Is artificial intelligence enhancing student learning or hindering critical thinking? Purdue professors weigh in on the pros and cons of classroom AI
Purdue professors Andrés Bejarano and Daniel Guberman have spent the past two years adapting to the presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in their classrooms. While they may not see eye to eye on exactly how the technology should be used in education, both agree on one thing: AI is here to stay, and students need to learn how to use it responsibly.
Bejarano, a computer science professor, likens AI to a more powerful search engine.
“AI is just putting together the best of the internet,” he says. “When we use Google, the search engine gives us hundreds of pages, but we usually only take a look at the first page or two.”
Instead of sifting through countless websites for information, AI now allows students to access relevant information quickly, which is helpful in fast-paced academic environments.
Daniel Guberman, a staff member at Purdue’s Center for Instructional Excellence, sees how AI can assist students select research topics and organize their workload.
“One of the hardest parts is picking what to explore,” he explains.
In his classes, Guberman encourages students to use AI tools like ChatGPT to generate ideas and overcome hurdles. He says while AI often can’t solve complex coursework, many students say it helps them stay organized and focus better on coursework.
“One student initially said, ‘I’ve never used AI before,’ but by the end of the semester, it became a valuable tool for organizing her schedule and managing deadlines,” Guberman shares. “As a senior engineering student, AI didn’t necessarily solve her technical problems, but it definitely enhanced her organizational skills.”
In his History of Rock and Roll class, Guberman encourages students to use AI for preliminary research. However, he emphasizes that ChatGPT can often be misleading.
“I asked ChatGPT about the history of Black Sabbath. Most of the information was accurate, but there was one glaring mistake,” Guberman remembers. “It said Ozzy Osbourne rejoined the band in the early ’80s, but that’s when he started his solo career. As a student, you may not notice that error. This is just one example of how relying on surface-level facts generated by AI can be misleading.”
Bejarano has seen similar shortcomings when using AI in class. He notes that some students use the technology to generate assignments with minimal personal effort, risking over-reliance on the tool.
“AI can become addictive. Once we experience how convenient it is — especially for the fundamentals — it’s tempting to rely on it too much,” Bejarano explains. “Instead of solving problems independently, students turn to AI for quick answers. This bypasses the critical thinking and problem-solving skills they’re supposed to develop.”
Bejarano and his co-instructor Ethan Dickey spent the last two years exploring how to best integrate AI into their computer science courses. This research led to the creation of “AI Lab,” an intervention designed to teach students the benefits and limitations of AI tools. The lab is incorporated into several courses each semester, aiming to give students a balanced view of AI’s capabilities and pitfalls.
“We believe AI has a place in education, just not all the time,” Dickey emphasizes, underscoring the importance of using the technology strategically rather than as a crutch.
The pair also explore using AI as a tool to lighten the load on teaching assistants. Together, along with their undergraduate research assistants, they developed “Boiler TA AI,” a tool designed to answer student questions on educational discussion forums automatically.
For some students, AI also presents a more immediate worry: job security. Bejarano notes that many students fear AI will replace their future jobs, particularly in fields where automation is common — like computer science.
“AI can do the coding for you, but it can’t replace human creativity,” he says.
Despite these concerns, both Bejarano and Guberman agree that AI has an important place in academia when used properly. The key, they argue, is to balance the use of AI with traditional learning methods.
“These tools are fascinating because most of us don’t fully understand how they work yet,” Guberman notes. “But we know they’re here, and they’ll likely play an increasingly important role in our lives, whether we want them to or not.”
For those interested in learning more about the use of AI in the classroom, please visit the Teaching and Learning Community of Practice website.
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Last updated: Oct. 14, 2024
Author: Malini Nair, Communication Assistant for Teaching and Learning, tlcoms@purdue.edu