Vilnius University (VU) Faculty of Law has become a pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in education. Faculty teachers dr. Paulius Jurčys and Dr. Goda Strikaitė-Latušinskaja used the capabilities of AI tools and created her own avatars of AI knowledge, which she integrated into the learning process.
VU innovations in the application of AI in the learning process
AI knowledge avatar is the digital twin of the teacher. The knowledge avatar database consists of the lecturer's scientific publications, teaching materials and additional information about the lecturer and the lecturer's experience. VU Faculty of Law lecturers dr. P. Jurčys and Dr. G. Strikaitė-Latušinskaja decided to use her AI knowledge twins "Paul AI" and "Goda AI" as her assistants while teaching the data protection law course.
Paul AI and Goda AI provide a new way to interact with teachers by asking questions and discussing the knowledge gained. Dr. Mr. Jurčis' knowledge base consists of information on intellectual property rights, copyright, data protection and innovations, while Dr. G. Strikaitės-Latušinskajos - about law enforcement institutions, court proceedings, application of data and AI technologies in the public sector.
Such a new form of communication with teachers - through avatars of teachers' AI knowledge - is a great opportunity for students to additionally familiarize themselves with the material of the taught subject in the 21st century, when students' attention span is very short in the world of mobile apps. In addition to Paul AI and Goda AI, students were encouraged to use all other generative AI tools including ChatGPT, Pi, Claude, Perplexity AI, you.com, etc.
Course structure
The inclusion of AI tools in the curriculum led to the need to rethink the fundamental principles of teaching: how to give lectures surrounded by AI tools? What knowledge and skills should be taught to students in order to prepare them for a successful (legal) career? Given that students can get the answer instantly using AI tools, what information must be presented in lectures? How to use the aforementioned AI tools, assuming that students no longer read mandatory and additional literature?
During the lectures, the aim was to harmonize theoretical knowledge with the practical use of knowledge and AI tools. In preparation for the lectures, students were not only encouraged to read the required literature, but also to complete some practical tasks using Paul AI, Goda AI and other AI tools.
During other lectures, the students were given the task of dividing into groups, choosing the desired topics about the use of data, clarifying a specific problem, preparing reports and presenting solutions to their chosen problem. Students were encouraged to use any AI tools of their choice.
These students' independent work in groups with AI tools was a great experience: students had the opportunity not only to research the questions they were most interested in, but at the same time to present specific solutions to problems important to society. Students created potential business models and even apps, submitted legislative proposals.
Such a change in the teaching format gave students greater freedom, opened up the opportunity to show their creativity, to gain knowledge not only about the application of legal principles in practice, but also about the use of AI tools in the future work of a lawyer.
Lessons learned
Another challenge awaited the VU Faculty of Law teachers in this project: how should students' knowledge be assessed? What should an exam look like when students are not only allowed, but even encouraged to use AI tools during the exam?
Dr. P. Jurčys and Dr. For this purpose, G. Strikaitė-Latušinskaja consulted with innovators of education methods from all over the world - JAV, Japan, Denmark, the Netherlands, etc. When creating the exam tasks, the aim was to assess the knowledge gained during the lectures about the main principles of data protection law and their application in practice.
The ability for students to use personal avatars of professors' AI knowledge, Paul AI and Goda AI, showed that AI can be a meaningful tool to improve the educational experience, providing students with personalized 24/7 support and deep feedback. Personal avatars of AI knowledge allow educators to create a more dynamic and interactive learning environment that is more in line with the expectations of students living in today's world of technological possibilities.
In addition, the importance of balancing theoretical knowledge and practical application became apparent during the taught course. In addition to being encouraged to solve practical problems using AI tools, students were challenged to understand the importance of their own critical thinking in answering questions, even when AI tools are used, and to learn some digital literacy skills that will be essential in the rapidly changing legal profession.
The experience of VU teachers also revealed the need to experiment and look for positive ways of applying AI tools. The use of AI knowledge avatars has highlighted the need to continue the dialogue on the implementation of AI in education. While AI tools have enormous potential, their use raises important questions about academic integrity, data privacy, and the role of human oversight in the use of specific AI tools. With the rapid development of AI technologies, it is very important to ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI technologies.
