Text to video diffusion models are becoming incredibly advanced and represent a number of possibilities and challenges for education. Anyone can now sign up for a video generator and create their own short video clip using their own natural language, or an existing image as a source. 

Explore Runway

You can sign up for a free account with Runway and begin to explore different types of AI video generation. Free accounts are rate limited, so if you want to generate more video, you will need to buy a professional plan. 

• Runway Gen-3 Alpha lets you create life-like video, and even comes with its own predesigned footage packs that students can use to create visual stories. Getting Started with Gen-3 Alpha is a helpful tutorial. 

Keep in mind:

• Students need to understand that what they prompt is of consequence. There are already a number of reports from schools about students generating deep fakes to harass each other. Using generative video can be an opportunity to discuss the ethics of video and image generation with students.

• AI literacy is an offshoot of digital media literacy. What techniques and critical approaches do you think students will need to navigate a world awash in generative images and videos? 

Discussion Questions

• How can educators effectively teach students to critically evaluate AI-generated video content and understand its limitations and potential biases?

• How might AI-generated video content enhance student engagement and learning outcomes in your subject area? What specific benefits do you foresee?

• What potential drawbacks or risks do you anticipate if students widely adopt AI video generation tools in their coursework? How might this impact their skill development?

• In what ways could AI video generation tools assist faculty in creating more effective instructional materials? What are the potential time and resource implications?

• How do we balance the benefits of AI-generated video content with the need for students to develop traditional video production skills? Is there a middle ground?

• What ethical considerations should be addressed when allowing students to use AI for video generation in academic work? How can we ensure responsible use?

• How might the widespread use of AI-generated videos impact critical thinking and media literacy skills? What strategies could educators employ to mitigate any negative effects?

• In what ways could AI video generation tools potentially exacerbate issues of academic integrity and plagiarism? How can these concerns be addressed?

• How might the integration of AI-generated video content in education affect students' creativity and originality? Could it potentially enhance or hinder these qualities?

• What policies or guidelines should educational institutions consider implementing regarding the use of AI-generated video content in student assignments and faculty instruction?

  AI Generated Content: This list of discussion questions was crafted by Marc Watkins using Claude 3, an AI assistant created by Anthropic. Marc prompted Claude using the material about the discussion questions and asked the model to come up with a series of questions that consider the educational and ethical issues raised by video generation.