Generative Artificial Intelligence expert Dr. Sid Dobrin will be on the Missouri State University campus to speak at two events as part of English Week, hosted by the Department of English.
Faculty workshop April 16
Dobrin will conduct a faculty workshop on Tuesday, April 16 in Glass Hall, Room 486, starting at 9:30 a.m.
He will address questions many faculty have about how to use AI in the classroom.
“Since the release of OpenAI’s GhatGPT in November 2022, higher education has begun to adjust from the ‘deer in the headlights’ phase to serious considerations about how GenTech will integrate into college-level education,” Dobrin said.
The faculty workshop will spark conversation on how to build assignments that introduce students to GenAI tools, methods and best practices.
“While resistance to GenAI in the classroom remains prevalent across the country – and the world, to be honest about it – increasingly educational institutions are beginning to ask conceptual and application questions about using GenAI,” Dobrin said.
Dobrin said the presentation will demystify how AI and GenAI work and then address several possibilities for how to think about generative technology moving forward.
Dobrin seeks to discuss the potential risks of introducing AI and how to maintain teaching philosophies and objectives in the introduction of AI to students. The workshop will address AI literacy’s significance concerning workplace preparedness and the connection between education and employment. Additionally, participants will engage in a collaborative activity to create assignments supported by GenAI.
The workshop is free, but registration is requested by Friday, April 12 so lunch can be planned.
Student presentation and discussion April 17
Dobrin will also present to students Wednesday, April 17 in Glass Hall, Room 486. The presentation will start at 9:30 a.m.
The student presentation will provide an overview of how Generative AI works, aiming to clarify the facts of GenAI technologies.
Following this, the session will consider how AI platforms might be used in student academic endeavors. Moreover, the session will discuss workplace readiness in the context of AI and GenAI literacies.
The workshop will emphasize strong ethical considerations as well as creativity, originality and authorship.
The session will conclude with an open discussion about using GenAI tools in students’ academic, professional, civic and personal lives.
About Dr. Sid Dobrin
Dobrin, chair of the University of Florida’s (UF) English department, has become one of the world’s most sought-after academic experts on Generative AI.
He is the author and editor of numerous books and articles, including “Talking about Generative AI: A Guide for Educators,” “AI and Writing” (Broadview Press, 2023) and the forthcoming collection, “AI and the Humanities.”
Dobrin is the Founding Director of the Trace Innovation Initiative at UF and has been named a Digital Thought Leader by Adobe.
Dobrin also serves as a member of the Florida Institute for National Security, part of the University of Florida’s AI Initiative, and serves on the steering committee for the Florida AI Learning Consortium (FALCON).
His current research interests examine enduring questions motivated by AI.
News written by Mariah Hunter and edited by the Reynolds College Communications team.
Hunter is a graduate assistant for the Department of Art and Design. She is working towards her master’s degree in writing at Missouri State University.