English 20: College Composition II

Empowering, Engaging, Necessary

Reflection on Instructional Change:

My class had a GenAI week this semester connected to professional writing. We have an assignment in ENGL 20 that asks students to research and present information about their desired/future career, with an emphasis on writing in that career. There are multiple parts of the presentation, but there are three specific tasks that I thought GenAI could be very useful for: generating examples of writing genres, crafting interview questions, and a creating a rough draft of an interview request email. I believe the first task (genres) further clarifies what is meant by “genre” in relation to professional writing. The second task (interview questions) demonstrates a common and acceptable use of GenAI, one that does not require much refinement and could potentially be an acceptable "copy and paste" situation. The third task (email) demonstrates how ChatGPT can generate something that has the right structure and shape, but something that also needs revision to make it authentic sounding, especially as it is a request for time and information with the added benefit of providing a networking opportunity.

The activity we had in class was in a computer lab and was fully interactive. We worked in groups, and students were not required to submit related work, as we had continuous open discussion and exploration, and when students were working, I walked around the class and had discussions with each groups about their findings. Some feedback immediately from students was that this might help overcome the hurdle of being anxious to directly email a professional/professor. We found that the genre question needed further clarification for ChatGPT, and after a few rounds of prompt refinement, we were able to find a detailed and accurate list of writing genres in a few different workplaces as well as adequate/accurate samples. The interview questions worked very well. The language/tone was a little too formal, and the questions were often too specific, but a few simple edits created some very acceptable interview questions. The email didn’t work well at all using ChatGPT, and required a large amount of editing. Some issues with the email was it was either too formal or informal, it didn't read authentically at all, it did not provide enough clarification for the purpose of the interview, etc. I also made it clear to students that if networking is a goal, a ChatGPT email does not speak very well to their professionalism, specifically in regards to authentic effort. I did find it a great experience to reemphasize rhetorical awareness and provided an opportunity for several rounds of revision and refinement.

The learning activity that most influenced my instruction was Empowering Students Using AI: Discussion and Reflection. I think the big takeaway was that transparency about AI from the start is more effective than trying to avoid it. I have tried this in my classroom, including statements in the syllabus, continuous updates and check-ins about AI, and a day of AI exploration. It seems, like many things, that most students are willing to accept our recommended usage, but there are always that few that either don't really care or don't quite understand. I do like to be honest and say that, as of this moment, GenAI is being widely implemented into most workplaces, so it is good to know. The one aspect of the learning module I didn't really like was the the frequent warning that is presented in these videos and others - if you don't learn it, you will be replaced by someone who does. I don't think that is necessarily true, and it really doesn't take long at all to learn to use GenAI in most workplaces, so this sort of "learn it or else" approach about this skill specifically is something I don't really vibe with. Otherwise, this learning activity/module helped me to reevaluate my usage and transparency and made it easier for me to work with students as opposed to "against" them, which felt more empowering for the students.

Evidence of Instructional Change

Evidence of Instructional Change
In this screenshot, I am demonstrating a lesson on how to use ChatGPT to generate written content. In this moment, I am showing how it can provide a basic and mostly accurate list of genres of writing in different majors/fields of study.	This module was added to my English 20 class this semester. It includes reading and activities about using generative AI and an assignment that prompts students to use AI to generate content for applications materials such as resumes and cover letters.	These badges were earned upon completion of four AI modules through the ACUE course.

Practice and Reflect Teaching and Learning with AI:

Taking the approach of speaking about GenAI as a positive and empowering tool was the difference maker. My enthusiasm about it was enough to make it something that shouldn't be hidden but should rather be openly explored and discussed. It made it much easier for me to confront students who were abusing the use of AI (copying and pasting), and we thought of ways to use it properly as a class. For example, we have a week of lessons about misinformation online, which includes an analysis of biases in news media and eventually leads to a rhetorical, mathematical, and psychological analysis of conspiracy theories. I had students choose a topic, then generate a news report in the style of two politically or ideologically opposed news sources. I also had students create a prompt that describes a conspiracy theory that they will make up, and to have GenAI craft it in the style of their choosing, for example a report about owls spying on us for the NSA in the style of a radio show or podcast. It works surprisingly well. Here is an excerpt from the results: “Welcome, listeners, to another riveting episode of "The Truth Unveiled," where we delve into the shadows to uncover the secrets they don't want you to know. I'm your host, and tonight, we're diving deep into a conspiracy that will make your feathers stand on end - owls spying on us for the NSA.” The results go on to include a story from an eye witness in the woods. It was fun for students and I to create, and I felt it was very effective at illustrating the point of the lesson.

Course Syllabus

The syllabus includes a new policy on the use of AI in the classroom. The new policy is more accepting but also sets firm boundaries on acceptable usage.

ENGL20.50 Syllabus and Grading Contract - Hybrid - Fall 2024

Faculty Bio

Faculty Bio
	My name is Dakota Joseph Lenz, and I am a part-time lecturer in the English Department. I am also adjunct faculty at Sierra College, American River College, and Cosumnes River College. I earned my Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and Language from San Diego State University (while minoring in Oceanography) and my Master's Degree in English: Composition from CSU Sacramento. My teaching career began in Berlin in 2006 where I taught English lessons and private guitar lessons. I have since taught or tutored Earth Sciences, Oceanography, Statistics, Film, and German. Outside of work, the majority of my time is spent caring for my two very young daughters. We enjoy reading books, exploring the outdoors, playing music, scrounging for delicious snacks, and dreaming about naps.

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.