Speaker: Bill Hart-Davidson, Ph.D

The availability of AI and Large-Language Models in particular has rapidly become a disruptive force in education over the last few months. What happened recently to make these models more powerful and more widely accessible? What are the capabilities of these models and how can they change teaching and learning?  

In this session, Dr. Bill Hart-Davidson will offer some responses to these questions from his point of view as a researcher and maker of writing technologies, and as a teacher and administrator. He will also offer four proposed changes for you to consider at the pedagogy, curriculum, policy and ethics levels as we imagine our writing lives, together, with non-human agents.  

Bill Hart-Davidson, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures, a Senior Researcher in the Writing, Information and Digital Experience (WIDE) Research Center and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education in the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University. He has published over 100 articles and book chapters and is co-inventor of Eli Review, a software service that supports peer learning in writing, feedback, and revision. His research and teaching focus on writing and feedback in both school and professional settings. 

In this session, you will: 

• Define generative AI and Large-Language Models and their capabilities 

• Explore suggestions for redesigning learning activities 

• Reflect on proposed changes for pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, and policy in response to generative AI and Large-Language Models 

• Examine how AI can both support and hinder equity and inclusion 

This session will be offered both in-person and online. All registrants will receive the Zoom link.