E49: Generative AI and instructional design: Emphasizing the process of learning over the product of learning

Kristin Bond and Craig McCarthy, instructional designers at Lethbridge College, join the pod to talk about their experimentation using generative AI to help build course rubrics. The pair discuss how ChatGPT saves hours on tedious, low-level tasks, and creates opportunities for more creative, higher-level thinking in course development.

Craig and Kristin pose thoughtful questions about a more reflective learning process, and how, through open dialogue, instructors and students can navigate how to use generative AI, both in project work and in assessment methods.

During the recording, Craig, Kristin, and Donna (host) mention:

• UDL – Universal Design for Learning 
• University of Lethbridge 
• SAMR – Substitution, augmentation, modification, redefinition 
• SAMR and AI Chatbots 
• Grammarly 
• Teaching Writing with Generative AI by Leon Furze (how generative AI is shifting how English instructors are grading writing) 
• John Dewey’s Learning Theory: How We Learn Through Experience (the process of learning vs product of learning comes from John Dewy’s teaching philosophy) 
• AI: the New Electricity? by Dr. Phillipa Hardman (she discussed reframing how we think of AI, not as technology but more as an infrastructure) 
• Prompt engineering – giving generative AI context (such as a role) for what you’re asking. For example, a prompt could be: “You’re a marine biologist working on Vancouver Island. What are your top 5 climate change concerns regarding your industry?” Generally, the more context you can provide, the better your generative AI output will be. 
• Try out Chat GPT! It’s so easy to try, and your experiments might surprise you. You could start with a prompt as simple as: “Hey it’s my first time here. Tell me what to ask you!”