Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management

2024, Vol. 24, No. 2, 123–130

https://jbam.scholasticahq.com/

AI-Facilitated Critical Thinking in an

Undergraduate Project-Based Service-Learning Course
Sara B. Kimmel
Mississippi College

The paper examines incorporating AI as a pedagogical approach to enhance students’ critical think-
ing skills in a project-based service-learning course in international business. The literature re-
views (1) service-learning in pedagogy to increase student learning, community-minded behavior,
and personal reflection; (2) Bloom’s Taxonomy as an assessment guide for higher order skills mas-
tery; and, (3) Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool for developing enhanced critical thinking skills.
An international business course is deconstructed and examined for lower and higher order skills
usage, then reconfigured incorporating AI use in lower and higher order skills. The author con-
cludes with recommendations for the use of AI in core level business courses as a method for in-
creasing student engagement and critical thinking skills.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an important addition to challenges. Concern about the quality of AI’s generative
pedagogy in academic disciplines; however, there has capability, accuracy, and depth of knowledge has driven
been resistance to the use of programs such as ChatGPT much current research, justified by academic intent to use
as universities restructure policies related to originality in the best possible versions of generative AI tools. One
writing and thought. The potential societal benefits and such study by Raman et al. (2024) examines ChatGPT’s
financial costs of AI have been touted and debated in pub- literacy of the U.N. Sustainable Goals across three com-
lic and corporate realms in recent years. OpenAI, the firm petency levels, and recommends enhanced competencies.
that developed ChatGPT, faced a legal threat from one of Such specific investigation benefits universities whose
its founders, Elon Musk, for allegedly straying from its accrediting bodies encourage societal impact focused on
mission “to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity” by cre- the measurement of the U.N. Sustainable Goals in curric-
ating a for-profit model. (OpenAI, n.d.). Musk’s attorneys ulum.
withdrew the legal claim, although it may be reopened. The Chronicle of Higher Education (Caplan et al.,
(da Silva, 2024). 2023) polled twelve scholars and administrators about
Universities have stood both at the front lines and in the AI’s potential to transform educational processes from
fearful shadows of AI for some time, embracing the bene- admissions to academics, and opinions ranged from an
fits for data analytics, yet keeping open education re- assurance that universities will not close as a result of AI
sources (OERs) at arm’s length, despite the promise of to the need for careful planning due to education disrup-
collaborative learning and teaching. Similarly, many edu- tions. Academic thought leaders suggested that class-
cators will recall the structured syllabus note that cau- rooms must become more deliberate and open to experi-
tioned students about citing Wikipedia in a research pa- ence; academics must prepare for a fundamental shift in
per, while acknowledging its prevalent use by students for research; universities will become more efficient as AI
a first look at unfamiliar information (Bayliss, 2013). helps control costs; education will be revitalized; and the
Mesenguer-Artola et al. (2020) found that Wikipedia in gap between information transfer and knowledge produc-
conjunction with conventional methods of learning has tion will grow. The researcher’s university published a
positive perceived value, despite the reticence of academ- statement regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence, hav-
ics to allow its use. Students, they found, considered Wik- ing sought faculty guidance regarding the use of AI in the
ipedia reliable and comprehensive, particularly when mul- classroom and the integration of AI with the university’s
tiple media sources were required to supplement learning. originality software contract (Turnitin.com). In fall 2023,
Gray (2020) concedes the potential for AI to have pro- the university syllabus included the following statement:
found impacts on education and the future of work, while [The university] supports and engages in scholarship and
educational institutions raise questions about accountabil- creative activities that advance knowledge and encourage
ity, trust, and fairness. Universities have found themselves students to utilize their skills, talents, and abilities as they
lagging in faculty development on the topic of AI, and pursue meaningful careers, lifelong learning, and service to
God and others [University Mission Statement]. While we
playing “catch-up” to connect graduate outcomes with acknowledge the benefits and opportunities that Artificial
industry expectations. Mearian (2024) highlights the con- Intelligence (AI) affords the learning community, we recog-
cerns raised among global institutions about AI’s poten- nize the need and responsibility of students to learn and syn-
tial negative outcomes on data privacy, the digital divide, thesize information individually. We also recognize the inher-
job elimination, an unprepared workforce, and ethical ent risks the use of AI presents to cognitive development,

