February 25, 2025 • 14 mins
Today’s discussion focuses on how AI is transforming higher education and addresses the common fears educators have regarding its impact on their roles. We explore practical strategies for leveraging AI, ensuring academic integrity, and adapting to a new educational landscape while emphasizing the importance of human connection in teaching.
• Understanding AI tools and their benefits for education
• Addressing fears about job replacement due to AI
• Analyzing the role of AI in enhancing student engagement
• Strategies for effective grading and personalized feedback
• Importance of ethical practices in AI usage in academia
• Future-proofing careers through AI literacy and professional development
• Key takeaways for adapting to AI in higher education
Until next time, keep grading, keep growing, and keep making a difference in your students' lives.
Dr. Rutledge
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Grading Papers, the podcast dedicated to
supporting and empoweringadjunct professors.
I'm your host, dr Randy AnitaRutledge, a 14-year adjunct
professor, and I am thrilled toembark on this journey with you.
Today we're going to talk aboutsomething that has been making
the waves in academia artificialintelligence in higher
(00:23):
education.
Ai is reshaping how we teach,how we grade, how we interact
with students, and while thereare many benefits, there are
also legitimate concerns.
Many educators feel overwhelmedby the pace of AI's evolution.
They also are uncertain aboutits impact and even fearful
(00:48):
about displacement.
But fear not, because todaywe're going to explore these
concerns and we're going todiscuss a few strategic
solutions that allow educatorsto adapt, thrive and lead in
this new AI world.
So the lack of understandingwhen it comes to AI, it's like
(01:11):
it makes us feel overwhelmed asteachers, and you have to ask
yourself why am I feelingoverwhelmed about AI?
Because it's overwhelming,right.
One of the biggest hurdles toAI adoption in higher education
is a lack of understanding.
Many adjuncts and teachersalike, full-time professors they
(01:33):
hear these buzzwords likemachine learning, automation,
chatbots, but they really aren'tsure what it actually means for
them.
So let's break it down.
Ai in education includes toolslike automated grading systems,
plagiarism checkers likeGrammarly, chatbots for student
(01:55):
support and adaptive learningplatforms platforms that adapt
to student learning needs.
So, when you think about thesetools, they aren't replacing
professors.
They're actually enhancing theway that we work.
Now, if you're an adjunct, youknow that there's a lot of work
that you do that you don't getcompensated for.
(02:16):
So when you think of AI, whatis the key challenge?
The challenge is professorsaren't being trained to use AI
effectively, and without thistraining, it leads to resistance
and confusion.
So then you get a lot ofdifferent types of content that
(02:38):
you have to add in your syllabustelling students not to use any
AI, else they get an F or azero.
Or telling students that theirpaper will be checked for AI,
and if they get checked and theyare found to be using it, which
is against the universitypolicy, then there are all sorts
of punishments that theyreceive.
(03:00):
You can look around and AI isnot going anywhere.
It is actually being adopted inmany, many of the domains that
we work in.
That's education, that's lawthere.
Ai that can be used withinacademia, right.
So when you think aboutsolutions, how could we solution
(03:34):
AI to be effective in academia?
Thinking about students becauseI want you to know they're using
it.
When I'm grading papers, I cansee AI all up and down the
papers and it makes me wonderare students learning anything?
Or are they using it just toget a grade to get out of
university so they can get a jobthat they won't know otherwise
(03:56):
how to work in that job they maynot have the skillset or the
competency or the capacity to dothe things that they're asked.
So if you think about AI fromthat perspective, you can create
solutions where you graft it inand you might use a part of it
and let students know it's okayto use a part of it for the
(04:18):
assignment so that learning canstill take place.
So institutions need to provideAI training for educators.
If your school isn't offeringthis, seek out online workshops
or communities that provide AIliteracy for education.
Being proactive about learningAI can put you ahead of the
(04:42):
curve.
Now I'm using the intelligenceof AI models in my easy adjunct
apps and it has saved me so muchtime.
