This Fall semester, I am teaching a second iteration of a class I designed last academic year focused on female photographers and the rise of the selfie. When I first built the course, conversation was percolating on artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for just about every facet of our day-to-day, including curriculum development. I was interested but hadn’t dived into the deep end of AI.

As I prepared for the Fall semester, I suited up and fully immersed myself into AI as a tool and resource to enhance my course. Swim alongside me as I peek into my AI course revision journey. In this multi-part blog series, I will share ways I lean into AI to:

• Gather new information regarding my course topic

• Create images for my course

• Inspire new, engaging activities for learners

For this first post, my key focus is simply on experimenting with AI as a tool for gathering possible new information for my course. For this step, I used Microsoft Copilot.

Getting the Juices Flowing with Copilot  

Microsoft Copilot is an AI companion application that I’ve started using on either my iPhone or iPad for quick answers and informal, exploratory research. Copilot functions like a chatbot. I opened Copilot on my phone first to see what sort of gaps in my own knowledge I might fill as I prepare to refresh my course. Teaching a contemporary, ever-evolving topic like selfies, it’s important that I stay abreast of new literature and resources on the topic. Following is a screen capture of my initial engagement with Copilot on my iPhone.

Later that day, I asked Copilot the same questions on my iPad. Between these two instances, I noticed slight differences in how key findings were worded in Copilot, but all in all, the core content was the same. This behavior is expected from generative AI. Following are a few examples of the questions I posed to Copilot and the responses on the app on my iPad.

PROMPT: What is the most famous selfie in the world? 

RESPONSE: 

1. Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars Selfie: Back in 2014, during the Academy Awards, comedian Ellen DeGeneres took a star-studded selfie that quickly became one of the most-shared photos in social media history. It featured celebrities like Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, and more¹. 
2. Selena Gomez at Coachella: On Instagram, the most-liked selfie of all time (as of 2017) was taken by actress and singer Selena Gomez. She snapped the photo with her boyfriend, The Weeknd, at the Coachella festival, and it garnered over 8.2 million likes and more than 206,000 comments². 
3. Crested Macaque Selfie: In 2011, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, a crested macaque managed to take a selfie using nature photographer David Slater’s camera. This image became famous and somewhat contentious in the years that followed³. 
4. The Egg Selfie: An egg selfie with the caption, “Let’s set a world record together and get the most liked post on Instagram by beating Kylie Jenner’s existing world record of 18 million.” In just under 10 days, the post reached a staggering 18.4 million views, becoming the most-liked Instagram post of all time⁴. 

Feel free to explore these iconic selfies for inspiration! 😊 

PROMPT: Why do some people love selfies and some people hate selfies? 

RESPONSE: 

Remember, the most unique selfies come from your personal touch and creativity. Whether it’s an unconventional location, a candid moment, or an artistic twist, let your personality shine through! 📸✨¹, those digital self-portraits, evoke a wide range of emotions and opinions. Let’s explore why some people love them while others cringe at the sight of a front-facing camera:

1. Self-Love vs. Self-Obsession:
   1. Love: For many, selfies are a celebration of self. They capture moments, emotions, and personal milestones. Posting a selfie can be an act of self-love, confidence, and connection with others.
   2. Hate: However, when selfies become an obsession—when we wake up, brush our teeth, and then take 10-20 selfies to choose the perfect one—it might signal a deeper issue. Excessive selfie-taking can lead to narcissism and even addiction¹.
2. Narcissism and Authenticity:
   1. Love: Some people genuinely enjoy sharing their lives through selfies. They find joy in capturing memories, experimenting with angles, and expressing themselves creatively.
   2. Hate: Critics often label selfies as narcissistic, inauthentic, or low-quality. The anxious rhetoric around selfies sometimes leads to moral panic—a fear that they’re changing our social fabric³.

In the end, whether you love or hate selfies, remember that they’re just one way to capture life’s moments. Let’s find that sweet spot where self-expression meets authenticity! 📸❤️¹⁴²

Overall, I was impressed by my results in Copilot. My prompts were a combination of fact-seeking questions, and then a few less black-and-white inquiries. I wasn’t incredibly surprised by any of the responses, which strengthened my confidence in Copilot as an initial idea generator and surface-level research tool. I was feeling a bit playful, so I posed one more question below.

