IN HIGHER EDUCATION, it is becoming increasingly urgent to consider whether AI needs to be incorporated into strategic planning and operations. However, this decision is not an easy one, as AI is still in its early stages and we are only just beginning to understand its wider implications.
Below, I provide a framework of actionable steps that may be helpful if and when you do decide to go about working with AI strategically in your institution. It is my hope that this guide will enable institutions to make informed decisions that align with their institutional values rather than rushing into AI adoption.
The seven steps I suggest are:
Build a foundation of understanding
Before you can effectively integrate AI into your institution, it is essential to develop a strong foundation. This includes not only the technical aspects of AI, but also the ethical, legal, and social implications of their use. Ideally, your institutional foundation will be built across organizational silos and hierarchies for optimum effect and common points of reference. You can build your foundation through workshops, training sessions, and partnerships with experts in the field. Bear in mind that while you and your immediate colleagues may be new to AI, chances are you already have seasoned experts in AI within your organization. Find those people. For inspiration, I recommend following the leading voices on social media, blogs and newsletters.
Identify opportunities for AI and chatbots
Once you have a foundation of understanding to build on, you can begin to identify opportunities for the use of AI and chatbots in your institution. The sky is the limit, and you may want to include using chatbots to assist with admissions or student services, or using AI to analyze data to improve retention rates or even to inform your strategic decision-making. I recommend you think long and hard about how you can build your AI efforts around the values that are at the core of your institution. Stay on track and resist the temptation to fall in love with everything that shines and sounds sexy. Many things inevitably will.
Develop a strategic plan
With a clear understanding of the opportunities for AI and chatbots in your institution, based in your institutional mission, vision and values, it is essential to develop a strategic plan for their integration. This plan should include specific goals, timelines, and metrics for success. It should also address the ethical, legal, and social implications of their use, including issues of privacy and bias. When you plan, do it for shorter time periods than you normally would in your strategic work. All things AI are changing on a daily basis at the moment, and you want to be highly adaptive to remain a relevant competitor in this dynamic educational landscape.
Build internal partnerships and collaborations
Effective integration of AI and chatbots into your institution will require collaboration across departments and disciplines. Build partnerships with experts in AI, as well as with faculty and staff who can help identify opportunities and provide input on the design and implementation of AI and chatbot systems. I assume your workplace is full of smart people, and you probably already have expertise inhouse. Capitalise.
Incorporate AI into your curriculum
As AI becomes increasingly important in the workforce, it is essential that students be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to work with and develop various types of AI use cases. Incorporating AI into your curriculum as soon as you possibly can will help prepare students for the jobs of the future, even if we don’t know yet what those jobs will look like. Admittedly, this point is fairly speculative at the moment, but it is important to consider nonetheless. Remember we are all on a learning curve here.
Ensure equity and diversity
As with any technological tool, it is essential to ensure that AI and chatbots are developed and used in ways that are equitable and diverse. This means addressing ethical issues as well as biases and ensuring that systems are designed to meet the needs of all students, regardless of background or identity. Ultimately, AI should help promote better learning opportunities for more people at the right time. We need equitable institutions that benefit everyone.
Monitor and evaluate
Finally, it is essential to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of AI and chatbots in your institution. This includes both tracking metrics related to topics such as student satisfaction, retention rates, and other outcomes, as well as assessing the ethical and social implications of their use. Needless to say, evaluations should happen continuously. You will most likely have enormous amounts of data at your disposal. Act and decide wisely.
Incorporating AI and chatbots into your institution is no small feat; but with the roadmap above, a relentless commitment to remain curious, and ongoing assessments as you go forward, you should be on the right track.
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