It has increased myunderstanding of the gaps and
the weak points, of where mystudents need more emphasis and
(05:05):
they need tip sheets and allkinds of things to help them
learn what they need to learn inthe courses that I teach, which
is big data, data, science,analytics, etc.
So you shouldn't have the typeof fear that oftentimes we have
as educators because we're nottrained and we're not
(05:25):
knowledgeable.
So let's talk about that fearfactor.
Will AI replace educators?
Ai has sparked such fear andanxiety in the educational
sector, particularly around jobsecurity.
I've seen, and you've probablyseen and even heard, that AI
(05:48):
automatic grading and answeringstudent questions and even
generating lesson plans is oneof the ways that adjuncts and
professors are going to losetheir job or be displaced, but
that's not true.
I want to address some of thereal concerns about these fear
(06:12):
factors.
Will AI replace educators?
Well, the short answer is no.
Ai is really a tool.
It's not a teacher.
It lacks the emotionalintelligence, the mentorship and
adaptability that humaneducators bring to the classroom
.
So don't fear that your job isgoing to be gone.
No, you will be able to do moreof what you like to do, which
(06:33):
is really teaching.
Ai will change the way we work,though.
Some routine tasks will beautomated and institutions may
begin to rely more on AI drivenassessments.
The challenge for adjuncts andfaculty is to evolve with the AI
(06:55):
rather than to resist it.
So a solution here could beinstead of fearing displacement,
focus on upskilling right.
Think about how you can startto understand prompt engineering
.
Help your students gain thisskill set so that they can learn
(07:17):
how to do research, learn howto pose questions, how to create
outlines for the paper thatthey are going to write.
You can leverage AI tools inmany, many ways.
So the goal is to learn how touse AI for efficiency.
(07:38):
Use AI for efficiency, andthat's whether you're using it
for AI powered grading to speedup your feedback and I mean
personalized feedback, unbiasedfeedback based on the rubric and
the assignment instructions andthen leverage AI to enhance
(08:01):
student engagement.
There's so many different waysthat you can roll AI into your
course and into academia.
So what are some strategicapproaches?
How can educators thrive in anAI-driven world?
You might be asking yourselfyou know, how do we
(08:23):
strategically adapt to this newAI-driven landscape?
Well, here are some keyapproaches.
Number one you want to leverageAI for smarter grading.
Start to think about usingAI-assisted grading tools to
help you automate routine taskswhile maintaining control over
(08:46):
the final assessment.
You can use AI tools to helpyou, and then you review what
you get as the output from theAI.
You still read your studentspapers, you still read their
feedback, but then you have anunbiased tool or list of ways
that you can respond and evenpersonalize feedback for that
(09:09):
student.
Some of the platforms, likeTurnitin, grammarly and other
platforms, can help providefeedback more efficiently
without compromising academicintegrity.
Number two rethink studentengagement.
Ai-powered chatbots can answerfrequently asked student
(09:31):
questions, freeing up your timefor deeper engagement.
You know, when the course firststarts, there are a lot of
questions that students ask andsometimes it's because they
haven't taken the time to readthrough the syllabus or read the
start here prompt and thosetypes of things.
Well, you could use a chatbotwith frequently asked questions
(09:53):
that students have been askingfor some time, especially if you
keep a list of those and youcan feed that chatbot with that
list and the answers.
And then you could have an AIQ&A chatbot for those types of
things that students can go toand get their answers to the
questions, like Snap.
(10:13):
You could also think aboutpersonalized learning tools like
adaptive quizzes, and thesehelp cater to different student
learning styles so you canactually create quizzes that
once a student answers a quizquestion and maybe they get it
incorrect.
(10:33):
It can funnel the student intoanother set of questions to help
them better understand or tosee if they really know the
answer, but they just didn'tunderstand the question.
You can set boundaries on AIusage.
While AI can streamline tasks,don't become overly reliant on
(10:55):
it.
As a professor or adjunct, youwant to make sure you keep that
human oversight, because it'scrucial when it comes to grading
and feedback and classroominteractions.
Number four advocate for ethicalpractices when it comes to
using AI.
