Abstract:

In this presentation, We'll talk about how artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve sociological research more broadly in this debate. Researchers can address difficult societal challenges more quickly and easily by using AI techniques. AI streamlines the examination of complex societal events by processing enormous volumes of data and recognizing complex patterns. Additionally, AI makes it easier to automate labor-intensive processes like data transcription and analysis, giving up time for researchers to examine and understand societal phenomena in greater detail. These developments in AI enable sociologists to explore societal complexity more thoroughly, leading to a more thorough comprehension of societal structures and behavioral patterns.

However, there are significant ethical concerns with the use of AI in research. We must exercise caution when it comes to privacy concerns and ensure that the AI systems we employ are free from biases that can skew the findings of our research. In this presentation, we will discuss these challenges and the importance of using AI responsibly.

In general, we are going to talk about how AI might enhance sociological research by simplifying the analysis of intricate social concerns.

Abstract:

AI presents significant challenges in higher education, particularly for first-year undergraduate students enrolled in writing and reading-intensive courses like the First Year Seminar and faculty members who teach these seminars. This paper takes as a case study the First Year Seminar, which is a required course for all first-year students at AUCA, to illustrate and explain the challenges of using AI in an institution, where English is not the native language for the majority of students.

Even though the First Year Seminar Program introduced a zero-tolerance policy, one of the primary challenges has been diminished student engagement. First Year Seminars are designed to immerse students in critical thinking, close reading, in-class writing, and intensive and articulate asynchronous writing. The reliance on generative AI tools to generate writing assignments, essays, and papers significantly discouraged students from engaging deeply with the required readings. The fall semester of 2023 demonstrated that students, who relied on AI, lacked original and articulate arguments, resulting in very generalized argumentation, shallow knowledge, and critical analysis. The student essays demonstrated that the use of AI significantly prevented from meeting the course goal of fostering critical and analytical thinking skills.

There is always the risk of academic dishonesty. AI tools tempt students to plagiarize, presenting AI-generated content as their own. This not only affects the integrity of their learning but also poses a challenge for faculty members in maintaining academic standards. Traditional plagiarism detection tools are becoming more advanced at recognizing AI-generated content, but as AI evolves, so too does the sophistication of these tools, creating a vicious circle. In addition, now the very advanced text humanizing tools make AI-generated text detection almost impossible.

Another challenge is the ethical use of AI. It is important to ensure that they understand the significance of transparency, responsibility, and integrity in their use of AI as well as the potential limitations inherent in AI systems. This problem goes along with the next challenge, which is keeping up with new AI technologies in the market. Usually, students are a lot more knowledgeable and informed about the newest AI technologies and more skilled in using them than faculty members. This knowledge gap makes it difficult for educators to monitor and guide students’ use of AI, potentially leading to misuse or ethical violations. To bridge this gap, we need ongoing professional development, ensuring that educators stay informed and can leverage AI to enhance learning outcomes.

Abstract:

When asked about the development and usage of Artificial Intelligence, students from freshmen to the senior years tend to exalt and advocate for its usage in education. This presentation is not denying the importance of AI and related technology in educational system but rather suggesting to use it intelligently based on students needs as per the level.

Teaching writing can be compared to any other tangible skill learning (where practice makes perfect) like cooking. If a person is trying to learn how to cook sushi and is attending cooking classes, ordering sushi for this cooking class as your own " home work" is illogical. The same analogy goes to academic writing where a student starts with writing short paragraphs and finishes with writing senior thesis. It is a whole scaffold process of finding and polishing your stamina and thought articulation. Yes, it is both creative and mechanical with long hours spent on not-good-enough drafts that may seems as a waste of time. But lets think about how many kilograms of rice and veggies were wasted to master the skill of sushi making. AI is pushing students to be effective and result-oriented by letting the AI write an essay for getting the grade. AI is about the result as any economic activity, but writing is about the process, long process of building your critical thinking and creative skills that also serve as a therapy in the age of all-productive-successful-chase. It lets you make mistakes and cherish them and learn from them and be original intelligence.

Therefore this presentation seeks to share experience on creating conditions for students of all levels to fall in love with their own intelligent mind that is capable of something more that asking AI to produce an essay for the grade.

Abstract:

While we teachers, researchers, and educators acknowledge the potential benefits of AI in education, however, we also acknowledge the dangers and challenges of its usage as we grapple with how this tool can be leveraged and used responsibly in our courses and respective fields of disciplines. Incorporating ChatGPT or Generative or Assisted AI or other machine learning tools has attracted many of our university students in their writing and research assignments and tasks. This presentation explores and outlines the pitfalls and the multifaceted impact of the use of ChatGPT and GenAI tools in Writing-Intensive Courses. It seeks potential positive solutions and opportunities to promote academic integrity, original and critical thinking, and intellectual growth.

The use of AI of our AUCA students in the writing-intensive courses such as English Composition classes, First Year/Second Year Seminar courses, and Senior Thesis Seminar courses has not only been rampant but also has caused debates among faculty who either embrace or resist it. Even many of the so-called good or performing (with high GPAs) students have also resorted to its usage with the end goal that having employed ChatGPT in their essays or research papers will help them get better results, thus, getting high grades. Students’ heavy reliance of its usage undermine their critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to think and communicate thoughts effectively on their own, thus, potentially stunting their intellectual development. Moreover, the ethical use of AI is also in question as issues of plagiarism and academic honesty become paramount. Students submit generated work by AI without citation and attribution leading to compromised ethical breaches and compromised academic standards.

Navigating the perils and pitfalls of AI necessitates resistance to AI in these writing-intensive courses. Thus, teachers of the English Composition and First Year/Second Year seminar courses have continued to remain ‘opposed’ to AI tools usage in said courses but at the same time rigorously fostering deeper engagement of content materials or texts, ranging from philosophy, literature, social sciences, arts, and humanities; and enhancing students’ writing fluency and proficiency in meaningful and creative ways.