Evolving Issues
Asynchronous Session
Utilizing AI Chatbots in Higher Education Teaching and Learning View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Thomas D. Cox, Laurie Campbell
With the rapid societal emergence of generative artificial intelligence chatbots, calls for responsible use of AI permeate public voices. Higher education is no exception. The Diffusion of Innovation Theory seeks to explain how technologies like generative AI large language models are being adopted. Instructors are faced with addressing AI in instruction as the use of generative AI chatbots is accelerating. Further, instructors are seeking to understand how generative AI can and currently is being utilized in teaching and learning. In this study, 25 graduate education learners discussed their current use and perceptions of AI chatbots. Most of these learners indicated they had utilized AI chatbots to support their personal and professional lives. Most learners indicated that they did not utilize generative AI for academic writing assignments but used it for other pursuits. Implications for teaching and learning include discussing with learners how, when, and if generative AI can be utilized in the classroom.
Digital Art as Pedagogy: Exploring the Potential of Digital Art Making to Deepen Understandings of Social Justice in an Online University Course View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Anna Augusto Rodrigues
My study looks at the potential role digital art making may have in deepening student learning on issues of social justice in online university courses. My students created digital collages that visualized a social justice issue as an assignment for an online university course called Social Justice Issues in Education. The assignment gave students an opportunity to critically analyze concepts learned in the course as they applied their understandings of social justice to a digital work of art they created. Delivering course content that is framed through an equity lens has increasingly become important at Canadian universities. A literature review reveals a gap in studies that look at how digital art making can be leveraged to explore social justice themes in university courses. Drawing from critical arts pedagogy, an educational approach that looks at how art and artistic practices develop critical consciousness, I discuss my findings from a study that explores the pedagogical possibilities digital art making offers when learning about social justice issues in an online university course.
Implementing the STEM Learning Units to Promote Problem-solving and Innovation Skills for Elementary School Students View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Pornsook Tantrarungroj
This research develops the prototype of STEM learning units to promote problem-solving and innovation skills in small-sized schools for elementary school students and teachers. The research was divided into three phases. The first phase began with exploring the situation, problems, and needs of STEM education. The second phase involved developing a prototype of STEM learning units. The third phase involved studying the results of using STEM learning units. This involved experts, school principals, supervisors, in-service teachers, and students in the central and eastern regions in Thailand. Research instruments were a structured interview form, questionnaires, and an evaluation form. The research results show that the STEM learning units to promote problem-solving and innovation skills for small-sized schools consisted of six components and seven teaching and learning steps. The results reveal that STEM learning units that were developed based on the engineering design process and local problems were suitable for elementary school teachers to utilize in every level of elementary school students. The result of the teaching and learning with learning units satisfied all students.
