Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Commons^™

Counterfactual Explanations For Time Series Classification: From Localized Perturbations To Realistic Generation, Peiyu Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Machine learning models are often used to classify signals collected over time, such as heart rhythms, movement recordings, industrial sensor measurements, and scientific observations. These models can be accurate, but they are often difficult to understand. Users may need to know not only what a model predicted, but also what would have needed to change for the model to reach a different decision.

This dissertation studies counterfactual explanations for time series data. A counterfactual explanation answers a “what-if” question. For example, if a model classifies a signal as one activity instead of another, the explanation shows how the signal would …

Sql Query Optimization - Human Vs. Chatgpt, Hailey Dennis

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT have become ubiquitous tools for working professionals in the software industry. Many engineers are finding new ways to increase productivity by offloading tasks onto LLMs, while others are finding it difficult to trust code produced artificially, even after review. Taking a look at both perspectives, this study aims to compare a human’s ability to optimize SQL queries to that of an LLM and assess the experience using both methods.

Manual query optimization is a tedious task that relies heavily on statistics, heuristics, and good intuition. The SQL developer must search for the optimal …

Multi-Agent Robotaxi Dispatch Coordination In A Real-World Simulation – Optimizing Rider Assignment, Rebalancing, And Charging Using Battery-Dependent Rewards And Welfare Maximization, Paden Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

We propose an approach to coordinate a robotaxi fleet for an autonomous ride-hail service. This is a service similar to a traditional ride-hailing service (Uber, Lyft), where customers request a ride and are then picked up in a car and dropped off in a new location; except, driverless vehicles called robotaxis are used to transport the customers.

Our approach teaches helpful coordination strategies to a robotaxi fleet while taking into account the individual battery level of the robotaxis. Each robotaxi acts as an individual agent in our simulation and can choose to pick up a rider, reposition to a new …

Interpreting Neural Networks For Particle Tracing In Fluid Simulation Ensembles: An Interactive Visualization Framework, Maanav Choubey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Understanding the internal mechanisms of neural networks, particularly Multi-Layer Perceptrons (MLP), is essential for their effective application in a variety of scientific domains. In particular, in the scientific visualization domain their adoption has recently shown to be a promising tool to predict particle trajectories in fluid dynamics simulation and aid the interactive visualization of flows. This research addresses the critical challenge of interpretability of such models.

While interpretability has been extensively explored in fields like computer vision and natural language processing, its application to time series data, particularly for particle tracing (or prediction of trajectories), has not garnered sufficient attention. …

Leveraging Generative Ai For Sustainable Farm Management Techniques Correspond To Optimization And Agricultural Efficiency Prediction, Samira Samrose

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Sustainable farm management practice is a multifaceted challenge. Uncovering the optimal state for production while reduction of environmental negative impacts and guaranteed inter-generational assets supervision needs balanced management. Also, considering lots of different factors (cost, profit, employment etc), the agricultural based management technique requires rigorous concentration. In this project machine learning models are applied to develop, achieve and improve the farm management techniques. This experiment ensures the resultant impacts being environment friendly and necessary resource availability and efficiency. Predicting the type of crop and rotational recommendations will disclose potentiality of productive agricultural based farming. Additionally, this project is designed to …

Title Page/Book Information, Beth Buyserie, Travis N. Thurston

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents, Beth Buyserie, Travis N. Thurston

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

No abstract provided.

Contributors, Beth Buyserie, Travis N. Thurston

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

No abstract provided.

34. "Language Weaves Its Tapestry": Crafting Found Poetry Using Ai Tools, Ruth Li

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

In this chapter, I offer a pedagogical approach to teaching creative writing in the era of Al technologies. I share an activity that engages students in crafting found poetry using Al tools such as ChatGPT. Found poems are collage-like assemblages drawn from other sources such as newspaper or magazine articles. By immersing students in crafting found poems using Al, I inspire creative experimentation with Al-generated texts. Even as writing processes become automated and writing styles standardized, I posit that this found poem activity nurtures students' careful attunement to the materiality of language, to its shape and texture as words unfold …

33. Chatgpt Assistance In Creating Chemistry Practice Problems: Pitfalls, Positives, And Possibilities, Michael A. Christiansen

