Abstract:

Higher education faculty are experiencing a significant shift in the educational landscape with the advent of Generative AI, a transformation comparable to the introduction of computers and the internet. However, this new paradigm emerged quickly, leaving faculty feeling overwhelmed. Similarly, college and university leaders are facing a dilemma: employers want graduates prepared for GenAI use in the workforce, while they try to prepare faculty to embrace and engage in GenAI-resilient and GenAI-integrative instructional design to measure student learning outcomes. According to a study conducted by INSIDE Higher Ed-Student Voice, which surveyed 1,047 students across 166 two- and four-year public and private nonprofit institutions in the United States, 85% of students reported relying on GenAI for their coursework. The resulting cognitive offloading, from GenAI dependency, leads to a decline in critical thinking and reflective problem-solving skills. For programs with a licensure exam, the risks are significant. This presentation will focus on examples of instructional design and evaluation that represent GenAI-resilient and GenAI-integrative strategies to prevent cognitive offloading. Emphasis will be placed on authentic assignments that foster critical thinking, creativity, and real-world problem-solving. By equipping students with these essential skills, we can better prepare them for the dynamic demands of the modern workforce while ensuring the integrity of the learning process.

Keywords:

Keywords: GenAI resilient and GenAI integrative instructional design and evaluation, GenAI workforce skills.