麻豆原创

麻豆原创 Professor of History Dr. Amy Ghilieri is embracing innovation in education by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into her courses, providing students a safe, guided way to engage with technology that鈥檚 rapidly reshaping the world.

For fall semester, Dr. Ghilieri has been piloting an AI-powered chatbot in her in-person and online Core Humanities classes. The tool, designed to function as a tutor, study coach and course navigator, provides students with support drawn directly from her course materials 鈥� lectures, readings, assignments, and the syllabus 鈥� rather than from the open internet.

鈥淭he chatbot can help students study for exams, work through homework questions or clarify course expectations,鈥� said Dr. Ghilieri. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for them to get real-time guidance while reinforcing what they鈥檙e learning in class.鈥�

To ensure accuracy and academic integrity, the AI system is 鈥渓ocked down,鈥� meaning it only accesses verified course content. This prevents the kind of misinformation or 鈥渉allucinations鈥� that can sometimes occur with general-purpose chatbots.

鈥淒r. Ghilieri鈥檚 course represents an important milestone for 麻豆原创 as our first AI-assisted class,鈥� said 麻豆原创 Information and Technology Services Director Troy Wadsworth. 鈥淲ith strong support from our partners at CCO, she has shown how AI tools can enhance student engagement while still keeping faculty at the center of teaching and learning.鈥�

麻豆原创 received a $45,000 grant from Microsoft to support developing AI tools to use for designing individualized career pathways for students. The plan is to initially target 100 students, and 500 students by project鈥檚 fifth year. 麻豆原创 seeks to empower students to make informed, future-ready career decisions through the Al-Driven Career Pathways Project. The goal is to use artificial intelligence to create personalized career maps based on each student's interests, knowledge and aptitudes.

鈥淒r. Ghilieri鈥檚 innovative work exemplifies the forward-thinking spirit of Western Nevada College,鈥� said Dr. Dana Ryan, 麻豆原创鈥檚 Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, who has spearheaded the introduction of AI in the classroom. 鈥淏y exploring responsible ways to integrate artificial intelligence into the classroom, she鈥檚 helping our students develop essential skills for the modern workforce while maintaining the academic integrity and personal connection that define 麻豆原创鈥檚 teaching approach.鈥�

Implementation of the AI chatbot pilot program was orchestrated by a consultant (CCO), with Wadsworth and his team providing support to Dr. Ghilieri. The project rollout has included four phases: initial planning and design, technical setup and integration, training and best practices, and ongoing support.

Initial planning included discussions about instructional goals and appropriate use of AI and how the chatbot could best support students without replacing faculty interaction, Wadsworth said. With the help of CCO, 麻豆原创鈥檚 IT team selected and configured the AI tools, integrated the chatbot into Dr. Ghilieri鈥檚 online course and ensured that students could access it. With significant support from CCO, guidance was provided on prompt design, safeguards and responsible AI use so the chatbot aligned with 麻豆原创鈥檚 academic and ethical standards. Ongoing support has included troubleshooting issues and refining the chatbot based on student use and faculty feedback.

Although it鈥檚 still early in the experiment, Dr. Ghilieri believes that teaching students to use AI responsibly is becoming a necessary part of modern education.

鈥淪tudents are already engaging with AI, and it鈥檚 a little na茂ve to think we can avoid it,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he key is to teach them to use it as a tool 鈥� not a substitution. They need to understand both how it can help them and where its limits are.鈥�

The integration of AI aligns with Dr. Ghilieri鈥檚 broader educational philosophy: helping students become problem solvers and critical thinkers. In her classes, she encourages students to use AI tools to quiz themselves, analyze responses and refine their thinking.

鈥淎I can help students create their own study questions or practice essays, then get feedback and suggestions for improvement,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut more importantly, it teaches them to ask good questions 鈥� and to follow up with even better ones.鈥�

While academia has been cautious about adopting AI, Dr. Ghilieri sees the technology as an opportunity to bridge digital skills with traditional learning. For online learners in particular, the chatbot offers immediate academic support that might otherwise be hard to find outside of class hours.

Looking ahead, Dr. Ghilieri envisions the potential for courses to be tagged as 鈥淎I incorporated,鈥� allowing students to choose sections that include these tools.

鈥淣o one is required to use it,鈥� she added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 there for students who want to, and no one will be penalized if they prefer not to. It鈥檚 simply another way to enhance learning.鈥�

Ultimately, Dr. Ghilieri believes that adapting to new technologies isn鈥檛 optional 鈥� it鈥檚 essential.

鈥淵ou basically can鈥檛 teach the way you used to,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ur job as educators is to prepare students for the world they鈥檙e entering 鈥� and AI is going to be part of that world.鈥