Artificial Intelligence in Teaching
Welcome to the information page on Artificial Intelligence in Teaching at Paderborn University! In an increasingly digital and interconnected world, Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a central role in shaping the future of education and research. The integration of AI into teaching is becoming ever more important. Instructors should be aware that AI-based technologies are transforming the learning environment and will therefore also have an impact on assessment formats and evaluation methods.
Our university is committed to actively exploring and using the potential of AI in order to foster innovation in teaching and to best prepare both students and teaching staff for the challenges of the modern working world.
This website provides an overview of the many facets of artificial intelligence and its integration into teaching and learning processes at our university. We invite you to take a closer look at this exciting topic.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to fundamentally change the educational landscape by individualising and optimising learning processes. Intelligent tutoring systems, for example, can improve students' learning outcomes by providing personalised feedback and adapting learning content to the needs of each individual.
The use of AI in education raises ethical challenges. These begin with data protection and extend to issues related to training data, including potential BIAS and questions of fairness, as access to technological resources and digital competencies may be unequally distributed.
The"Guideline for the use of text-generating AI tools in studying and teaching at Paderborn University" provides a framework for the responsible use of AI at our university. Teaching staff are given the freedom to decide when and to what extent AI tools should be used or excluded in teaching, depending on the specific requirements of different disciplines and teaching methods. In addition, the ‘Guidance Document on the Use of AI in Seminar Papers and Theses’ offers further orientation.
The use of AI in teaching not only serves to make learning more engaging and effective, but also to prepare students for a future in which technological skills will become increasingly important. Paderborn University is committed to using these forward-looking opportunities and integrating them into everyday academic life in order to continue providing high-quality and innovative education.
Paderborn University has therefore been providing data protection-compliant access to AI for both teaching staff and students since June 2024. All instructions can be found in the help portal.
In our increasingly digitalised world, fostering competencies in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more important. Key learning objectives, which can also be derived from the EU AI Act, include:
- Developing a comprehensive awareness of the potential opportunities and risks of AI, as well as the possible harm it may cause.
- The ability to use AI systems knowledgeably and substantively.
- The competence to make informed decisions related to AI, while adhering to applicable rights and responsibilities.
These learning objectives go beyond technical knowledge and emphasise the importance of an ethical and well-informed approach to AI technologies.
By developing these competencies, everyone can contribute to ensuring that AI is used safely and efficiently across a wide range of fields, while always taking social and ethical implications into account.
Further information on bias and filters in artificial intelligence, hallucinations and the validation of AI-generated information, high-risk AI applications in higher education, and more, can be found in the ZIM:HelpWiki.
The Higher Education Development Office at Paderborn University regularly offers workshops and weekly AI consulting sessions that focus on the latest developments and applications of AI in teaching. All offers can also be found on the programme overview page.
Students and teaching staff who wish to deepen their knowledge in the field of Artificial Intelligence can attend, free of charge, not only the university's own programmes but also the training courses provided by KI.edu.NRW or the KI-Campus.
In addition, handouts are available on the university's website that provide detailed information on various aspects of Artificial Intelligence. These resources serve as a valuable reference for anyone seeking to understand and advance the integration of AI into educational processes.
Paderborn University provides an AI Chat portal that enables the use of an AI-based chatbot. Through this service, teaching staff and students can submit queries to language models developed by OpenAI (ChatGPT). In addition, various open-source models (such as Codestal, LLaMA, and Mistral) are available. Only user inputs (prompts) are transmitted via an API; no personal data is shared. Students and teaching staff can activate the service via the service portal. It can be accessed within Paderborn University's network or via VPN.