123
Copyright © Institute of Behavioral and Applied Management. All rights reserved.
Article citation: Kimmel, S. B. (2024). AI-facilitated critical thinking in an undergraduate project-based service-learning course. Journal of Behavioral and
Applied Management, 24(2), 123–130.
124 Sara B. Kimmel

academic integrity, and data security. Therefore, where AI The list serves as an organizational guideline for educa-
use is allowed in the academic setting, its use should be docu- tional institutions developing service-learning programs
mented appropriately. (Mississippi College, n.d.) with the goal of creating an organizational culture that
The policy does not restrict the use of AI instructional embodies, sustains, and perpetuates service-learning
methods, but requires appropriate documentation through among the four stakeholder groups: institution, faculty,
the course syllabus, implying that its use should be sup- students, and community. Berry and Workman (2007)
portive of the course objectives and, as such, measurable. ascribe community as a description for both the client
This paper examines the deconstruction of a course- (community partner) and the community at large, and
integrated service-learning project to incorporate AI and note the value of service-learning as contributing to high-
increase student achievement of higher-level goals. er level learning.
Literature Review Professors using SL pedagogy expect effort from their stu-
dents that goes beyond classroom academic rigor, critical
Service-learning thinking, and reflection, to additionally include meeting a
community need. Expected student outcomes include superior
Service-learning is a pedagogical approach designed to learning of core course material because of increased interest
increase student learning through active service with a and engagement, and increased understanding of individual
community partner, personal reflection, and skill applica- and corporate civic responsibility toward a multitude of
tion. Bringle and Hatcher (1996) define service-learning stakeholders. (p.23)
as an educational experience in which students participate Because service-learning can take many forms, devel-
in an organized service-learning activity that meets identi- oping appropriate assessment of the student service-
fied community needs and reflect on the service activity learning experience in conjunction with the course objec-
in such a way as to gain further understanding of course tives is an essential component of service-learning, and it
content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an distinguishes courses that are designated as service-
enhanced sense of civic responsibility. learning from those that encourage or require service and
Eyler and Giles (1999) support the positive impacts that offer credit for task completion.
service-learning has on academic learning, with students
self-reporting the following outcomes: Bloom’s Taxonomy
One common form of evaluation in service-learning
• Deeper understanding of course material
courses is reflection, which is considered to be a mid-to
• Improved ability to apply material they learn in higher level application in Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educa-
class to real problems tional Objectives (Bloom’s Taxonomy, 2024). The six
• Motivation to work harder major categories of Bloom’s Taxonomy are: Level 1,
Knowledge; Level 2, Comprehension/Understanding;
• Increased connection to the college experience Level 3, Application; Level 4, Analysis; Level 5, Synthe-
through stronger ties to students and faculty sis; and, Level 6, Evaluation. At Level 3, Application,
• Improved leadership skills students should be able to demonstrate, give examples,
apply, construct, interpret, investigate, and use. At Level
• Reduction in negative stereotypes and an increase 4, Analysis, students can successfully compare, contracts,
in tolerance for diversity analyze, differentiate, inspect, question, relate, solve, and
• Deeper understanding of the complexity of social test. Level 5, Synthesis, is observed in students who can
issues design, integrate, propose, formulate, organize, and syn-
thesize. Level 6, Evaluation, is achieved when students
• Increased sense of connection to the community can assess, estimate, evaluate, choose, compare, contrast,
• Greater self-knowledge decide, grade, judge, measure, rate, revise, score, select,
Bringle and Hatcher (1996) note ten (10) types of activ- value, and weigh.
ities for stakeholder groups in service-learning, broadly The framework was revised in 2001 to create a more
arranged as: dynamic model: Level 1, Remember; Level 2, Under-
1. Planning stand; Level 3, Apply; Level 4, Analyze; Level 5, Evalu-
ate; and, Level 6, Create. While the fundamental descrip-
2. Awareness tions are translatable between both versions of the frame-
3. Prototype work, the language of the revision is provided. Students
4. Resources achieving Level 1 (Remember) mastery should be able to
5. Expansion recall facts and basic concepts. Mastery of Level 2
(Understand) is determined by one’s ability to explain
6. Recognition ideas or concepts. At Level 3 (Apply), students will be
7. Monitoring able to use information in new situations. Level 4
8. Evaluation (Analyze) mastery is indicated by the ability to draw con-
nections among ideas. At Level 5 (Evaluate), mastery is
9. Research shown through the justification of a stand or decision.
10. Institutionalization.
 Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management 125

