| Practical consideration | Description | Example from digital marketing courses |
|---|---|---|
| Aligning AI with course learning objectives | The selection and use of AI are strategically aligned with the course's learning outcomes. This ensures that all assessments and classroom activities directly contribute to developing the essential skills and competencies expected of students by the end of the course. | Students crafted an in-depth buyer persona for a client organisation, leveraging various AI tools. This activity supported one of the key learning outcomes - designing a data-informed digital marketing strategy. It entailed analysing the target audience preferences using tools like Google's Affinity Audiences and Answer the Public, alongside AI resources such as AIPRM, to weave these insights into a persona design. |
| Being transparent about the use of AI in class and explicitly positioning AI as a supporting complementary tool in teaching and learning | Designed assessments and learning activities ensure AI's role as an augmentative tool, focusing on strengthening learning and industry-relevant skill acquisition rather than offering a fast track to academic achievements. | Students were assigned the innovative task of establishing a virtual brand community for a client within the Spatial metaverse. This project demanded input from students, specifically in designing a Spatial environment that reflects the client's brand identity and goals for engaging its audience, including elements like video ads and promotional posters. |
| Conversation around the ethical use of AI | At the start of the course, a continuous dialogue on the ethical use of AI is initiated. This dialogue encompasses data confidentiality, algorithm biases, and AI's impact on business and society. The objective is to foster a mindful approach among students to AI applications in their educational and professional lives. | Students are prompted to explore ethical issues associated with AI usage, ranging from data privacy and algorithm fairness concerns to its wide-ranging consequences on the community. The SACRAD framework for AI use was explicitly designed and discussed with the students at the beginning of the course. |
| Evaluating and making sense of data produced by AI | Students are guided to assess the accuracy and relevance of content created by AI. Understanding the foundational algorithms and data origins these tools employ is crucial for students. | In an SEO and keyword exploration tutorial, students analysed keywords for a client's website. They were instructed not to depend entirely on AI tools like AIPRM (ChatGPT Chrome Extension) but to critically examine the information provided. Students were also prompted to verify the suitability of AI-recommended keywords using other keyword analysis tools such as Ahrefs and Semrush. |
| Applied industry-focused projects | When collaborating directly with a client organisation, students gain firsthand exposure to industry standards in AI use and expectations. Applied projects serve as a platform for students to demonstrate their AI skills, innovative thinking, and the ability to work effectively in teams to tackle real-world issues. They acquire an understanding that extends beyond AI's technical applications to include its strategic and ethical considerations within a business framework. | Working in partnership with a client from the consumer electronics sector, the students applied their digital marketing expertise and industry-specific tools, enhanced by Generative AI, to formulate a data-driven digital marketing campaign plan. This process entailed performing a digital audit, pinpointing critical areas for campaign execution, and crafting compelling content. More about this project |
| Focus on developing students’ soft skills. | In addition to mastering technical expertise, developing soft skills is paramount for achieving professional success. Skills such as effective communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability often differentiate a competent professional from an exceptional one. | Students collaborated in teams to create digital content for a client company. During the content marketing module, they explored text-to-image AI technologies to enhance their understanding of AI's role in content creation. This project also fostered the development of teamwork, creativity, and strategic thinking. |
We've compiled a list of our latest presentations on the use of AI and Individual Oral Assessments. Each listed event includes slides for in-person engagements or video recordings for our Zoom sessions.
The presentation about the use of AI in digital marketing courses by Shahper Richter, Patrick Dodd and Inna Piven. The event was organised by Business School's Innovative Learning and Teaching (ILT) team. As the University continues its Curriculum Framework Transformation Project, academic staff is invited to gather and delve into the theme of "Assessment for Learning,” one of the three Signature Pedagogical Practices of UoA. The event provided opportunities to inspire or be inspired, consider fresh perspectives, and explore practical strategies in the learning and teaching space.
After the UABS teaching forum 2024, Shahper Richter, Patrick Dodd, and Inna Piven were invited to present at the University’s Learning Futures Community of Interests. Their presentation was about the use of AI in digital marketing courses.