The Enduring Value of a Liberal Arts Education in the Age of AI
Recently, Franklin College hosted an insightful panel discussion featuring prominent business leaders who explored the crucial role of artificial intelligence in today’s workplace. While the conversation highlighted AI’s capability to streamline tasks and process information efficiently, it also emphasized the enduring value of human skills that cannot be replicated by even the most sophisticated algorithms.
One of the key takeaways was the irreplaceable role creative and critical thinking plays in complex problem-solving. While AI excels at gathering and synthesizing vast amounts of data, its reliance on existing patterns and learned behavior can hinder its ability to break new ground or devise truly innovative solutions.
A leading opinion leader on the panel summed up the dynamic perfectly: “Then we hand that information to a liberal arts graduate who creatively makes sense of it all.”
Preparing Students for the Future With Liberal Arts Skills and Digital Fluency(
At Franklin College, we’ve long recognized the importance of keeping pace with technological advancements while upholding the foundational principles of a well-rounded liberal arts education. Four years ago, recognizing the growing influence of digital technologies, we embarked on a program designed to integrate digital fluency into every aspect of our curriculum.
This initiative, supported by a generous grant, stems from our firm belief that technology should enhance, not supplant, the core values and learning outcomes of a liberal arts education. The goal is to empower our students with the “power skills” – critical thinking, analytical reasoning, collaborative engagement, and effective communication – combined with proficiency in the ever-evolving landscape of digital tools across all academic disciplines and ultimately preparing them for diverse career pathways.
This approach not only demonstrates the relevance of a liberal arts education in the digital age, but allows us to confidently assert its superiority in preparing students for the limitless possibilities of the future.
AI in Action: Transforming Learning Experiences at Franklin College
Beyond theoretical discussions, we embrace a hands-on approach to bring AI into our classrooms and transform learning experiences. Students across all disciplines are utilizing AI in innovative ways.
Business students leverage AI for enhanced search engine optimization strategies, while their English counterparts explore its potential for story generation and understand its limitations in creative endeavors. Math students utilize AI image recognition systems to better understand complex concepts, and journalism students hone their editing and headline-writing skills by generating news stories with AI assistance.
These are just a few examples of how we integrate AI into diverse fields, demonstrating how it complements and empowers our students, rather than replacing them.
The ongoing evolution of AI presents unique challenges for higher education. Thankfully, many of these challenges are manageable and offer exciting opportunities to more fully explore the advantages and limitations of this transformative technology. At Franklin College, we embrace AI as an additional tool, believing that it can equip our students with skills essential for navigating a forward-thinking professional landscape.
Our Center for Tech Innovation is a vibrant hub where students have access to cutting-edge resources such as 3D printers in the makerspace, a fully equipped podcast studio, and access to virtual reality technology.
The Future of Learning
Today’s college students understand the power of integrating technology into their liberal arts education. We guide them to use these tools responsibly, attentively, and effectively. As artificial intelligence and its applications continue to evolve daily, we welcome such advancements, recognizing their potential to enrich and elevate learning experiences.
Ultimately, technology empowers us to specialize in the art and practice of liberal arts education. The liberal arts school welcomes the evolution of technology, knowing it will help serve our students and the industries that await them upon graduating. We are committed to preparing not just successful professionals, but well-rounded individuals ready to contribute meaningfully to a complex and evolving world.
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The President was named in 2020.
* What are some specific examples of how Franklin College is integrating AI into its liberal arts curriculum?
## Interview: Liberal Arts Education Thrives in the Age of AI
**Host:** Welcome back to the show. Today, we’re joined by Dr. Kerry Prather, President of Franklin College. Dr. Prather, Franklin College recently hosted a panel discussion exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and the liberal arts. Can you tell us a bit about what emerged from that conversation?
**Dr. Prather:** Absolutely. The discussion was incredibly insightful. We brought together business leaders who are on the forefront of utilizing AI in their industries. While they certainly emphasized AI’s incredible capacity for efficiency and data processing, they also highlighted the irreplaceable value of human skills, particularly those cultivated through a liberal arts education.
**Host:** So, what specific skills did they highlight?
**Dr. Prather:** The panelists spoke at length about the importance of creative and critical thinking when it comes to complex problem-solving. While AI excels at analyzing existing data, **it struggles to think outside the box, to innovate and come up with truly original solutions. That’s where the human touch, nurtured through the liberal arts, becomes essential. ** As one panelist aptly put it, “We use AI to gather the information, but then we hand it to a liberal arts graduate who creatively makes sense of it all.” [[1](https://discourse.liberal-arts.ai/)]
**Host:** That’s fascinating. So you’re saying that rather than being threatened by AI, a liberal arts education actually complements and enhances its potential?
**Dr. Prather:** Precisely. That’s why we’ve been deeply invested in integrating digital fluency into every aspect of our curriculum. Our goal isn’t to simply train students to use AI tools, but to empower them with the critical thinking, communication, and collaborative skills essential for navigating an AI-driven world.
**Host:** Could you give us an example of how Franklin College is putting this into practice?
**Dr. Prather:**
Certainly! Students across all disciplines are leveraging AI in innovative ways. Our business students are using it to refine their search engine optimization strategies. English students are exploring its potential for story generation, but also critically analyzing its limitations in creative endeavors. Even our math students are utilizing AI image recognition systems to grasp complex concepts in new ways.
**Host:** It sounds like Franklin College is truly preparing its students to not only survive but thrive in the future powered by AI. Dr. Prather, thank you so much for sharing your insights.
**Dr. Prather:** It was my pleasure.
