> The trick is to introduce more formal communication without introducing rigid rules and turf protection. And to do that while trying to stay nimble.
If you can model this for your students, then you'll make a huge difference in their lives.
> So far, here are my uses for AI.
My guess is that 25-75% of our work is going to be finding ways to test and manage the AIs. So developing rubrics, prompts or applications to test the outputs designed by other students might be valuable.
As a bewildered, retired-for-four-years ex-corporate R&D scientist/engineer and Berkeley Ph.D. holder ('84) I cannot tell you how great this sounds. You seem completely aware - and at ease - with the hard FACT that it is unlikely anyone will look back at your present adventure in some years and say "This is when we started doing things exactly the way we do them now". Rather, that you are embarking on figuring out how to do things better, in ways that will doubtless change and change and change again as we continue to figure it out. "Bravo!" to you, Professor!
Arnold, *anyone* who is not with the leftist cause - and that means by definition anyone who would go to UATX and thus threaten academia’s status quo - by definition is “right-wing”.
Didn't realize what UATX was and that it's new (founded 20210. How wonderful. I (humbly) offer this advice. Focus on the basics. Beat it to death. Analogy: ALL of classical mechanics can be derived from Sir Newton's 3 laws. Present as very simple, but lots of subtlety. Teachers seldom focus on that. No one understands the basics of economics better than you. You are the best. Lucky, lucky students. Have fun.
Re: "What I mean by that is having conversations with AI’s about the materials without plowing through the original sources."
Why not ask students to use AI to explore the underlying topic (instead of using AI to converse about specific materials they don't read about the topic)? For example, why not ask students to use AI to explore "economics of future generations" or "welfare economics for the year 2100" or "patterns of (in)accuracy of very long-term predictions made by prestigious economists" rather than to converse with AI about Keynes' 1930 essay ("Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren") without reading Keynes' essay?
PS: Will Arnold's next post feature a photo of him wearing a Stetson hat?
“My natural inclination is to be improvisational, but the last thing these students need is another dose of unpredictability. To the extent that it is possible, I should try to provide them with a road map. It would be good if I could make a plan and stick to it. But at the same time, I am teaching courses without precedent and trying to boldly experiment with AI.”
My suggestion: do something like the mid-2000s Google engineer / product team 70-20-10 model:
70% of the time - stick to your core published agenda
20% of the time - do adjacent innovations
10% of the time - try bold/radical “moonshots”
That seems somewhat like what UATX and you are trying to accomplish. And it’s also reasonably close to what I found to be successful in tech management over the years.
It looks like that hanging thing could be easily turned around to face the wall. Stetson Girls could maybe be returned to the HomeGoods store. The two horses don’t belong on the same wall, very distracting. I like the lamp. The pencils are puzzling. Vibe-decorating is important.
It is hard to know the real value of UTAX until we see the market for its graduates. It seems largely to offer a great books curriculum. The science offerings seem an appendage. St Johns tried great books some years ago and I don't believe has accomplished much for its graduates.
I'd be interested in working there if Texas wasn't hot and far from my family. Sounds pretty good!
I'm not going to judge the school by the answer to this question, but I am curious. What are the demographics like? Especially, how many women in the student body?
The students seem eager to learn, which is great if you like to teach. I think my classes are something like 2/3 male, but that may or may not be representative. Austin has a very high pollen count this time of year, and I am really suffering. I come to class in an antihistamine brain fog. Barely functioning.
> The trick is to introduce more formal communication without introducing rigid rules and turf protection. And to do that while trying to stay nimble.
If you can model this for your students, then you'll make a huge difference in their lives.
> So far, here are my uses for AI.
My guess is that 25-75% of our work is going to be finding ways to test and manage the AIs. So developing rubrics, prompts or applications to test the outputs designed by other students might be valuable.
