GenAI Studio: News, Tools, and Teaching & Learning FAQs
These sixty minute, weekly sessions – facilitated by Technologists and Pedagogy Experts from the CTLT – are designed for faculty and staff at UBC who are using, or thinking about using, Generative AI tools as part of their teaching, researching, or daily work. Each week we discuss the news of the week, highlight a specific tool for use within teaching and learning, and then hold a question and answer session for attendees.
They run on Zoom every Wednesday from 1pm – 2pm and you can register for upcoming events on the CTLT Events Website.
News of the Week
Each week we discuss several new items that happened in the Generative AI space over the past 7 days. There’s usually a flood of new AI-adjacent news every week – as this industry is moving so fast – so we highlight news articles which are relevant to the UBC community.
In this week’s tech news, OpenAI has launched the o1-preview model for ChatGPT, which has enhanced reasoning and problem-solving skills, and even wrote PhD level code. The o1-preview model is designed to excel in scientific reasoning, problem-solving, and also comes with greater safety. RunwayML has released the Runway API to allow powerful video models to be used through an API. Harvard starts allowing students to use ChatGPT as its personal tutor, with both benefits and concerns. UBC is offering a course on AI use in K-12 education, a monthly staff community of practice, and an online workshop for AI integration with assignments and assessments. Finally, Suno has released a new remix feature allowing songs to be recreated in different genres.
Here’s this week’s news:
OpenAI Introduces o1-preview Model
OpenAI has unveiled its new ‘o1-preview model’, designed to tackle complex reasoning tasks in areas like coding, math, and scientific research. The model emphasizes spending more time thinking through problems and refining responses. The series also includes ‘o1-mini’, a faster, cost-effective alternative optimized for coding. Check out o1-preview.
ChatGPT o1-preview writes PhD Research Paper Code
A PhD student, after using about six prompts, succeeds in getting the o1-preview model of ChatGPT to write running code from just the Methods section of his research paper that took him almost a year to write. The student describes the process of how the model was used to produce this result. Watch the full video.
ChatGPT’s New o1: A More Reasonable Science Helper?
OpenAI’s new o1-preview model, internally code-named “Strawberry,” is aimed at enhancing scientific research capabilities. The update could provide scientists with better AI capabilities such as enhanced reasoning, improved problem-solving, and increased safety to manage large data sets and conduct advanced simulations. Read the article.
Runway API: AI for Creative Projects
RunwayML has released a robust API to help developers integrate its advanced AI tools for video editing, image generation, and more. The API allows for seamless automation and enhancement of creative workflows inside a safe and reliable environment. Check out Runway API.
My New Tutor Is ChatGPT. Here Are My Concerns.
Harvard is exploring the use of AI, specifically ChatGPT, as a teaching assistant in classrooms. Students now have access to ChatGPT Edu, which helps them with personalized feedback on assignments, leading to faster learning. While some students appreciate the convenience, concerns have been raised about over-reliance on AI, potentially reducing collaboration and critical thinking. Read the article.
AI in K-12 Education
The University of British Columbia has developed a course that explores the potential and challenges of integrating AI in K-12 education, focusing on enhancing learning while addressing ethical and equity concerns. While focused on K-12 education, the topics discussed will apply to the responsible use of AI for education in general. Read the article.
GenAI Staff Community of Practice – September 26, 2024
The University of British Columbia will gather staff for a community event focused on the use of generative AI. This initiative aims to share experiences and best practices for using AI tools in education, promoting a collaborative space to share knowledge and insights about generative AI. Register here.
Integrating GenAI in Assignments and Assessments – December 17, 2024
The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) is offering a workshop session focused on integrating generative AI into assignments and assessments, with examples from university teaching contexts. Ranging from prohibiting GenAI, to having GenAI as a co-pilot, the workshop will demonstrate how GenAI is used in various disciplines. Register here.
Suno’s New Remix Feature
Suno, a tool for creating AI-generated songs, has launched a new remix feature, allowing users to blend and remix audio content using generative AI. This feature targets creators looking to experiment with various media genres. Explore Suno.
Tool of the Week
Tool of the Week: ChatGPT o1-preview
What is ChatGPT o1-preview?
ChatGPT o1-preview is the latest model released by OpenAI, focused on solving complex problems and tasks that require a high level of reasoning. The model is trained to take a longer time to “think” through problems, to revise their thinking process and take various approaches.
How is it used?
Users can provide prompts similar to previous ChatGPT models. The new o1-preview model will go through several steps to arrive at a response, meaning it will take longer time to process the prompt, and will detail the “thought process” to the user when it responds.
What is it used for?
ChatGPT o1-preview is designed to have enhanced reasoning capabilities, which will allow the model to perform much better in complex problems compared to its older models. In particular, the model is said to be designed to handle questions in science, coding, and math.
Without a PIA, instructors cannot require students use the tool or service without providing alternatives that do not require use of student private information
Questions and Answers
Each studio ends with a question and answer session whereby attendees can ask questions of the pedagogy experts and technologists who facilitate the sessions. We have published a full FAQ section on this site. If you have other questions about GenAI usage, please get in touch.
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Assessment Design using Generative AI
Generative AI is reshaping assessment design, requiring faculty to adapt assignments to maintain academic integrity. The GENAI Assessment Scale guides AI use in coursework, from study aids to full collaboration, helping educators create assessments that balance AI integration with skill development, fostering critical thinking and fairness in learning.
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How can I use GenAI in my course?
In education, the integration of GenAI offers a multitude of applications within your courses. Presented is a detailed table categorizing various use cases, outlining the specific roles they play, their pedagogical benefits, and potential risks associated with their implementation. A Complete Breakdown of each use case and the original image can be found here. At […]