of AI in higher education in the coming years.”