In the hallowed halls of academia, a quiet revolution is underway. Two seemingly disparate trends are converging, promising to reshape the landscape of higher education. On one hand, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into course instruction is gaining momentum. On the other, the plight of adjunct professors, often overworked and underpaid, is becoming increasingly visible. Together, these trends are sparking a profound reevaluation of the future of academia.
AI in the Classroom: A New Frontier
Harvard University, a bastion of tradition and innovation, is leading the charge in the integration of AI into course instruction. As reported by The Harvard Crimson, Harvard’s flagship coding course, Computer Science 50 (CS50), is set to incorporate AI to assist students in their learning journey. The AI will help students find bugs in their code, give feedback on their programs, explain unfamiliar lines of code, and answer individual questions.
The goal is ambitious: to approximate a 1:1 teacher:student ratio through AI, providing students with software-based tools that can support their learning 24/7. This move is seen as a response to the growing accessibility of large language models like ChatGPT, and it signals a significant shift in the way teaching and learning might occur in the future.
The Plight of Adjunct Professors
While AI is poised to revolutionize the classroom, another trend is casting a long shadow over the academic profession. A USA Today article paints a stark picture of the struggles faced by adjunct professors. These part-time faculty members, often without job security or benefits, are the unsung heroes of academia. Despite their critical role in education, they are often undervalued and underpaid.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) reports that although 90% of these educators have at least a master’s degree, 60% make less than $50,000 per year. Many adjuncts work multiple jobs and lack basic benefits like health insurance. The AFT is advocating for better wages, job security, and recognition of the essential role these educators play in academia.
The Convergence and Its Implications
The convergence of these two trends raises important questions about the future of higher education. The integration of AI into course instruction could potentially alleviate some of the workload for overworked and underpaid adjunct professors. However, it also raises concerns about the devaluation of human educators and the potential for AI to further exacerbate existing inequities in academia.
As AI becomes more integrated into higher education, it’s crucial to consider how these tools can be used to support, rather than replace, educators. At the same time, the systemic issues faced by adjunct professors need to be addressed. The future of higher education depends on a balanced approach that values both technological innovation and the essential human elements of teaching and learning.
The Future is Now
The impact of AI on higher education is not a distant possibility, but a present reality. As these trends continue to unfold, the academic community and society at large will need to grapple with the implications and navigate the path forward. The future of higher education hangs in the balance, and the decisions made today will shape the classrooms of tomorrow.
- Harvard Crimson. (2023, June 21). CS50 to Integrate AI in Course Instruction. Retrieved July 3, 2023, from https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/6/21/cs50-artificial-intelligence/
- USA Today. (2022, March 21). Adjunct Professors, the ‘Backbone’ of Higher Education, Push for Better Wages and Benefits. Retrieved July 6, 2023, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/03/21/adjunct-professors-struggle-low-wages-no-health-benefits/7114938001/