Fall 2023 brings a new class to the Faculty of Art & Science that will be taught almost entirely with artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
AI as a Classroom is an advanced fourth-year seminar that will be offered as part of the Book & Media Studies Program at St. Michael’s College.
AI as a Classroom will address a variety of issues concerning AI and its influence on society, including the ethics of AI and the impact AI has on cultural and media landscapes.
It will also engage with provocative questions about the role of the professor in the creation and curation of the learning experience and in the potential of AI to enhance learning and promote proactive thought. Using the most advanced technologies in the field, including generative AI and large language models (LLM) — a type of AI that can mimic human intelligence — the course will feature a customized version of ChatGPT that has been expressly trained on course research questions.
Who best to teach a course on AI literacy than AI itself?
Throughout the course, students will develop skills in the use of AI in order to develop cutting-edge critical analyses of AI from a variety of ethical, practical, and philosophical perspectives.
The course is the brainchild of associate professor Paolo Granata who has a history of engaging in experimental pedagogy. During the pandemic, Granata used virtual reality (VR) technologies to foster experiential learning. He sees this course as a way of expanding these explorations of new media and the learning space.
“This is an exciting opportunity for students to explore the cutting edge of AI and its potential for education,” says Granata. “By experimenting with AI tools in the classroom, we hope to provide our students with a unique and enriching learning experience that will prepare them for the challenges of the 21st century, where AI literacy is key.”
Inspired by the legacy of Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan, the Book & Media Studies Program has been at the forefront of experimentation in media education and digital literacy.
Based on Marshall McLuhan’s adage “the medium is the message”, this course will provide an innovative context through which to investigate the potential for AI to enhance human agency in previously unimaginable ways.
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The colleges house a number of academic programs. No matter which college a student belong to, they have access to all courses and programs offered in the Faculty of Arts & Science. Students do not need to be a member of a particular college to access college-sponsored programs — college affiliation does not restrict academic choice.