AI Chatbots Transform Curriculum Development and Grading in Higher Education

Professors across the United States are increasingly integrating AI chatbots into their teaching, curriculum development, and administrative tasks, according to a recent survey by Tyton Partners and new research from Anthropic. These tools, such as Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude, are becoming indispensable for educators looking to save time and enhance their classroom experiences.

Curriculum Development and Time Management

G. Sue Kasun, a professor of language, culture, and education at Georgia State University, uses Gemini to brainstorm ideas for her courses. 'There were suggestions of offering different choices like having students generate an image, having students write a poem. And these are things that I could maybe think of but we have limits on our time, which is probably our most valuable resource as faculty,' Kasun says. She also leverages the AI to create grading rubrics, ensuring they align with her learning objectives.

Surge in AI Usage Among Educators

A national survey by Tyton Partners, conducted earlier this year, reveals that about 40% of administrators and 30% of instructors use generative AI daily or weekly. This marks a significant increase from just 2% and 4%, respectively, in the spring of 2023. The data highlights a growing trend in the adoption of AI tools in higher education.

Interactive Simulations and Research

Anthropic's report, based on approximately 74,000 conversations with higher education users over an 11-day period, shows that 57% of the interactions were related to curriculum development. Drew Bent, education lead at Anthropic, notes, 'It's helping write the code so that you can have an interactive simulation that you as an educator can share with students in your class for them to help understand a concept.' Additionally, 13% of the conversations involved academic research, indicating a broad range of applications for AI in the educational field.

Administrative Tasks and Collaboration

Professors are also using AI to handle administrative tasks, such as budget planning, drafting letters of recommendation, and creating meeting agendas. The analysis suggests that while more routine and tedious tasks are automated, teaching and lesson design remain collaborative processes. 'For other areas like teaching and lesson design, it was much more of a collaborative process, where the educators and the AI assistant are going back and forth and collaborating on it together,' Bent explains.

Industry Context and Future Outlook

The rapid adoption of AI in higher education reflects a broader trend of technology integration in various sectors. As more professors embrace these tools, the potential for enhanced student engagement and more efficient workflows becomes increasingly evident. The future of education may see even more innovative uses of AI, further transforming the way courses are designed and delivered.

References

• Here's how professors are using AI chatbots in the classroom : NPR