In this episode, Rob and Jared chat with Dr. Jodie Penrod who has a PhD in Educational/Instructional Technology from Ohio University and is the Chief Information Officer at Marshall University. They discuss how Marshall University has approached Generative AI and how other educators can use GAI to enhance teaching and learning. Contact us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources.

Marshall University has decided to embrace using Generative AI and harness it to fit their goals. Their advice for faculty in using GAI falls into three categories: open use, moderate use, and prohibited. They created these categories to provide a framework to get started. Faculty usage of GAI has varied, much like most technology adoption, but Marshall does want faculty to take the lead in the conversation around GAI.

A major area Dr. Penrod is working on is preparing Marshall’s foundational infrastructure for using GAI. This requires thinking through the challenges of access/equity, especially at a school like Marshall. Students’ access to GAI is also causing her to question the idea of the “traditional student,” and she is looking at how GAI can cater to all students, not just the 18-year-old who is just out of high school.  GAI can help meet students where they are and provide opportunities to get an education by creating access regardless of life circumstances. Dr. Penrod sees GAI's future making an impact on personalized learning and changing the educational landscape. However, she is concerned about information security. How do we educate our students on using their personal information with GAI and the risks involved with that?