Level 6 (Create) is achieved when a new or original work some level of contextual understanding, but it lacks the
can be produced. general intelligence and self-awareness characteristic of
Eber and Parker (2007) point out that much classroom General AI or the hypothetical capabilities of Superintelli-
instruction occurs at the lower levels of student cognition gent AI. (OpenAI, n.d.)
as ordered in Bloom’s Taxonomy, with concern about While debate remains regarding the appropriate use of
developing assessments that adequately measure achieve- AI, it is a proven powerful tool for academics. Additional
ment of the levels. Using Bloom’s language as indicative studies have examined the use of chatbots in conjunction
of the level of instruction or activity can lead to a natural with Bloom’s Taxonomy to increase student learning.
progression of assessment. They support the use of in- Hultberg et al. (2024) acknowledge that the use of new
structional feedback and rubrics to benefit students’ un- technologies is necessary to increase student engagement
derstanding of learning measures. and learning. Their study supports that AI can improve
engagement, personalize learning, and provide instant
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
feedback and assessment, while simulating real-world
The researcher opened a chatbot on 6/14/2024, and scenarios and helping students to overcome barriers to
asked ChatGPT to describe the types of artificial intelli- learning. Using Bloom’s Taxonomy as one reference, Wu
gence and the capabilities of ChatGPT. It answered with et al. (2023) develop a strategic decision-making frame-
the following (in under 20 seconds): work for AI and machine-learning (ML) to develop higher
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can generally be categorized -level learning in AI, with assessment and gap analysis of
into three main types based on their capabilities and func- previous scholarly decision frames, noting the uncertain-
tionalities: ties for future decision frames. Mustafidah et al. (2022)
1. Narrow AI (Weak AI): This type of AI is designed review the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and natural lan-
and trained for a specific task or set of tasks. It guage processing using AI to determine the levels of cog-
excels in performing particular functions within a nition in student testing, expressing that “a good and cor-
limited domain. Examples include virtual assistants rect, valid, and reliable learning assessment will reveal the
like Siri or Alexa, recommendation systems like level of achievement and actual learning conditions.”
those used by streaming services, and chatbots like Other researchers have acknowledged the capabilities
customer service bots. Narrow AI systems are pro- of AI in solving lower level learning activities, including
ficient at their designated tasks but lack general Thanh et al. (202*), who acknowledge criticisms of
intelligence and the ability to understand context Bloom’s Taxonomy regarding its applicability across dis-
beyond their programmed scope. ciplines. Jaiswal & Arun (2021) examine the potential for
2. General AI (Strong AI): General AI refers to AI AI-enhanced learning in India’s education system with
systems that possess human-level intelligence and the goal of producing graduates who have skills related to
can understand, learn, and apply knowledge across “critical thinking, leadership, communication, and team-
diverse domains, similar to how humans do. These work” as these are competencies demanded post-
systems would have the ability to reason, plan, graduation. Furthermore, Jin et al. (2023) support the use
understand natural language, perceive their envi- of AI to complement self-regulated learning strategies.
ronment, and perform a wide range of tasks at a While their research reviewed techniques using AI to in-
human level or beyond. General AI remains largely crease engagement among online learners, the concepts of
theoretical and is yet to be achieved. Creating a motivation and effect, self-evaluation, and self-
truly general AI would require significant advance- satisfaction are applicable in service-learning using AI-
ments in AI research and technology. facilitated research. Baskoro et al. (2023) caution those
who would use AI to improve students’ critical thinking
3. Superintelligent AI: Superintelligent AI surpasses (CT) skills, stating that the tool can be misused, particu-
human intelligence in virtually every aspect. It larly if AI is used to replace exploration, suggesting stu-
would possess cognitive abilities far beyond those dents’ creativity and criticality might be lessened.
of the smartest humans and could potentially out-
perform humans in every intellectual task, includ- Course Overview
ing scientific research, technological innovation, The researcher is a tenured professor in their universi-
and problem-solving. Superintelligent AI is often a ty’s school of business in a southern state of the U.S. The
subject of speculation and debate, as its develop- school is AACSB-accredited and enrolls approximately
ment raises profound ethical, societal, and existen- 12% of the university’s students in its graduate and under-
tial questions about its impact on humanity. graduate programs. The professor’s teaching requirement
As for ChatGPT, it falls under the category of Narrow includes both the graduate level international business
AI. While it excels in understanding and generating hu- leadership courses and the core survey of international
man-like text based on the input it receives, its capabili- business course, the latter of which is required for all stu-
ties are limited to natural language processing and genera- dents in the school’s five undergraduate majors. This
tion within the context of the vast amount of text it has paper focuses on the revision of the undergraduate course,
been trained on. ChatGPT can engage in conversations, Global Dimensions of Business, to utilize AI to enhance
provide information, assist with tasks, and even exhibit student critical thinking.
126 Sara B. Kimmel

