Final Reflection Part 2

In class, we’ve been using many AI and technology tools that were very useful to me. Here are the six most useful ones and how we used them:

Slack

We’ve been using Slack to communicate throughout the week for updates, zoom sessions, assignments rescheduling, and changing anything. It’s similar to WhatsApp but without the need to share phone numbers, making it even better. Through using Slack, I learned to ask questions and seek help or guidance whenever I needed it. I found it particularly suitable for collaborations and discussions within our sections and effective for task management. However, I’m not entirely sure what it might not be useful for. Personally, I discovered that task management was very useful and I learned a lot from Dr. Maha’s feedback and guidance on every assignment. A skill I developed was using Slack in general, as I had never used it before, and I would recommend it to all professors in the future. What I liked most about Slack is its ability to set a sleep mode, which prevents notification sounds, similar to Instagram. Additionally, I appreciated how Slack allows us to separate all chats into categories like assignments, class time, Soliya, and other class-related topics, making it different from many other communication apps.

Soliya platform

We didn’t specifically use soliya in class but we reflected in class on how we used it. I learned a lot from this connect program but what I learned the most, about the importance of cross-cultural dialogue and the impact of platforms like Soliya on providing intercultural understanding. Participating in the Soliya Connect Program has been an amazing journey for me. Through talking with people from different backgrounds, I’ve learned a lot about myself and the world. This experience reminded me of my previous involvement in cultural exchange meetings with Interact clubs in Tunis. One thing I learned is how important it is to ask good questions to understand different viewpoints. This helped me respect others’ perspectives while also sharing my own. I realized how my identity affects how I communicate, and I want to improve my communication skills by engaging in exciting conversations where we can all share new ideas. What soliya could be not suitable could be any tasks that require direct communication or structured academic activities.

Canvas:

We used Canvas in our class to access course materials, submit assignments, and check our grades. Dr. Maha always gives us feedback on assignments through Canvas comments. Using Canvas helps me manage my time by showing deadlines and schedules. It’s great for organizing coursework, but I’m not sure what it’s not good for. Using Canvas helps me track my progress and overall grade. Canvas helped me with time management and organizing my course workload. I like that it organizes all materials and assignments, but some assignments need to be checked again to appear on our accounts.

Google slides
Throughout the semester, we used Google Slides to link slides together. I learned how to link slides and create different pathways, skills I’ll use in future presentations. Google Slides is good for creating presentations, slideshows, and simple digital games but not for adding advanced voice effects. Developing my game taught me patience and persistence, enhancing problem-solving skills and empathy. While I liked the slide linking option, I wished for more game development options too.

Deep AI

Using Deep AI in my digital literacy assignment made me realize several things, it doesn’t respond to the given prompt or criteria it gave me blurry and unclear visuals. I learned to ask AI different questions and I learned to enhance my prompts so that I could receive better outcomes. Suitable for creating different figures wearing different clothes while having different hair colors and skin tones, yet, not useful at all in providing clear features for one’s face. I discovered that I have a strong interest in artificial intelligence and its applications. I learned how to provide good prompts and work with hard algorithms. I liked learning how to provide good prompts and work with complex algorithms, which improved my understanding of machine learning. However, I did not like when things didn’t work as expected, as I mentioned when it provided unclear features in my digital literacy assignment.

Image Art

Using image art in my digital literacy assignment made me realize several things, I felt that it was slightly biased as in most trials it gave me Asian women when my prompt was about being successful, yet it provided me with very specific facial features and different poses as one trial gives 4 pictures with different outcomes and not only one. I learned that some AI tools might respond to our prompt and still some may not. But by learning how to create the prompts correctly I could achieve the most benefit from any AI tool and not only image art. It’s suitable for providing very clear and specific features with different backgrounds too of any picture. Not sure what it’s not suitable for. I realized my interest in trying different AI tools to explore different styles and outcomes of each. Using image art helped me develop my creativity and attention to detail. I learned how to effectively prompts and techniques to bring my ideas to life. What I liked was definitely when it provided specific outcomes to what I wanted and what I didn’t like was that it’s biased towards several things.

Comparing all tools:

lack is a communication tool we use for updates, assignments, and discussions. Through Slack, I learned to ask questions and seek guidance when needed, suitable for collaborations and task management, though its limitations remain uncertain. I discovered the usefulness of task management while using Slack. Soliya provided insights into cross-cultural dialogue and understanding, reminding me of past cultural exchange experiences. Canvas is a platform for accessing course materials, submitting assignments, and managing time, suitable for organizing coursework. Google Slides facilitated slide linking for presentations, though lacking in advanced game development features. Deep AI and image art provided creative opportunities, despite limitations in responding to prompts and biases in outcomes. Comparing them all to each other would be hard since they all provide different things. But for Deep AI and Image Art, it would be Image Art despite it being biased.

Which tools would I like to use again in future courses or other contexts? 

Slack, Google Slides, and image art.

Why?

After looking back on my experiences with different tools, three of them stand out as really helpful for future courses or other situations: Slack, Google Slides, and Image Art. Slack was great for talking with my colleagues and Dr. Maha, and it helped us stay updated and organized with our work. Google Slides was super useful for creating my digital game without learning coding or complex ways to create it which was a plus one for me. It allowed me to link slides together, which made my game look better. Even though it couldn’t do much for creating my game, I still found it really handy. Image art was really helpful for making visual pictures from text, even though it sometimes gave me pictures that didn’t quite fit my prompt. It helped me be more creative and pay attention to small details. All in all, these tools made my learning easier throughout the course, and I’d definitely use them again.

Using AI

What I learned about AI is that it’s powerful but not always perfect. Sometimes it gives results that aren’t quite what we expect. But I also learned that we can improve its outcomes by asking better questions and giving clearer prompts. As for how I think AI should be used in the future in education or my career, I believe it should be a tool to assist us, not replace us. It can help with tasks like organizing information, providing insights, or even repetitive tasks so that we can save time for more important things. However, I think it’s important to have control over it and make the final decisions, especially when it comes to important matters. AI should complement our abilities and improve our work, not take over completely.

Interviewing a friend of mine, influencer, presenter, and AUC alumni:

 Karim Lofty (AUC Alumni) graduate of business, he’s not in the same field as I’m majoring in IMC, but he presents most of Tamer Hosny’s concerts, and many more celebrities and he’s aiming to be a TV presenter which is where I want to be specialized.

Our dialogue: A phone call.

Tamara: Karim tell me more about yourself.

Karim: I’m Karim Lofty, an AUC Alumni, I graduated last semester Fall 2023. Despite graduating in a different field,business, my aspirations has no limit. I believe that expectations, dreams, and vision should have no limits. My journey has taken me into a world of entertainment. Presenting concerts for artists like Tamer Hosny and other celebrities has been an incredible journey, but I’m aiming even higher. My ultimate goal is to become a TV presenter, where I can use my skills in communication and engagement to connect with audiences on a larger scale. The energy of being on stage, entertaining, and sharing stories is what gives me hope, and I’m aiming to see my name in the headlines in the world of television.

Tamara: How do you think AI should be used or not used in the future, in education, and our career?

Karim: In the future, AI can help in education by making learning more personalized and accessible. It can provide extra support to students who need it and offer feedback to help them improve. In careers, AI can assist with tasks that are repetitive or time-consuming, allowing people to focus on more creative and strategic work. However, we should also be cautious and make sure AI is used ethically and doesn’t replace human interaction or decision-making entirely.

Tamara: Thank you for your time I really had fun discussing with you.

Karim: Thank you, Tamara, my pleasure.