Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President

2024-2025 Provost Lecture Series

Understanding the Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) and Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT) on Instruction at Kansas State University

Wednesday, April 30, 2025Aleksan Shanoyan
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Hemisphere Room
5th Floor, Hale Library

Dr. Aleksan Shanoyan
Professor of Agricultural Economics
2024-2025 Coffman Chair for University Distinguished Teaching Scholars

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Biographical Sketch

Aleksan Shanoyan is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics which he joined in 2012. He earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University, M.S. from University of Illinois, and B.S. from Armenian National Agrarian University. Dr. Shanoyan’s research is in the area of agribusiness economics and management with the focus on supply chain coordination and strategic management. His most recent research projects examine contracting and vertical coordination strategies in beef and biofuel supply chains, resilience of agri-food systems, economics of pet food, information and communication technology applications in agriculture, and facilitation of agri-food supply chains in developing economies. Dr. Shanoyan teaches courses in food and agribusiness management, marketing, and strategy at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He is an innovative and dedicated teacher with an exceptional enthusiasm for engaging students and enhancing their learning experience both in and out of the classroom. Dr. Shanoyan’s research and teaching accomplishments have been recognized with awards including 2016 Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, Less Than Ten Years’ Experience from the Western Agricultural Economics Association, 2016 Gold Quill Award for Outstanding Article in the Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, 2017 Distinguished Teaching Award: Less Than Ten Years’ Experience from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, and 2020 U.S. Department of Agriculture Excellence in College and University Teaching Award for Food and Agriculture in North Central Region.

Abstract

The recent technological advancements in Generative Artificial Intelligence are having transformative impact on various fields including higher education. The ChatGPT and other similar tools provide users with unprecedented ability to automatically generate humanlike text of desired format, style, length, level of detail, and language used. While these technologies are seen by some as a key for unlocking new potential in education, others are raising concerns over its potential to promote academic misconduct and reduce analytical skills. Potential opportunities and challenges arising from the application of these technologies in higher education are still not well understood. Many questions remain about the differential impact of these technologies across various disciplines, curriculums, courses, learning activities, and assessment mechanisms. This presentation will share research insights on the extent to which specific KSU programs, curriculums, and courses are being affected by ChatGPT and other GAI. These insights will be useful in designing targeted programs and policies aimed at maximizing the benefits and minimizing the threats associated with the use of GAI and GPT applications across KSU programs.