Exploring AI at Valpo | Economics Professor Encourages Artificial Intelligence Literacy

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology evolves and becomes a growing part of daily life, Valparaiso University faculty members are exploring new ways to incorporate hands-on learning with AI tools in the classroom. One example is Associate Professor of Economics Sedefka Beck, Ph.D., who incorporates generative AI in economics classes with both undergraduate and graduate students. In courses such as Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, and Managerial Economics, she encourages students to test the capabilities of generative AI – and understand its current boundaries.

Her students explore AI technology by crafting their own answers to economics questions and comparing them to responses generated by AI tools. “First, students answer the questions from the point of view of economics, and then they go to generative AI and ask the same questions and compare,” Professor Beck explains. “One of the objectives is to develop critical thinking by analyzing and comparing answers. The second objective is to raise the flag that generative AI is not foolproof.”

Professor Beck believes building critical thinking skills is fundamental for students’ lifelong success. “Thinking critically is the human way of doing things,” she says. “Critical thinking is so important for whatever you do: for both your job and for the personal decisions you make in your life.”

For two Valpo business students, Christian Kim ’27 and Lydia Klabunde ’27, the hands-on learning with AI in Professor Beck’s Principles of Microeconomics class provided an eye-opening experience.

“AI is here to stay, and businesses need to work to leverage it,” Kim shares. He says the class taught him about the importance of analyzing AI-generated information: “Professor Beck taught us a more thoughtful approach to AI. She reinforced the need to carefully inspect answers provided by AI, as it commonly misunderstands microeconomic and macroeconomic impacts.”

For Klabunde, Professor Beck’s course illuminated a new perspective: “Generative AI – specifically generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) large language models like GPT-4 – was assimilated very well into Professor Beck’s Microeconomics class,” she shares. “My first time using any sort of generative AI GPT was in Professor Beck’s classroom! […] The course opened my eyes to the truly unmatched and positive tool that AI can be when used appropriately.”

As emerging AI technology continues to shape the world, Professor Beck looks to guide her students on how to use it in an informed and responsible way. “It’s very important for students to know what generative AI can and can’t do,” she says. “I am not aiming to do it all in one class, but teaching about AI bit by bit contributes to students’ overall digital literacy.”

To learn more about hands-on experiences in economics at Valpo, explore our economics major, which equips students with a deep understanding of what drives decision-making in our global economy, and discover more about Valparaiso University’s economics department.