Students are increasingly expected to have AI skills when they enter the workforce, and many educators feel that incorporating AI in their teaching is important to prepare students for the AI-enhanced world.
Using AI not only gives students meaningful opportunities to test drive AI tools but also provides a chance to discuss their experiences with others. Dr. Ivan Ho from the Department of Marketing does just that in his postgraduate unit on marketing technologies.
What Did Ivan Do?
In one of his workshops, Dr. Ho tasked students with developing advertising and social media campaigns using AI tools. This exercise was divided into two parts, each designed to enhance students’ understanding and practical skills in AI-driven marketing, fostering human-AI collaboration.
Part 1: Using ChatGPT for creative campaign development
Students began by analysing their target audience and campaign goals—core principles of marketing. With this foundational knowledge, they used ChatGPT to generate written descriptions for their campaign elements, such as images for advertisements.
Throughout the process, students documented their interactions with ChatGPT, noting the prompts they used, the outputs they received, and their satisfaction with the results. This reflective practice helped them understand the nuances of working with AI and improved their ability to craft effective prompts.
Part 2: Visualising campaigns with Adobe Firefly
In the second part of the workshop, students transitioned from text to visuals. Using Adobe Firefly, they created images based on the text outputs from ChatGPT. This exercise highlighted the differences between various AI tools and raised their awareness that what works in one tool might not be the best option for another tool. For example, What if Adobe Firefly is unable to process the text generated by ChatGPT?
Students documented the changes they made to their inputs and the outcomes they received from Adobe Firefly. Of course, ChatGPT can generate images, but this comparison allowed them to see firsthand how different AI tools can interpret and transform the same data differently, providing a deeper understanding of AI’s capabilities and limitations, ultimately enhancing students’ overall AI literacy and and encouraging adaptability and problem-solving.
Student reactions and reflections
The activity was well received, with students finding it both engaging and educational. They appreciated the hands-on experience with AI tools and the opportunity to see how AI can be applied in real-world marketing scenarios. The reflective component of documenting their interactions and results fostered critical thinking and a deeper understanding of AI technologies.
Share your experiences with us! If you’re using AI in your teaching, we want to know how it’s going for you. What activities are you using? How are your students reacting? Your insights could inspire and help other educators. To share your story, simply drop me a line. I’ll be delighted to feature you in one of our TECHE posts. It’s easy! I’ll interview you and handle all the blog drafting.
Are YOU Using AI in your teaching?
If not, consider how integrating AI into your teaching might benefit your students. By doing so, you could provide students with practical, hands-on experience, which can foster a deeper understanding of AI’s potential and limitations, preparing them for the challenges and opportunities they’ll face in an AI-driven world.
Just like Dr. Ho’s use of AI in his unit (MKTG8034 Marketing Technologies), you too can create engaging and future-focused learning experiences. Encourage your students to experiment with AI tools, document their interactions, and share their insights with peers. This not only enhances their learning but also builds their confidence in using AI technology.
By taking these steps, you can help your students become proficient in AI, making them more competitive in the job market and ready to tackle the complexities of modern workplaces.
What’s Next?
- Experiment with AI tools: Start small by incorporating AI tools like CoPilot (free to MQ staff- log in with MQ credentials) to generate ideas, images or assist with lesson planning.
- Collaborate and share: Join the Teaching & Leadership Community of Practice CoP and other MQ events where we discuss the use of AI. Share your experiences and learn from others.
Image credits: Image generated with ChatGPT4
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