What We're Learning About Learning

By The Center for New Designs in Learning and ScholarshipEducation

What We're Learning About Learning episodes

November 12, 2024Innovating with AI in the Classroom
In this podcast episode, we explore the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), education, and the ethical challenges it presents in the classroom. Our guests, Lara Bryfonski, Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics, and Ben Harbert, Professor and Chair in the Department of Performing Arts, share insights from their fields of linguistics and music.
Lara describes how she integrates AI into her linguistics courses, focusing on how it impacts language learning and the ethical concerns of AI bias, particularly around language diversity. She encourages students to critically evaluate AI tools like text-to-speech and machine translation, highlighting how these systems can marginalize minority dialects.
Ben discusses AI’s role in music creation, where AI challenges traditional notions of human creativity. His students experiment with AI-generated music, comparing its output to human creations and examining the implications of AI on the emotional depth and cultural significance of music.
Both guests emphasize the importance of teaching students to be critical users of AI, exploring ethical issues such as bias, ownership, and the future of human creativity in an AI-driven world. The episode concludes with a discussion on how educators can prepare students to navigate AI thoughtfully, ensuring the preservation of human diversity and creativity.
This episode was produced from a 60-minute panel discussion held at Georgetown's Digital Learning Days event in August 2024. To hear the full, unabridged conversation visit this Vimeo page.
Bios
Featured in this episode:
Lara Bryfonski, Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics
Benjamin J. Harbert, Professor | Chair, Department of Performing Arts|Director of Undergraduate Studies - Music

Georgetown AI Resources
Georgetown Linguistics and AI

Teaching with AI

Additional CNDLS Resources in AI

Georgetown Initiative on Pedagogical Uses of Artificial Intelligence (IPAI)

Artificial Intelligence (Generative) Resources

Visit cndls.georgetown.edu for our full show notes.
24 min
August 28, 2024 Belonging and Academic Success Part 2
Belonging is gaining increased attention on college campuses, likely due to factors such as the mental health crisis, pandemic-induced isolation, challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and debates on inclusivity versus free speech. Recognizing belonging as a universal human need has become paramount. In August 2022, we aired a highly popular episode featuring 13 faculty and staff discussing strategies for fostering belonging in classrooms. Building on its success, we delve deeper into the literature exploring the meaning and importance of belonging in academic success. In this initial episode of a two-part series, we tackle fundamental questions: What is the link between belonging and academic achievement? Why does it matter, and how can it be quantified and jeopardized? The subsequent episode will focus on practical interventions, both within and beyond the classroom, aimed at fostering belonging. Throughout both episodes, insights from three Georgetown University faculty and staff will be interspersed with relevant research findings to provide comprehensive perspectives on belonging and its impact on academic success.

To read more about this topic, visit our website where you will find an extensive bibliography and more information about our guests.
27 min
March 07, 2024 Belonging and Academic Success
Belonging is gaining increased attention on college campuses, likely due to factors such as the mental health crisis, pandemic-induced isolation, challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and debates on inclusivity versus free speech. Recognizing belonging as a universal human need has become paramount. In August 2022, we aired a highly popular episode featuring 13 faculty and staff discussing strategies for fostering belonging in classrooms. Building on its success, we delve deeper into the literature exploring the meaning and importance of belonging in academic success. In this initial episode of a two-part series, we tackle fundamental questions: What is the link between belonging and academic achievement? Why does it matter, and how can it be quantified and jeopardized? The subsequent episode will focus on practical interventions, both within and beyond the classroom, aimed at fostering belonging. Throughout both episodes, insights from three Georgetown University faculty and staff will be interspersed with relevant research findings to provide comprehensive perspectives on belonging and its impact on academic success.
To read more about this topic click here to go to our website where you will find an extensive bibliography and more information about our guests.
30 min
September 25, 2023Student & Faculty Perspectives on AI
The onset of artificial Intelligence tools—like ChatGPT—continues to engender debate in higher education. It’s safe to say many faculty and students alike are concerned with the uncertain and far-reaching implications of using AI, especially as it relates to academic integrity. But as Andrea L. Guzman (Inside Higher Ed 2023) says, “knee jerk reactions” to new innovations may misconstrue the nature of these tools, and indeed how they’re being used in practice.
A BestColleges survey of over 1000 students provided insights on how students think about AI. Over half of college students (51%) believe that using artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT to complete assignments and exams qualifies as cheating, and 41% believe doing this is morally wrong. On the other hand, only 27% of students believed that tools like ChatGPT should be prohibited in educational settings. So how do we balance allowing—or even encouraging, in some cases—students to use AI while ensuring their learning?
In this episode of What We’re Learning About Learning, we spoke with five students who offered their perspectives on AI and asked two faculty to respond to what the students had to say. Listen to the episode to learn more about:
The many ways students use AI tools from ChatGPT to Snapchat’s “MyAI” to help them in courses.

