Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition
Students use AI in multiple types of short, weekly assignments in specific ways
Course Info:
- MS&E 296 / INTLPOL 340: "Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition"
- Fall 2024
- Instructors: Steve Blank, Joseph Felter, Eric Volmar
Pedagogy:
This course was designed specifically to integrate AI into the way that students approach issues of foreign policy. In the syllabus excerpts below, AI is featured in three types of regular student work: class readings, weekly assignment posts/presentations, and extra credit. You can explore the overall course policy on AI use and read more about the course in this Stanford Report article.
Weekly Assignment
Policy content for each week
For each class session, you are required to synthesize [a very large amount of instructor-specified] content and apply it to the context of the class discussion and your team’s problem statement. Per the course policy statement, you are not expected to read this content in its entirety beyond Lesson 1. In fact, your use of AI tools is the only way you will be able to apply insights from this large volume of content.
Weeks 2-8: Problem Discovery and Analysis
Activities
- Conduct weekly stakeholder interviews (5 per week) to gather insights on your problem statement.
- Use AI tools to synthesize policy content and interview data, identifying key themes and hypotheses.
- Document your findings and hypotheses in the team blog.
- Attend weekly office hours with an instructor to present your teams latest learning and for feedback and guidance on addressing your problem/challenge....
Deliverables
Weekly blog entries to your Google Doc summarizing your interviews, AI insights, and emerging hypotheses. Weekly entries are due each Sunday at 11:59pm Pacific Time....
When assigned by the teaching team, present a 10-minute update to the class (as assigned) on your findings and evolving hypotheses. Not every team will present every week, and assignments for teams will be made by the teaching team one week in advance.
Ongoing Responsibilities
● Office hours: Required weekly. Sign ups will be available after Week 1. Your entire team must meet with one instructor weekly for office hours. Please rotate between instructors week to week....
● Weekly Blogs: Document your progress, interview findings, and AI-driven insights weekly. This will not only help you stay organized but also allow the teaching team to provide timely feedback.
● Team Collaboration: Regular team meetings and continuous communication are crucial. Ensure that each member is contributing effectively and that all perspectives are considered.
● AI Integration: Consistently use AI tools to enhance your analysis and decision-making processes. Demonstrate how AI has informed your insights and solutions.
Opportunities for Extra Credit
Students can earn extra credit for demonstrating advanced and creative uses of AI tools. This may include identifying AI hallucinations, creatively synthesizing data, or effectively using AI tools to uncover new insights. Extra credit opportunities will be awarded for pushing the boundaries of AI integration in research, finding unique ways to apply AI to complex problems, or using AI tools to significantly enhance the quality of analysis and problem-solving in your project.