Author: Amanda Rosen

I am a professor of politics and international relations at Webster University.
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Introducing AI Policy to Students

Today we have a guest post from Dr. Devon Cantwell-Chavez, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Copenhagen and current Chair of the Education and Learning Section of the International Studies Association. Devon shared her take on how to talk with students about AI use and policy on LinkedIN, and generously agreed to repost here on ALPS. You can find her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/devoncantwell/ and @devoncantwell.bsky.social.

Here’s what introducing my AI policy in the first day of class looked like today:

For context, I don’t ban AI in my classrooms because (1) my institution does not allow for this (2) any ban is unenforceable and (3) I’m uninterested in the surveillance necessary to implement a ban. I do tell students I strongly discourage AI and unpack why this is.

Before the class, they were assigned three readings:

– Tressie McMillan Cottom’s op-ed in the NYT on the midness of AI
– the new MIT report on AI and pedagogy
– Kate Crawford’s introduction chapter to Atlas of AI

We start off with basic definition of generative AI that emphasizes the large data corpus, probability outputs, and perceived confidence of those outputs. Then, we look at how governments are applying AI in public sector work around security issues (this is a security studies course). Many of my students will go on to the public sector (or are from the public sector) so I want them to start by thinking about the implications of these tools being in the public sector. These examples include discussing how the UK home office has used these algorithmic mechanisms to impute data for files and to make recommendations for decisions; how the US has used ML based translation software which has led to the rejection of refugee asylum claims due to inconsistencies generated through inaccurate translation; the impact on the public service labor market; and the vagueness surrounding most government guidance on the use of LLMs in work places. Find the slides here.

Then, we talk about AI use in this course. The university requires AI disclosures for all exams and assignments. Those that used AI in this last time I taught the course scored on average about a grade lower (we have weird scoring) than those who did not use AI. We unpacked some of the reasons why this might be.

What did students share and take away from this?
– they are noticing how LLM use atrophies their thinking and can even make them second guess their understanding of an issue or content they are working through
– they notice that the writing suggestions made by AI often make their points and analysis more convulted
– despite observing these things, they worry about “building AI skills” and have heard anecdotes about employers not hiring folks because they disclosed that they do not use AI
– there is a direct relationship between student confidence and LLM use- when they are less confident, they use AI more
– the pressure on students time is a driver for increased AI use
– students said they have not received any instruction on ethics related to AI
– students found the MIT report VERY compelling

We will be revisiting this topic a lot throughout the course due to how AI has become intertwined with contemporary security issues. I’m not sure I will necessarily change student’s AI behaviors but I am hoping through a sustained intervention with this topic throughout the course that students will be more critically aware of AI in future practitioner roles.

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Teaching Day at ISA 2027: Call for Proposals

Consider submitting your proposal to present at Teaching Day at International Studies Association (ISA) 2027, which will be offered in both virtual and in-person formats this year (Tuesday, March 2, virtual, and Saturday, March 20th, for in-person in Atlanta). This third Teaching Day will be a great opportunity to share your teaching practice and exchange ideas with colleagues at all career stages on this fundamental part of our jobs. You can propose to lead a session on a core teaching and learning topic or skill (such as grading and giving feedback, course design, assignment design, active learning, or creating community and trust) or on the teaching innovation of your choice, as part of the Faculty Showcase. I encourage anyone who considers themselves to be a scholarly educator to submit–this is going to be a lower cost, add-on event to ISA that will provide a space for educators of all levels, regions, and perspectives to share ideas on teaching and learning, and fill in the gaps in training that many early career instructors experience. We hope to get a really varied set of presenters to ensure a wide range of perspectives are represented.

Submissions are due July 1, and also mark your calendars so you can plan for your attendance at this signature event planned by the ISA Pedagogy Committee. Read the call for proposals at https://isanet.org/Portals/0/Media/Conferences/Atlanta2027/Teaching%20Day%202027%20CFP-Final.pdf.

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Nominate an Early Career Instructor!

The Education and Learning in International Affairs Section of the International Studies Association is looking to recognize excellent educators among our early career colleagues. The nominee must be a member of ISA and the ELIAS section at the time of the award.

ELIAS Early Career Instructor Excellence in Teaching Award

Presented annually, the ELIAS Early Career Instructor (ECI) Award recognizes a section member early in their career for their efforts to be an effective teacher, defined as someone who reflects on their instructional practice, strives to improve, and embraces evidence-based and student-centered teaching practices. The recipient will receive a $100 USD cash prize and a certificate presented at the ISA Annual Convention.

