to show, change can still be a difficult and drawn-out process.“ A lot of people are afraid of change, but change is necessary,” says Charley.“ We wouldn’ t be driving cars if we didn’ t change. We wouldn’ t have cell phones if we didn’ t change.”
The university has a strategic approach to encouraging evolution, with champions on campus trying new tools first and, when their peers see positive student responses, they quickly become interested too.“ Next thing you know, Sandra’ s door is being knocked on, or my door’ s being knocked on,” Charley explains.
Still, changing people’ s minds isn’ t an easy process. Initially, one of Charley’ s colleagues argued that societies have functioned without AI for thousands of years. She made this point during a Google Meet call and the irony wasn’ t lost on Charley.“ She couldn’ t have done that a thousand years ago – or even five years ago.”
But most faculty and staff are eager to learn. The relative novelty of AI creates fear of being left behind.“ People want to know about these things,” says Sandra.“ Faculty want to know how to better their courses or their teaching, and students want to better themselves academically.”
technologymagazine. com 295