As a 300-level, service-learning course, Global Dimen- in a template, provided to each team through Google
sions of Business is offered in two sections during each of docs. Teams work on sections of the project in the shared
the fall and spring semesters. Junior-level students (60-89 drive with completed sections due along a timeline of
semester hours) comprise the majority of those enrolled; every 2-4 weeks. Reliable sources of information are pro-
however, the course has no pre-requisites, and it is not vided in the template, and the topics for each section coin-
uncommon for sophomore-level students (30-59 semester cide with material covered in the text and in class for that
hours), senior-level students (90 or more semester hours), time period. The professor reviews and critiques project
and even freshman-level students (29 or fewer semester submissions and recommends edits immediately follow-
hours) to be enrolled. Ideally, students will have already ing submission. Class time is provided in the university’s
taken macro and micro economics, finance, management, library or a collaboration-friendly classroom for student
and marketing prior to enrolling in Global Dimensions of review and editing of each submission. The professor acts
Business. However, the class routinely has students co- as a consultant to the teams during these edit sessions.
enrolled in those courses. Total annual enrollment across Following the submission of each project component,
all sections of the course is approximately 125 students, students complete an individual reflection assignment of
averaging 57.3% in-state, 31.9% out-of-state, and, 10.6% between 200-300 words using a series of prompt ques-
international. Along the broad binary of masculine and tions focused on the team’s time management, leadership,
feminine, some 43.4% of students historically identified and collaboration as well as the individual’s assessment of
as female; while the remainder identified as male. self, their contribution, and plans for future action. At the
To provide a meaningful experiential-learning environ- end of the semester, prior to the final exam, students for-
ment for the range of students and to help reinforce the mally present their project recommendations in a recorded
learning objectives, the professor developed a community presentation that can be forwarded to the community part-
partner relationship with a state development authority ner. The full, edited business development briefing for
division whose primary role is promoting business ex- each team is also linked to the partner. They can use the
ports, inward foreign direct investment, and the STEP reports to forward to small businesses who are traveling
Grant program (Small Business Administration, n.d.). The as part of the STEP program or need more information
division consists of a director, the STEP Grant coordina- about prospective partner countries. The recommendation
tor, several trade specialists, and several investment portion often provides the community partner with fresh
agents. Trade and investment focus areas include the top perspectives and ideas without the risk or cost of a part-
sectors (and related emerging clusters) in the state’s re- ner/client product.
cruitment focus: advanced manufacturing; aerospace and
defense, agriculture, food, and beverage; automotive; dis- Integrating Course Improvements
tribution and logistics; and, forestry, energy, and chemi- The professor reviews and alters the project template
cals. Industries in these sectors are dispersed throughout every semester to address changes in the global environ-
the state. (Mississippi Development Authority, n.d.). One ment, partner needs, and student capacity. For example,
advantage of this project-based service-learning course is post-pandemic projects have included an overview of the
its relatability for all students. While they are working country’s recovery efforts, migration, food insecurity, and
with a state-specific agency, students must identify their a quick assessment of supply chain issues. The inclusion
own state, local province, district, or nation-state econom- of more class time to work on the project resulted from
ic development agency for reference in their future work. post-pandemic observations and reflections indicating that
Representatives of the community partner visit the class students were struggling to connect with each other face-
sections at least once during each semester and provide an to-face, coupled with an increase in the percentage of
overview of the agency and their roles, a detailed descrip- students holding jobs outside of campus life. The service-
tion of the relationship of international business to the learning partner is consulted more frequently for their
state, and information about internships and employment needs so the resulting project is valuable to the partner
opportunities. and meaningful to the students. Additional trade-related
Students in each section of the course self-select into practitioners visit class to help students engage and under-
teams of 4-5 individuals. As a team, the students choose stand the impact of trade. Because the project is edited
one country to research during the term from among a list throughout the semester, most teams are able to produce a
of available countries (those that have not been researched well-developed briefing that can be used as a portfolio
recently or countries that have had a significant change in example. Students are provided with suggested language
trade circumstances), with the end goal to produce a busi- to describe the project in their resumes. Still, keeping the
ness development briefing for in-state businesses seeking assignment’s tasks relevant in an AI-supportive economy
export partners, markets for their products and services, is important as students develop their own understanding
and potential locations for foreign direct investment. Stu- of the benefits and challenges of AI, while enhancing
dents are encouraged to develop a creative team name, their critical thinking skills.
think critically, make recommendations based on their During spring 2023, students were given the option of
research, and work as a team with each member taking a using a specific AI program, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, follow-
leadership role across the semester. The project is detailed ing its public deployment (Introducing ChatGPT, 2022).
A university Writing Center representative visited both
 Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management 127

