Education Professor to Study Artificial Intelligence and Recommend Its Global Use (04/30/24)

April 30, 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

• Jones said he plans to conduct an extensive review of the literature and current tools, create surveys and conduct focus group interviews with education professionals in the U.S. and internationally on their experiences with artificial intelligence.
• The contacts Jones has made as an advisor for the Global Educators Initiative for Sustainable Transformation (GEIST) International Foundation and his work with the U.S. Department of State as an English Language Specialist has the potential to open new avenues for the college and the university.

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Winthrop University Education Professor Marshall Jones will assume the Singleton Professorship later this year to examine current uses of artificial intelligence and advise others on its uses in the United States and internationally.

The Singleton Professorship honors the memory of Winthrop alumna and former member of the Board of Trustees, Elizabeth Singleton. Since it was established in 1994, the Singleton Professorship has recognized excellence in discovery, integration of different disciplines in research, and application of knowledge and teaching. Jones' appointment will be for fiscal years 2025 through 2028.

Beth Costner, dean of the Richard W. Riley College of Education, Sport and Human Sciences, said Jones has already conducted professional development sessions on AI and collaborated with faculty across disciplines to host a cultural event on the benefits of international experiences. The contacts Jones has made as an advisor for the Global Educators Initiative for Sustainable Transformation (GEIST) International Foundation and his work with the U.S. Department of State as an English Language Specialist has the potential to open new avenues for the college and the university.

"For example, in visits with school districts, we hear repeatedly that increased reliance on internationally-prepared teachers has created new needs for partnerships," Costner said, adding that the international teacher candidates can only stay in the U.S. for five years. "The international teacher has necessary content and general pedagogy knowledge but needs more support around processes and expectations unique to the U.S. classroom and specifically U.S. public school classrooms in the South."

She added that with some districts asking for programming to support this model, Winthrop could, through Jones' research, take a lead in the area within the region.

Extensive Review and Focus Groups Planned

In his Singleton Professorship proposal, Jones said he plans to conduct an extensive review of the literature and current tools, create surveys and conduct focus group interviews with education professionals in the U.S. and internationally on their experiences with artificial intelligence. He outlined these two goals for his project:

1. To produce original traditional and public scholarship to advise educators, thought leaders and the general public on how and when to use AI today and plan proactively for its continued use in teaching and learning around the world. He anticipates outlining likely advances that will become publicly available in the next one to five years.

2. To increase international connections and opportunities for the College of Education, Sport and Human Sciences and for Winthrop. This will relate to admissions, scholarship, service and other areas of opportunities as identified.

After reviewing the state of AI in teaching and learning, Jones plans to survey educators in K12, higher education, and corporate learning and development to gain an understanding how it is being used. The survey will be administered during years two through four of the professorship. Jones plans to conduct online and on-site focus groups and interviews throughout the professorship.

International Connections

Using his connections with American and international partners with the GEIST Foundation and with connections to U.S. Department of State programs, Jones will travel to various locales to conduct on-site focus groups and interviews.

Jones said he will seek traditional areas of scholarship to release his work but in an effort to make his findings more approachable, he will prepare an annual state of AI Report that would be publicly available. Jones also plans to document parts of his work on his YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@marshallgjones.

Jones joined the Winthrop faculty in 2001 and served for a decade as senior director for learning technologies and graduate studies in the then College of Education. He was promoted in 2011 to professor of educational technology/learning design and technology.

At Winthrop, he was awarded the inaugural Bank of America Endowed Professorship of Education in 2004. He has previous experience working in countries including Bangladesh, The Philippines, Thailand, Ukraine and Vietnam. He served as an English Language Specialist in Vietnam in 2022 focusing on online learning and Open Educational Resources.

He holds a B.A. in English from Furman University, an M.Ed. in instructional design and technology and an Ed.D. in instructional design and technology, both from the University of Georgia.

For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or e-mail her at [email protected].