When Einstein Meets da Vinci: A Pilot Study of Integrating AI Image Generators in the Course of Art English for Science-major College Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study attempts to probe the feasibility of integrating AI image generators in the class of art English for science-major college students to facilitate their speaking and writing skills in English. The course used to be scaffolded with a final group project in which the students were expected to create their artwork as well as advance their English with peers in groups. The students spent hours discussing and enjoyed the process of creating their artwork together; however, since they put a lot of effort into their final works, they hardly had time to practice their English. With the characteristics of AI image generators that convert texts into images, the main intention of language training for this course might be refocused. Action research was conducted in the elective course with thirty-one students with different majors. The data were collected from questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and class observations. The results show that the students spent more time discussing the proper English texts to describe the images they expected the AI to generate. Besides, by repeating trials and errors, they made longer English descriptions with chunks or even paragraphs to revise the outputs. Moreover, they practiced and inputted accurate terms in the field of art to depict the images they had planned. However, they commended that working with AI was much more time-consuming than that with human beings. Furthermore, the final outputs were just accepted; they would rather work with their bare hands than AI. Further research is recommended for developing the curriculum guiding students to regard AI as partners instead of tools and encouraging them to appreciate and analyze the outputs that are “co-worked” by them and AI. The concept and attitude of cooperating with AI will be generated; the new aesthetics, formed.

Keywords

art English, AI image generator, cooperative learning, peer facilitation, project-based learning