Conversations students want and need from faculty about AI.

The possibilities for integrating AI tools in the classroom.

The importance of fostering student and faculty dialogue around AI and its implications.
Explore more resources related to AI in higher education classrooms in the “Additional Resources” section. CNDLS has curated several resources on our Artificial Intelligence Tools page, including guidance on how to craft your course policies so you and your students are on the same page this semester.
27 min
May 22, 2023Chat GPT & AI in Higher Ed
At a recent forum we hosted on AI in the classroom, faculty shared their excitement, concerns and approaches to integrating AI into their teaching practice. In this episode, we'll bring you highlights from their conversation, as well as interviews and statements with other GU faculty. There have been so many chat GPT articles and insights that it's hard to remember why it's dominating the news cycle. We spoke with CNDLS' executive director, Eddie Mamloney; computer science professor, Grace Hui Yang; Nick Lovegrove from the McDonough School of Business; Georgetown Computer Science and Linguistics professor Nathan Schneider; and Andy Zeitlin from the McCourt School of Public Policy, as well as Camber Vincent, a junior in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown, who serves as the president of the student body.
In this episode of What We’re Learning About Learning, you can expect to hear more about the ways Chat GPT is already integrated into daily processes, and is evolving. Topics include:
The ways Chat GPT resembles human intelligence, as well as the ways it doesn’t;

How Chat GPT affects students, especially in conversation with Georgetown’s Honor Code;
How Chat GPT affects assignment design;
What Chat GPT can be used for, as well as where it is not as successful;

Considerations for Chat GPT’s use in language-building and idea generation.
To take a deeper dive into both emerging and longstanding literature, see our Resources and Additional Research sections below. There, you’ll find links to various resources and articles cataloging Chat GPT experiences and proposing best practices. For an even more extensive collection, see this Zotero Library curated by CNDLS staff. Here are two sources of syllabus statements: 1) Georgetown faculty and 2) open source document of various university and course statements.
Bios
Featured in this episode:
Grace Hui Yang, Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science

Nick Lovegrove, Professor of the Practice at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business

Nathan Schneider, Associate Professor in the Departments of Linguistics & Computer Science

Andy Zeitlin, Associate Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy

Camber Vincent, SFS, ‘24 Georgetown University Student Association President

Eric Saldanha, graduate student representative from Georgetown's GradGov
Resources
Georgetown Resources
Chat GPT and Artificial Intelligence Tools - CNDLS website

MCEF-CNDLS Forum on Chat GPT Resources

Georgetown’s Honor Code Policy

Chat GPT’s website

Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS)

The Prospect blog
Additional Research
"How AUC Faculty Are Addressing AI in Their Teaching Spring 2023," The American University in Cairo

"Inside Higher Education’s Page on Artificial Intelligence," Inside Higher Ed

"How AI is Shaping the Future of Higher Ed," Inside Higher Ed

"I’m a Student. You Have No Idea How Much We’re Using ChatGPT," The Chronicle

Chat GPT Zotero Library curated by CNDLS
27 min
April 05, 2023Supporting Undergraduate Research
Show Notes:
Opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in research can be profoundly impactful for learning and mentorship experiences, while also providing opportunities for institutions to further scholarship and research in various fields (Adebisi, 2022; Blanton, 2008; Knight et al, 2021). While there are several ways for students to get involved in undergraduate research at Georgetown, many students are not aware of the opportunities; or if they are, they may not know how to get involved. A recent study described undergraduate research as “a treasure trove that has yet to be fully tapped” (Adebisi, 2022).
In this episode of What We’re Learning About Learning, we spoke with Lauren Tuckley, Director for Georgetown’s Center for Research and Fellowships, who describes research experience as an undergraduate student “part of the hidden curriculum.” Faculty and students being aware of the research opportunities available at Georgetown can make this hidden curriculum more visible. We also spoke with Georgetown undergraduate students Zachariah John, Sarah Watson, and Dominic Pham who each share their takeaways from working in research positions.

Bios:
Lauren Tuckley, the director of the Center for Research and Fellowships

Zachariah John, a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service studying science technology and international affairs

Dominic Pham, a senior double majoring in biochemistry and comparative literature

Sarah Watson, a senior in the School of Foreign Service studying regional and comparative studies
Georgetown Resources:
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (GUROP)

Center for Research and Fellowships at Georgetown

Undergraduate Research Resources at Georgetown

Georgetown’s Mission and Information about Cura Personalis

Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS)

The Prospect blog
Research:
Adebisi, Yusuff Adebayo. “Undergraduate Students’ Involvement in Research: Values, Benefits, Barriers and Recommendations.” Annals of Medicine and Surgery, vol. 81, 2022, pp. 104384–104384,

Belanger, A. L., Joshi, M. P., Fuesting, M. A., Weisgram, E. S., Claypool, H. M., & Diekman, A. B. (2020). Putting Belonging in Context: Communal Affordances Signal Belonging in STEM. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(8), 1186–1204. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219897181

Blanton, Richard L., et al. Creating Effective Undergraduate Research Programs in Science : the Transformation from Student to Scientist. Teachers College Press, 2008.

