Collaborating with Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Sense of Belonging
Written by Hallie Bodey, Ciocca Center Program Director
October 26, 2022
Sense of belonging is a critical component for student engagement on campus. How do universities create a sense of belonging in their students? There are a number of ways, one of which is through student advising. Strong advising creates a sense of feeling supported. Each interaction with an advisor presents a risk, as advisors represent the University overall to their students. Advisors need to achieve a delicate balance. They want to push students to grow, but not push so far as to alienate students. Balancing this dynamic elevates the risk.
In my experience advising, I have stories of great success, alongside the cases where I did not achieve the balance that I sought. Some of these negative advising experiences were so traumatizing that I have used elements to create and publish case studies for advisors in training. We mitigate the aforementioned risk through training and continued education. But, it is challenging to train advisors. Each case is unique, and while reviewing a case study helps, it is never the same as having the student right in front of you. In my research, I explore how we can improve advising, and how we can use resources effectively to better serve more students.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to improve through better machine learning and effective use of big data. Faculty have (rightfully) expressed concerns about students’ use of AI and academic integrity. But, what if educational leaders thought a little more creatively? How can AI be used effectively to increase student sense of belonging? I tested this myself recently. Using a real student case and the “Playground” feature in OpenAI, I analyzed a case where a student wanted to drop out of a program that I am managing. The AI made three suggestions. The second and third suggestions were appropriate, in fact, they were similar to the two plans that I had developed. The first suggestion would be appropriate in theory, but from a budgetary or scaling perspective was unrealistic. While the AI could not implement the solutions for me, AI could be a nice check, particularly for an earlier advisor, and if programmed with an institution's specific programs, may be able to improve advising. For example, an advisor trying to provide leadership opportunities for a Black student at SCU might say, “you might be interested in getting involved in Black student organizations at SCU”, whereas with assistance from an AI, the AI could draw on a multitude of resources - Club Navigator, the website, etc. to properly name SCU’s Black student organizations, and even give light descriptions of the differences between clubs like “Igwebuike” and the “Black Student Union” allowing earlier advisors or recent hires to provide clearer paths to navigating the institution for their students.
This was just one case, but I was impressed. I do not think that AI will replace human advising, as an advisor needs to evaluate the recommendations for appropriateness and help a student commit to the plan in an order that makes sense for the student. In other words, navigating the actual conversation with the student, determining when to execute which solutions, requires human empathy. Universities want to mitigate the risk of losing students, and as advisors, we need to use every possible measure to ensure student success. I look forward to further researching AI and Advising in Spring Quarter as part of my Action Research course in SCU’s School of Education and Counseling Psychology.
*Photo caption - An AI picture generated by the input "An advisor coaching university students." Source: OpenAI #Dalle
1. Thank you to Professor Ezinne Ofoegbu for your multitude of courses offered in SCU School of Education and Counseling Psychology on these topics and for your patience with me in my many hours in your office.
2. I have written two case studies in Case Studies in International Education - “Distressed and Dehydrated: Stigmatization and International Student Mental Health” and “One Country, Two Systems: Equitably Addressing Issues on U.S. Campuses Caused by Hong Kong and China Relations”
3. Explore OpenAI at openai.com. Create an account and you can work alongside an AI to generate text or artwork from your input. It is free to do a couple of tests.