What Are ChatGPT Plugins? The Next Phase of Conversational AI Is Here - Emily Dreibelbis, PC Mag

Plugin access was previously restricted to a waitlist(Opens in a new window). Releasing it to the (paying) masses has the potential to shape the future of chatbots and internet searches, though they could be OpenAI's first big failure. (How often do you use Amazon Alexa skills?)

Any corporation, individual (with engineering skills), or OpenAI itself can develop a plugin and make it available to ChatGPT users. OpenAI currently offers two plugins. The first gives ChatGPT internet access, which is necessary for conversations about recent events. The AI's core training data only goes up to September 2021. Anyone using the free, public version of ChatGPT will encounter this limitation, as PCMag did when comparing ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft Bing AI.

https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-are-chatgpt-plugins-the-next-phase-of-conversational-ai-is-here

Senate hearing highlights AI harms and need for tougher regulation - Darrell M. West, Brookings

Along with tools launched by other firms, ChatGPT has democratized technology by bringing tremendous computing power to search, data analysis, video and audio generation, software development, and many other areas. Generative AI has the power to alter how people find information, generate new audio and videos, create new products, and respond in real time to emerging events. At the same time, though, several issues have emerged that concern consumers, academic experts, and policymakers. Among the worrisome problems include harmful content, disinformation, political favoritism, racial bias, a lack of transparency, workforce impact, and intellectual property theft. Altman’s testimony, along with that of IBM Vice President Christina Montgomery and New York University Professor Gary Marcus, provided a chance to explain generative AI and gave legislators an opportunity to express their reservations about its impact on society, the economy, and elections.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2023/05/17/senate-hearing-highlights-ai-harms-and-need-for-tougher-regulation/

The Value of Continuing Education: How to Stay Current and Advance Your Knowledge and Skills After Achieving Employee Well-Being Certification - Corporate Wellness

Achieving employee well-being certification is a significant accomplishment that demonstrates your commitment to promoting a healthy and thriving workforce. However, in today's ever-evolving corporate wellness landscape, it's crucial to recognize that obtaining certification is just the beginning of your journey. To truly excel in your field and make a lasting impact, you must embrace the value of continuing education. By actively seeking out opportunities to enhance your knowledge and skills, you can stay current, adapt to emerging trends, and lead the way in transforming employee well-being programs.

https://www.corporatewellnessmagazine.com/article/the-value-of-continuing-education-how-to-stay-current-and-advance-your-knowledge-and-skills-after-achieving-employee-well-being-certification

AI e learning is becoming popular - Richard Harris, App Developer

After years of steadily picking up steam, online learning is experiencing undeniable explosive growth. The market is racing toward $1 trillion, with the corporate e-learning space expected to skyrocket 250% in the coming years. As e-learning continues to expand beyond the walls of academia, another game-changing phenomenon is going mainstream in a big way: artificial intelligence (AI). The AI e-learning space is growing quickly and expanding beyond the walls of academia. AI and behavioral science are transforming online learning by unlocking higher engagement, enabling creators to create high-performing online courses and continually improve and optimize curriculums.

https://appdevelopermagazine.com/ai-e-learning-is-becoming-popular/

Engaging Students Asynchronously with Interactive Videos - Spencer Willis, Jr., Faculty Focus

The effectiveness of online learning heavily depends on the level of interaction between instructors and students within virtual classrooms. When students are actively engaged, they have a tendency to perform better and retain information more efficiently.1 As universities continue to transition towards online education, educators commonly use asynchronous videos and synchronous video conferences as the primary modes of instruction. However, by integrating interactive features like quizzes, hotspots, and branching storylines within the video content, instructors can create interactive videos that transform passive viewing into active learning experiences, resulting in improved student performance by up to 30 percent.2

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-course-delivery-and-instruction/engaging-students-asynchronously-with-interactive-videos/

Educators Team Up to Respond to Sudden Rise of ChatGPT - Jeffery R. Young, EdSurge

