How to Embrace Artificial Intelligence on College Campuses
While enterprises are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) with enthusiasm, the higher education sector seems to be approaching this transformative technology with caution. AI is still new, and issues like ethical considerations, cost implications, and a general resistance to change are keeping many institutions from investing in AI solutions. But the potential benefits of AI in higher education are significant. Improved efficiency, enhanced student experiences, and sharper decision-making are just some of the opportunities associated with implementing AI on campus. So, how can your institution go about embracing artificial intelligence safely and securely?
AI in the Higher Education Context
Machine learning, natural language processing, generative AI, and large language models are among the most “well-known” branches of artificial intelligence. Machine learning involves training algorithms on large datasets to identify patterns and make predictions. Natural language processing is a subfield of AI that focuses on the interaction between computers and written and spoken human language. Generative AI (genAI) uses machine learning and other technologies to create new content (text, images, code, etc.) based on existing data. Large language models are algorithms that can understand and produce large volumes of content, often in text form.
Recent advancements in AI like ChatGPT, generative AI that uses large language models, have reignited the artificial intelligence conversation in higher education. Why? Because many issues surrounding the ethical implications of AI are still unsettled; deepfakes can pose identity concerns, genAI can be used to shortcut assignments and invite ethical issues like plagiarism, and more.
But the flip side of the AI conversation highlights its opportunity. Technologies like AI chatbots, virtual copilots, and language translators can have a profound effect on student agency and learning. Meanwhile, new machine learning tools can help institutions predict student retention trends, optimize course scheduling, and even identify instances of plagiarism in writing.
3 Areas Where AI Can Empower Your Institution
For colleges and universities, AI can offer solutions to a wide range of challenges. From automating administrative tasks to personalizing student support, AI has the potential to transform higher education. Here are just a few ways AI can be implemented to improve campus operations.
1. Content Creation: Institutions might be wary of the impact of generative AI on scholarship and plagiarism, but genAI can be incredibly useful in day-to-day administration. Imagine generating email campaigns, SMS notifications, application forms, meeting summaries, and press releases automatically. Generative AI can take much of the grunt work out of communication and content creation.
2. Operational Efficiencies: As the name suggests, process automation technologies, which use machine learning and natural language processing, can automate formerly repetitive manual tasks. This can dramatically reduce the drain on resources and minimize the chances of human error. AI-powered automation streamlines manual tasks, creating high-efficiency workflows that reduce the risk of mistakes.
Need an example? Imagine a student requesting a formal withdrawal from a course or from the institution. Instead of needing to go to the registrar then visit individual professors and departments to fill forms and collect signatures, the student submits an online request that automatically triggers a digital form. This form then routes tasks to the appropriate departments in a systematic workflow. Now imagine what other cross-departmental tasks could benefit from this type of process automation.
3. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Institutions have a wealth of data but, with so many data sources spread across campus, extracting meaningful insights can be challenging. New software and systems that use machine learning to create reports and dashboards from an institution’s data can dramatically improve decision-making by enabling stakeholders to be more informed and knowledgeable about the best path forward.
In fact, many institutions are already beginning to use machine learning to gain a competitive edge over their peers. They’re leveraging predictive analytics to boost enrollment, improve retention, and even to predict employment trends and create new programming.
The Future Is What You Make It
Artificial intelligence has the opportunity to utterly disrupt higher education, ushering in new forms of productivity, personalization, and performance. To move forward, however, institutions need to ensure the data that is feeding into those AI technologies is consistent across campus, accurate, and available. Siloed environments will inhibit an institution’s ability to take full advantage of artificial intelligence.
When looking at the possibilities that exist for AI on your campus, look beyond the alarmists and allusions to the Terminator. Look for AI chatbots that promote student agency and engagement. Examine systems with built-in workflow automations. Leverage analytics platforms that can review, translate, and make sense of complex data so stakeholders on campus can make more informed decisions.
