AI as Your Personal TA? Exploring AI in Communication-Intensive Courses
When used intentionally, AI can support the kind of communication-rich, student-centered learning that C-I courses prioritize.
As faculty continue to navigate the changing landscape of generative AI in higher education, LSU’s CxC team recently invited instructors to pause, reflect, and reimagine how AI might support meaningful learning in Communication-Intensive (C-I) courses.
The discussion brought together colleagues across disciplines to explore how AI tools might not just automate tasks but also spark deeper thinking, communication, and creativity. Here are some of the top takeaways from the session.
Reframe AI as a Teaching and Learning Partner
Consider this question: “If you had a personal assistant or TA for your C-I course, what’s the first task you’d hand off?”
Perhaps just asking this question can open our minds to new approaches. Many faculty are asking if AI can be more than a shortcut; could it also be used as a thoughtful teaching assistant for us and for our students?
We spent some time checking out this framework outlined in the recently released UT and Grammarly Faculty Guide for Using AI. We found many points helpful- but especially how the guide distinguishes transactional vs. transformational uses of AI:
Transactional AI helps streamline tasks (think: refining rubrics or revising SLOs).
Transformational AI supports exploration and learning (think: idea generation, writing feedback, audience awareness).
But how does this framework help us think about AI in the CI classroom? We did a little thinking about that and loaded some initial thoughts into ChatGPT. It helped us develop a chart that we have edited. We would be interested in your thoughts about this list- we believe it is just a start.
Trying it Out: AI in Action
In our session, we talked about some specific ways that faculty can experiment with using AI. These might be a good place to start our exploration into using AI in the CI classroom.
Refine Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) using prompts like: “Improve this outcome using a measurable action verb.”
Trying “TILTing” your course assignments by first letting the AI program know about the meaning of TILT, and then asking it to organize the instructions using TILT.
Use AI to identify likely questions students might have about your syllabus or assignments.
Develop comparable online and face-to-face activities for faculty teaching courses in multiple modes or as a hybrid course.
And while doing this work, it is really important to ask some questions about the output. While it might be obvious at this point, a list of questions might be helpful.
Was it accurate?
Did it align with the original learning goal?
Did it help or hinder our teaching purpose?
What We’re Thinking—Or Rethinking—Now
Whether using AI to clarify assignment expectations or as a scaffold for student brainstorming or peer feedback, this framework allows for a lot of options to explore while working toward your course goals. The common thread is that when used intentionally, AI can support the kind of communication-rich, student-centered learning that C-I courses prioritize.