Another Workshop for Faculty and Staff

A recent workshop with some adjustments.

Recently, I had the pleasure to do a day-long work at Springfield Technical Community College on staff and faculty use of generative AI (It also entailed the most expensive Lyft & Uber ride to and from, but that’s a story for another time!). It was a delightful experience as I got to plan and collaborate with a decade-long colleague who has supported and encouraged my work and meet a group of faculty and staff who brought good energy, great questions, and a willingness to dig into AI.

The day started out with a short talk about AI (slides). Some of it is my usual schtick where I do a bit of Q&A with folks around myths and misunderstandings of generative AI in order to establish some common ground. These are often useful both in setting the tone and giving folks a sense of how I come to explore generative AI: with a mixture of humor, concern, curiosity, and of course, cat pics.

From there, we launched into a series of mini-workshops where folks had time to first play around with some previously created prompts around teaching and learning before moving onto prompts for administrative work. The prompts and other support materials are in this Workshop Resource Document. The goal was to just get them into using one or more AI tools with some useful prompts so they can learn more about its capabilities.

One thing they didn’t realize is that many of the prompts were structured to actually interview them and get more information from them. As they discovered this, I explained that first, this was helpful for the tool to get essential context and then also explained how this is something they should also think about with their students.

In the afternoon, participants worked to develop a use case for their work that included the prompts and thing they were trying to accomplish and a plan to actually implement it. You can see how participants worked through this by looking at this Working Document Template that they copied and worked on throughout the day.

Insights from the Day

So what are some of the things that I learned about the bigger picture of how we support folks in higher education with using generative AI?

Time: Institutional leaders need to give faculty and staff time to learn and play. Most folks found useful ways to engage and use—some sharing that they were indeed going to use it for something they were working on in the next few days. We can’t underestimate just how important it is to have the space to do this. Having 5 hours of guidance, activities, and sharing with colleagues seemed to be really helpful in getting folks better understanding how to use it and some of the challenges in using it.

Examples: We know this and yet we don’t. Providing example prompts and even outputs that are relevant and demonstrate generative AI’s capabilities that are relevant to faculty and staff are really needed. It’s why I always come to these with prompts for them to explore and better understand (see below).

Meta-usage: Many folks are still surprised that you can used generative AI to interview you or that you can use generative AI to produce a more effective prompt. They are equally surprised or challenged by engaging AI through dialogue, even though these are some of its best uses.

Learning to Play: Part of what can be useful is to spark faculty and staff’s sense of playfulness. Their imagination needs to be activated to use generative AI. Some of what I saw were faculty concerned or just not able to think outside the box. This wasn’t all but certain some of us (happens to me as well) where I’m stuck in my own thinking.

A prime example of this happened with some folks. Some prompts were set up to interview them but they were getting tired of the questioning. I explained that they could just tell the AI to stop asking questions and produce the output. They were surprised they could do this. Others weren’t sure what some questions were asking or needed smaller parameters. I encouraged them to tell the AI to give them 3 choices and the like. Learning to be playful and explorative will help folks unearth interesting usages that work for them.

Goals: Create a tangible goal for folks to work towards. Yes, you want them to freely play and then you want to give them a challenge to complete. It doesn’t mean they have to use that going forward but it gives them time to really test out and build out their own internal logic of use for these tools.

Personal Use Is the Gateway to Professional Use: If you can find one or more ways that a person can use generative AI that benefits them directly, related to work or not, it will create the space for change in thinking about generative AI in their work. Help folks find their personal use and the rest becomes much clearer.

For other folks working with groups, particularly in higher education around learning about and engaging with generative AI, what are you finding to be some of the important things to bring to the space to help folks find their footing?

Teaching & Administrative Prompts

Here’s a handful of the prompts, but can find all of them on the resource document. I also gave the following guidance:

1. Some prompts are set up to produce a straightforward output. Others are set up to interview you to get clarity about what you want.  

2. Wherever there are [brackets] that means you need to enter in something specific.  The brackets are placeholders.

3. Expect it to be imperfect!

   1. Retry the answer or tell it to specifically edit something that it offered.  

   2. Some prompts won’t work the way they are intended.  Expect that and adjust them or play with them until they work the way you want.

   3. Occasionally, the AI tool will need to be reminded or redirected back on track.  Simply tell it to remember the original prompt or goal.

4. If you are creating an example of something, ask it to repeat the same action but also tell it to make sure it provides something new and different from what it has offered.

5. Ask follow up questions and get more out of it. 

   1. If you’re creating content, ask it to create a quiz or a discussion prompt.

   2. If you’re creating an assignment, ask it to produce a rubric or an assignment guide.

Creating Examples

You are recognized as an expert in [Course subject]. You are tasked with developing a unique assignment or activity, described as follows: [Provide a detailed description of an assignment or activity].

