What We're Learning About Learning The Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship

Belonging is gaining increased attention on college campuses, likely due to factors such as the mental health crisis, pandemic-induced isolation, challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and debates on inclusivity versus free speech. Recognizing belonging as a universal human need has become paramount. In August 2022, we aired a highly popular episode featuring 13 faculty and staff discussing strategies for fostering belonging in classrooms. Building on its success, we delve deeper into the literature exploring the meaning and importance of belonging in academic success. In this initial episode of a two-part series, we tackle fundamental questions: What is the link between belonging and academic achievement? Why does it matter, and how can it be quantified and jeopardized? The subsequent episode will focus on practical interventions, both within and beyond the classroom, aimed at fostering belonging. Throughout both episodes, insights from three Georgetown University faculty and staff will be interspersed with relevant research findings to provide comprehensive perspectives on belonging and its impact on academic success.

To read more about this topic click here to go to our website where you will find an extensive bibliography and more information about our guests.

The onset of artificial Intelligence tools—like ChatGPT—continues to engender debate in higher education. It’s safe to say many faculty and students alike are concerned with the uncertain and far-reaching implications of using AI, especially as it relates to academic integrity. But as Andrea L. Guzman (Inside Higher Ed 2023) says, “knee jerk reactions” to new innovations may misconstrue the nature of these tools, and indeed how they’re being used in practice.

A BestColleges survey of over 1000 students provided insights on how students think about AI. Over half of college students (51%) believe that using artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT to complete assignments and exams qualifies as cheating, and 41% believe doing this is morally wrong. On the other hand, only 27% of students believed that tools like ChatGPT should be prohibited in educational settings. So how do we balance allowing—or even encouraging, in some cases—students to use AI while ensuring their  learning?

In this episode of What We’re Learning About Learning, we spoke with five students who offered their perspectives on AI and asked two faculty to respond to what the students had to say.  Listen to the episode to learn more about: 


The many ways students use AI tools from ChatGPT to Snapchat’s “MyAI” to help them in courses.


Conversations students want and need from faculty about AI.


The possibilities for integrating AI tools in the classroom.


The importance of fostering student and faculty dialogue around AI and its implications.



Explore more resources related to AI in higher education classrooms in the “Additional Resources” section. CNDLS has curated several resources on our Artificial Intelligence Tools page, including guidance on how to craft your course policies so you and your students are on the same page this semester. 

At a recent forum we hosted on AI in the classroom, faculty shared their excitement, concerns and approaches to integrating AI into their teaching practice. In this episode, we'll bring you highlights from their conversation, as well as interviews and statements with other GU faculty. There have been so many chat GPT articles and insights that it's hard to remember why it's dominating the news cycle. We spoke with CNDLS' executive director, Eddie Mamloney; computer science professor, Grace Hui Yang; Nick Lovegrove from the McDonough School of Business; Georgetown Computer Science and Linguistics professor Nathan Schneider; and  Andy Zeitlin from the McCourt School of Public Policy, as well as Camber Vincent, a junior in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown, who serves as the president of the student body.

In this episode of What We’re Learning About Learning, you can expect to hear more about the ways Chat GPT is already integrated into daily processes, and is evolving. Topics include:


The ways Chat GPT resembles human intelligence, as well as the ways it doesn’t;


How Chat GPT affects students, especially in conversation with Georgetown’s Honor Code;




How Chat GPT affects assignment design;


What Chat GPT can be used for, as well as where it is not as successful;
Considerations for Chat GPT’s use in language-building and idea generation.

To take a deeper dive into both emerging and longstanding literature, see our Resources and Additional Research sections below. There, you’ll find links to various resources and articles cataloging Chat GPT experiences and proposing best practices. For an even more extensive collection, see this Zotero Library curated by CNDLS staff. Here are two sources of syllabus statements: 1) Georgetown faculty and 2) open source document of various university and course statements.


