How Will AI Change Higher Education?

Written by
Dawn Z. Hodges, Ph.D.

Published
Jul 18, 2024

Jul 18, 2024 • by Dawn Z. Hodges, Ph.D.

To me, AI is named Alexa, and she lives in my house. She tells me whether it will rain today, reminds me when to take the trash to the curb, and lets me know when my Amazon packages arrive. She tells me when to take cookies out of the oven and warns me when there is going to be bad weather in my neighborhood.

She's supposed to be intelligent, but she acts pretty dumb sometimes. She can’t hear well, often misunderstands my southern accent, and says “hmmmm, I’m not sure” when I ask questions that require answers having to do with feelings. She does not know if I love my husband. She says we’re friends, but when I quiz her about me, as she asks me to do, she knows virtually nothing. If she's been listening in on my conversations, as some say she does, she can’t recall much at all. She often has a hard time choosing the song I want to listen to and will pick any crazy song as a replacement. Sometimes, she just makes random sounds—to the point where I have to unplug her.

AI has long transcended the original Alexa. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how it works, but as leaders in higher education, we need to know how AI can and will change our field.

Walden University MN posted a blog entitled “5 Pros and Cons of AI in the Education Sector.” The article provides a succinct definition of AI: “Artificial intelligence is a field of computer science and technology that focuses on creating machines, systems, or software programs capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. The tasks include reasoning, problem-solving, learning, perception, understanding natural language, and making decisions. AI systems are designed to simulate or replicate human cognitive functions and adapt to new information and situations.”

The Walden blog lists five cons of AI:

  • Bias: AI is only as knowledgeable as the information it has been trained on.
  • Errors: AI may generate misinformation.
  • Cheating: students can use ChatGPT to write entire essays, answer quiz questions, and do their homework.
  • Isolation: if students interact with a software program more than with a teacher, they can begin to feel disconnected and isolated.
  • Jobs: AI has the potential to be a powerful learning tool. Some teachers worry that AI will replace them.

The article goes on to list five pros of AI:

  • Assistance: teachers who’ve tried AI have found that it can help make their jobs easier. With assistance from AI, teachers can gain more time to spend with their students.
  • Speed: if a student feels “stuck” while working on an assignment, AI programs can provide immediate, helpful assistance if a teacher or caregiver isn’t available.
  • Individualization: AI can individualize learning opportunities for students. For instance, ChatGPT can quickly and easily translate materials to another language.
  • Context: future students could use AI to talk to Anne Frank about her life, to Marie Curie about her scientific discoveries, and to Shakespeare about his plays.
  • Personalization: by analyzing student performance data, AI-powered tools can determine which students need support to improve their learning experiences.

In an article titled “Can Artificial Intelligence Transform Higher Education?” in the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, the authors, Tony Bates and colleagues, write, “Many have argued that the development of artificial intelligence has more potential to change higher education than any other technological advance.” Potential goals for AI in higher education are to increase outcomes, increase access, increase retention, lower costs, and decrease time to completion. These, however, are aspirational goals, according to the authors. They pose the question: “What is the reality?” Anyone interested in learning more about AI in higher education will find this article a worthwhile read. You can find it at bit.ly/3Xqlb1m.

You may be interested in another article on AI in higher education: “A Meta Systematic Review of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: A Call for Increased Ethics, Collaboration, and Rigour,” which also from appeared in the International Journal of Education Technology in Higher Education.” You can access it at bit.ly/45sPtDO.

As a freshman in college, I wrote a comparison essay about McCarthyism and the Salem Witch Hunts. I got an A on the essay, but my professor wrote, “Not too much of your own thinking, I am thinking.” Over 45 years later, I still remember his critique. It's the way I feel about this column. I wish I could write an entire column about AI, but I just don’t know enough about it! However, my research skills still serve me well, and I hope these articles will provide good reading for you, too.

Dawn Z. Hodges, Ph.D., is retired from the Technical College System of Georgia. She served as vice president for Academic Affairs at Southern Crescent Technical College. You may reach her at dawn.hodges623@gmail.com.