Math Values

AI in Action: Charting New Paths through Enhancement, Creation, and Integration

By Lew Ludwig

Full Cover image created by Lew Ludwig with the assistance of AI

Author’s Note: Throughout this article, 'AI' refers specifically to generative AI unless stated otherwise. I will primarily discuss ChatGPT 4o, the free model, due to its widespread use with our students.

In my last three posts, I've encouraged you to engage with AI to better grasp its capabilities and limitations, helping you make informed decisions about its use. I hope you've made progress, but understand that "playing with a generative AI model" might seem too vague for some and it's hard to know where to start. While I personally prefer a task and a deadline over tutorials, I recognize that a bit of guidance can be beneficial. After all, we wouldn't teach the chain rule and then simply say, "go play with it."

Below, I outline three frameworks for exploring generative AI: Improve, Create, Integrate. In each case, you bring your expertise to the table. The real test is determining if “You + AI > You.” Whether you are new to AI or have some experience, I hope these frameworks prove useful and help you navigate this brave new world of AI effectively.

Improve

One of the simplest ways to start with AI is by using it to enhance something you already have. For this example, I will be using the first homework assignment [upload assignment file] for my business calculus class, which explores limits.

1.Align with Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs): Do your assignments align with your school’s educational objectives? Use AI to evaluate how well your assignment meets these goals:

  • Prompt: Please review the attached learning outcomes from Columbus State Community College [insert webpage link]. Find attached my assignment file [upload assignment file]. For each question, identify and list the Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) from Columbus State Community College that it meets, along with a brief explanation for each alignment, detailing how the questions fulfill these specified ILOs.

2. TILTing an Assignment (Transparency in Learning and Teaching): Have you ever assigned work that seemed clear to you but resulted in unexpected student submissions? The TILT framework helps ensure students understand and meet educational objectives by clearly defining the task's purpose, required actions, and assessment criteria, thus enhancing transparency and alignment with learning goals.

  • Prompt: Attached is my assignment file  [upload assignment file]. Please apply the TILT framework to question 2.

3. Enhancing Interest: Do your word problems fall flat for your students? Utilize AI to customize your assignments to better match their interests and passions, making the content more engaging.

  • Prompt: Attached is my assignment file  [upload assignment file] Could you suggest five ways to make question 2 more appealing to students who are fans of Ohio State University football?

For a detailed look at how I applied these 'Improve' prompts with AI, check out my ChatGPT session here: https://chatgpt.com/share/67bf1c77-f360-8008-8cfe-ccb856c19b73

Create

Now that you can see the value in AI improving things, let's see what we can create. Here, you remain the expert, capable of evaluating the quality of the work produced.

1. Second Version of a Quiz: Is your classroom crowded, raising concerns about wandering eyes? Or do you have a student who needs to make up a missed quiz? AI can help by creating a second version of your quiz, maintaining the same length and difficulty.

  • Prompt: Please review the attached quiz for my introductory calculus class [upload quiz file]. Can you create a second version with the same number and types of questions, maintaining the original difficulty level? BONUS: Request the output in LaTeX.

2. Prerequisite Help Materials: A student from Japan noted gaps in his calculus preparation. I used AI to generate prerequisite materials on solving first-order linear differential equations.

  • Prompt: I'm teaching introductory calculus and have a student who hasn't studied math in over five years. They're a diligent worker but struggle with function notation due to rusty precalc skills. Could you create a user-friendly two-page introduction to function notation at a precalc level, explaining its application to our current topic of limits in calculus? Include references to the Australian cartoon Bluey to engage this student, as they have small children who are fans of the show.

3. Ancillary Materials for OER: Using an OER textbook but need additional materials? AI can develop handouts, discussion questions, or case studies to complement your resources.

  • Prompt: I am currently teaching the section on limits from the OpenStax calculus book [insert webpage link]. Can you create three exit ticket questions for the end of this lesson and three different warm-up exercises for the start of the next class?

For a detailed look at how I applied these 'Create' prompts with AI, check out my ChatGPT session here: https://chatgpt.com/share/67bf21f3-e590-8008-a14d-7f518425620c

Integrate

In this category, we leverage AI to enhance our professional tasks, focusing on administrative and analytical responsibilities.

1. Responding to Challenging Emails: While I typically advocate for writing the first draft yourself to avoid biases in AI systems, there are times when using AI could be beneficial. For example, drafting a response to a long, rambling email from a student that frustrates you. AI can help craft an initial response that you can then refine.

  • Prompt: I have a student who has missed numerous classes and is generally unengaged. They performed poorly on the first test and sent a lengthy email complaining about the test's difficulty and fairness, despite a class average score of 81.2. Please help me draft a response that acknowledges their frustrations and suggests constructive ways to improve. [cut and paste email]

2. Help with Travel Funding: Drafting a grant proposal requires aligning your request closely with funding guidelines to form a compelling argument. This is particularly true when requesting travel funds from your dean for conference attendance.

  • Prompt: Attached is my grant proposal for requesting travel funds to attend a conference [upload file]. Please compare this proposal with the attached funding guidelines [insert webpage link]. Help me refine the argument to ensure it aligns with the guidelines and effectively communicates the value of attending this conference.

3. Analyzing Course Evaluations: Evaluating the overall sentiment of student feedback can be challenging, especially when a few “squeaky wheels” dominate our perception. AI can synthesize this feedback, offering a broader perspective and contextual insights.

  • Prompt: Attached are the responses from my midterm course evaluations [attach file]. Please analyze the overall sentiment and summarize the key themes. Help me understand the general student perception and identify any areas for improvement.

I hope these concrete examples have ignited your engagement with AI and even sparked new ideas for its application—transferring learning across different contexts! As you explore these opportunities, remember that the goal isn't just to use AI for the sake of innovation, but to meaningfully improve educational outcomes and make your day-to-day tasks more manageable.

Whether you're enhancing assignments, developing new materials, or simplifying administrative work, let AI serve as a tool to amplify your expertise and enrich the learning environment. Approach this journey with an open mind and a commitment to ongoing learning and adaptation, pushing the boundaries of what you can achieve with AI in education. By understanding what these technologies can and can’t do, you can make informed choices about when to use AI and when it might be best to rely on what you already know.

What’s new?

Following a very successful AMS Special Session on Generative AI for Improving Instructional Productivity, organized by Feryal Alayont and Erich McAlister, I'm excited to announce the launch of a new community, 'Teaching Math with Generative AI.' This group, co-organized by Feryal, Rachael Lund, and Bevin Maultsby, meets biweekly to explore new applications and discuss all things AI in the teaching of math.

Interested in joining? Simply visit this link, click 'Ask to join group,' and feel free to post your ideas or questions. We're eager to welcome you to our community and look forward to your contributions!

Lew Ludwig is a professor of mathematics and the Director of the Center for Learning and Teaching at Denison University. An active member of the MAA, he recently served on the project team for the MAA Instructional Practices Guide and was the creator and senior editor of the MAA’s former Teaching Tidbits blog.