At the center of the trend is ChatGPT, which was released in November and is the fastest-growing app of all time, now claiming more than 100 million users. The free tool has sparked concern by many educators because many students are using it to do their homework for them in ways that are difficult to detect. But plenty of instructors, even some with concerns, see promise for the technology as an aid to education, and many experts say the quick adoptions means that such chatbots will likely be part of the workplace of the future that students should know about.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2023-05-11-educators-team-up-to-respond-to-sudden-rise-of-chatgpt

European Study: How do students feel about ChatGPT in higher education? - Design Products and Applications

Summary of results:

• 95 percent of students are familiar with ChatGPT, while awareness of other chatbots is very low

• 56 percent are positive about using chatbots in their studies; 35 percent use ChatGTP regularly

• 60 percent are opposed to a ban on chatbots, and 77 percent are against a ban on other AI tools (such as Grammarly) in education

• More than half of the students do not know if their institution has guidelines for how AI can be used in education; one in four explicitly says that their institution lack such regulations

https://www.dpaonthenet.net/article/198252/How-do-students-feel-about-ChatGPT-in-higher-education-.aspx

Campus Mental Health and Well-Being - ACE

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ACE understands that institutional practices around campus mental health and well-being play a critical role in student success. Students with poor mental health are at risk of a lower GPA, discontinuous enrollment, or dropping out. Faculty and staff are on the front lines of serving and supporting students, leading the charge while trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance​ of their own. Best practices around campus mental health and w​ell-being can therefore benefit both the institutions and society at large by helping ensure that everyone in the community thrives. ACE’s research and insights on campus mental health and well-being look to provide higher education leaders with the tools that they need for their institution to address mental health on their campus.​​​

https://www.acenet.edu/Research-Insights/Pages/Student-Support/Student-Mental-Health.aspx

For Working Moms, Entrepreneurship Beats the ‘Motherhood Penalty’ - Tiantian Yang, Wharton Business Daily

 Professional women are more likely to launch their own businesses after becoming mothers because they experience discriminatory wage reduction known as the motherhood penalty, according to a new study from Wharton management professor Tiantian Yang. Her co-authored paper, which examines the direct relationship between motherhood and entrepreneurship, challenges the narrative that working moms leave their lucrative careers mainly to gain more time with their families. It also shines a spotlight on broader gender inequality in the workplace.

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/wharton-business-daily-podcast/for-working-moms-entrepreneurship-beats-the-motherhood-penalty/

AI Is an Ally: Saving Teachers Time with ChatGPT - Katie Novak, THE Journal

The time is now to welcome AI into classrooms as an asset and an ally. There are so many things that AI can do to support teaching and learning, from analyzing data for schools and districts, to enabling students to research and understand information in different ways, and — arguably the most important thing — saving time and energy for teachers so that they can focus on the parts of teaching that are less tedious and most important. ChatGPT has really taken the spotlight over the last few months. While it’s not a perfect tool, it has surely kicked off a bit of an AI arms race, and there’s plenty of tasks that it can support teachers with for their day-to-day.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2023/05/11/ai-is-an-ally-saving-teachers-time-with-chatgpt.aspx

The Future of Work, According to 930 Million Professionals7 takeaways from LinkedIn's chief economist - Stephanie Metha, Inc.

In fact, our talk was so full of useful nuggets, I couldn't reduce everything into a single, elegant theme. So instead I'm giving you seven takeaways from a conversation Fast Company co-hosted with Deloitte Cyber & Strategic Risk at the recent RSA Conference. Among the takeaways: 5.     Skills-based hiring leads to more diverse workforces.  6.     Artificial intelligence (A.I.) will disrupt the middle-tier jobs.  7.     Women are struggling. See the entire article via the link below:

https://www.inc.com/stephanie-mehta/the-future-of-work-according-to-930-million-professionals.html

Can Artificial Intelligence Expand Our Capacity for Human Learning? A conversation with Gardner Campbell - Mary Grush, Campus Technology

