A major report published by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and Elon University offers a sobering look at the impact AI has had on faculty, the future of education, and student learning.
Over 1,000 faculty members throughout the United States were surveyed about their concerns and experiences using AI. Key findings from the report were notable.
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As more than half of U.S. workers use AI, it’s plain that business communication students must learn to use these tools strategically and responsibly. According to advice from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, grads entering the workforce need to embrace AI or they risk being left behind. Consequently, understanding the ethics and norms for AI use in professional settings has become a mandatory skill for business students.
Acquiring AI skills begins with understanding the serious risks of uncritically accepting AI-generated content instead of producing original prose. The greatest danger of merely copying AI-written text is that AI can generate inaccurate content. Hallucinations—falsehoods woven into accurate information—abound in generative AI; therefore, users must cross-check and verify AI output. A quick cut-and-paste is, plain and simple, a disaster waiting to happen.
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By Janet Mizrahi
Before I teach a class, like many of my coworkers, I take a moment to switch gears. I am no longer a colleague or a faculty mentor or a career counselor—I am a teacher. And for me that has always been a bit like playing a part, one in which my passion for teaching and learning serves to motivate my students.
It turns out that those of us who assume a teaching persona and who view teaching as a rousing performance may be onto something. Research indicates that such enthusiasm is catching much like laughter and can be a predictor of student engagement. Students notice when their instructor makes eye contact, gestures, and speaks with a varied vocal tone, cues that demonstrate that the teacher is not just slogging through a job. What’s more, dynamic instructors tend to instill connection with a topic that can even influence students’ choice of a major.
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