sections to encourage student use of the tool, and the pro- al reflection between team submissions reinforces Level 3
fessor identified objectives related to the project research skills in assessment of self and others. Historically, 12% -
that were essential for the course’s midterm and final ex- 15% of teams produce projects that indicate learning at
am. Outcomes of the trial were mixed. Three student Level 5 (design, integrate, propose, formulate, organize,
teams chose to use ChatGPT for the research portions of and synthesize), while a similar percentage remain in the
their project. One team expressed gratitude for the oppor- Level 1 – Level 2 skills indication, struggling with deci-
tunity due to constraints on their time as athletes, while sions based on the learning. The remaining teams show
members of another team expressed fear of not meeting ability to demonstrate, apply, and construct, based on
the class objectives by using ChatGPT. That team aban- their research. Teams whose projects show less integra-
doned their use of the tool by the second segment submis- tion of their research material toward a creative recom-
sion. The third team using ChatGPT remarked that it was mendation are often those whose time is more limited due
easier to gather information and its use gave them more to one or more working members of the team, members
time for other class activities. GPAs of incoming students involved in club and sport activities, and lesser developed
were not compared prior to the use of the tool, but mid- team dynamics (miscommunication, not knowing each
term and final exam scores were compared as they are other, lack of trust, or not having well-developed time
indicative of mastery of course material. Midterm exam management skills).
scores for students who used ChatGPT for the first two Over spring and summer 2024, the service-learning
segments of the project averaged 9 points below those of project was redesigned to require the use of ChatGPT as a
other students in the course. Final exam scores were ap- research tool for the descriptive portions of the project,
proximately 14 points below the average in the course. with introduction of the revised syllabus scheduled for fall
These results indicated the tool has value to students, but 2024. The APA advice for describing the use of ChatGPT
its use bypassed activities deemed necessary for learning is provided as well as examples of citations and refer-
course material. ences to ChatGPT in APA format. Certain parts of the
Students in the following two semesters were not of- project require specific and timely information, and stu-
fered the opportunity to use ChatGPT for their project, not dents are advised that they will be required to supplement
because the resource is faulty but because adjustments information from ChatGPT with other reliable sources for
were needed to the course to (1) reconfigure how objec- more current or discrete information. Under the revised
tives are met; (2) improve expertise with using ChatGPT project students use ChatGPT to create sections of the
in support of course objectives and critical thinking skills; project previously set aside for student research and writ-
and, (3) develop appropriate assessments. ing. With each section a critical thinking application is
added to the work to assure students have synthesized the
Deconstructing and Reconstructing the Course information both individually and collectively. Table 1
The course contains a balanced mix of lower and higher (Topics and Tasks) illustrates the topical information col-
-level learning objectives. A pre-test and a post-test are lected by students, tasks to be accomplished, and the
administered through the textbook software as required week the activity occurs or the assignment is due (based
assignments. The students are encouraged to complete the on a 15-week term). Specific weeks are established for
pretest as a measure of beginning knowledge. The post- guest speakers (GSs) and subject matter experts (SMEs).
test, while required for participation credit, results in full While not listed in the table, all class meeting times in-
credit for completion. A small incentive (extra credit) is clude discussion. Table 2 (Revision and Decision) reports
offered to students whose post-test score exceeds 65%, to the Bloom’s Taxonomy assessment levels indicated in the
discourage inattentive completion. The mid-term and final original project and the revision, and the critical thinking
exams are the better assessments to judge attainment of application assigned for each section. Table 3
the learning goals. The course requires completion of (Assignments, Activities, and Assessments) illustrates
weekly class preparation (SmartBook) activities and par- assignments, activities, assessments, and value to GPA in
ticipation. Both are graded weekly. the revised course.
A comparison of the course content, its objectives, and Discussion and Future Research
the components of the project revealed a reliance on the
research to help students with Level 1 learning activities The application of AI in the service-learning course
such as: find, identify, label, list, know, and select. As the creates a more uniform product for the community part-
project progresses, Level 2 learning activities require ex- ner, while engaging students in higher level learning. This
amples, description, determination, discussing, explain- is expected to have a number of outcomes related to the
ing, interpreting, and summarizing. In both of the first two objectives of the course, supporting the positive impacts
submissions, students are required to give information in of service-learning noted by Eyler and Giles (1999) relat-
their own words, summarize, and paraphrase. By the time ed to learning, application, motivation, connectedness,
the third submission is made (near the mid-point of the leadership, tolerance, and self-knowledge. Among the
course), students are required to make use of information faculty member’s expected outcomes are: (1) improved
gathered, give generalized information based on their team dynamics as students are better able to manage time
research, begin to plan a team-created evaluation, draw related to the completion of lower-level skills; (2) better
conclusions and infer. The practice of consistent individu- synthesis of applications and models that students use
128 Sara B. Kimmel