Instructions

Objective: Your goal is to provide students with illustrative examples that clearly delineate excellent versus poor execution of the assignment. These examples should serve as clear, instructional benchmarks for understanding the expectations and pitfalls of the assignment.

Interactive Design Process

Information Gathering Phase:

Engage in a detailed interview to thoroughly understand the criteria for what constitutes good and bad examples of the assignment. This phase is critical to ensure the examples you create are accurately aligned with instructional goals and student expectations.

Ask 1 question at a time.

Questions should methodically explore:

• Definitions of Quality: Clarify what specific elements make an assignment example "good" or "bad" in the context of this course.

• Criteria for Evaluation: Discuss the standards and metrics that will be used to evaluate the assignment.

• Common Mistakes: Identify frequent errors or misconceptions students have that you would like the "bad" example to illustrate.

• Exemplary Features: Outline the characteristics that should be included in the "good" example to demonstrate ideal execution.

Example Creation:

Using the insights gathered from the interview, first create a "bad" example of the assignment. This example should intentionally incorporate common mistakes or misunderstandings to serve as a learning tool.

Present the "bad" example and confirm whether it meets the expectations set during the interview.

Upon confirmation, inquire if you should proceed to create and present the "good" example, ensuring it contrasts effectively with the bad example by exemplifying best practices and accurate content.

Rubrics

You are an expert in [Course Topic] with specialized skills in providing targeted, actionable feedback for [Type of Assignment]. Your task is to develop a [#] point rubric for the [Assignment Name] that thoroughly assesses [Assignment Description].

Instructions

Objective: Craft a comprehensive rubric that not only includes criteria for appropriate citation in [Citation Style] but also other essential aspects necessary for evaluating the assignment effectively.

Interactive Design Process

Detailed Interview Phase:

Conduct a systematic interview to gather all relevant details to construct an accurate and useful rubric. Ask 1 question at a time.

This will ensure the rubric aligns with both the learning objectives of the course and the specific requirements of the assignment.

Questions should cover:

Course Overview and Assignment Role: How the assignment fits within the course and its specific goals.

Learning Outcomes: What you hope students will learn from completing the assignment.

Rubric Criteria: Determining what aspects of the assignment are crucial for evaluation, beyond basic citation practices.

Personal Preferences vs. Educational Goals: Clarify the difference between what may personally annoy you and what is academically significant for the assignment.

Rubric Creation:

Based on the information obtained from the interview, develop the rubric in a table format. This rubric should comprehensively reflect all discussed aspects, including detailed criteria for each point of evaluation.

Ensure each criterion is clear and measurable, with specified points or scoring guidelines.

The rubric should be in table form.

Feedback and Refinement:

Present the draft rubric for your review. Request feedback to ascertain if the rubric meets all educational objectives and if there are areas that require further detail or adjustment.

Accessible Language

You are an expert in accessibility and universal design for learning in higher education. Your task is to conduct a thorough review of [Syllabus, writing, learning material, assignment guideline, rubric, etc.] to assess its accessibility.

Instructions

Objective: Evaluate the provided material for clarity, relevance, accessibility of writing style, use of person-centered language, and effective structuring to enhance readability.

###Review and Feedback Process###

Detailed Accessibility Assessment:

Conduct a comprehensive review of the provided material, focusing on the following aspects:

Clarity: Is the information presented clearly and straightforwardly?

Relevance: How relevant is the content to the intended audience, particularly students with diverse learning needs?

Writing Style: Assess the accessibility of the writing style, including the use of simple language and avoidance of jargon.

Person-Centered Language: Determine if the language used is inclusive and person-centered, avoiding stereotypes or biases.

Reading Breaks: Evaluate the structure of the content for effective breaks that aid readability and comprehension.

Feedback Delivery:

Share the results of your evaluation, providing specific insights and possible areas for improvement.

Offer detailed feedback on how each aspect of the material can be enhanced to meet the standards of accessibility and universal design.

Interactive Improvement Dialogue:

After sharing the evaluation, ask if specific changes are desired based on the feedback.

Invite questions or requests for further modifications to ensure the material meets all accessibility requirements effectively.

Expected Output

Begin by reviewing the material as per the outlined criteria.

Present a detailed assessment covering all aspects of accessibility and universal design.

Provide actionable feedback and ask if further specific changes should be made to improve the material.

Content to Review

[Copy/pace sections that you want reviewed or upload a particular file to consider]

Organizing Notes

You are an expert in note organization, skilled at reducing repetition, enhancing clarity, structuring content, and connecting ideas within notes. Your task is to organize the provided notes on [subject] to make them more usable and effective for [purpose].

Instructions

Objective: Reorganize the notes to achieve a coherent and streamlined structure that facilitates easy reference and application for the specified purpose.

Organizational Process

Assessment of Current Notes:

Begin by reviewing the existing notes to identify areas of repetition, lack of clarity, disorganization, or disconnected ideas that could hinder their effectiveness.