Carpi, Anthony, et al. “Cultivating Minority Scientists: Undergraduate Research Increases Self‐efficacy and Career Ambitions for Underrepresented Students in STEM.” Journal of Research in Science Teaching, vol. 54, no. 2, 2017, pp. 169–94, https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21341.

Estrada, M., Hernandez, P. R., & Schultz, P. W.. (2018). A Longitudinal Study of How Quality Mentorship and Research Experience Integrate Underrepresented Minorities into STEM Careers, CBE—Life Sciences Education, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.17-04-0066

Foster, Nancy Fried. Studying Students : a Second Look. Edited by Nancy Fried Foster, Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, 2013.

Hensley, Merinda Kaye, and Stephanie Davis-Kahl. Undergraduate Research and the Academic Librarian : Case Studies and Best Practices. Edited by Merinda Kaye Hensley and Stephanie Davis-Kahl, Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, 2017.

Kilgo, C.A., Ezell Sheets, J.K. & Pascarella, E.T. (2015). The link between high-impact practices and student learning: some longitudinal evidence. High Educ, 69, 509–525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9788-z

Knight S.L., Hale R.L., Chisholm L.J., Moss P., Rolf C., Wenner L. Increasing student involvement in research: a collaborative approach between faculty and students. Int. J. Nurs. Educ. Scholarsh. 2021 Nov 3;(1):18. doi: 10.1515/ijnes-2021-0047. PMID: 3473193
26 min
February 14, 2023Gender in the Classroom
Bios
Featured in this episode:
heath pearson, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology

Amanda Phillips, Associate Professor, Departments of English, Women’s and Gender Studies, Film & Media Studies, and American Studies

Sivagami Subbaraman, Adjunct Professor, Department of Performing Arts; Former Founding Director for LGBTQ Resource Center (2008-2021)

Elizabeth Velez, Adjunct Professor, Prisons and Justice Initiative; Professional Lecturer, Women's Studies Program
Georgetown Resources
LGBTQ Resource Center at Georgetown

Women’s and Gender Studies ResearchGuide- GU Library

LGBTQ+ & Queer Studies Research Guide - GU Library

LGBTQ History at Georgetown - GU Library

Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS)

The Prospect blog
Additional Research/Scholarship
Berheide, C. W., Carpenter, M. A. & Cotter, D. A. (2022). Teaching College in the Time of COVID-19: Gender and Race Differences in Faculty Emotional Labor. Sex Roles, 86, 441–455.

Cheryan, S., Plaut, V. C., Davies, P. G., & Steele, C. M. (2009). Ambient belonging: How stereotypical cues impact gender participation in computer science. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97, 1045–1060. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0016239

Chin, M. J., Quinn, D. M., Dhaliwal, T. K., & Lovison, V. S. (2020). Bias in the Air: A Nationwide Exploration of Teachers’ Implicit Racial Attitudes, Aggregate Bias, and Student Outcomes. Educational Researcher, 49(8), 566–578. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X20937240

Davis, H.F.. (2017). Beyond trans: Does gender matter? New York: NYU Press.

Good, C. , Rattan, A. & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Why Do Women Opt Out? Sense of Belonging and Women's Representation in Mathematics. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(4), 700-717. doi: 10.1037/a0026659.

Harbin, B. (2016). Teaching beyond the gender binary in the university classroom. Updated by Roberts, L.M. et al., (2020). Vanderbilt Center for Teaching. Retrieved [2/9/23] from: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-beyond-the-gender-binary-in-the-university-classroom/
For more research, visit our episode webpage.
27 min
December 09, 2022Ungrading: What, Why, and How
Grading practices and techniques range from strict policies, to contract-based grading, to assigning no grades at all. Wherever they find themselves on the continuum, in this episode, we hear Georgetown faculty wrestle with the nuances and complexities of assigning grades, and thoughts about their impact.
Featured in this Episode: Karen Shaup, English; Miléna Santoro, French and Francophone Studies; Patrick Johnson, Physics; Erika Seamon, American Studies
Georgetown Resources
Grading Student Work (CNDLS) and Alternative Modes of Grading (CNDLS)

Rethinking Assessment and Grading from Teaching, Learning, & Innovation Summer Institute (TLISI)
Additional Research
Blum, S. D., Kohn, A., & Saffel, T. (2020). Ungrading : Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to do Instead) (S. D. Blum, Ed.; First edition). West Virginia University Press.