Table 1
Topics and Tasks
Activity Topics/Tasks Week

Pretest Comprehensive topics 1

SME Student Success Speaker 1
SME Writing success, ChatGPT, APA format, Writing Center 2
Project Submission 1 Visa requirements, migration, poverty, hunger, food insecurity, geography, factors of 3
production, population, map, imports & exports - SWOT
Reflection 1 Self, team, content mastery, process improvements 3
SME Service-learning community partner 4
Project Submission 2 Political system, economic system, legal system, contract law, property rights, 5
transnational issues, intellectual property protection, product safety & liability laws -
TOWS
Reflection 2 Self, team, content mastery, process improvements 5
SME Practitioner/Business Speaker 6
Project Submission 3 Economic development, economic measures: GDP, GNP, PPP, Gini Index, income 7
distribution, HDI, innovation & entrepreneurship. Culture: values, norms, folkways,
protocol, religion, education, Hofstede’s Dimensions. – Industry Assessment
Reflection 3 Self, team, content mastery, process improvements 7
Midterm exam Review and examination 8
Project Submission 4 Ethics: CSR, UN Sustainable Goals, employment practices, human rights, corruption, 10
punishment for ethical violations; trade agreements & trade barriers, FDI, ease of entry
– Country Assessment
Reflection 4 Self, team, content mastery, process improvement 10
SME Practitioner/Business owner 11
Project Submission 5 Monetary considerations, foreign exchange, export assistance, supply chain, market 13
decisions – Country Attractiveness Model
Reflection 5 Self, service, impact, engagement 13
Posttest Comprehensive topics 14
Presentation Team recommendation presentation 14
Final Exam Comprehensive topics 15