The ELIAS ECI Award considers the following criteria in selecting the winner: 

  • Knowledge and use of effective practices in teaching and learning, including active learning approaches.
  • Learner-centered approach to teaching and learning
  • Reflectiveness on existing and future teaching practice
  • Alignment between stated intentions and actions on learning and teaching
  • Evidence of innovation, sharing teaching practice, publishing findings, giving workshops or other forms of collaboration in a community of practice.

Section members can nominate or self-nominate to the committee. Nomination packets should include: cv of nominee and a 1-2 page statement outlining how the nominee meets the award criteria.

After reviewing nominations, the committee may request additional resources, such as: a syllabus for a class the nominee has taught; artifacts such as assignments or activities; teaching philosophy statement; teaching evaluation summaries for two recent semesters;  and/or a letter of observation from a recent class.

The nomination deadline is April 30th. Nominations can be sent to the committee, Spyridon Kotsovillis, at spyridon.kotsovilis AT utoronto.ca. The committee also includes Kara Hoover (University of Chicago) and Amy Below (California State University, East Bay). 

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Iran 2026 Simulation

Immersion in the simulations and games space for the last 15 years has taught me the challenges of creating and running simulations. I’ve written about these before, in ALPS and elsewhere, and time in particular is a barrier to using simulations in the classroom. Time to find or create a simulation, and time to run it in a packed curriculum. Faculty may want to try a simulation, but can’t find one for the topic, skill, or learning goal that they want, or it doesn’t fit the time they have available in their class. The ALPS team has taught workshops on simulation design and we acknowledge the challenges of putting together a bespoke simulation.

Well, AI just solved part of this problem for us. Yesterday, as part of a demo for my ‘Crash Course in AI’, I asked Claude Cowork to create a one-hour simulation on the Iran War for a large, lecture style class that met particular learning goals. In just a few minutes, it gave me a 32 page document that included all the materials I would need to put that simulation into action–everything from learning objectives, set up notes, facilitation timelines, debriefing questions and points to make, gameplay mechanics, and role sheets.

I’m turning this document over to you, ALPS readers. It’s unedited–I have not fact checked it or made any changes, but as a draft, it may be helpful to some of you teaching right now. Looking through it also shows you how powerful a tool AI can be as a teacher partner. Instead of my spending hours putting this material together, I had it write a draft while I was in the middle of a presentation, and now its ripe for editing, adaptation, and changes that reflect my (or in this case, your) judgement. Feel free to use this simulation in your classes–all I ask is that you report back here in the comments or on social media on what changes you made and how it went.

And if you are interested in the prompt I used to get this result, here it is. I had Chat GPT create the prompt for me, too. In the document you will first see a template you can use yourselves, followed by the example of what I used to create etc simulation document.

It’s a new world, my friends. Not sure if its exciting or scary or both, but its bringing radical change to this corner of the teaching and learning field.

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Six Faculty Archetypes for Navigating AI in Your Teaching

I’ve been developing a lot of workshops, trainings, and short courses on AI lately, all targeted at helping faculty learn the basics of AI and its applications in the college classroom. I wanted to share one part of those efforts that I think will have broad application and help educators who are thinking through their own approach to AI.

While we are all likely subject to institutional policies that affect the role of AI in our classroom, that context does not have to govern our individual perspectives on AI and what role it should play. I’ve talked with faculty who sit on all sides of the AI-spectrum—everything from full-scale denial of the role of AI to those who have thrown themselves into agents and vibe coding. For those that are still figuring out the role they want AI to play in their teaching, though, I have created six archetypes which may help.

Alt text: A 3×2 grid of illustrated panels, each depicting a different faculty archetype. Top row, left to right: a man in a suit labeled “Detective” holds a magnifying glass up to a piece of paper against a blue background with computer screens. A man in a purple shirt labeled “Architect” sits at a drafting table with blueprints and a pencil, with a warm yellow background. A woman in a blue jacket labeled “Pragmatist” sits at a desk with books and a laptop, with students visible behind her against a blue background. Bottom row, left to right: a woman labeled “Coach” sit across from two students at a table in conversation, in a classroom with motivational posters on the wall. A woman labeled “Resister” sits at a desk with a laptop and an open book, one hand raised in a stopping gesture, with a whiteboard behind her showing a diagram of human qualities that AI cannot replace. A man in an orange sweater labeled “Embracer” holds a laptop with a robot icon, surrounded by glowing digital icons against a teal background. Note: image created in Chat GPT and edited by Claude; alt text provided by Claude.

I’m going to walk through each approach and some of the strategies that you can employ if this is the role you see for yourself. Note that of course these are ideal types. You might switch from one role to another based on context, student, or assignment, or see parts of yourself in multiple roles. I share these not to force anyone into a box, but to illuminate the different roles I’m seeing faculty play so that those still figuring this out know what some of their options are.