Determine the key themes and ideas within the notes that are crucial for [purpose].

Structuring the Notes:

Organize the notes by grouping related information, ensuring that similar ideas are consolidated and clearly differentiated from distinct topics.

Create a logical flow that connects ideas in a way that enhances understanding and retrieval of information, particularly focusing on how these notes can best serve the specified purpose.

Enhancing Clarity and Accessibility:

Edit the notes to remove any redundancy and improve clarity. This may involve rewriting sections to be more concise and direct.

Implement headers, subheaders, bullet points, or other organizational aids that make the notes easier to navigate and use.

Feedback and Iteration:

Once reorganized, present the newly structured notes and ask for feedback to ensure they meet your needs and expectations.

Be prepared to make further adjustments based on feedback to refine the clarity and utility of the notes.

Expected Output

Provide a restructured set of notes organized in a manner that directly supports the needs and goals associated with [purpose].

Ensure the notes are clear, logically ordered, and free of unnecessary repetition, making them highly effective for usage.

Invite feedback on the reorganized notes and offer to make additional revisions to further meet the specified requirements.

Procedures

You are an expert in designing procedures related to [topic], tailored specifically for [audience, industry, department, etc.]. Your task is to develop an initial procedural document that addresses the key requirements and challenges of [topic].

Instructions

Objective: Create a detailed procedural guideline that incorporates all necessary elements you specify, and is designed to effectively address the specific needs of the target audience or sector.

Interactive Design Process

Preparation through Interview:

Initiate the project by conducting a comprehensive interview to understand the full scope and intent of the procedure. This step is crucial to tailor the procedure to the specific operational and strategic goals it aims to support.

Always ask 1 question at a time.

Key areas to discuss during the interview:

Purpose of the Procedure: What are the primary objectives this procedure aims to achieve?

Specific Requirements and Elements: What specific elements must be included in the procedure? (e.g., safety checks, compliance points, operational steps)

Challenges and Concerns: What are the main challenges or concerns associated with implementing this procedure?

Stakeholder Impact: How will this procedure affect different stakeholders within the organization?

Procedure Drafting:

Using the insights gathered from the interview, draft the initial procedure. Ensure the procedure is comprehensive, addressing all discussed aspects and includes the specific elements you have outlined.

Structure the procedure to ensure it is clear and easy to follow, with distinct sections for each major step, necessary details for execution, and guidelines for handling exceptions or potential issues.

Feedback and Refinement:

Present the initial draft of the procedure to you for feedback. This feedback should focus on the practicality, clarity, and comprehensiveness of the procedure.

Adjust and refine the procedure based on your feedback to ensure it meets all specified requirements and effectively addresses the intended goals.

Expected Output

Begin with a series of targeted questions designed to thoroughly understand the context and requirements for the new procedure.

Always ask 1 question at a time.

Produce a structured initial draft of the procedure that incorporates all necessary details and specified elements.

Engage in a feedback loop to refine and finalize the procedure, ensuring it aligns with operational needs and stakeholder expectations.

Tone-Checking

You are an expert in analyzing the tone of written communications and identifying potential areas that could lead to miscommunications or misunderstandings. Your task is to conduct a detailed review of the provided [document, article, link, resource, etc.], which is intended for [audience or relationship to recipient such as colleague, boss, press, etc.].

Instructions

Objective: Evaluate the tone of the content and provide recommendations for modifications to ensure clarity and prevent any possible misunderstandings with the intended audience.

Tone Analysis and Recommendations Process

Tone Assessment:

Carefully read the provided content to fully understand its message and the tone conveyed.

Assess whether the tone is appropriate for the intended audience and the purpose of the communication. Consider factors such as formality, politeness, directness, and emotional tone.

Identification of Potential Issues:

Identify specific segments where the tone might cause miscommunications or be perceived differently than intended.

Analyze how the tone could potentially affect the reader's perception, especially considering their relationship to the sender (e.g., colleague, boss, press).

Recommendations for Improvement:

Suggest specific changes to the tone of the content. Provide clear reasons for each recommended change, explaining how it will enhance understanding and reduce the risk of miscommunication.

Offer alternative phrasing or restructuring suggestions that align more closely with the intended message and audience expectations.

Feedback and Refinement:

Present the tone assessment and recommendations to you for feedback.

Be prepared to discuss the implications of the suggested changes and adjust the recommendations based on your insights or additional context about the audience and purpose.

Expected Output

Deliver a detailed review of the tone used in the content, highlighting areas prone to miscommunication.

Provide actionable recommendations for adjusting the tone to better suit the intended audience and communication goals.

Engage in a dialogue to refine the recommendations, ensuring they accurately meet the needs of the communication scenario.

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AI+Edu=Simplified by Lance Eaton is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International