Months after the Higher Learning Commission reaccredited NIU, a doctoral student in the Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment is helping the university understand how artificial intelligence can enable those continuous processes.
The work of Stella Jung, who is pursuing her Ph.D. in Instructional Technology, comes through fulfilling her ETT 770 internship this fall under the supervision of Amy Buhrow, assistant vice provost for Assessment and Accreditation and Carrie Zack, assistant director for Accreditation, Assessment and Evaluation.
“Artificial intelligence tools have significant potential to streamline accreditation report writing, saving valuable time for the university and leaders of the 57 disciplinary-accredited NIU programs,” Buhrow says.
“We engaged Stella to explore how tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot can support this work by creating self-study outlines, generating draft narratives, and providing suggestions for improvement,” she adds. “The comprehensive ‘how-to’ manual she developed and presented serves as an excellent starting point for programs undertaking these tasks.”
Jung brings the background and outlook of a teacher with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science education and special education along with her current academic focus on the classroom.
“I’m studying AI literacy in K-12 settings, so I think this is a great opportunity to expand my knowledge and experience,” Jung says. “They invited me to various workshops inside NIU and outside NIU that are usually open to faculty and staff members and, as a student, it is not easy to attend these kinds of workshops and conferences because they cost a lot.”
Clear to all who participated in those trainings, she says, was the permanence of AI.
“We cannot avoid AI. It’s already here, and it’s only going to be involved in our lives more and more, and we are not going to go the other direction without AI,” she says. “So, what we need to do is to know how we are going to use AI in the right way.”
She, in turn, is advising NIU’s Accreditation, Assessment and Evaluation team.
For example, AI can assist in building a self-study outline. It can correct grammatical errors. It can improve the tone of the prose. It can clarify ambiguous writing.
Yet AI also presents concerns regarding the security of data fed into its online platforms, making entry of sensitive information inadvisable.
That point was something Jung encountered herself as she prepared to share her knowledge.
Jung intended to demonstrate strategies with a web-based application that allows educators to learn, adapt and create AI for the classroom: It prompts users with questions such as the objective of the lessons and the characteristics of the students.
Uncertainty over that software’s protection of data, however, prompted her to use Microsoft Copilot instead.
Through the development of an AI manual, and participation in professional development with NIU’s Accreditation, Assessment and Evaluation team, Jung says she gained valuable insights and practical experience.
“I have learned how AI can be used in education settings, not only for K-12 classrooms but also in higher education. Enhancing AI literacy for staff has a great potential to help administration,” she says of her broader learning. “This internship was a great opportunity for me.”
Buhrow and Zack also are pleased with the semester’s outcomes.
“Stella’s adaptability and self-direction were vital in navigating the challenges of a dynamic and evolving project,” Buhrow says, “enabling her to learn, adjust and deliver impactful results with minimal guidance.”
