Dear WSE community, 

The “homework apocalypse,” a term coined by Ethan Mollick, a Wharton professor who studies artificial intelligence and innovation, refers to the idea that AI soon will be able to complete most traditional homework assignments, “rendering them ineffective as learning tools and assessment measures.” A study he cites reveals that even as students’ homework scores increased with access to AI and the internet, their overall test scores declined. Clearly, access to answers does not correlate with understanding.

As educators, we need to find ways to embrace these technologies and realize their potential to enhance learning while we also preserve—and improve—the qualities that define a Johns Hopkins education and for which there is no digital substitute, such as small classes and a learning environment that fosters the exchange of ideas.

The timing of this new imperative aligns with changes that are already underway here, resulting from the findings of CUE2, JHU’s Second Commission on Undergraduate Education. We are reimagining how we educate our students and what core elements should count toward completing a major of study.

Starting this year, all incoming undergraduate engineering students will complete a small-group, discussion-based or design-based, first-year seminar. We have also greatly expanded our advising and mentoring program to pair students with faculty members to discuss early-career ideas, internships, and research opportunities; connect students with the academic community; and respond to nuanced questions about course-specific content. And students are still advised by academic professionals to help them successfully navigate the curriculum, ensuring completion of their engineering majors.

With these and other new programs whose success is dependent on interpersonal relationships, our charge now is to leverage AI-based technologies to further our mission to improve one-on-one learning, enhance mastery of concepts, and support students in charting their own academic paths.

AI has made information ubiquitous, and the way we educate our students is changing. There is no longer a direct transfer of knowledge from expert to pupil. Traditional lectures may become obsolete, replaced by more seminar-based discussions where students debate their own ideas about a concept. We can’t outsmart AI or pretend it doesn’t already have a seat at the table. Our challenge is to integrate it into education to make learning engaging, evidence-based, and equitable.

Best wishes,

Ed Schlesinger
Benjamin T. Rome Dean