A student told Integrated Information Technology Instructor Travis Dalton something surprising at the end of class one day.
“He said, ‘If I’m able to cheat, I’m going to cheat,’” Dalton says.
Dalton uses artificial intelligence tools in his classroom as an aid in teaching students how to code. But his student took it one step further, using Figma UI to create a website without having to code it himself.
AI engines like ChatGPT have garnered attention in the past few years, bringing worry that students will use these resources to cheat on academic assignments.
However, instead of avoiding AI, Dalton is teaching his students how to use it to their advantage. “It’s not necessarily cheating,” Dalton says. “I think they’re tools.”
He told his student that just because he could use AI to generate a website, it did not mean he should rely on it—It is still important to develop his own skills.
“I asked him, ‘If you had to change the coding for some reason, could you do that? Or would you have to just constantly recreate things?’” Dalton says. “I don’t think AI can replace software designers and programmers.”
Dalton encourages his students to use several AI resources, including GitHub Copilot for debugging and code generation, Tabnine AI for code autocompletion and ChatGPT for problem-solving and brainstorming. But he still emphasizes the importance of learning coding languages like HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
IIT Instructor Patrick Wright says that Dalton helps his students balance AI with their own work.
“He guides students to use these tools not as crutches, but as aids to enhance their learning,” Wright says. “His approach ensures students develop foundational skills.”
Wright added that Dalton’s innovative approach has influenced his own teaching methods. “His courses are frequently mentioned as favorites during my senior-level icebreakers,” he says. “That’s a testament to his impact on students.”
Along with his role as an instructor, Dalton is an informatics Ph.D. candidate at the University of South Carolina. His research on how programmers and software developers can use AI to design user interfaces compliments his teaching.
Dalton’s research has also been impacted by this year’s inaugural Propel AI lecture series. The monthly workshops are hosted by the university and created to help faculty incorporate AI into their research. The new program has invited researchers from across the university to learn how to use AI in the classroom. Dalton applied to the series so he could pass this knowledge on to his students.
“I want to learn more about how industry and education will use AI more often, and what students need to learn about it,” Dalton says.
The Propel AI lecture series aims to have faculty work together across disciplines to produce innovative ideas. “They’ve been doing a good job of having us collaborate with each other and share ideas,” Dalton says. “That’s one of the things I really enjoy.”
In the future, Dalton hopes to apply his research for using AI to develop ADHD-friendly user interfaces. And while his career in research is only beginning, the dawn of AI has helped Dalton realize that research holds nearly endless possibilities.
“I’m new to research, and it’s made me more comfortable with not knowing everything. It’s pushing me to learn new things,” Dalton says.
Dalton emphasizes that AI is not something to fear. When used correctly, it is a tool that can streamline the work process and help students learn.
“I’m heavily motivated to prepare my students for the workforce, and I want them to have skills and knowledge that are going to land them a job,” Dalton says. “I think we should embrace these tools and use them in the classroom to mirror the workforce.”