Cultivating Curiosity Through AI: from ENG/PHL 399 to the OCTE Conference
By Annalynn Mueller, junior English Major
December 2, 2024
Pictured above: Molly McGinley, Margaret Perrow, and Annalynn Mueller at the OCTE conference
ENG/PHL 399 took a philosophical and project-based approach to explore questions raised by artificial intelligence. One of the many special aspects of this class was that it was co-taught by Dr. Margaret Perrow and Dr. Prakash Chenjeri, professor of philosophy. Together they were able to take an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complexities of AI. When they started designing the class, they asked the question: “How can we engage students in thoughtful, actionable dialogue about the philosophical questions and practical implications raised by GenAI?”
“As faculty, we owe it to our students to share ways of talking about, thinking about, and trying out AI in our courses…each of us needs to think carefully about how we are building students’ intellectual curiosity and epistemic agency into our classes – whether we prohibit the use of AI, simply talk about it with students, or actively integrate it into our courses.”
– Dr. Margaret Perrow
Before the class, many of my classmates and I were unsure of how large-language models (LLM) like ChatGPT functioned. We were skeptical about how to use LLMs in our own learning, thinking, and writing. This class gave us a platform to learn how to use AI responsibly, in ways that promote agency. I was able to advance my understanding of artificial intelligence, as well as my own writing and creativity.
Pictured Above: A Day in the Life in ENG/PHL 399
“At the start of the term I didn’t think it was worth trying to use AI in the writing process because I thought that would automatically mean cheating. I’m very glad I’ve been able to reform my mindset around AI, and I now know how to use it ethically as a learning tool.”
– ENG/PHL 399 Student
Being part of this class last spring was a unique experience because the material we were learning was constantly evolving. Frequent updates to AI and the publication of new scholarship kept the class dynamic and exciting. We were able to expand our understanding of how artificial intelligence is changing our world and how best to handle these changes. It was an authentic, collaborative learning environment where students, professors, and community members came together to advance our mutual understanding and challenge our thinking.
Pictured Above: Dr. Chenjeri hard at work in ENG/PHL 399
The unique nature of the class offered numerous opportunities for advanced learning, including guest speakers, innovative assignments, and the chance to present at the 2024 International Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University in May. For the Creativity Conference, several groups of students, myself included, presented inquiry projects to an audience of professors and professionals from all over the country. It was powerful to see how our in-class discussions, ideas, and research were interesting to other audiences. Everyone at the conference was excited to learn alongside us and expand their understanding of AI—an attitude that we also found at the Oregon Council of Teachers of English Conference.
Pictured Above: ENG/PHL 399 Students at the 2024 Creativity Conference
The final project for the course pushed thinking and encouraged creativity by asking students to “demonstrate [their] understanding of generative AI and its relationship to writing, through an inquiry project grounded in philosophical concepts and practical applications.” Molly and I decided early on in the course we wanted to use our inquiry project as an opportunity to research and explore how AI could be used as a teaching tool in high-school writing workshops. We wanted to challenge the current narrative surrounding AI in education and explore its uses beyond plagiarism. To begin our experiment, we asked, “How can teachers implement the use of AI in high-school writing workshops to create an empowered writing community where each person values their process over their product?” We then created several student personas who may need extra assistance with their writing (e.g. student who is a second language learner, student with autism, student with dyslexia). After this, we spent considerable time engaging with ChatGPT to explore how it could offer advice and help organize the writing process.
“I have learned how to work in tandem with AI, rather than working against it.”
– Molly McGinley
We found that ChatGPT is skilled at helping students organize their thoughts, create outlines, break down the writing process, explain steps, encourage revision, and generate learning strategies for diverse learners. It was exciting for Molly and me to see how AI can help encourage student autonomy and encourage students to think of writing as a creative process, rather than just something to do for a grade.
However, while AI has great potential for classroom use, it also has limitations. We spent a lot of time trying to get ChatGPT to give us the answers that would be helpful for students. The time spent on prompt-engineering may take away from classroom instruction too much. ChatGPT does also have its own biases and at times gave us demoralizing advice that could be harmful for students. Our project was a valuable opportunity to think through how technology can be used in education, in our own writing processes, and how we as future teachers will teach our students.
Pictured Above: Margaret, Molly, and Annalynn with SOU friends at OCTE
Presenting our project, as part of Margaret’s presentation: “AI & Writing: Centering Student Voices” at the OCTE conference this October was an incredible experience for us. In the first half of the presentation, Margaret explained how the class came to be, her and Dr. Chenjeri’s process of designing the course, and some of the scholarship in writing pedagogy and philosophy that inspired the class. Then, Molly and I got a chance to share our project. As soon as our presentation started I felt like everyone in the room was genuinely interested in what we had to say and wanted to learn alongside us.
“Seeing these educators listen to us so intently was not only comforting but reassuring of the fact that what we had to say mattered. I can confidently say that the work we did was important because it opened the door for new ideas to be exchanged.”
– Molly McGinley
This energy existed throughout the whole conference as we listened to other presentations and interacted with others at the conference. Molly expressed that her favorite part was “the energy that poured from the halls and classrooms,” and that “being surrounded by passionate educators was uplifting, and the conversations that filled the rooms was inspiring.”
Pictured Above: Molly and I talking with new friend, Trish at the OCTE Conference
This conference fueled my excitement for my future as an educator. I was inspired both by watching educators present on topics I share a passion for and by having them listen to us present. I continually find myself looking up to Margaret as an educator and loved being a part of a process that she has put so much time and work into. Margaret’s confidence in our project and abilities was overwhelming, and I am incredibly grateful for the unique opportunities she gave us to learn and grow. The entire journey of ENG/PHL 399—starting from the first day of class to The Creativity Conference, the OCTE Conference, and now this blog post—has taught me so much about myself as a thinker, learner, writer, and professional. It has expanded my understanding of key concepts such as creativity, authorship, collaboration, and, most importantly, agency. I will continue to carry the concepts I have learned with me throughout my professional and personal journey.
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Interested in being featured on the English Program blog? Or know someone who is interested? Contact English Program blogger Annalynn Mueller at muellera1@sou.edu .
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