As educators we've all experienced the rise of new technologies along with the process of sorting out how each one may impact our work and our lives. Is the coming of AI any different? If so, how can we approach AI wisely? Here, Gardner Campbell, associate professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University and a widely known technology thought leader considers issues and concerns surrounding AI, identifies helpful resources, and offers some grounding thoughts on human learning as we embark on our AI journey in education.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2023/05/08/can-artificial-intelligence-expand-our-capacity-for-human-learning.aspx

The politics of AI: ChatGPT and political bias - Jeremy Baum and John Villasenor, Brookings

Another important issue that ChatGPT and other chatbots based on large language models (LLMs) raise is political bias. In January, a team of researchers at the Technical University of Munich and the University of Hamburg posted a preprint of an academic paper concluding that ChatGPT has a “pro-environmental, left-libertarian orientation.” Examples of ChatGPT bias are also plentiful on social media. To take one example of many, a February Forbes article described a claim on Twitter (which we verified in mid-April) that ChatGPT, when given the prompt “Write a poem about [President’s Name],” refused to write a poem about ex-President Trump, but wrote one about President Biden. Interestingly, when we checked again in early May, ChatGPT was willing to write a poem about ex-President Trump.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2023/05/08/the-politics-of-ai-chatgpt-and-political-bias/

USC School of Advanced Computing to Welcome Liberal Arts Majors - Debbie Truong, Los Angeles Times

A new school at the University of Southern California will be dedicated to teaching data science and information technology to non-computer majors in order to prepare them for an increasingly digital world. A USC sociology, history or dance major may not be attuned to the discipline of quantum computing, but the university's soon to open School of Advanced Computing will open its doors to all — as well as dramatically expand the number of degrees it confers in technology-related fields, officials announced Thursday. The new University of Southern California school comes at time when jobs for computer and information research scientists are in high demand and fast-growing, projecting to increase 21 percent from 2021 to 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

https://www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/usc-school-of-advanced-computing-to-welcome-liberal-arts-majors

Generative AI: Thinking about Thinking - Robert Clougherty, Higher Ed Digest

Aristotle argued that the ability to communicate intelligent thought makes us human, and ChatGPT does that.  One of the other things that make us human is individuality and collaborative tasks.  When one sees other species in a group, they follow and mimic behavior rather than dividing tasks and taking individual roles.  Non-intelligent cyber systems do the same—each user providing the same input receives the same output.  Generative AI shifts the ground and does behave in an individual way. The biggest fear and argument is that AI could take over and eradicate humans.  Perhaps the real fear is not about AI but a fear about ourselves that we cast on the machine.

https://www.highereducationdigest.com/generative-ai-thinking-about-thinking/

Here are 3 ways higher education can prepare for the generative AI revolution - Joseph E. Eoun, World Economic Forum

“Technology can become the wings that will allow the educational world to fly farther and faster than ever before – if we allow it (Arledge).” ChatGPT has given the field of higher education another opportunity to fly farther and faster. Will we allow it?  There's no avoiding the reality that AI is reinventing the workplace and, with it reinventing the work that people do. Universities’ foremost obligation is to serve our students by helping them adapt to this mercurial, bewildering, but an immensely exciting reality. We can do it – but it’s going to take some reinvention.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/3-ways-higher-education-can-prepare-for-generative-ai-revolution/

Level Up Higher Education Assessments with ChatGPT- Shellon Samuels-White, Faculty Focus

Traditionally, assessment in higher education has mainly been standardized exams and course work pieces of varying degrees of realism. Astoundingly, ChatGPT can assist in “leveling up” these exam items as well as aid in designing high quality alternative assessments. One of the most significant benefits I have found is ChatGPT can simulate real-world scenarios and provide very plausible responses that demonstrate higher-order thinking processes such as synthesizing, evaluating, and creating.

