Experiential learning is a core part of the Honors College curriculum, and the small, discussion-based seminar courses unique to the college allow students opportunities to develop hands-on experience exploring topics from interdisciplinary perspectives.
In fall 2024, Laurie Bridges, instruction and digital initiatives librarian and professor at Oregon State University’s Valley Library, taught her first honors seminar on the topic of generative AI, titled Generative AI and Society. The one-credit course examined the social, cultural and ethical implications of artificial intelligence, covering topics such as deepfakes, the role of AI in climate change, the impact of image generation technologies and more.
Laurie was motivated to teach the class after witnessing the rapid rise of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. “When ChatGPT dropped, people were pulling information from sources they didn’t know — and in some cases, sources that didn’t even exist,” she recalls. “This problem motivated me to investigate. I knew that the best way to learn something was to teach it.” Having previously taught three honors seminar courses on Wikipedia, this course marked a new chapter in her exploration of emerging technologies.
Although her academic background is in English and education, technology has long been part of her life. “Dinner conversations growing up revolved around computers because both of my parents were programmers,” she says. “Information literacy has always been part of my job. Now AI literacy has become part of how I teach students to retrieve and evaluate information.”
Her teaching soon expanded into research and student engagement. Laurie proposed a project using short-form videos to explain AI models and tools in accessible ways. “Shorter videos and less complicated explanations can help fill a knowledge gap and make it easier for students to understand concepts, especially when they’re explained by their peers,” she says. To lead the work, Laurie selected “three motivated students to take on this project: Havel Konda, Autumn Borruel and Alejandro Villeda Schaeuffler."
“Havel, Alejandro and I didn’t know each other very well before this project despite being in the same class, so it was a nice opportunity to get to know each other working as a team,” says Autumn Borruel, a second-year student from Lebanon, Oregon, majoring in business information systems. "I've always known I wanted to do something in business, and I see myself working in project management. This project has been beneficial in that it has given me the space to explore the intersection of AI and business.”
For Havel Konda, a third-year student from Portland, Oregon majoring in computer science, AI wasn’t an unfamiliar topic. “I have used AI previously to elevate my experiences in coding and computers, but being part of Laurie’s class and this project gave me a deeper and better understanding of the ethics in AI,” he says. As someone who “wants to work in software,” he hopes that through this project he can “understand AI at a deeper level and provide that knowledge to other people.” Beyond the classroom, Havel is president of Beaver Hacks, a hackathon club that organizes coding projects. He also works as one of two HC student developers for the OSU Events App, a mobile app originally designed by Honors College students to keep their peers connected and engaged with the HC community.
“This was my first look into academic research at the university level,” says Alejandro Villeda Schaeuffler, a second-year computer science student originally from Guatemala City. Interested in the intersection of AI and medicine, he found that the project gave him a new perspective. “Before this, my only understanding stemmed from news reports and ChatGPT. This project and the seminar class immersed me in a new scene.” Outside of research, Alejandro is active in the Google Developer Student Club and Beaver Hacks. “I got involved in Beaver Hacks over the summer, thanks to Havel,” he says.
As a one-term research project, creativity was essential for the three students, as was working efficiently. “On a day-to-day basis, we would utilize the Media Hub in the library and Kidder Studio for our video productions,” Autumn says. Using equipment like backdrops, DSLR cameras and teleprompters, video production became a new and exciting learning experience for the students. “I didn’t know a lot of the skills that went into film production before this project,” says Alejandro. “I had a lot of fun learning from my teammates and gaining these new skills.”
The team began by writing scripts together before settling into roles that matched their strengths. “Each person had different strengths and interests they gravitated towards,” Autumn explains. Drawn to project management, she enjoyed coordinating schedules and organizing the team’s workflow. Havel, with a background in podcasting, focused on the technical side. “I took on a lot of the camera work — my experience helped me navigate it easily,” he says. Alejandro led the scriptwriting and added Spanish dubbing. “We wanted these videos to be accessible for both English and Spanish speakers. I hope that English- and Spanish-speaking students will be able to become more knowledgeable in AI — but, importantly, that they see AI as a tool that has the potential to help us rather than replace us,” he says.
Laurie and the students aimed to make their AI explainer videos accessible to people of all ages and learning levels. “The knowledge gap is pretty wide — we wanted the videos to make sense both for people with no background and for those who already knew a bit about it,” Havel explains. “The videos began with more widely known AI topics, such as generative AI and ChatGPT, before branching into specifics like reinforcement learning, large language models and ethical considerations.”
One of the team’s main challenges was “breaking down difficult and hard-to-explain concepts into a more simplified meaning,” Laurie says. While the students led most of the decisions, they also relied on guidance from mentors such as Kiri Wagstaff, OSU Libraries’ special advisor on AI. “Mentors were essential in helping us shape the content,” Alejandro adds.
Having explored AI and its applications firsthand, the students reflect on both its promise and potential risks. “I still take a more cautious stance on AI, especially as virtual and real worlds become more difficult to distinguish,” Autumn says. Alejandro feels “excited about the idea that AI can be a helpful tool for society, as long as it’s used ethically.” Havel adds, “AI and technology will always push us to keep learning, which is exciting. There are downsides, but my optimism outweighs the fear. I hope there are enough good people in the world today and tomorrow to ensure we don’t misuse this powerful tool.”
Laurie is proud of what her students accomplished. “It was exciting to watch them become a team, making decisions and initiating ideas,” she says. “Since this was their first paid job, seeing their professionalism grow was wonderful.”
The completed videos are available on the OSU AI Literacy Center’s media space. “It’s important to teach people how AI systems work so they understand not just the capabilities but also the downsides,” Autumn says. “AI is going to be integrated into our world whether we like it or not, so education is essential,” adds Havel. Villeda agrees: “By breaking down complex ideas, we can help people use AI ethically and effectively.”
Written by Mandy Eng, HC student writer