Preparing students for the future of artificial intelligence
By: Matthew King (he/him)
The University incorporates AI literacy into professional development courses for students.
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the future of work, the Centre for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is preparing co-op students for what that change may look like through Professional Development (PD) courses.
The Centre for WIL is implementing a three-phase approach to integrate generative AI into PD courses to educate and embrace ethical use.
“There was a lot of conversation across campus around the use of generative AI. At the same time, we were getting questions from students through our PD courses about whether they were allowed to use generative AI,” says Lauren Broderick, senior manager of WIL courses at the Centre for WIL.
“Students were concerned about academic integrity and learning more about our course policy.”
Lauren Broderick, senior manager of WIL courses, Centre for WIL
Phase one
The Centre for WIL began by conducting an environmental scan. This included a review of current expectations and consultations to identify and clarify the Centre for WIL’s stance on generative AI usage. The Centre for WIL is allowing students to use generative AI in PD courses with guidance for appropriate and responsible use.
Staff focused on including student-centered resources, policies for the usage of generative AI in PD courses and an addition to the existing academic integrity agreement. Students also had the opportunity to participate in a generative AI survey to share how they use AI in the workplace.
Erin Jobidon, senior manager of curriculum, Centre for WIL
The survey, delivered in the fall 2023 and winter 2024 terms, had more than 450 student responses. Over 50 per cent of student respondents reported they were asked to use AI in the workplace.
"We need our curriculum to be future-ready and student input is an important part of that," says Erin Jobidon, senior manager of curriculum at the Centre for WIL.
“We learned what students were seeing in the workplace, what employers are looking for and how students use AI at work. How are employers encouraging them to use it? We want to know what's happening.”
The survey results will be used in phases two and three of the project to help inform the program and curriculum development.
Phase two
The project is currently in phase two, focusing on getting students to think about the responsible use of AI.
The Centre for WIL collaborated with Marcel O’Gorman, a professor of English and the founding director of the Critical Media Lab (CML), along with Rebecca Sherlock, a PhD student specializing in responsible innovation.
As subject matter experts, O’Gorman and Sherlock will support the development of a short module for PD courses focused on responsible AI use.
Marcel O’Gorman, professor of English and founding director of CML
The big picture for me is that students will reflect more carefully on where generative AI comes from and what the big question ethical concerns are. So not just the idea of data scraping and using data without permission, but also issues related to the environmental impact of generative AI and the massive amounts of natural resources required to use generative AI.
As part of the module being developed, students will cover topics such as:
- AI foundations
- Responsible innovation
- Principles of responsible AI
- Practical applications of responsible AI
Phase three
The final phase will see activities and assessments developed and implemented to leverage generative AI in PD courses. The survey results will largely inform these activities and assessments.
“What are the trends in how employers are expecting students to use generative AI? How can we replicate our activities and assessments to help them prepare for those experiences in the best way possible,” says Jobidon.
The team plans to develop the new activities and assessments during the fall term. At least one PD course will implement AI components in the winter 2025 course offering.
“We focused on embracing AI in PD courses,” says Broderick. “We’re tackling this from several different angles, including course policies, but ultimately doing our best to support students’ AI literacy.”