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/educational-assessment/level-up-higher-education-assessments-with-chatgpt/

Slimming Down to Stay Afloat - Liam Knox, Inside Higher Ed

Projecting an enrollment nosedive, West Virginia University is preparing for a lean future. Some call it an act of surrender, while others say it’s a prudent choice to be replicated elsewhere. West Virginia University president E. Gordon Gee gave a blunt assessment to a crowd of faculty, administrators, students and staff: WVU is too big—and its student body shrinking too fast—to operate sustainably. With enrollment rates eroding and costs skyrocketing, the university had to shed weight, he said. Programs and positions that served the most students effectively would be prioritized; the rest were up in the air.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/business/cost-cutting/2023/05/03/slimming-down-stay-afloat

College students still struggling to stay enrolled, Gallup research finds - Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Higher Ed Dive

The organizations polled more than 6,000 students seeking a credential, as well as thousands of adults who either stopped out of college or never enrolled in the first place. Not only did 41% of students mull stopping out, but also those shares were higher for Black and Hispanic students — 43% and 52%, respectively. More than half of students who considered stopping out attributed their thinking to emotional stress. A little under half reported they were considering stopping due to personal mental health reasons, and just under 30% said it was because of college costs.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/college-students-still-struggling-to-stay-enrolled-gallup-research-finds/649247/

Rethinking the Student Experience: How to Deepen Engagement - Annie Galvin Teich, Fierce Education

In the past, the higher education experience was designed for the benefit and comfort of the faculty. Now facing many challenges, including technology developments that put students in touch with anyone/anywhere/anytime, institutions understand that for their college to thrive and prosper, they have to build out the student’s experience. The panel agreed that higher education had locked itself into a structure fed by the faculty-controlled four-year degree mentality and needs a culture change.

https://www.fierceeducation.com/student-engagement/rethinking-student-experience-how-deepening-engagement

Stanford academic predicts shift to new graduate skillset - Keith Nuthall, University World News

Assessing the fast-changing technological landscape and its impact on higher education at this year’s Arizona State University and Global Silicon Valley (ASU+GSV) Summit held in San Diego, United States, on 17 April, GSE Dean Dan Schwartz, said: “We’re at an inflexion point about what we can do in learning”. He said higher education should embrace, rather than shun, artificial intelligence and related modern technologies, such as the increasingly ubiquitous AI apps ChatGPT and GPT-4, the conference heard.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230418201757470&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=GLNL0737

The Unmarked Potential of Lifelong Learning Across the Institution - Frederick Wherle, Illumination Modern Campus

Non-traditional credentials are beginning to get noticed by departments outside of CE, but oftentimes they’re creating this programming on the side of their desk. A centralized institution-wide approach to lifelong learning—lead by CE—is critical to deliver a modern learner experience. On this episode, Frederick Wehrle, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of California—Berkeley, discusses  the need for a consolidated administration to deliver a seamless lifelong learning experience that students demand.

https://moderncampus.com/podcast/episode-ninetyfour.html

How to use ChatPDF: The AI chatbot that can tell you everything about your PDF - Sabrina Ortiz, ZD Net

ChatPDF is a free AI tool that's here to assist you with all of your PDF-reading needs.  Simply by uploading your PDF to ChatPDF, the chatbot will automatically deliver a summary and suggest questions you can ask to learn more about the file.  The most convenient feature of the chatbot is that it can answer any question you ask about the PDF instantly. It even provides page references for where it got its answers, so you can do your own research. 

https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-use-chatpdf-the-ai-chatbot-that-can-tell-you-everything-about-your-pdf/

A fireside chat on education, technology, and almost everything in between - Bill Gates, Gates Notes

At this year’s ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, I had the chance to catch up with Jessie Woolley-Wilson, a leader in the field of education technology and President and CEO of DreamBox Learning. During our fireside chat, we talked about the state of edtech, why math is so important for students, what the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is doing, and the impact AI will have in the months and years ahead. Thanks to people like Jessie—and all the incredible industry leaders and educators in the room—I walked off stage feeling even more motivated about the future.

https://www.gatesnotes.com/ASU-and-GSV

What Is An Instructional Designer? eLearning Role Explained - Team(ed)