Push for transparency in AI usein your organization and your
(11:18):
institution.
Who is designing the AI?
Are there biases present inthat AI?
You wanna ensure that the AItools align with ethical
academic practices and enhance,rather than hinder, the student
learning.
I would say.
(11:39):
Another thing to do is numberfive future-proof your career.
Instead of being fearful of AI,I would embrace it.
I would read about it, learnabout it and find out where your
curiosity lies and, based onthat curiosity and your teaching
style and your teachingphilosophy, think of ways that
(12:01):
you can use AI personally inyour academic career, as well as
with the students that you'reteaching and the students that
are learning.
Upskilling in AI literacy willmake you more indispensable.
You could even find yourselfgaining more projects, gaining
(12:21):
more courses and maybe evenincreasing the compensation that
you get because you have thisskill.
You want to stay ahead of thetrends by attending AI-related
webinars and workshops orcollaborating on AI-driven
research.
Now, that's a space you can getahead in.
Think about academia andintegrating AI into the academic
(12:46):
landscape, and what researchcan you do there?
Right, don't be fearful of AI,and I would say start to jot
down ideas in your courses andthink about ways that you could
revamp your courses to includeand to embrace AI, to let your
(13:07):
students know you're not adinosaur and you understand how
technology is growing by leapsand bounds and you're here to
help the student learn and thatyou're partnering with them in
their learning journey.
Embracing AI as an educationalally is what we all have to do,
(13:28):
because AI is not our enemy,it's a tool and you can use that
tool, and when you use itstrategically, you can make
teaching more effective and lesstime consuming, and you know
I'm all for that.
So the key takeaways fromtoday's podcast adaptation is
(13:49):
power.
If educators embrace AI and useit wisely and be one of the
ones who thrive in this new,evolving landscape of higher
education, you'll find that yourfear was unwarranted.
It was just the need to upskilland better understand where
(14:09):
technology is going.
Embrace the technology, learnabout it, find where your
curiosity lies, jot down ideasfor using AI and maybe even
revamping some of your coursesso that you can further engage
your students.
What are your thoughts on AI ineducation?
(14:31):
Let me know.
Text me right here at GradingPapers Podcast.
We thank you for tuning in toGrading Papers.
Don't forget to subscribe,leave a review and share this
episode with your colleagues andfriends.
Until next time, keep grading,keep growing and keep making a
difference in your studentslives.
Welcome to Grading Papers, the podcast dedicated to
supporting and empoweringadjunct professors.
I'm your host, dr Randy AnitaRutledge, a 14-year adjunct
professor, and I am thrilled toembark on this journey with you.
Today we're going to talk aboutsomething that has been making
the waves in academia artificialintelligence in higher
(00:23):
education.
Ai is reshaping how we teach,how we grade, how we interact
with students, and while thereare many benefits, there are
also legitimate concerns.
Many educators feel overwhelmedby the pace of AI's evolution.
They also are uncertain aboutits impact and even fearful
(00:48):
about displacement.
But fear not, because todaywe're going to explore these
concerns and we're going todiscuss a few strategic
solutions that allow educatorsto adapt, thrive and lead in
this new AI world.
So the lack of understandingwhen it comes to AI, it's like
(01:11):
it makes us feel overwhelmed asteachers, and you have to ask
yourself why am I feelingoverwhelmed about AI?
Because it's overwhelming,right.
One of the biggest hurdles toAI adoption in higher education
is a lack of understanding.
Many adjuncts and teachersalike, full-time professors they
(01:33):
hear these buzzwords likemachine learning, automation,
chatbots, but they really aren'tsure what it actually means for
them.
So let's break it down.
Ai in education includes toolslike automated grading systems,
plagiarism checkers likeGrammarly, chatbots for student
(01:55):
support and adaptive learningplatforms platforms that adapt
to student learning needs.
So, when you think about thesetools, they aren't replacing
professors.
They're actually enhancing theway that we work.
Now, if you're an adjunct, youknow that there's a lot of work
that you do that you don't getcompensated for.
