In his sixteenth year of teaching at Gettysburg College, Health Sciences Prof. Josef Brandauer recognizes the importance of adapting to new environments and advancements.
Brandauer serves as Director of the Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning (JCCTL), which helps faculty members develop their teaching skills to effectively facilitate student learning and the growth of enduring skills.
“There is a huge amount of evidence on what effective teaching looks like, and all of the programming and all of the offerings that we have at Gettysburg College are based on existing evidence,” Brandauer said.
The JCCTL has been integral to Gettysburg College’s understanding of generative artificial intelligence (genAI). In collaboration with English Prof. Melissa Forbes, Brandauer created a website that contains resources to assist Gettysburg College with the transition to teaching in a world with genAI.
“Prof. Forbes and I started thinking about what people need in order to teach their classes effectively, given the fact that AI is now a player—and how could we do this in a way that our students benefit from it as well,” Brandauer explained. “The solution is having a policy that is clear and transparent about what is okay and what is not.”
The website has garnered national attention and was recently featured in The New York Times to demonstrate effective ways that schools can benefit from genAI. Brandauer himself has implemented the use of genAI into one of his 300-level courses. By incorporating these innovations into his teaching methods, Brandauer believes students will better adapt to the new technological age they will face after graduation from Gettysburg College.
“It can be a very valuable tool, but people are often resistant to technology,” Brandauer said. “Work is going to change when technology advances—there is no doubt about it. This is a seismic shift, and we need to help our students get ready for it.”
Learn more about the JCCTL and the work they are completing to foster innovative teaching.
By Laken Franchetti ’24
Photos by McKenna White ’25
Posted: 01/30/24