AI in the Classroom: Transforming Teaching from Rote Learning to Applied Intelligence

When OpenAI announced ChatGPT last year, there were many concerns in academia. Faculty

worried how students could use AI to get shortcuts on assignments. I had a different view. I thought AI could be a great tool for educators. We cannot stop technological advancement — AI is becoming part of daily life, a tool many will depend on for efficiency. Higher education needs to integrate AI thoughtfully.

I have started using AI in my classrooms, with promising results. This fall, I taught an introductory Human Resource Management course. A key project — creating job descriptions and analyses — poses challenges for my students who speak English as a second language. I encouraged students to use AI writing assistants. The results impressed me. Students using AI produced superior job descriptions — clearer, more concise, with relevant skills and qualifications.

I have used AI to enhance the learning outcomes of my students. For example, this fall I taught an introductory Human Resource Management course. A key project in the course — creating job descriptions and analyses — posed a challenge for my students who speak English as a second language. I encouraged students to use AI for their project. The AI helped students to brainstorm, and create a high quality job analysis. Students were able to create superior job descriptions — clearer, more concise, and with relevant skills and qualifications.

While academics often resist change, current educators must acknowledge that memorization and rote formulas are obsolete skills in an age when any required information is readily available at the click of a mouse or tap of a screen. We are entering an era defined by the ability to effectively search, generate and utilize information to solve problems. As AI generates more and more content, mastering subject matter will require an understanding of how to critically evaluate the content and analysis generated by the AI..

If higher education wants to stay relevant, we must integrate AI thoughtfully into our classrooms. That means rethinking teaching methods developed for a pre-AI world. Exams and lectures focused on memorization will become a thing of the past. Educators should instead assist students in discovering, generating, and utilizing information to solve real-world problems. Subject mastery will involve understanding how to tap into and critically evaluate AI-generated information.

And make no mistake — no matter how much some may wish to turn back the clock, technological advancement cannot be stopped. AI is inevitable, and it will increasingly encroach on roles and tasks humans have dominated. Wise educators will embrace this future and guide students down the path of partnering with, rather than competing against, the machines.

AI is here to stay. We can either adopt it or risk falling behind.. With openness and innovation, educators can lead the way into this emerging technological landscape.