Sefton

Lori A. Sefton is a Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Applied Agriculture. She teaches Agricultural Leadership and Teamwork as well as Oral Communication, an approved general education course.

About two years ago, Lori was deeply concerned about how AI would impact student learning. She worried that her students would rely on AI to complete coursework and, in doing so, miss opportunities to engage meaningfully with course concepts. As a result, she tried to discourage AI use by her students, while realizing that at least some were using it regularly. Over time, however, Lori came to recognize that AI is not a passing trend-it is here to stay and is already shaping the professional environments our students will enter. She knew she had an ethical responsibility to teach her students how to use AI credibly and confidently.

By learning both the benefits and the limitations of AI, Lori has shifted her approach in the classroom. She now intentionally teaches students how to use AI as a starting point for their work and, more importantly, how to critically review and reshape AI-generated content to meet assignment expectations and reflect their own thinking and voice. Through this process, students learn that AI can support learning, but it cannot replace it. To use AI to create quality content, students need to know how to teach AI to do quality work. Students are smarter than AI; they simply need guidance and confidence to see that for themselves.