Artificial Intelligence Elevates Educational Horizons in Higher Education and Distance Learning

On Nov. 9, a group of educators and technology enthusiasts convened online for a lecture by Robbie Melton, a pioneer in the realm of educational technology. The session was a presentation and showcase of artificial intelligence's potential to revolutionize the educational landscape, exploring the transformative role of AI in higher learning and distance education.

Melton set the stage with an introduction to “Poe,” an AI platform she described as a game changer for educational technology. "Go get it right now because Poe is like the mother of all little AI. It’s transformative, it’s amazing and it grows with you," she said. She highlighted the importance of AI in fostering critical thinking skills and cautioned against dismissing these tools, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, do not ban “OpenAI”; it’s a tool."

The lecture took a practical turn as Melton introduced “Claude-instant-100k” from Poe, a tool that allows educators to upload and process extensive texts. "On behalf of Claude AI, you can now upload 75,000 words, which is equal to a dissertation proposal," she announced, demonstrating the tool's robust capabilities.

Melton then engaged the audience, asking for course names and demonstrating the creation of a course syllabus for general psychology in real time. "It won’t replace you," she reassured. She emphasized its use as a verification tool and its role as an assistant that grows and learns with its users. She encouraged the audience to interact with AI, prompting it to "TELL ME MORE" to uncover the depth of the AI's knowledge.

The demonstration of Claude's capabilities continued as Melton showed how it could create a detailed dissertation proposal with minimal input, impressing upon the attendees the practical applications of AI in academic settings. "On behalf of the graduate school at Tennessee State University, I encourage my students to use OpenAI," she stated, advocating for a friendly and conversational approach to AI interaction.

Melton directed the AI to craft a screenplay, compose a song from a Bible scripture and even draft a substantial grant proposal for Tennessee State University. Each demonstration underscored the customizable relationship one can have with AI. "The more you put into your prompt, the more it becomes uniquely yours," she said.

The lecture was far from one-note, featuring a suite of AI tools like “Stable Diffusion XL” for vivid image generation, “Bard AI” by Google for business plan creation and “Sendsteps” for crafting interactive presentations.

As the session neared its end, Melton offered a reflective and hopeful outlook on the future of AI in education, saying, "Life is good." Her message was clear: AI is not a replacement but a partner in the educational process, a tool to be harnessed for enhancing learning experiences.

The event, hosted by the Center for Digital Learning and Instruction, took place in Room 100 of the Cavness Science Building.

Robbie Melton is an academic professional who is currently serving as the interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs for Tennessee State University. She is also the vice president of Technology Innovations for the SMART Global Technology Innovation Center. Melton is a recognized leader in the field of education, being included in the 2023 edition of the "Top 50 Women Leaders in Education" by Women We Admire, a North American organization consisting of successful female executives and leaders. Her expertise includes strategic planning and training for the emerging Internet of Everything technologies, as well as innovation showcases.