ETHN 172: Black Women in America

Culture, AI-inclusive, Race

Reflection on Instructional Change:

I decided to create an AI-inclusive assignment. The course I am teaching is an online asynchronous course, so I decided to make a short video about how to use AI appropriately for the weekly writing assignments. The steps I took are as follows: 1) I watched the ACUE videos about how to design AI-inclusive assignments and the videos about how to teach students how to use AI responsibly; 2) I created a set of slides about using AI responsibly (without cheating) and created a video describing and modeling this practice to students; 3) I disseminated the video to students along with the video for that week's lecture.

The implementation of this practice was positive in some ways and not so positive in others. Essentially, the students who watched the video seemed empowered to use AI differently. They began leaving notes to demonstrate that they used AI. I saw they were using AI in effective ways. For much of the course, we analyze Beyoncé's Lemonade film. I noticed students used AI to help them articulate their ideas and get used to using the new concepts they were learning. Students also crafting concise, specific statements to show how they used AI.

The ACUE Gen AI videos were very useful, especially the scenes of professors using ChatGPT for various things and of professors teaching in the classroom. I felt like I walked away from this FLC with a model I could use this semester and in future semesters. Specifically, the Empowering Students Using AI and Leveraging AI to Develop Course Resources were the most useful. I also appreciated having a bibliography to build on the knowledge from the ACUE activities over time.

From the Observe and Analyze Session, I got good suggestions on how to reinforce my efforts to teach students how to use AI by making my AI policy more robust and in multiple places.

Evidence of Instructional Change

Evidence of instructional change
Screenshot from my Observe and Analyze video	This is the assignment I showed my students how to use AI for.	My ACUE badge on teaching with AI

Practice and Reflect Teaching and Learning with AI:

I learned a lot in the AI ACUE course. In my next assignment that leverages GenAI, I plan to create a balanced assignment that has parts that are AI-inclusive and parts that are AI-resistant, because I believe it will challenge students to use technology as a tool rather than a replacement for their own thoughts/writing. Within my pedagogy, I have a strong commitment to increasing students' comfort with technology and incorporating popular career skills. I'm realizing that incorporating AI allows me to do both of these things and potentially gives my students room to be even more creative and innovative in their assignments. It's more important than ever that students gain some level of comfort and aptitude with different kinds of technology for whatever industry they plan to go into. I think this is especially true for students of color, first generation students, and students coming from low income or otherwise marginalized backgrounds. I am starting to see GenAI as an equity and inclusion tool that can level the playing field for students who come from marginalized backgrounds.

Course Syllabus

Faculty Bio

faculty bio
	Dr. Jasmine H. Wade is an Assistant Professor in the Ethnic Studies department/Pan African Studies program. She studies and teaches about Afrofuturism, Black feminism, and Black literature. When she's not working, she's usually running on the American River Trail or hanging out with her chihuahua.

Funding
	This work was supported by: US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project TECH4Equity US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012 *Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.