As a bewildered, retired-for-four-years ex-corporate R&D scientist/engineer and Berkeley Ph.D. holder ('84) I cannot tell you how great this sounds. You seem completely aware - and at ease - with the hard FACT that it is unlikely anyone will look back at your present adventure in some years and say "This is when we started doing things exactly the way we do them now". Rather, that you are embarking on figuring out how to do things better, in ways that will doubtless change and change and change again as we continue to figure it out. "Bravo!" to you, Professor!
“The students are not right-wing apparatchiks”
Tsk, tsk.
Arnold, *anyone* who is not with the leftist cause - and that means by definition anyone who would go to UATX and thus threaten academia’s status quo - by definition is “right-wing”.
How do you not know this?
Didn't realize what UATX was and that it's new (founded 20210. How wonderful. I (humbly) offer this advice. Focus on the basics. Beat it to death. Analogy: ALL of classical mechanics can be derived from Sir Newton's 3 laws. Present as very simple, but lots of subtlety. Teachers seldom focus on that. No one understands the basics of economics better than you. You are the best. Lucky, lucky students. Have fun.
And Newton's laws? Are they empirical, or axiomatic or definitional ?
Or based on some other law?
I never understood this despite a physic degree.
Was going to write almost same words, except for Newton's3 laws...nice add.
Would be fun taking a course from Arnold. If I weren't in my last octogenarian year, I'd travel down & sneak into the classroom!
Re: "What I mean by that is having conversations with AI’s about the materials without plowing through the original sources."
Why not ask students to use AI to explore the underlying topic (instead of using AI to converse about specific materials they don't read about the topic)? For example, why not ask students to use AI to explore "economics of future generations" or "welfare economics for the year 2100" or "patterns of (in)accuracy of very long-term predictions made by prestigious economists" rather than to converse with AI about Keynes' 1930 essay ("Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren") without reading Keynes' essay?
PS: Will Arnold's next post feature a photo of him wearing a Stetson hat?
“My natural inclination is to be improvisational, but the last thing these students need is another dose of unpredictability. To the extent that it is possible, I should try to provide them with a road map. It would be good if I could make a plan and stick to it. But at the same time, I am teaching courses without precedent and trying to boldly experiment with AI.”
My suggestion: do something like the mid-2000s Google engineer / product team 70-20-10 model:
70% of the time - stick to your core published agenda
20% of the time - do adjacent innovations
10% of the time - try bold/radical “moonshots”
That seems somewhat like what UATX and you are trying to accomplish. And it’s also reasonably close to what I found to be successful in tech management over the years.
Hoping to hear more as you go about vibe-tutoring!
It looks like that hanging thing could be easily turned around to face the wall. Stetson Girls could maybe be returned to the HomeGoods store. The two horses don’t belong on the same wall, very distracting. I like the lamp. The pencils are puzzling. Vibe-decorating is important.
It would be funny to put up a big poster of the famous chalkboard equations scene from "A Serious Man"
I haven’t seen that movie!
A map is always nice because if you get bored, it actually furnishes something to look at for a moment.
It is hard to know the real value of UTAX until we see the market for its graduates. It seems largely to offer a great books curriculum. The science offerings seem an appendage. St Johns tried great books some years ago and I don't believe has accomplished much for its graduates.
What is your metric for saying St Johns didn't accomplish much for its graduates and why do you think that is the right metric?
Enjoy. Oh, and more bookcases.
I'd be interested in working there if Texas wasn't hot and far from my family. Sounds pretty good!
I'm not going to judge the school by the answer to this question, but I am curious. What are the demographics like? Especially, how many women in the student body?
The students seem eager to learn, which is great if you like to teach. I think my classes are something like 2/3 male, but that may or may not be representative. Austin has a very high pollen count this time of year, and I am really suffering. I come to class in an antihistamine brain fog. Barely functioning.
Zyrtec D and saline nasal spray improve things. Good luck with it; I know this misery.
If you take any day trips, go east and you’ll be out of it.