(02:16):
So when you think of AI, whatis the key challenge?
The challenge is professorsaren't being trained to use AI
effectively, and without thistraining, it leads to resistance
and confusion.
So then you get a lot ofdifferent types of content that
(02:38):
you have to add in your syllabustelling students not to use any
AI, else they get an F or azero.
Or telling students that theirpaper will be checked for AI,
and if they get checked and theyare found to be using it, which
is against the universitypolicy, then there are all sorts
of punishments that theyreceive.
(03:00):
You can look around and AI isnot going anywhere.
It is actually being adopted inmany, many of the domains that
we work in.
That's education, that's lawthere.
Ai that can be used withinacademia, right.
So when you think aboutsolutions, how could we solution
(03:34):
AI to be effective in academia?
Thinking about students becauseI want you to know they're using
it.
When I'm grading papers, I cansee AI all up and down the
papers and it makes me wonderare students learning anything?
Or are they using it just toget a grade to get out of
university so they can get a jobthat they won't know otherwise
(03:56):
how to work in that job they maynot have the skillset or the
competency or the capacity to dothe things that they're asked.
So if you think about AI fromthat perspective, you can create
solutions where you graft it inand you might use a part of it
and let students know it's okayto use a part of it for the
(04:18):
assignment so that learning canstill take place.
So institutions need to provideAI training for educators.
If your school isn't offeringthis, seek out online workshops
or communities that provide AIliteracy for education.
Being proactive about learningAI can put you ahead of the
(04:42):
curve.
Now I'm using the intelligenceof AI models in my easy adjunct
apps and it has saved me so muchtime.
It has increased myunderstanding of the gaps and
the weak points, of where mystudents need more emphasis and
(05:05):
they need tip sheets and allkinds of things to help them
learn what they need to learn inthe courses that I teach, which
is big data, data, science,analytics, etc.
So you shouldn't have the typeof fear that oftentimes we have
as educators because we're nottrained and we're not
(05:25):
knowledgeable.
So let's talk about that fearfactor.
Will AI replace educators?
Ai has sparked such fear andanxiety in the educational
sector, particularly around jobsecurity.
I've seen, and you've probablyseen and even heard, that AI
(05:48):
automatic grading and answeringstudent questions and even
generating lesson plans is oneof the ways that adjuncts and
professors are going to losetheir job or be displaced, but
that's not true.
I want to address some of thereal concerns about these fear
(06:12):
factors.
Will AI replace educators?
Well, the short answer is no.
Ai is really a tool.
It's not a teacher.
It lacks the emotionalintelligence, the mentorship and
adaptability that humaneducators bring to the classroom
.
So don't fear that your job isgoing to be gone.
No, you will be able to do moreof what you like to do, which
(06:33):
is really teaching.
Ai will change the way we work,though.
Some routine tasks will beautomated and institutions may
begin to rely more on AI drivenassessments.
The challenge for adjuncts andfaculty is to evolve with the AI
(06:55):
rather than to resist it.
So a solution here could beinstead of fearing displacement,
focus on upskilling right.
Think about how you can startto understand prompt engineering
.
Help your students gain thisskill set so that they can learn
(07:17):
how to do research, learn howto pose questions, how to create
outlines for the paper thatthey are going to write.
You can leverage AI tools inmany, many ways.
So the goal is to learn how touse AI for efficiency.
(07:38):
Use AI for efficiency, andthat's whether you're using it
for AI powered grading to speedup your feedback and I mean
personalized feedback, unbiasedfeedback based on the rubric and
the assignment instructions andthen leverage AI to enhance
(08:01):
student engagement.
There's so many different waysthat you can roll AI into your
course and into academia.
So what are some strategicapproaches?
How can educators thrive in anAI-driven world?
You might be asking yourselfyou know, how do we
(08:23):
strategically adapt to this newAI-driven landscape?
Well, here are some keyapproaches.
Number one you want to leverageAI for smarter grading.
Start to think about usingAI-assisted grading tools to
help you automate routine taskswhile maintaining control over
(08:46):
the final assessment.
