BAUHAUS.INSIGHTS: How is Artificial Intelligence Altering Teaching?

As part of the BAUHAUS.INSIGHTS series, we at the online Bauhaus.Journal asked Dr. Nicole Baron a few questions. Dr. Baron works in the University Strategic Development Office and is eTeach contact person responsible for, among other things, media didactic consulting. In this interview, she explains how universities — and the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar in particular — are approaching the »AI phenomenon« in teaching.

Dr. Baron, in your investigations of how AI is changing Thuringian universities and their teaching, what specific changes are you noticing?

The changes are affecting all areas. Artificial intelligence is already being used widely in teaching and research, but administrative staff are also taking courses on how to integrate AI tools into their daily work. AI can be used on various levels in teaching. Instructors can impart their knowledge about AI, but they can also use it as a didactic tool and organise their daily teaching using AI. Students can use AI to generate texts and images or to research sources. AI can also be used as an empathetic learning support. On the administrative level, however, structures need to be put in place so that secure tools are equally available to all university members. The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar relies on materials provided by the eTeach-Netzwerk Thüringen, such as the FSU Jena’s declaration of originality and the set of AI tools we’ve curated.

At the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s Faculty of Media, the topic has been the subject of research for quite some time, for instance the technical development of AI is being promoted within the within the university. Can you give some examples of how AI is being used in teaching at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar?

There are three examples I can think of off the top of my head: I know that the Intelligent Information Systems Department at the Faculty of Media is working on an AI-based chatbot that will work as a learning companion for students during lectures.  The bot is trained on scripts used for lectures. Students can write the chatbot questions. There are countless learning scenarios that can be conceived here. For instance, you could ask the bot to give you practice exam questions that you then have to answer. You could also ask the bot about specific things that you didn’t understand in the lectures. A second example of using AI in teaching is the combine theory and practical module »Critique and (Artificial) Intelligence - Machine Learning and Critical Theory« taught by Dr. Alexander König, head of the Faculty of Art and Design’s Media Environments Department. While students read texts on critical theory in this in scientific module, they also get technical AI training in the practice-oriented specialist module. Both aspects are combined with students writing their own academic papers in which they work and engage critically with AI. A third example of using AI in teaching comes from the Faculty of Media. Artistic staff member Moritz Wehmann instructs students in Film and Media Studies on how to critically examine the results of an AI image generator for implicit prejudices.

What does the eTeach-Netzwerk offer for university members to train themselves and stay up to date?

Numerous courses on AI can be found on the eTeach-Netzwerk website www.eteach-thueringen.de.  I’d like to draw special attention to the training courses for instructors, which can be found under »Angebote«. In the »Themen« section, have a look under »Künstliche Intelligenz« and you’ll find all kinds of resources covering the use of tools, legal conditions and AI events. Our events are another way to find out more. The annual eTeach conference takes place every year in November and offers lectures and workshops on the topic. The Talks@eTeach meanwhile aer something we offer once a month on Thursdays from 1 to 2 pm in the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s »Hybriden Lernatelier« in Amalienstraße 13, room 003 and also broadcast online. This is where AI experts from Thuringia and across Germany regularly have their say. The format is always entertaining and includes a half-hour presentation followed by the opportunity to ask questions and have discussions. Last but not least, you can also stay up-to-date by subscribing to our eTeach-Newsletter. Although it doesn’t focus exclusively on AI, the topic is currently so pervasive that each issue of our newsletter includes at least one article on it.

At the Faculty of Business Administration at Prague University of Economics and Business, the »traditional« bachelor's thesis has been abolished due to the difficult-to-detect use of AI tools. How is the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar addressing this? Should the use of AI tools be permitted in writing academic papers?

Generally speaking, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar supports the position of the eTeach-Netzwerk Thüringen: We see, most importantly, great potential in AI. We advocate for and support an open, transparent and informed approach to using AI. We are in favour of finding appropriate common rules that, on the one hand establish a context for, and on the other hand leave space for development and design when it comes to teaching, learning and experimenting at Thuringian universities.

In my opinion, the development and use of AI in our everyday lives isn’t something we can avoid. At the moment, it’s not possible to check with legal certainty whether a paper has been written with AI or not, so there’s really no point in banning AI tools at universities. Instead, we should be aware of and address the ethical and legal challenges that this new technology poses. At the eTeach-Netzwerk Thüringen, we are committed to making AI accessible to everyone at Thuringian universities and developing the relevant skills at all levels.

If you ask me personally, I don’t think it makes sense to get rid of the »traditional« essay or thesis. If you were to let AI write a thesis on its own, it would include a lot of nonsense — from empty phrases and repetitions to fabricated sources. In order to write a good thesis with AI, you need to check the sources and citations given by the AI. You have to refine your prompts again and again so that the end result is a readable and academic text. This isn’t easy and takes a lot of work! This means that if I get presented with a paper »written using AI« that is scientifically accurate and linguistically correct, then just as much academic work has gone into it as a paper that was written »by hand«. The effort is simply shifted. The student not only has to prove that they have mastered the academic rules, but also the media competences needed to properly take advantage of the latest AI developments. What’s important at the moment is that the individual using the AI tool makes this clear in their declaration of originality.

You are the contact person for the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar in the eTeach-Netzwerk Thüringen; is there an ultimate objective for the Network and if so, what is it?

The Network has a number of major goals. First of all, it serves as an inter-university state initiative and consolidates expertise. The main goal here is to strengthen communication between universities and to establish partnerships. The second goal is qualifying instructors in the field of media-enhanced teaching. This includes, for instance, courses for training instructors and students, financial support for innovative projects and teaching formats, and sharing best practice examples through talks, conferences, and our www.eteach-thueringen.de website.

And to wrap up, a peek at the future: What do you think will be firmly established in the future? What do you think the best-case scenario for the relationship between university teaching and AI will look like?

I think that because AI is already being used in so many areas at the university, this question has a few answers. If we stick to paper writing, I think the best-case scenario will be that AI is used in the same way spell check is used in Office programmes — as a writing aid. At the same time, I hope that AI will help humanity hold a mirror up to itself, after all, AI systems such as Large Language Models and Machine Learning are primarily being used to generate texts, images and videos as they already exist on the internet. Cultural hegemonies also play a role, as do racism, sexism and other inequalities existing in our society. As a university, I want us to recognise ourselves in our work and critical engagement with AI, drawing attention to the injustices in our society and helping us stand against them.

Declaration of Originality: This text was proofread and corrected with the help of the AI tool »DeepL Write«.

Addendum: Nonetheless, the News and Communications Team did the final edit of the text.

All the information on AI in the eTeach Netzwerk can be found at: www.eteach-thueringen.de

The BAUHAUS.INSIGHTS questions on AI in university instruction were asked by Luise Ziegler.