Enhancing the Trustworthiness of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Responsive Pedagogy in the Context of Humanities Higher Education

DOI  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65691-0_11

Posted: 15 Nov 2024 Last revised: 15 Nov 2024

See all articles by Alexa Alice Joubin

Alexa Alice Joubin

George Washington University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); University of Alberta; Middlebury College

Date Written: September 15, 2024

Abstract

How do we enhance the trustworthiness of generative artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, as a tool to foster students’ curiosity to learn about humanities subjects in higher education? This study analyzes what conversational AI tools can realistically accomplish in the humanities higher education context and what the substantive, rather than hyped, challenges are. There are two challenges. The first challenge is false singularity. While the AI has deficient domain knowledge, it is able to simulate fluent prose which can be mistaken as the ultimate answer to a query. One solution is to promote critical AI literacy, which enables students to grasp the nature of AI-powered simulation, and to nurture metacognition, a self-reflexive understanding of one’s own learning and thought processes. The second challenge is the tendency to mistake AI synthesis for critical thinking, the solution to which is the flipped classroom. Instead of writing essays that respond to instructor-generate prompts, students construct open-ended but focused research questions that are refined through reiterative and interactive activities. The author has constructed her own AI Teaching Assistant to test these hypotheses.

Keywords: Generative AI, trustworthy AI, humanities, arts, higher education, critical questioning skills, meta-cognition, Shakespeare

Suggested Citation

Joubin, Alexa Alice, Enhancing the Trustworthiness of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Responsive Pedagogy in the Context of Humanities Higher Education (September 15, 2024). DOI  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65691-0_11, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4973506

Alexa Alice Joubin (Contact Author)

George Washington University ( email )

2121 I Street NW
Washington, DC 20052
United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://ajoubin.org/

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ( email )

77 Massachusetts Avenue
50 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://ajoubin.org/

University of Alberta ( email )

Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3
Canada

Middlebury College ( email )

Middlebury, VT 05753
United States

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