Bobby Hodgkinson News

Seminar - AI in Education: Advanced Applications and Emerging Trends with GenAI - Apr. 4

Jeff Zehnder — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:08:08 +0000

Seminar - AI in Education: Advanced Applications and Emerging Trends with GenAI - Apr. 4 Jeff Zehnder Fri, 03/28/2025 - 08:08

Bobby Hodgkinson
Associate Teaching Professor, Smead Aerospace
Friday, Apr. 4 | 12:45 - 2:15 P.M. | AERO N240

Abstract: As AI continues to evolve, so does its role in education. This talk will build on foundational AI literacy and dive deeper into how AI is reshaping education at a national and global level. We will explore cutting-edge implementations in K-12 and higher education, providing insights into how today’s students—our future aerospace engineers—are being exposed to AI tools before they arrive at ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ.

The session will highlight AI-driven pedagogical advancements at peer institutions, examining initiatives that integrate AI into coursework, assessment, and educational research. We will discuss developments such as AI tutors, automated code reviews, and large-scale AI integration efforts across disciplines. Additionally, we will explore the ethical and pedagogical challenges of these tools, including concerns about bias, academic integrity, and the evolving role of educators in an AI-augmented classroom.

This talk will provide attendees with a forward-looking perspective on AI in education, equipping them with a deeper understanding of the trends shaping the field and the potential implications for engineering education. Attendees will leave with a clearer sense of what to expect from incoming students, how to align with peer institutions, and how to prepare for the next wave of AI-driven educational transformation.

Biography: Bobby is an Associate Teaching Professor in Aerospace Engineering at ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ, exploring AI-driven education. He has developed AI-assisted grading tools, concept assessments, and code interviews to enhance student learning. He is actively involved in campus-wide AI initiatives and collaborates with colleagues across disciplines to explore AI’s role in education.

Beyond CU, he engages with the broader AI and education community to advance AI literacy. His talks explore practical applications of generative AI in education, from foundational tools to emerging trends shaping the future of learning.

As AI continues to evolve, so does its role in education. This talk will build on foundational AI literacy and dive deeper into...

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Adding AI in the aerospace classroom

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 14:39:21 +0000

Adding AI in the aerospace classroom Jeff Zehnder Tue, 03/18/2025 - 08:39

Jeff Zehnder

Bobby Hodgkinson is exploring the pluses – and minuses – of generative AI in academia.

An associate teaching professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, Hodgkinson is working to steer positive AI adoption in education.

“People are starting to feel the effects of AI in business,” Hodgkinson said. “How can we train people to work alongside these tools and position themselves? We owe it to our students to explore what these tools can do well.”

Those efforts are taking multiple forms. Hodgkinson is working to roll out AI tutors for assignments, grading assistance, and data analysis. As AI is still in a state of rapid evolution, some initiatives have gone better than others.

“Accuracy isn’t to the level that we need AI to be, but it’s about 80% and this is the worst it’s going to be. I’ve said to students, ‘I want to expose you to this because you’re going to be entering this new society and I want you to know what it’s good at and where it struggles’,” Hodgkinson said.

He sees particular potential for AI to improve personalization of learning.

“In class, the intent of a test is for me to understand where you are in the learning process. If you give me an incorrect answer I know something is up, but I don’t know what it is. If I can add a box for you to explain your thinking in your own words, I can get a much better idea of where you are, but that is very hard to administer at scale to 100-plus students. An AI can analyze those responses and I can start directing my intervention,” Hodgkinson said.

He is already putting it into practice with student lab reports.

“Instead of a grader having a 25 page lab report they have to review 50 times for 50 different groups, the AI tells the grader this is where you should focus your attention,” he said.

He is currently finishing up work on a paper, to be published by the American Society for Engineering Education, evaluating a class project that incorporated an AI component. Hodgkinson has also led seminars for other aerospace faculty on applications of AI in education.