Bios

Featured in this episode:


Grace Hui Yang, Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science
Nick Lovegrove, Professor of the Practice at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business
Nathan Schneider, Associate Professor in the Departments of Linguistics & Computer Science
Andy Zeitlin, Associate Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy
Camber Vincent,  SFS, ‘24 Georgetown University Student Association President
Eric Saldanha, graduate student representative from Georgetown's GradGov

Resources


Georgetown Resources


​​Chat GPT and Artificial Intelligence Tools - CNDLS website
MCEF-CNDLS Forum on Chat GPT Resources
Georgetown’s Honor Code Policy
Chat GPT’s website
Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS)
The Prospect blog


Additional Research



"How AUC Faculty Are Addressing AI in Their Teaching Spring 2023," The American University in Cairo
"Inside Higher Education’s Page on Artificial Intelligence," Inside Higher Ed
"How AI is Shaping the Future of Higher Ed," Inside Higher Ed
"I’m a Student. You Have No Idea How Much We’re Using ChatGPT," The Chronicle
Chat GPT Zotero Library curated by CNDLS

Show Notes:

Opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in research can be profoundly impactful for learning and mentorship experiences, while also providing opportunities for institutions to further scholarship and research in various fields (Adebisi, 2022; Blanton, 2008; Knight et al, 2021). While there are several ways for students to get involved in undergraduate research at Georgetown, many students are not aware of the opportunities; or if they are, they may not know how to get involved. A recent study described undergraduate research as “a treasure trove that has yet to be fully tapped” (Adebisi, 2022). 

In this episode of What We’re Learning About Learning, we spoke with Lauren Tuckley, Director for Georgetown’s Center for Research and Fellowships, who describes research experience as an undergraduate student “part of the hidden curriculum.” Faculty and students being aware of the research opportunities available at Georgetown can make this hidden curriculum more visible. We also spoke with Georgetown undergraduate students Zachariah John, Sarah Watson, and Dominic Pham who each share their takeaways from working in research positions. 



Bios:


Lauren Tuckley, the director of the Center for Research and Fellowships


Zachariah John, a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service studying science technology and international affairs


Dominic Pham,  a senior double majoring in biochemistry and comparative literature


Sarah Watson, a senior in the School of Foreign Service studying regional and comparative studies



Georgetown Resources:


Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (GUROP)


Center for Research and Fellowships at Georgetown


Undergraduate Research Resources at Georgetown


Georgetown’s Mission and Information about Cura Personalis


Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS)


The Prospect blog



Research:


Adebisi, Yusuff Adebayo. “Undergraduate Students’ Involvement in Research: Values, Benefits, Barriers and Recommendations.” Annals of Medicine and Surgery, vol. 81, 2022, pp. 104384–104384, 


Belanger, A. L., Joshi, M. P., Fuesting, M. A., Weisgram, E. S., Claypool, H. M., & Diekman, A. B. (2020). Putting Belonging in Context: Communal Affordances Signal Belonging in STEM. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(8), 1186–1204. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219897181


Blanton, Richard L., et al. Creating Effective Undergraduate Research Programs in Science : the Transformation from Student to Scientist. Teachers College Press, 2008.


Carpi, Anthony, et al. “Cultivating Minority Scientists: Undergraduate Research Increases Self‐efficacy and Career Ambitions for Underrepresented Students in STEM.” Journal of Research in Science Teaching, vol. 54, no. 2, 2017, pp. 169–94, https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21341.


Estrada, M., Hernandez, P. R., & Schultz, P. W.. (2018). A Longitudinal Study of How Quality Mentorship and Research Experience Integrate Underrepresented Minorities into STEM Careers, CBE—Life Sciences Education, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.17-04-0066


Foster, Nancy Fried. Studying Students : a Second Look. Edited by Nancy Fried Foster, Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, 2013.


Hensley, Merinda Kaye, and Stephanie Davis-Kahl. Undergraduate Research and the Academic Librarian : Case Studies and Best Practices. Edited by Merinda Kaye Hensley and Stephanie Davis-Kahl, Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, 2017.


