New Blog Post: Penn State Professor Uses AI to Transform Business Analytics Education
New York, NY - January 16, 2024 - Dr. Subhadra Ganguli, a professor at Penn State University, is revolutionizing business analytics education by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) tools into her classroom. Inspired by a Harvard Business School course, Dr. Ganguli implemented generative AI systems including ChatGPT, Bing, and Perplexity to guide students' learning and challenge their perceptions of this powerful technology.
Inspired by her own positive experience as a student in an AI-focused summer course, she decided to incorporate AI into their teaching despite having no prior knowledge of her students' experiences with the technology. Initially, students expressed concerns about AI replacing jobs and about their lack of prior experience using it. However, Dr. Ganguli emphasized the crucial role that AI skills play in future careers and the importance of responsible collaboration with this technology.
She also talks about "prompt engineering," which means providing clear instructions to the AI to get the desired outcome. According to her, various kinds of prompt engineering methods can be used in the classroom depending on the nature of the study or problem that students will solve. In her blog, she shares a helpful prompt library for educators from AI for Education which includes various actions instructed to the AI based on a project that needs to be completed.
Dr. Ganguli believes generative AI, coupled with proper guidance, will automate various tasks in the future, ultimately increasing human productivity. By exposing students to AI and fostering responsible collaboration, she equips them with the necessary skills to thrive in this evolving job market. Furthermore, Dr. Ganguli stresses the importance of assessments that encourage original and analytical thinking over simply replicating AI output. This approach combats plagiarism and cultivates critical thinking skills essential for success in any field.
Read more about her work with generative AI in her blog post “Changing Student Perception through AI-Based Teaching and Learning in a Business Analytics Course” here:
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