Heissel, et al (2021). Testing, Stress, and Performance: How Students Respond Physiologically to High-Stakes Testing. Education Finance and Policy; 16 (2): 183–208. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp_a_00306

Chamberlin, K., et al (2018). The impact of grades on student motivation. Active Learning in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787418819728

Amabile, T. M. (2018). Creativity and the Labor of Love. In The Nature of Human Creativity (pp. 1–15). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108185936.003

Morris, S. (2021). When We Talk about Grades, We Are Talking about People.

Rapchak, M., Hands, A.S. & Hensley, M.K. (2022). “Moving Toward Equity: Experiences With Ungrading.” Journal of Education for Library and Information Science. https://doi.org/10.3138/jelis-2021-0062.

Stommel, J. (2017, October 26). Why I don’t grade.

Stommel, J. (2021, June 2). Grades are dehumanizing; ungrading is now simple solution
32 min
October 27, 2022Inspiring Academic Excellence
We’re kicking off our third season with a deep dive into how faculty inspire academic excellence in students. Listen to this episode to hear questions about how faculty support students in succeeding in and outside classrooms, how to design curriculum that brings out their best work, and what excellence means in the current era.
_______________
Bios
Mun Chun (MC) Chan, Assistant Teaching Professor, Biology Department and Faculty Fellow at CNDLS

Charisma X. Howell, Visiting Associate Professor and Street Law Director, Georgetown Law

Abigail Marsh, Professor, Department of Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience
Georgetown Resources
Georgetown’s Street Law Program website

Understanding Student Learning, resources from CNDLS

Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship website

The Prospect blog
Additional Resources
Brockman, A.J. (2021). “‘La Crème de la Crème’: How Racial, Gendered, and Intersectional Social Comparisons Reveal Inequities That Affect Sense of Belonging in STEM.” Sociological Inquiry, 91(4), 751–777.

Cardamone, C. (2021). “Balancing Flexibility and Rigor to Advance Equity in Course Design.” Teaching@Tufts.

Gruber, M. J., Gelman, B. D., & Ranganath, C. (2014). “States of Curiosity Modulate Hippocampus-Dependent Learning via the Dopaminergic Circuit.” Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.), 84(2), 486–496.

Holstead, C.E. (2022). “Why Students Are Skipping Class So Often, and How to Bring Them Back.” The Chronicle of Higher Education.

McMurtrie, B. (2022). “Teaching: Staying Flexible Without Becoming Overwhelmed.” The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Mathews, J. (2022). “Should we be easy on students after the pandemic? Maybe not.” Washington Post.

Newman, J., & O’Brien, E. L. (1973). Street law. District of Columbia Project on Community Legal Assistance, Georgetown University Law Center

Pryal, K.R.G. (2022). ““When ‘Rigor’ Targets Disabled Students.” The Chronicle...

Saul, S. (2022). “At N.Y.U., Students Were Failing Organic Chemistry. Who Was to Blame?” ProQuest.
27 min
August 25, 2022Bringing Belonging to the Classroom
We wrap up our second season with a closer look at a theme that has come up repeatedly in our podcast: belonging. Our interviews with faculty have focused on a wide range of topics, including antiracist pedagogy, accessibility, experiential learning, well-being, and religious diversity. But, in conversation after conversation, the faculty, staff, and students we talked with emphasized the importance of the feeling of belonging in the learning experience. In this episode, we pulled together these conversations to highlight patterns, insights, and key takeaways. Episode webpage.
Featured in this episode:
Bob Bies, Professor, McDonough School of Business

Donna Cameron, Professor, Dept. of Family Medicine

Alisa Carse Associate Professor of Philosophy and Faculty Affiliate of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics

Carol Day, Director of Health Education Services and Adjunct Assistant Professor in Nursing & Health Studies

David Ebenbach, Assistant Director for Graduate Student and Faculty Programming at CNDLS and the Center for Jewish Civilization

Allyson Even, a history teacher at KIPP University Prep in San Antonio, Texas

Rabbi Rachel Gartner, most recent Director for Jewish Life

Imam Yahya Hendi, Director for Muslim Life

Amrita Ibrahim, Assistant Teaching Professor, Dept of Anthropology

Amena Johnson, Associate Director of the LGBTQ Resource Center

Mimi Khuc, Adjunct lecturer in the Disability Studies program

Durriya Meer, Director of Counseling and Psychiatric Service (CAPS)

Libbie Rifkin, Teaching Professor in the Department of English, founding Director of the Program in Disability Studies

Javier Jimenez Westerman, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs at Georgetown College
Explore our episode webpage for additional research. And check out the What We’re Learning About Learning: A CNDLS Podcast and for more episodes!
22 min

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