Kilgo, C.A., Ezell Sheets, J.K. & Pascarella, E.T. (2015). The link between high-impact practices and student learning: some longitudinal evidence. High Educ, 69, 509–525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9788-z


Knight S.L., Hale R.L., Chisholm L.J., Moss P., Rolf C., Wenner L. Increasing student involvement in research: a collaborative ap

Bios
Featured in this episode:


heath pearson, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology
Amanda Phillips, Associate Professor, Departments of English, Women’s and Gender Studies, Film & Media Studies, and American Studies
Sivagami Subbaraman, Adjunct Professor, Department of Performing Arts; Former Founding Director for LGBTQ Resource Center (2008-2021)
Elizabeth Velez, Adjunct Professor, Prisons and Justice Initiative; Professional Lecturer, Women's Studies Program

Georgetown Resources

LGBTQ Resource Center at Georgetown
Women’s and Gender Studies ResearchGuide- GU Library
LGBTQ+ & Queer Studies Research Guide - GU Library
LGBTQ History at Georgetown - GU Library
Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS)
The Prospect blog

Additional Research/Scholarship

Berheide, C. W., Carpenter, M. A. & Cotter, D. A. (2022). Teaching College in the Time of COVID-19: Gender and Race Differences in Faculty Emotional Labor. Sex Roles, 86, 441–455.
Cheryan, S., Plaut, V. C., Davies, P. G., & Steele, C. M. (2009). Ambient belonging: How stereotypical cues impact gender participation in computer science. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97, 1045–1060. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0016239
Chin, M. J., Quinn, D. M., Dhaliwal, T. K., & Lovison, V. S. (2020). Bias in the Air: A Nationwide Exploration of Teachers’ Implicit Racial Attitudes, Aggregate Bias, and Student Outcomes. Educational Researcher, 49(8), 566–578. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X20937240
Davis, H.F.. (2017).  Beyond trans:  Does gender matter?  New York: NYU Press.
Good, C. , Rattan, A. & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Why Do Women Opt Out? Sense of Belonging and Women's Representation in Mathematics. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(4), 700-717. doi: 10.1037/a0026659.
Harbin, B. (2016). Teaching beyond the gender binary in the university classroom. Updated by Roberts, L.M. et al., (2020). Vanderbilt Center for Teaching. Retrieved [2/9/23] from: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-beyond-the-gender-binary-in-the-university-classroom/

For more research, visit our episode webpage. 

Grading practices and techniques range from strict policies, to contract-based grading, to assigning no grades at all. Wherever they find themselves on the continuum, in this episode, we hear Georgetown faculty wrestle with the nuances and complexities of assigning grades, and thoughts about their impact.

Featured in this Episode: Karen Shaup, English; Miléna Santoro,  French and Francophone Studies; Patrick Johnson, Physics; Erika Seamon, American Studies 

Georgetown Resources


Grading Student Work (CNDLS) and Alternative Modes of Grading (CNDLS)
Rethinking Assessment and Grading from Teaching, Learning, & Innovation Summer Institute (TLISI)

Additional Research


Blum, S. D., Kohn, A., & Saffel, T. (2020). Ungrading : Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to do Instead) (S. D. Blum, Ed.; First edition). West Virginia University Press.
Heissel, et al (2021). Testing, Stress, and Performance: How Students Respond Physiologically to High-Stakes Testing. Education Finance and Policy; 16 (2): 183–208. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp_a_00306
Chamberlin, K., et al (2018). The impact of grades on student motivation. Active Learning in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787418819728
Amabile, T. M. (2018). Creativity and the Labor of Love. In The Nature of Human Creativity (pp. 1–15). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108185936.003
Morris, S. (2021). When We Talk about Grades, We Are Talking about People.
Rapchak, M., Hands, A.S. & Hensley, M.K. (2022). “Moving Toward Equity: Experiences With Ungrading.” Journal of Education for Library and Information Science. https://doi.org/10.3138/jelis-2021-0062.
Stommel, J. (2017, October 26). Why I don’t grade.
Stommel, J. (2021, June 2). Grades are dehumanizing; ungrading is now simple solution