AI Will Teach Us All | Tim Mousel | TEDxLone Star College

Key Concepts

• AI in Education
• ChatGPT
• OpenAI
• Gamma (AI presentation tool)
• Purpose for Learning
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Analytical Skills
• Adaptability
• Lifelong Learning
• Chatbot Assignment
• Curriculum Integration
• Digital Literacy
• Prompt Engineering
• Fact-checking

The Challenge of AI in Education and the Need for Adaptation

The speaker, a professor with 32 years of experience in higher education, introduces the contemporary challenge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education through an anecdote about a student named "Terrible Tim." Tim exemplifies the misuse of AI by using tools like "Claude" to write a 500-word paper on nutrition and "Gamma" to create a presentation, thereby avoiding genuine academic effort. This scenario is presented as "the fear of all educators" regarding AI's potential for academic dishonesty.

Historical Context of Technological Fear in Education

The speaker contextualizes the current apprehension around AI by drawing parallels to past technological advancements that initially caused fear but ultimately led to adaptation within education. These include:

• Calculators: Initially feared to "ruin math."
• Spell check: Feared to "ruin writing."
• Internet, Wikipedia, Google: Also met with initial resistance and concerns. The core argument is that "Educators have always adapted" to new tools and AI is the latest in this progression.

Personal Journey and Advocacy for AI Integration

The speaker recounts his personal journey with AI, which began approximately four months before the public release of ChatGPT by OpenAI. He describes being "instantly blown" by its capabilities, immediately recognizing its potential to transform not only education but the entire world. This realization prompted him to:

• Immerse himself in learning about AI, including gaining access to its code.
• Release an educational software platform designed to assist students and teachers.
• Travel the country, educating professors on "how and why it should be integrated into the curriculum."
• Receive an invitation to the White House for a meeting with the White House AI task force on education, just two days prior to his talk.

Ironically, despite his current expertise, the speaker reveals he took only one computer class in his lifetime—in freshman year high school—where he earned an "F." His subsequent journey to becoming an AI advocate and commercial software developer stemmed from a "purpose for learning." In 1996, he self-taught HTML to build a website for his martial arts business, and later taught himself programming for automation. He emphasizes that this "purpose for learning" is what students also need to thrive.

Minimizing Cheating and Fostering Future-Ready Skills

Addressing the significant concern of cheating, the speaker proposes that it can be minimized if students understand two critical aspects of their assignments:

1. "Why am I doing this assignment?"
2. "What is in it for me? How do I benefit? How does it improve my future by doing this assignment?" He asserts that if students can genuinely answer these questions, their desire to cheat will significantly decrease.

The speaker stresses the importance of preparing students for an unknown future where "rote memorization is not as important as it used to be." Instead, education must prioritize the development of crucial skills:

• Critical thinking skills
• Analytical skills
• Collaboration
• Curiosity
• Lifelong learning
• Adaptability: Highlighted as a "very important trait" in a rapidly changing world.

A key argument is presented: "If we don't teach students to utilize AI, we aren't preparing them for the world they're stepping into. We're preparing them for a world that no longer exists."

The Chatbot Assignment: A Practical Framework for AI Integration

To demonstrate effective AI integration, the speaker details a "chatbot assignment" he implemented in his class. This comprehensive assignment requires students to engage in a multi-step process:

1. Research: Students must find three credible sources.
2. Knowledge Base Creation: They use these sources to establish a knowledge base for a chatbot.
3. Prompt Engineering: Students create a specific prompt to interact with the chatbot.
4. Interaction: They engage in a conversation with the chatbot.
5. Fact-Checking: Students are required to fact-check the chatbot's responses using three citations.
6. Analysis: Finally, they write an analysis paper reflecting on what they learned during the interaction.

This "very comprehensive assignment" moves beyond traditional paper writing, providing students with practical experience in AI, research, writing, and analytical skills, which are all deemed essential for their future careers.

AI's Impact on Educators: Adaptation, Not Replacement

Addressing the common question from professors, "Will AI replace me?", the speaker offers a nuanced perspective. He argues that "it's really not that AI is replacing their professors. It's going to be professors are going to be replaced by that aren't using AI by professors who do use use AI."

He illustrates this with a hypothetical scenario based on student reviews on platforms like "Rate My Professor":

• Traditional Class Review: Might describe standard assignments (e.g., "we did three assignments that were written papers. We did five quizzes. The class was okay. Just your standard traditional class").
• AI-Integrated Class Review: Would highlight engaging and future-oriented activities (e.g., "we did engaging AI assignments. We created chat bots. I can see how it prepared me for my future. It was interesting. It was fun. It was an exciting class. I loved it").

The speaker predicts that students will naturally choose the more engaging, future-oriented classes, leading to declining enrollment for professors who fail to adapt. This effectively means non-adapting professors will "essentially phase themselves out of a position." The concluding message for educators is clear: "we prepare students for their future, not our past."

Synthesis and Conclusion

The speaker passionately advocates for the proactive and thoughtful integration of AI into education. He views AI not as an existential threat but as an indispensable tool for preparing students for the complexities of the future. By fostering a "purpose for learning," prioritizing critical thinking and adaptability over rote memorization, and designing innovative assignments like the chatbot project, educators can transform potential challenges into significant opportunities for deeper engagement and skill development. The overarching takeaway is that adaptation to AI is not merely an option for educators; it is a critical imperative for maintaining relevance and equipping students with the essential skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.