Using GenAI for Course Design

I try to avoid sharing SoTL articles which I have written, but today I would like to share one that I recently published in April 2024 entitled, Using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to design a college Environmental Science course. I have received several requests on how a faculty member might use GenAI to support their course design, and perhaps some of you are thinking about/beginning to work on a new course for the next term. So, in this paper, I experimented using GenAI to determine how much of my course it could create (please keep in mind that this was written in late 2023, and much has changed in the GenAI field since then, i.e., most recently GPT 4omni).

For this research, I used the free version of Open AI ChatGPT and Anthropic Claude for comparison to design a college environmental science course using a foundational backward design model (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). Backward design typically includes three major steps, Results (learning outcomes), Evidence (assessment), and Experience (teaching methods, curriculum). The goal of this paper is to determine how effective GenAI could be at designing a course. The steps that were taken include using GenAI to create a concept outline from the course title; then using the outline to create active, conceptual learning outcomes (LOs); and then creating authentic assessments with analytical rubrics. All of this information would be entered into a GenAI platform to create a course schedule, slide outlines, and syllabus.

I would like to be very clear that although I used GenAI, I am not advocating the use of GenAI (or any technology) blindly. Most of the early research is clear on GenAI teaching in higher ed, which is it can provide support, but absolutely requires a subject matter expert to both generate meaningful prompts and critique, edit, update the output. 

The article provides a step-by-step process, which you could use to design your course: 

1. Course Title Input to Create a Topic/Concept Outline;

2. Outline to Create [measurable, active] Learning Outcomes (LO);

3. LOs to Create Authentic Assessment, Measurement and Evaluation (AME);

4. AME to Create Analytical Rubrics;

5. For those who create multiple choice exams, I also asked and included a 30-item exam asking for item, reliability and validity analysis;

6. Using Steps 1-4 to Create a  Course Schedule (integrating active teaching methods)

7. Active teaching methods can include several approaches such as Inquiry–based, Collaborative, Competency, Project-based, or Experiential (Gao & Hargis, 2010; Iwamoto, et al., 2016). In addition, we can consider sequencing (inductive/deductive), pacing, and interleaving (Rodriguez & Koubek, 2019). Common examples of active learning strategies include One Minute Paper, Think-Pair-Share, Muddiest Point, Concept Maps, Storyboarding, and Role Play (Angelo & Cross, 1993; Davis, 1993);

8. I also used SlidesGPT to create a slide deck, using the prompt, “Create a slide deck on environmental science which includes hydrogeology.”;

9. Using Steps 1-4 to Create Slide Outlines; and 

10. Using Steps 1-6 to create a Course Syllabus.

The GenAI technology is advancing very rapidly, so although the foundation of this research paper along with the prompts and general process should be useful, I would encourage you to access the newest of GenAI platforms if you would like to replicate this project. As always, I am happy to support individuals and/or small groups/departments if you are interested in course design, curriculum and/or effective teaching practices. 

References

Hargis, J. (April 2024). Using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to design a college Environmental Science course, Glokalde SoTL Journal, 10(1), Article 1.

Hill, C., Little, J., Bharadwaj, S., & Hargis, J. (2023). Methods to integrate GenAI Chat GPT into university teaching and learning, International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications, 13(4), 459-475.

Wade, J., Hargis, J., & Gessner, R. (2024). SlideSpace: Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) environment for individually optimized learning. American Society of Engineering Education conference proceedings, Portland, Oregon June 23-26, 2024.

Hill, C., & Hargis, J. (June 2024). If ChatGPT is writing the courses and the assignments then why do we need faculty or students? An ethics lesson on academic integrity and Generative AI in Higher Education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning.