Tuesday, February 18, 2025

How BIOL 240 Students Used AI: Quick Reference Guide

by Josh D. Neufeld

How BIOL 240 Students Used AI: A Quick Reference Guide

(this blog post was generated by AI, summarizing email feedback)

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how students approach learning, and BIOL 240 (Fundamentals of Microbiology) was no exception. After reaching out to students who performed well in the course, I received a range of responses about how they did—or didn’t—use AI to support their studies. This post summarizes common AI tools, strategies, and takeaways from student feedback, and outlines potential ways to integrate AI for future students.

How Students Used AI in BIOL 240

While some students opted not to use AI at all, others found it to be a valuable supplement to traditional studying methods. Below are the key ways students incorporated AI into their learning:

1. Concept Clarification & Explanations

  • ChatGPT (Free & Premium): Used for breaking down difficult concepts, rewording lecture content, and answering specific questions (e.g., CFU/dilution factor calculations, chemotaxis, metabolic pathways).

  • Perplexity AI: Used to generate explanations with citations, though some students avoided AI due to privacy concerns.

  • Notebook LM: Attempted to summarize lecture slides into a podcast format, though results were inconsistent for BIOL 240.

2. Practice Questions & Active Recall

  • ChatGPT’s Test Maker: Generated multiple-choice and true/false practice questions. Students found these useful but noted that some answers were incorrect (~10% error rate), requiring cross-referencing with lecture materials.

  • RemNote: AI-assisted flashcard generation, including image occlusion and fill-in-the-blanks.

  • Quizlet & Anki: Though not AI-driven, these platforms were widely used, and some students used AI to generate flashcards in bulk.

  • Gizmo: Converted student-made flashcards into interactive quizzes.

  • Notion AI: Created active recall questions based on uploaded lecture notes.

  • Unstuckstudy: Used by some students to help navigate and reinforce difficult concepts.

3. AI-Generated Study Aids

  • Mind Maps & Comparative Tables: AI was used to generate structured comparisons between concepts (e.g., metabolic pathways, bacterial structures).

  • Lecture Summaries: Some students experimented with summarizing lecture slides but found the AI-generated content lacked nuance or contained inaccuracies.

  • Background Reading Generation: AI was used to generate pre-readings for students who felt unprepared for certain topics.

4. AI as a ‘Pocket Professor’

  • AI provided instant, personalized feedback, eliminating the need to post on discussion forums like Piazza and wait for responses.

  • Students appreciated the ability to engage in back-and-forth questioning with AI to refine their understanding.

Challenges & Limitations of AI

Despite the benefits, students noted some common drawbacks:

  • Inaccurate Information: AI-generated answers sometimes contained errors, requiring careful fact-checking.

  • Lack of Contextual Awareness: AI responses lacked the nuance of in-class discussions and demonstrations.

  • Over-Simplification: Some students felt AI stripped too much detail from explanations.

  • Practice Question Quality: AI-generated multiple-choice questions often lacked the complexity and application-based format of actual exams.

  • Privacy Concerns: Some students were hesitant to upload course materials to AI platforms.

Future AI Integration in BIOL 240

Given this feedback, I’m considering ways to integrate AI more effectively into the course:

  1. AI-Generated Practice Quizzes

    • Create vetted, AI-assisted practice quizzes that align with the course’s assessment style.

  2. AI-Generated Background Readings

    • Provide AI-curated introductory readings for complex topics to level the playing field for students with varied backgrounds.

  3. AI-Based Study Guides

    • Develop structured, AI-generated summary sheets to help students consolidate key concepts.

  4. Interactive AI Tutor

    • Explore the possibility of an AI ‘Professor Neufeld’ that could provide instant clarification on common student questions.

  5. Free AI-Generated Textbook

    • Investigate the feasibility of compiling AI-generated summaries into a free, supplementary textbook.

Conclusion

AI is clearly a valuable tool for many students, though it is not a replacement for critical thinking and traditional study methods. By refining how AI is used within BIOL 240, we can ensure that future students have even better access to high-quality learning resources.