A major concern with AI systems has been student cheating, but Hodgkinson has an unusually positive attitude.

“If we’re just asking students to do something a machine today can do, I’m cheating them out of an experience. AI is amazing at writing computer code. The expectation of an entry level engineer to only write a few hundred lines of code a week are gone. But AI is not good at creating the architecture for these applications – what does the client want and how do we turn that into tangible tasks,” Hodgkinson said.

As AI tools have advanced, Hodgkinson has found them to be tremendously beneficial in his professional and personal life – helping to write emails and summarize complex concepts, improving his efficiency and allowing exploration of ideas he previously did not have the bandwidth to tackle.

“While I’m walking my dog I’ll be chatting with ChatGPT through my headphones, reasoning through an idea I have,” he said. “I could have that discussion with another person, but when you talk to a person, you’re always thinking about how you will be perceived. Interacting with a machine removes that.”

Hodgkinson is an active member of the Rocky Mountain AI Interest Group, a community hoping to advance uses of “AI for good.” It has helped him connect with other university faculty and K-12 educators who are also experimenting with AI.

“The goal is education focused more on the individual student,” he said. “Where are you today, where do you need to be tomorrow, and how do I help get you there. We didn’t have the resources to do that before; there’s not enough hours in the day. Now if I can build a tool, I can do something about it.”

Bobby Hodgkinson is exploring the pluses – and minuses – of generative AI in academia. An associate teaching professor in the...

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Seminar - AI Literacy: Foundations and Practical Applications of GenAI in Education - Mar. 14

Jeff Zehnder — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 22:53:54 +0000

Seminar - AI Literacy: Foundations and Practical Applications of GenAI in Education - Mar. 14 Jeff Zehnder Fri, 03/07/2025 - 15:53

Bobby Hodgkinson
Associate Teaching Professor, Smead Aerospace
Friday, Mar. 14 | 12:45 - 2:15 P.M. | AERO N240

Abstract: Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept—it’s here, and can help shape the way we teach, learn, and assess. This talk will provide a foundational understanding of generative AI (GenAI) in education, focusing on what faculty, staff, and students at ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ can do right now with available tools and resources. We will explore how chatbots, custom GPTs, and applications like NotebookLM and deep research are transforming studying, research, and classroom engagement.

Beyond these entry points, the talk will examine AI-augmented applications, including automated grading assistants, AI-enhanced concept exams, and AI-driven code interviews. Attendees will also gain insight into how generative AI is being used across campus, including the Leeds School of Business, the Office of Information Technology, and the Center for Teaching and Learning. We will then extend the discussion to the broader community, highlighting AI initiatives within the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) and the Rocky Mountain AI Interest Group (RMAIIG).

This session is designed to provide a clear, practical roadmap for getting started with generative AI today—without requiring technical expertise or financial investment. By the end, participants will leave with an understanding of the immediate applications of AI in their professional and educational environments, as well as awareness of the growing AI ecosystem in Boulder and beyond.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept—it’s here, and can help shape the way we teach, learn, and...

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Gerren, Hodgkinson, and Rainville Seminar - Nov. 3

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 20:07:37 +0000

Gerren, Hodgkinson, and Rainville Seminar - Nov. 3 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 10/23/2020 - 14:07

Reappointment Seminar for Donna Gerren, Bobby Hodgkinson, and Nicholas Rainville.
Tuesday, November 3 from 4:30 - 6:15 p.m.
Zoom Webinar - Pre-Registration Required

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Welcome to our new Smead Aerospace Faculty

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 14:15:04 +0000

Welcome to our new Smead Aerospace Faculty Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/11/2018 - 08:15

Jeff Zehnder

Who are our new faculty?

They are researchers, educators, and business leaders.
Bring the department new research opportunities and partnerships.
Have diverse backgrounds and come to Boulder from near and far.
Are proud additions to the Smead Aerospace and CU Buffs family.

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