You can use AI tools to helpyou, and then you review what
you get as the output from theAI.
You still read your studentspapers, you still read their
feedback, but then you have anunbiased tool or list of ways
that you can respond and evenpersonalize feedback for that
(09:09):
student.
Some of the platforms, likeTurnitin, grammarly and other
platforms, can help providefeedback more efficiently
without compromising academicintegrity.
Number two rethink studentengagement.
Ai-powered chatbots can answerfrequently asked student
(09:31):
questions, freeing up your timefor deeper engagement.
You know, when the course firststarts, there are a lot of
questions that students ask andsometimes it's because they
haven't taken the time to readthrough the syllabus or read the
start here prompt and thosetypes of things.
Well, you could use a chatbotwith frequently asked questions
(09:53):
that students have been askingfor some time, especially if you
keep a list of those and youcan feed that chatbot with that
list and the answers.
And then you could have an AIQ&A chatbot for those types of
things that students can go toand get their answers to the
questions, like Snap.
(10:13):
You could also think aboutpersonalized learning tools like
adaptive quizzes, and thesehelp cater to different student
learning styles so you canactually create quizzes that
once a student answers a quizquestion and maybe they get it
incorrect.
(10:33):
It can funnel the student intoanother set of questions to help
them better understand or tosee if they really know the
answer, but they just didn'tunderstand the question.
You can set boundaries on AIusage.
While AI can streamline tasks,don't become overly reliant on
(10:55):
it.
As a professor or adjunct, youwant to make sure you keep that
human oversight, because it'scrucial when it comes to grading
and feedback and classroominteractions.
Number four advocate for ethicalpractices when it comes to
using AI.
Push for transparency in AI usein your organization and your
(11:18):
institution.
Who is designing the AI?
Are there biases present inthat AI?
You wanna ensure that the AItools align with ethical
academic practices and enhance,rather than hinder, the student
learning.
I would say.
(11:39):
Another thing to do is numberfive future-proof your career.
Instead of being fearful of AI,I would embrace it.
I would read about it, learnabout it and find out where your
curiosity lies and, based onthat curiosity and your teaching
style and your teachingphilosophy, think of ways that
(12:01):
you can use AI personally inyour academic career, as well as
with the students that you'reteaching and the students that
are learning.
Upskilling in AI literacy willmake you more indispensable.
You could even find yourselfgaining more projects, gaining
(12:21):
more courses and maybe evenincreasing the compensation that
you get because you have thisskill.
You want to stay ahead of thetrends by attending AI-related
webinars and workshops orcollaborating on AI-driven
research.
Now, that's a space you can getahead in.
Think about academia andintegrating AI into the academic
(12:46):
landscape, and what researchcan you do there?
Right, don't be fearful of AI,and I would say start to jot
down ideas in your courses andthink about ways that you could
revamp your courses to includeand to embrace AI, to let your
(13:07):
students know you're not adinosaur and you understand how
technology is growing by leapsand bounds and you're here to
help the student learn and thatyou're partnering with them in
their learning journey.
Embracing AI as an educationalally is what we all have to do,
(13:28):
because AI is not our enemy,it's a tool and you can use that
tool, and when you use itstrategically, you can make
teaching more effective and lesstime consuming, and you know
I'm all for that.
So the key takeaways fromtoday's podcast adaptation is
(13:49):
power.
If educators embrace AI and useit wisely and be one of the
ones who thrive in this new,evolving landscape of higher
education, you'll find that yourfear was unwarranted.
It was just the need to upskilland better understand where
(14:09):
technology is going.
Embrace the technology, learnabout it, find where your
curiosity lies, jot down ideasfor using AI and maybe even
revamping some of your coursesso that you can further engage
your students.
What are your thoughts on AI ineducation?
(14:31):
Let me know.
Text me right here at GradingPapers Podcast.
We thank you for tuning in toGrading Papers.
Don't forget to subscribe,leave a review and share this
episode with your colleagues andfriends.
Until next time, keep grading,keep growing and keep making a
difference in your studentslives.
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