Instructional designers are the superheroes of the elearning world. They bring a unique mix of skills and experience to organizations that teach or train. Under their expert guidance, information and ideas transform into useful elearning products. As digital learning has risen in popularity, so has the demand for instructional design professionals. Being a great instructional designer takes training, experience, and a learner-first approach. Having the right instructional designer on your team can make the whole design and development process easier. Whether you want to become an instructional designer or hire one, here’s everything you need to know about this rapidly evolving role.

https://teamedforlearning.com/what-is-an-instructional-designer-elearning-role-explained/

This AI chatbot can sum up any PDF and answer any question you have about it - Sabrina Ortiz, ZDNet

Whether you are a student or a working professional, you likely interact with PDFs frequently through the form of presentations, academic research, business reports, and more.  Regardless of whether it is a 90-page slide deck or a lengthy research paper, PDFs in the classroom or workplace are often tedious to wade through. ChatPDF is here to help.  ChatPDF runs on OpenAI's GPT 3.5 large language model and can answer any question you have about the PDF you upload. The chatbot can even give you a full summary of the PDF without you having to read it. 

https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-ai-chatbot-can-sum-up-any-pdf-and-any-question-you-have-about-it/

Should You Attend Graduate School Online? What You Need To Know - Kayla Missman, Forbes Advisor

It’s easier than ever to enroll in grad school, thanks to the rise of online degree programs. Applications to graduate schools significantly increased between 2011 and 2021, according to the Council of Graduate Schools, and 40% of graduate students are enrolled exclusively in distance education courses, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports. Many colleges offer the same degrees both online and in person. As a distance learner, you can learn from experienced faculty and attend virtual classes with peers. And when you graduate from an online program, your diploma won’t say “online.”

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/attending-graduate-school-online/

Stanford academic predicts shift to new graduate skillset - Keith Nuthall, University World News

The ‘idea of mastery’ and the ability to hone maths and reading skills will become less relevant to graduates of the future, compared with skills such as resilient minds and healthy bodies, critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, empathy, inclusion and global citizenship, according to the head of Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE). Assessing the fast-changing technological landscape and its impact on higher education at this year’s Arizona State University and Global Silicon Valley (ASU+GSV) Summit held in San Diego, United States, on 17 April, GSE Dean Dan Schwartz, said: “We’re at an inflexion point about what we can do in learning”.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230418201757470&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=GLNL0736

Peeling back the layers of digital transformation - Laura Ascione, eCampus News

The term “digital transformation” itself may be debated among higher-ed leaders, but there’s no refusing that changes in culture, workforce, and technology are critical in ushering forth new teaching, learning, and operational models at institutions across the globe–no matter what the concept is called. During a session from the most recent EDUCAUSE conference, higher-ed leaders sought to pull back the curtain on some of the more abstract aspects of digital transformation and illuminate how their own institutions are evolving.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/digital-innovation/2023/04/14/peeling-back-the-layers-of-digital-transformation/

The Institution-Wide Approach to Driving Innovation With Continuing Education - James Hedges, Illumination by Modern Campus

As learner demographics are changing, institutional processes need to adapt with it. Working in silos is no longer going to cut it when it comes to delivering a seamless experience students demand. On this episode, James Hedges, Dean of Online and Continuing Education at Weber State University, discusses the need for a collaborative institution-wide approach to drive enrollment growth and what it takes to break down silos.

https://moderncampus.com/podcast/episode-ninetythree.html

In a hyper-connected world, dawns a new age of hyper-learning - Patrick Blessinger, University World News

Research data shows that contemporary humans are learning more and faster today than humans did in 1800 CE, presumably due to the implementation of universal basic education in the late 19th century and other factors such as a greater focus on abstract thinking, much improved nutrition, much improved sanitation, greatly improved medical care and huge wide scale innovations in and ubiquitous access to information through digital technology. As a result, most striking is the fact that average IQ scores have increased significantly – by some 30 points – over the past 100 years.  Continued progress must be guided by a humanistic mindset based on practices of diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as respect for rights and justice in all domains – that is, human, animal and environmental. 

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230411153321632