The CNDLS Blog

AI in the Classroom: Advice for Educators from Cal Newport’s TLISI Keynote

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into education, Georgetown Professor Cal Newport’s keynote at this year’s TLISI Conference shed light on how AI can transform the classroom experience through new opportunities and challenges for students and educators alike.

Newport emphasized the swift progression of technological innovations and their implications for higher education. Contemporary advancements have facilitated the creation of large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, and Perplexity, which were initially impressive for their capacity to streamline various tasks. Newport noted that “LLMs have significantly expanded the range of pattern recognition and rule-based operations while growing considerably in scale….”

While the core design of LLMs like ChatGPT has remained consistent, new tools and features have made these systems more seamless, versatile, and user-friendly. These advancements have expanded the ways students and faculty can use the technology, offering broader applications in the learning environment. Newport’s research highlights that students are no longer using AI just to complete tasks but are engaging with it as a partner in the learning process. He shared an example of a master’s student at Oxford who used AI to navigate complex academic work, not by asking it to write large sections, but by using it to summarize key points from articles and refine ideas: “I read through the 12,000-word transcript of a master’s student at Oxford writing a very complicated paper… He did many things with this model. None of them was, ‘Hey, can you write like a large section of the paper?’… He would give it articles and say, ‘Can you give me the 10 main points in this essay that someone else wrote?’”

By using AI to review their work, test ideas, and even engage in conversations, Newport argues that AI can be a valuable tool to ease students’ workload and help them concentrate on tasks that demand deeper focus. He also highlighted that when faculty encourage the use of AI in assignments, it can offer students new forms of interaction and support, potentially reducing feelings of loneliness: “There’s a loneliness that maybe we don’t always recognize as educators… It’s stressful, or it’s lonely, or it’s alienating. Yeah, so it tells me that this interaction we could be having more with the students.”

While the educational potential of AI is promising, Newport emphasized its limitations—such as its inability to plan or fully understand context—which highlight the importance of teaching students to critically evaluate AI-generated content. He also urged faculty interested in integrating AI into their courses to carefully consider the ethical implications, including biases and the risk of reinforcing existing inequalities through AI platforms. Newport emphasized the importance of promoting the ethical use of AI, urging faculty to guide students in recognizing its limitations and potential biases. This requires not only a technical understanding of how AI functions but also an awareness of its broader impact on academic and professional environments.

As AI technology continues to evolve, there is a pressing need to reconsider how we assess student learning, which may mean raising expectations for student work or developing new assessment methods that better reflect individual contributions and critical thinking. Importantly, Newport suggested that while traditional academia is not at risk, it will need to adapt to the tools students now have at their disposal:

“I think paper writing in particular is the place where the first major reconceptualizations of some sort of intellectual activity in a world of AI might be happening,” he noted.

In light of AI’s growing role in education, Newport’s session offered valuable insights into how faculty can rethink traditional teaching methods. By embracing AI thoughtfully, educators can ensure it enhances learning while addressing its ethical and practical challenges. This, in turn, helps students develop into critical thinkers and ethical professionals, prepared for the complexities of a world shaped by AI.

To watch the full session from TLISI 2024, click here. 

Additional resources on using AI in the classroom:

CNDLS Resources

Guides

Recorded Presentations and Events

  • AI Use Cases in Teaching Across Georgetown University| TLISI | May 2024 [Video]
  • Learning to Live with AI : Enhancing writing and critical thinking across the disciplines| TLISI | May 2024 [Video]
  • Evolving Your Relationship with AI by the Creative AI Academy | Tony Jones, Dominik Heinrich at TLISI | May 2024 [Video]
  • “Beyond Chat GPT: The Broader Implications of AI in Higher Ed” | TLISI | May 2023 [Video]
  • MCEF-CNDLS Forum on Teaching with AI | September 2023 [Video]

AI workshop series

  • Introduction to AI | February 2024 [Slides]
  • AI Prompt Design: Brainstorming and Creativity | February 2024 [Slides]
  • Simulations & Case Studies: Using AI as a Thought Partner | February 2024 [Slides]
  • Teaching with AI: Tools and Techniques | February 2024 [Slides]
  • How to Use AI for Research and Data Analysis | March 2024 [Slides]
  • Using AI to Design Assessment | April 2024 | [Slides]

Podcast episodes