How AI is Changing the Way I Teach Business Law – The Cengage Blog

AI has taken the world by storm, and the schooling discipline is no exception. After over 20 years instructing at The Paul Merage College of Business at the College of California, Irvine, I have seen numerous adjustments associated to curriculum, instructing sources and college students. Nonetheless, I’ve seen nothing fairly like the wave of AI instruments popping up in school rooms. It’s thrilling, somewhat daunting and positively one thing all of us want to speak about.

So, right here’s the deal: I’m not an AI professional. However I have spent loads of time experimenting with AI, studying from my errors and determining what works and what doesn’t. I’d wish to share a few of these experiences with you.

AI in schooling: What’s the massive deal?

AI is already right here, whether or not we’re prepared for it or not. Based on Cengage analysis, use of AI has almost doubled amongst instructors, from 24% in 2023, to 45% in 2024. Many people are utilizing AI to create lectures, craft assignments and even grade assessments. The problem is not whether or not we undertake AI. Reasonably, it’s doing so in a manner that enhances our college students’ studying outcomes, whereas sustaining educational integrity in our programs.

In my on-line undergraduate enterprise regulation course, I have at all times required my college students to take written assessments, the place they analyze a set of information to achieve a authorized conclusion. Not solely am I making an attempt to show them the rules of regulation, however I need them to enhance their writing abilities.

A shift in focus

A couple of years in the past, I observed a refined improve in the total scores for these written assessments. I have taught this course for over 20 years, so I knew what the historic scores had been. Trying into it additional, I began listening to about how some college students had been utilizing ChatGPT of their programs. This bought me questioning whether or not a few of my college students had already been utilizing it to take my written assessments. Fast reply: sure, they had been. This now introduced an issue: what do I do about it? In an internet course, how can I prohibit the use of AI instruments on a written evaluation whereas successfully imposing that ban?  I shifted my focus from policing and imposing a ban on the use of AI in my programs to instructing my college students the right way to use AI responsibly.

Educating college students to make use of AI responsibly

In my course, I developed assignments known as “Written ApprAIsals.” These three-half writing assignments mix conventional studying with AI-assisted refinement. These educate college students the right way to use AI responsibly whereas bettering their essential pondering and writing abilities. Right here’s the way it works:

Step 1: Write a primary draft with out AI

College students are given a regulation and associated information article a couple of present authorized subject. They need to write a memo which analyzes the constitutionality of this regulation. I additionally present them with steering on using the customary authorized memo format, often called IRAC (Concern, Rule, Evaluation, Conclusion), to assist manage their ideas and writing.

College students are permitted to make use of no matter supplies they’ve, together with eBooks, my lecture movies and descriptions, Cengage’s on-line studying platform, MindTap and its sources, and some other data they ethically acquire on-line. However, they’re not permitted to make use of AI.

The function of this primary draft is for them to exhibit the foundational data they need to have already discovered. College students should attest to finishing this primary draft with out utilizing AI, and it’s value 30% of the complete “Written ApprAIsal” grade.

Step 3: Combine AI to resolve deficiencies

As soon as I have given them suggestions on their first drafts, college students are required to make use of AI to enhance their first draft. College students should submit the URL to their AI queries and responses (“AI log”). Or much less ideally, they will submit a PDF or screenshot of them. I can assess the effort they put in, consider their queries, and supply steering on the right way to extra successfully use AI. This half is value 40% of the complete “Written ApprAIsal” grade.

Step 3: Use AI to assist write a remaining draft

Utilizing what they’ve obtained from AI, together with my suggestions, college students should remodel their first draft into an improved remaining draft. College students are permitted to proceed utilizing AI as nicely.  They need to activate observe adjustments of their doc so I can see what adjustments they’ve made to the first draft.

Why has this strategy labored in my course?

1. It makes college students conscious of my familiarity with AI and the way it’s used. College students now know I am on the lookout for improper utilization of AI in our course.
2. It encourages their acquisition of foundational data. College students rapidly determine that they need to know the fundamental authorized rules. With out them, they’ll do not know if AI is offering them with inaccurate data, which may occur typically, particularly with regards to authorized instances
3. This strategy promotes educational integrity. College students acknowledge their first drafts should mirror their real understanding. There is no profit to utilizing AI for the first draft. As a result of the remaining elements are primarily based on their use of AI to enhance the first draft, there won’t be a lot room for enchancment if the first draft is too good. And since college students should submit their AI logs, I can simply confirm if they really did the work.
4. College students construct needed abilities for his or her future careers. They’ll enhance their writing and evaluation abilities in a low stakes’ manner, whereas receiving helpful suggestions.
5. It helps me focus my efforts on serving to them perceive the regulation, somewhat than having to implement a ban on the use of AI.

Points associated to this strategy

It takes loads of effort to search out the proper regulation and associated information article to make use of. Not solely does the regulation need to be present, but it surely additionally have to be attention-grabbing and related to the college students. Authorized points have to be introduced in a manner that are factually impartial to keep away from bias. And, the information articles have to be factual and never cluttered with distracting commentary or opinions.

Moreover, fast suggestions is required. With as much as 150 college students in my course, I solely have somewhat greater than 24 hours to show round written suggestions and feedback on their first drafts and AI logs. Frankly, it may be overwhelming.

Recommendations on integrating AI into your course

I have discovered a couple of issues alongside the manner about integrating AI into my programs.

Set up clear guidelines: Be upfront and clear about when, and the way, AI can be utilized. Follow these guidelines and implement them.

Take into account accessibility: Not each pupil has straightforward or inexpensive entry to AI instruments. Be sure you have alternate options obtainable for these college students.

Teach foundational data first: College students must know the core ideas to allow them to critically consider any AI-generated content material.

Require transparency: College students should present how they used AI. It is an effective way to maintain them sincere.

Be versatile and open to experimentation, most significantly: Errors are inevitable. There might be instances the place one thing you thought would work simply doesn’t. That’s okay. Modify and hold innovating.

Last Ideas

AI is right here to remain, and that’s not essentially a nasty factor. AI is a instrument that may assist college students be taught. However, it’s as much as us to point out our college students the right way to use AI responsibly. Whether or not it’s serving to them enhance their writing abilities, acquire foundational data or develop essential pondering abilities, AI has a lot potential in our programs. Let’s embrace it and determine the right way to make it work for every of us.

Obtained concepts or experiences with AI in your programs? Let’s join. I would love to listen to how you might be utilizing it!

Machiavelli (Max) Chao is a full-time Senior Persevering with Lecturer at the Paul Merage College of Business at the College of California, Irvine and Cengage School Companion.