Kean University Faculty Delve into AI and Education

More than 100 Kean University faculty from dozens of academic disciplines recently learned ways of using artificial intelligence (AI) tools and strategies in their teaching during a virtual conference hosted by the University. 

Kean Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David Birdsell, Ph.D. said the Teaching and Learning with AI event was a watershed moment for Kean.  

“It was wonderful to see so many members of the faculty thoughtfully engaged with the tools reshaping many taken-for-granted assumptions in higher education,” Birdsell said.  

Keynote speaker José Bowen, Ph.D., an author and AI expert, told the educators that AI is already transforming both work and education. It can reduce time spent on routine tasks, elevate grading standards – since anyone can achieve 'average' with AI – and even foster creativity by generating and combining ideas, he said. 

“One hundred percent of jobs have at least one task AI can do better today,” Bowen said. “For institutions, the biggest question is how can they use AI to make things better.” 

Kean Acting Associate Provost for Special Projects Jonathan Mercantini, Ph.D., said many Kean faculty already use AI in innovative ways, but the conference was a first step in a long-term plan to support the integration of AI into teaching and learning.  

Mercantini co-chairs the Provost’s Task Force on Teaching, Learning, and Research with AI with Dina Rosen, Ph.D., director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Kean. 

“This is a vital conversation happening all over higher education,” Mercantini said. “With this event we can say that Kean is among the leading institutions preparing faculty, staff and students for the new world of AI." 

The conversation for faculty will continue in upcoming events. The Task Force is hosting “fridAI” events two Fridays per month, and a study of Bowen’s book, Teaching with AI, is set for March 28. 

“Our goal for this engagement is to foster a culture that embraces AI as a valuable tool for enhancing teaching, learning and research,” Rosen said.  

During workshop sessions led by Kean faculty and staff, conference attendees explored ways to integrate AI into their teaching. These included personalizing assignments for students, creating grading rubrics, and sourcing material for lectures and handouts. AI can also analyze video recordings of instructors and provide feedback on their teaching. 

It can help students learn and grow in creative ways – with things such as an AI tool that allows students to interview “Abraham Lincoln” or ancient Romans. 

Kean Associate Provost for Faculty Development Laura Baecher, Ed.D., said the event was “incredibly well received” by faculty.  

“Our keynote speaker sparked our interest in exploring AI in ways we never imagined,” she said. 

The conference also touched on the challenges of AI: the possibility of cheating, the cost of AI tools and the danger of AI producing “cookie cutter” results. 

The conference also featured a discussion about AI with Kean students, where they shared thoughts on how students utilize AI in college and how they anticipate incorporating it into their future careers. 

Advertising major DuShawn Naylor, a senior who lives in Parlin, said professionals in the field often speak to his classes, and while they say AI is being used in the workplace, it’s not taking over creativity. 

“We’re never going to get rid of that human feeling when it comes to creative things,” he said.