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

ChatGPT, a relatively new Large Language Model (LLM) artificial intelligence (Al) chatbot, has gained significant attention as the most downloaded software app, accruing over 100 million users within two months of its release. This software can generate quick, articulate responses to virtually any textual query. Many educators are concerned about its potential for enabling student cheating. However, it currently suffers significant limitations in solving chemistry problems-documented through peer-reviewed articles and from the author's experience suggesting that chemistry students will perform far better, on average, by studying than by relying on ChatGPT. This is particularly true of math-centric problems, which the …

32. Using Generative Ai In The Music History Classroom, Reba Wissner

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

Generative Al affords students and college teaching both challenges and opportunities, though faculty mainly focus on the challenges, as most discussion centers on assignment modification to prevent plagiarism and concentrate on text-generating Al. However, there is an entire world of Al tools that are not text limited that can be used to create non-text-based outputs and can be used for information recall and transferability of student knowledge; these tools are well-suited to the arts. One discipline in which these tools can be used is music; specifically, music history. Al generation tools not specifically created for music, such as chatbots, can …

Part Vi: Section 6: Disciplinary Approaches, Beth Buyserie, Travis N. Thurston

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

No abstract provided.

31. Collaborative Writing And Ai: A Research Assignment For An Undergraduate Professional Communication Course, Beth Buyserie

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

This chapter contextualizes and describes a collaborative Al research assignment for an in-person 2000-level Professional Communication general education course. This "Collaborative Writing and Al" assignment asks teams of students to 1) conduct their own secondary research on a specific topic connected to Al, 2) conduct primary research using Al itself, and 3) make recommendations to their peers and future colleagues in the profession or community on how to navigate and respond to a range of interdisciplinary conversations and perspectives on the technology. Within this chapter, the author provides a rationale for the assignment, includes suggestions for background readings included in …

30. Revising Llm Text To (Re)Discover Rhetoric In A Graduate Seminar, Clancy Ratliff

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

In this essay, I share an assignment that asks students to engage in rhetorical revision of LLM text using a changelog table as a tool to document the revision. To demonstrate to the students what I was asking them to do, I did the assignment myself, and my example is included in this chapter as well. I argue that the style of generated text from LLMs calls for increased resistance to the norms and conventions of school writing and an embrace of writing that's more rhetorical: a bit more personal, risky, rule-breaking, creative, and experimental, intentionally centering purpose and audience. …

29. An Ai Workshop For The Overwhelmed And Uninterested, Ritamarie Hensley

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

The impact of ChatGPT and other Generative Al technologies on the role of an Instructional Designer prompted a quest to understand the pros and cons of Al for course development. Despite initial enthusiasm from some educators, many instructors resisted Al, expressing concerns about assignments, academic integrity, and Al-induced hallucinations. The workshop is designed for faculty members who may feel overwhelmed by the myriad uses of Al in education or simply lack interest in Al tools. It offers nuanced approaches to assignments, emphasizes fostering digital literacy for academic integrity, and explores turning Al-induced hallucinations into teaching tools. The workshop also underscores …

27. Pushing Past The First Draft: Exercises In Revision, Jacob Taylor

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

This essay provides a series of global and local revision exercises for writing students to use while developing their revision processes. These revision exercises offer physical and digital possibilities, including opportunities to use Al learning models. Each of the included exercises can be done with or without the use of Al to accommodate individual preferences. The provided global revision strategies promote major structural and/or thematic revisions while requiring writing students to take risks. The local revision exercises help writing students tighten up sentences and improve minor stylistic elements while remaining focused on patterns they can begin to identify in future …

25. Using The Ai Explainpaper To Help Students Better Understand Journal Articles, Erin Jensen, Daniel Hutchinson

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

We have students use the Al Explainpaper to be able to read and understand journal articles as this is a common assignment in many core classes. In our experiences, students often struggle to understand the content of journal articles and then struggle to use the journal article as a source in their writing. The Al Explainpaper provides an opportunity for students to use the bot to better understand the journal article and have an opportunity to ask the program additional questions about the article. We have found Explainpaper to provide help to students in being able to read and understand …

24. Revisioning A Bibliography Assignment To Center Discovery And Critical Source Engagement, Lillian Campbell, Jenna Green, Nicole Bungert

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

This chapter shares context, assignment details, and impact of revisions of a research journal assignment in our first-year writing program at a mid-sized private university in the Midwest. With the rise of access to large language processing models like ChatGPT in Spring 2023, we reviewed our curriculum to consider what assignments might be most vulnerable to Al-generated writing. Our bibliography assignment was an obvious contender, since it focused on summary of individual sources. Thus, we worked with our research librarian liaison to reimagine this assignment, guided by a conversation about learning goals. After reviewing relevant scholarship on source use and …

Part V: Section 5: Teaching Resources, Beth Buyserie, Travis N. Thurston

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

No abstract provided.