Continue reading “Six Faculty Archetypes for Navigating AI in Your Teaching”
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2nd Annual Teaching Day at ISA

If you are attending the International Studies Association’s Annual Meeting in Columbus later this month, I encourage you to consider attending the 2nd Annual Teaching Day at ISA, a free conference-within-a-conference on Sunday, March 22nd. While the rest of ISA features a number of great panels and roundtables on the scholarship of teaching and learning, the Teaching Day consists of workshops, simulations, and demonstrations of teaching techniques and approaches. Participation was competitive and we have a great program for you.

Check out the Teaching Day at ISA Program!

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Pedagogy Today: ISA’s New Resource

This week, the International Studies Association launched ‘Pedagogy Today’, a web resource of articles on teaching in the field. Right now there are two articles, Levelling the Playing Field: Leveraging LEGO for Playful Learning and Pedagogical Principles of Care: An Introduction and Practical Guide. ISA is inviting those interested to submit their own articles.

This will also be a good place to track upcoming virtual events on teaching and learning offered by ISA. Find out more about this new resource at https://isanet.org/Resource-Library/Pedagogy-Today.

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ALPS calls for aid!

As Jeremy noted, the ALPS blog team recently met to discuss ideas for the next academic year and the shocking lack of kettles in American hotels. We are now looking to onboard some columnists to offer regular content on the site, similar to Jeremy’s new monthly roundup of SoTL publications. This would be a monthly commitment for a period of 6 months, with the option to renew if agreeable to the columnist and editors. Join our team to share your insights and experiences with political pedagogy, the scholarship of teaching and learning, games and simulations, and the wider academic environment in which we teach and learn.

Currently we are looking for the following columnists:

  1. Simulation and Game Reviewer–write about a game or simulation that can be used for educational purposes in the higher education classroom. This might be a commercial board or video game, a game you or a colleague designed, or the subject of a published article.
  2. ‘From the Archives’–search the ALPS archives and find some lost posts that deserve a second read, and add on your own thoughts to the topic to make it new and current.
  3. SOTL Book Reviews–write a short review of a recent book on the scholarship of teaching and learning or political pedagogy.

To apply, contact us at the following email: alps AT activelearningps DOT com. Please include your cv, and let us know which column you are interested in offering, your availability to write monthly for a six month period, and a short paragraph on why you want to write on this topic for ALPS.

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Entry-Level Governance in the International Studies Association

This week I published a short essay in the ISA Newsletter on governance in the International Studies Association. In it, I explore a key independent variable that I hypothesize affects who serves in the entry-level leadership positions in sections, regions and caucuses: the process of electing chairs and the length of service required to serve in a chair role. I argue that a common practice of requiring potential chairs to serve first as program chairs–and conversely, for program chairs to immediately step into the top role–may preclude many qualified, interested members from serving in entry-level leadership. This essay was inspired by my own experience entering leadership in the International Education section, which merged two years ago with the Active Learning Section to form the Education and Learning in International Studies (ELIAS) section.

Find the full essay here: https://www.isanet.org/News/ID/6621/ISA-Section-Governance-Structures-Differences-in-Self-Governance-in-Sections-Caucuses-and-Regions

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5 Strategies for AI-Resistant Assignments

I recently got to attend the University of Central Florida’s Teaching and Learning with AI Conference in Orlando, and it’s one I highly recommend for anyone interested in practical ideas on how to think about, resist, and use Generative AI in higher education. The presentations are all 25 minutes and the presenters make the most of their short time. I want to share some ideas from one of those presenters, Ashley Evans, professor and Program Chair of Software Development and Cloud Computing at Valencia College. While her field is obviously far from political science, her strategies for transforming assignments from AI-vulnerable to AI-resistant are easily adapted to our field, and worth considering. I want to note that these are my recollections and takes on Evans’ presentation; all ideas here are hers, not mine (excepting the adaptations to polisci). Her website is https://ashley-evans.vercel.app/ and she has told me she’s happy to talk AI with other faculty; contact her by email.

Evans’ stated goals for creating AI resistant assignments include:

  • Reduce student ability to get high marks from solely AI-generated submissions
  • Eliminate the ability of AI to complete the task in place of the student
  • Challenge students to think critically about AI generated output, if used.
  • Relieve instructors from the role of AI-detectives.

All of these seem like worthy goals to me. Most importantly in my mind, she’s interested in taking the weight off of faculty of trying to root out unauthorized AI use, not by banning it, but by revising assignments so that AI is genuinely not useful on the assignment, and by establishing grading criteria that focuses on completion of tasks that AI cannot do well. This is a tough balancing act, but one that I think faculty need to wrestle with as they figure out how much they want to incorporate AI into their classes.

With that, here are her five strategies:

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