There are advantages to integrating AI in the classroom—with caveats.
They say if you can’t beat them, join them, so when it comes to using artificial intelligence (AI) at Adelphi, faculty have not only been embracing the technology, but they’re also finding instructive ways to help students use it. Here, members of several departments share how they’re incorporating generative AI in the classroom and in their fields, and the misconceptions they’re encountering. They also offer guidance for the rest of us.
Using AI in the Classroom—With Caution
Anil Venkatesh, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, notes, “I don’t use GenAI in my classroom because I don’t see how it can be used to improve the educational experience. However, I do view it as a useful tool for producing snippets of computer code that can be modified and tailored to a user’s needs. It’s also reasonably good at summarizing online technical resources. It’s possible that AI will help us make advances like automatically determining whether a mathematical proof is logically sound.”
- Misconceptions: GenAI can’t be relied upon to do more complex data science tasks, as these usually don’t have a single right answer in the first place.
- Recommendations: Have fun with the tools, but if you find yourself using GenAI for tasks that you aren’t confident in performing yourself, that’s a sign that you should seek to improve your own skills in those areas as well.
Helping Students Understand the Limits of AI
Michael LaCombe, PhD, associate professor in the Department of History, and Academic Integrity Officer, explains, “In an upper-level course where it can complement students’ work and they can appreciate the limitations of its output and the advantages of its speed and scope, I think it’s essential to show them how to use AI to accomplish course goals. Assignments that call for gathering and classifying information, generating ideas to pursue in one’s own research: These are areas in which it’s hard to imagine how we as faculty can continue to prohibit their use.”
- Misconceptions: Critical and creative thinking—our most important Gen Ed learning goals at Adelphi—require original thought, discussion and writing to develop and demonstrate. Students imagine GenAI helping when it’s really replacing the difficult work of thinking with a shortcut.
- Recommendations: The best course is transparency, as in the answers to these questions were generated with human intelligence only, unaided by AI. We should expect and require similar disclosures elsewhere in our lives.
Brian J. Stockman, PhD, professor in the Department of Chemistry, is optimistic, but raises a concern. “AI is making a huge impact in the structural biology field, and will continue to do so, especially in areas related to human health. I’m also using it in my classroom to teach students how to write tailored prompts and then to critically evaluate the AI-generated content. I think that it improves student learning when they have to do critical analysis of the output.”
- Misconceptions: In our research, the most common misconception is that the AI-generated results are always correct. We’re designing ways to analyze the AI output to suggest which are the most likely to be correct, but we’re then testing the AI predictions in the laboratory in order to validate them.
- Recommendations: Embrace it, but take the time to critically analyze the output.
AI Is Creating a Business Revolution
MaryAnne Hyland, PhD, dean of the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, sees a major impact in her field. She explains, “AI is revolutionizing the business landscape. Many organizations are investing in AI and educating their employees about its applications. Using it for basic tasks, such as editing an email or drafting a social media post, is common. Some organizations are implementing more advanced applications, such as having AI identify data security risks.”
- Misconceptions: While some jobs have been and will continue to be replaced by AI, the business world is increasingly seeking individuals who understand how to leverage it. Many roles will require the use of AI for enhanced efficiency and productivity. However, faculty often share stories of AI making incorrect calculations and fabricating research references. It’s critical for business students to learn how to use AI in their work, but they must also understand AI’s limitations.
- Recommendations: I encourage everyone to try using AI, as it can be a tremendous time-saver to help with everything from planning a vacation to writing text for a birthday card. But don’t trust everything provided by AI and avoid sharing personal information.
Embracing the Promise of AI
Sukun Li, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, believes that “AI will likely continue to increase efficiency, improve decision-making through predictive analytics and automate routine tasks. The broad adoption of AI tools will force educators to rethink assignment formats, enhance critical thinking skills and address the ethical implications of using AI in education. As an educator and AI researcher, I guide my students in understanding what it means and how to use it correctly or even create it.”
- Misconceptions: Most AI systems require human oversight and input to work effectively. Some of my students believe it can help them complete their homework accurately and achieve good grades. But AI can make mistakes because it learns from data input by humans, particularly when that data is biased or incomplete.
- Recommendations: Don’t be afraid of the emergence of new technologies—they exist to serve us. Let’s embrace these new tools, keep our minds open, and learn more about AI and how to use it properly.
Time-Saving, but Addictive
Damian A. Stanley, PhD, associate professor in the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, finds AI critical for data review. “I use AI for things like data analysis; it’s a very efficient coder and can rapidly suggest new data analyses. It can do in a minute what might take me 45 minutes or more. For students who are exploring different ways of interacting with data, it can also be very helpful as a tutor, adapting to their level and preferred learning style. I’ve also used it to help clinical psychology graduate students prepare for internship interviews by generating a reasonable set of questions targeted toward them for mock interviewing.”
- Misconceptions: I worry about the addictive nature of AI chatbots due to their agreeable responses: They are almost always pleasant and supportive, unlike humans who may disagree or challenge us, which could hinder real-world social skills.
- Recommendations: I believe we should all get to know what it is, because it’s here to stay. From a psychological perspective, I would just urge caution against letting it replace social interaction.
This story was featured in the 2025 Issue of the Adelphi University Magazine.