Table 2
Revision and Decision

Sections Bloom’s, Original Bloom’s, Revision Decision Exercise -Student Team

1 L1, L2 L1, L2, L3, L4 SWOT Analysis

2 L1, L2, L3 L1, L2, L3, L4 TOWS Matrix
3 L1, L2, L3 L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 Industry Assessment
4 L1, L2, L3 L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6 Country Assessment
5 L1, L2, L3, L4 L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6 Country Attractiveness Model

across the business curriculum; (3) more and better deci- ficial intelligence tools in business courses that instruct in
sion options for the service-learning partner; (4) higher communication, management and leadership, research,
student retention of course content; (5) greater integration and critical thinking. Among the lines of future research
of theoretical knowledge with practical skills; and, (6) are:
graduates able to perform at higher levels in the work- 1) the relationship between service-learning partner
force. expectations and student outcomes associated with
More research is needed to examine several areas relat- the application of AI;
ed to the understanding and application of generative arti- 2) the perceived student value of AI as a research tool
 Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management 129

Table 3
Assignments, Activities, and Assessments
Activity Assessment GPA %

Pre-Test Individual score .00

Project, Section 1 SWOT Analysis Exercise Team score/rubric .03

Research Section Complete Team score/rubric .02
Individual Reflection Individual score/rubric .02

Project, Section 2 TOWS Matrix Team score/rubric .03

Research Section Complete Team score/rubric .02
Individual Reflection Individual score/rubric .02

Project, Section 3 Industry Assessment Team score/rubric .03

Research Section Complete Team score/rubric .02
Individual Reflection Individual score/rubric .02

Midterm Exam Individual score .15

Project, Section 4 Country Assessment Team score/rubric .03

Research Section Complete Team score/rubric .02
Individual Reflection Individual score/rubric .02

Project, Section 5 Country Attractiveness Model Team score/rubric .03

Research Section Complete Team score/rubric .02
Individual Reflection Individual score/rubric .02
Team Presentation Team score/rubric .05

Posttest .00

Final Exam .20

SmartBook Individual Score .15

Participation Includes class engagement and completion of Individual score .15

assignments/activities
1.00

versus AI as a learning tool; assignments were configured with each of five project
3) the use of AI as a tool for inclusivity in diverse team submissions to further enhance students’ practice of
team decision-making; critical thinking in a decision-focused project.
4) the impact of AI’s use on student engagement in Educators considering the use of AI as a research tool
project-driven courses; and, in project-based courses should (1) have a clear under-
standing of reliable sources of information; (2) consider
5) the disclosure of AI as a research tool in portfolio the dynamic connection of curricular materials with the
development. application to service-learning through a deliverable pro-
The paper has detailed the incorporation of AI as a ped- ject or community need as identified by the community
agogical approach to enhance students’ critical thinking partner; (3) illustrate to students the relationship of course
skills in a project-based service-learning course in inter- materials and assignments to the project and their career
national business. The course learning activities were applications; (4) develop relevant activities that reinforce
examined for their relationship to the learning levels in course objectives and teach new concepts; and (5) provide
Bloom’s Taxonomy. Information gathering tasks that met meaningful opportunities for students to reflect on their
Level 1 and Level 2 learning goals in the taxonomy were learning and processes with the goal of developing critical
reassigned as ChatGPT tasks, and higher-level learning thinking skills.
130 Sara B. Kimmel

References Mississippi College. (n.d.) University Syllabus. https://

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