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Season 4, Episode 7 – Chat GPT: Pushing the Boundaries of Higher Education

About This Episode:

ChatGPT is the latest in the rapidly growing realm of AI programming. The program understands and responds to human language, which has been shown to be beneficial in assisting students in higher education by providing personalized support and resources and creating interactive learning experiences. However, the darkside to AI programs such as ChatGPT is the ever-growing use in cheating by generating answers to assignments or exam questions.
In this episode, we explore how ChatGPT presents both opportunities and challenges for traditional teaching methods, ultimately highlighting the importance of balancing technology and innovation in the classroom. First, we will speak with an assistant professor who shares why he believes ChatGPT is detrimental to both students and instructors. Next, we have a discussion with a philosophy professor who demonstrates how ChatGPT can positively alleviate administrative work both inside and outside the classroom. The show wraps up with an interview with an Associate Provost for Academic Programming, who led a task force in creating guidelines and best practices for ChatGPT. Through the different perspectives presented, we examine the topic of how ChatGPT is pushing the boundaries of higher education

Featured on This Episode:

  • Jeremy Weissman is an assistant professor at Nova Southeastern University, where he teaches in the Department of Humanities and Politics. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Dr. Weissman's research focuses on American politics, with particular interests in political parties, interest groups, and political behavior. As an educator, Dr. Weissman is dedicated to engaging students in critical thinking and analysis of political issues and encouraging them to become active and informed citizens.
  • Antony Aumann is a professor of philosophy at Northern Michigan University (NMU). He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Michigan and has been teaching at NMU since 2001. Dr. Aumann's research interests include the philosophy of language, epistemology, and metaphysics. He has published articles in numerous academic journals, including the Journal of Philosophy, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, and Synthesis.
  • Ann Marie V​anDerZanden is an academic administrator and Associate Provost for Academic Programs at Iowa State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Horticulture from the University of Minnesota and has been a faculty member at Iowa State since 1996. In her current role, Dr. VanDerZanden oversees all academic programs at the university, working to ensure that they meet high standards of academic excellence.

Resources for This Episode: