Thomas College’s H. Allen Ryan School of Business chair and professor Dr. Don Cragen recently completed a course by Harvard Business Publishing called Teaching with AI: Practical Approaches to Using Generative AI in Class.
Dr. Cragen said he learned how to use case-based methods and prompt engineering, and how to avoid getting false information when using AI, and how to use it for his students in class.
Thomas College faculty are actively engaged in incorporating AI into teaching and working with students across disciplines through this working group.
His next certification course through MIT will be to learn about no-code AI.
Dr. Cragen said the reason he’s taking these courses is to continue to make sure the H. Allen Ryan School of Business is staying relevant with technology.
“My goal is to show students how to utilize AI appropriately instead of abusing it,” said Dr. Cragen. “Whoever graduates today, AI will be a major part of their job. Our graduates need to know how to use the technology and have an advantage over others when using the tool. My hope is that they’ll be more prepared than graduates from other schools.”
Dr. Cragen has already started using AI in his courses, and he says the students are embracing it and are excited to learn how to use AI as a learning tool.
Dr. Cragen isn’t the only professor who is learning about how to use AI in class. Lunder School of Education professor Dr. Ruth Lyons is leading an AI working group that includes professors from all three schools, including Dr. Cragen.
Dr. Lyons said the point of the group is to integrate AI into professor’s work, research, and classes. By collaborating as a group, they can share platforms and tools across majors and disciplines and come together to talk about best practices and how to integrate AI best into the curriculum here at Thomas.
Other members of the working group include Dr. Alyssa Dassa, Dr. Heather Batchelor, Dr. Katie Rybakova, Dr. Tess Harden, Dr. Josh Havelin, Dr. Ryan Wheaton, Dr. Jono Anzalone, Dr. Greg King, and Professor Steve Dyer.
“The aim of this group is to also figure out how best to share our findings with other faculty afterwards,” said Dr. Lyons. “It’s been really great to work with faculty from other departments. I’ve enjoyed having conversations with my colleagues about how to think about our teaching approach differently.”
Dr. Lyons envisions using AI tools to teach pre service teachers how to enhance their teaching practices. She believes that students should see AI as a collaborative colleague, similar to how Dr. Batchelor has successfully employed AI to create rubrics, prompting students to analyze and identify gaps in them.
Dr. Lyons says AI has a lot to contribute to academia and her field of study, but she also thinks it’s important to help students to stop and think about what value they bring as people and as professionals – what do they bring to the table that AI doesn’t?