22. Examining Ways Of Using Ai To Better Support Teaching Faculty, Mitigate Burnout, And Increase Teaching Creativity, Jennifer Grewe

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

Faculty burnout is a concern within academics particularly for the most student-centered teaching faculty. In attempts to support students, faculty can sometimes do so at the expense of their own time and energy that over time can become overwhelming. There exist many concerns within academia on the use of Al and yet this is a tool that could be helpful to teaching loads if utilized properly. This chapter explores ways in which Al might help alleviate some of the workload that teaching faculty experience, which is a start to addressing burnout issues. Ideas are shared in this chapter surrounding Al's …

21. My Summer With Chatgpt, Mary Lourdes Silva

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

Out of necessity, I first used ChatGPT to process mentally and emotionally two major injuries. Trapped at home for the entire summer, I learned to write with ChatGPT to complete a large-scale research project. The anthropomorphizing experience left me feeling less alone. For nearly a year, news about Al-generated writing software sparked nationwide concern about the future of traditional essays. As an early adopter of most digital technologies and the type of person who welcomes chaos, I chose to learn everything | could about ChatGPT, which meant I needed to learn how to "cheat" with ChatGPT. Inspired by similar assignments …

20. Fit To Resist In Post-Product Space: Underserved Student Populations And Generative Ai's Writing Norms, John Paul Tassoni

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

This essay describes ways the specter of Al altered interactions with students in a first-year composition course and how the response speaks to the broader impact of generative Al on underserved populations-especially in the sense that large language models and writing instruction can both affirm center/dominant discourses, values, and practices. The essay argues that the emergence of Al should shift writing instruction for "at-risk" and other marginalized student populations into post-product space. In such space, course work emphasizes students' negotiations with the expectations of higher education's hidden curriculum alongside the finished products that Al can now always already provide.

Part Iv: Section 4: Humanizing Technology, Beth Buyserie, Travis N. Thurston

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

No abstract provided.

18. Cheating As Symptom, Not Disease, Adena Rivera-Dundas

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

Students may turn to generative AI to cheat—not because they don't want to learn, but because academia has been structured to prioritize perfectionism over process. Considering the white supremacist context of academia's unspoken "hidden curriculum" enables educators to re-evaluate norms such as grading policies in order to create classrooms where generative AI can co-exist with essay writing.

17. Epistemological Clash: Ai And Ways Of Knowing, Emma Mecham

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

AI highlights important epistemological debates, particularly for Indigenous communities

16. Use Of Ai In Teaching Social Statistics Or Data Analysis, Mudasir Mustafa

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

In face-to-face classrooms, culturally and critically conscious teachers fight to mediate skills, content, and students' backgrounds all within the bounds of a systematically flawed educational institution. For now, Als that aid in writing bypass that kind of meaningful work as Als reflect the corpus of published literature that overwhelmingly reflects historically problematic hierarchical biases.

15. Co-Creating Intersectional Design Narratives With Ai, Ha Nguyen

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

This chapter presents a co-writing activity with generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to help students reflect on intersectional perspectives in UX/UI (User Experience/User Interface) Design. The activity positions GenAI tools as a thought partner to help students question their assumptions and consider the long-term impact of their design.

12. Cultural Reproduction: Ais Interrupting The Cultural Healing Work Of Teachers, Belinda 'Ofakihevahanoa Fotu

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

The following is a narrative where a student who unwisely trusted AI to write his term paper, based off of a prompt and a historically culturally problematic text, The Lord of the Flies, realizes that the AI wrote a racist essay for him. Because this took place in a culturally and critically conscious classroom, the student was accountable for the deeply flawed ideas written by the AI.

11. Race Against The Machine, Samantha K. Yoder

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

This brief chapter asks readers to consider AI's connections to racial stereotypes and structural inequality.

10. Broadening Applications Of Artificial Intelligence In Education To Include Indigenous Ways Of Knowing, Megan Hamilton

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

Incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing with applications of artificial intelligence in education is necessary for promoting equitable and barrier-free learning opportunities for learners. Further research is needed as scholars and practitioners work toward bridging Indigenous ways of knowing with western forms of artificial intelligence in education in mutually beneficial ways.