PROMPT: How would you describe selfies to your grandma?

RESPONSE:

Ah, dear Grandma! Let me paint a picture for you. Imagine holding a small, magical mirror in your hand—one that captures moments with a simple click. This enchanted mirror is called a selfie.

When you take a selfie, you turn the mirror toward yourself, just like when you check your hair or adjust your hat. But instead of seeing your reflection, you see a frozen moment in time—a digital snapshot of your face, your smile, and the world around you.

People take selfies to remember special occasions, share their adventures, or simply celebrate being alive. It’s like saying, “Look, Grandma, here I am! This is me right now.” And then they share it with friends and family using their magical devices called smartphones.

Some folks love selfies because they capture memories and connect us across distances. Others might not be as fond of them—they say too many selfies can make us forget to enjoy the real world around us.

So, Grandma, next time you see someone holding up their phone and grinning, know that they’re creating a little piece of their own history—a tiny, pixelated memory to cherish forever. 📸❤️

After thinking for a moment about how my real grandmother might respond to my selfie-inspired inquiry, I chuckled a bit to myself, and then went back to work. I continued to probe Copilot with more content-specific inquiries.

Gathering Content I Could Really Use for My Course

I asked Copilot for additional examples of famous selfies to incorporate into my previous slide decks for class. Here were the results:

Sure! Here are some famous selfies that have made headlines:

• Astronaut Selfie – Astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Chris Hadfield have taken selfies in space, offering a breathtaking view of Earth in the background².

• Obama, Cameron, and Thorning-Schmidt – During Nelson Mandela’s memorial service, President Barack Obama, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, and Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt took a selfie that went viral³.

• Monkey Selfie – A black macaque took a selfie using a wildlife photographer’s camera, leading to a famous legal battle over the copyright of the image¹.

These selfies have not only captured memorable moments but also highlighted the cultural impact of the selfie phenomenon. Do you have a favorite among these?

Next, I asked Copilot for examples of unusual selfies that I could use as interesting attention-getters at the start of several of my class sessions. Copilot pointed me to:

• Underwater Selfies – Divers and snorkelers often take selfies underwater, capturing the vibrant marine life around them³.

• Extreme Sports Selfies – Thrill-seekers take selfies while skydiving, bungee jumping, or surfing, capturing the adrenaline rush of their activities⁴.

• Mirror Selfies with a Twist – Some people get creative with mirror selfies, using multiple mirrors to create interesting reflections and perspectives.

These selfies showcase creativity and often capture unique moments or perspectives. Do any of these stand out to you?

I then asked Copilot to point me to some new articles that critique the concept of the modern selfie. Copilot sent me the following results from the same publication/author. It was a start, but I will keep probing for more diverse perspectives.

Certainly! Here are some critical articles that explore the phenomenon of selfies from various perspectives:

• The ‘Selfie’ Phenomenon: Reducing the Risk of Harm While Using – This academic article highlights the dangers associated with taking selfies, such as accidents and injuries that occur when people are distracted⁴.
• ‘Being on Trend’: Selfie as a Social Phenomenon – This paper analyzes the selfie as a social phenomenon, critiquing it through various social science theories⁵.

I also asked Copilot about the future of the selfie to brainstorm a few discussion board questions for my students.

The future of selfies is likely to be shaped by advancements in technology and changes in social behavior. Here are some potential trends and uses for selfies in the future:

• Health Monitoring – Selfies might be used for health purposes, such as tracking skin conditions, monitoring changes in physical appearance, or even detecting early signs of certain diseases through AI analysis.

• Security and Identification – Selfies could be used for secure identification and authentication processes, such as unlocking devices, accessing secure areas, or verifying identity for online transactions.

• Creative Expression – As technology evolves, selfies will continue to be a medium for creative expression, with new tools and apps enabling more artistic and innovative self-portraits.

These trends suggest that selfies will continue to play a significant role in our digital lives, evolving with technological advancements and societal changes. What do you think about these potential uses?

Why All the Effort?

Why am I experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI) for my Fall class? Because my students deserve my thoughtful due diligence. AI isn’t going away. In fact, I anticipate that it will continue to have implications for course development far into the future. Instead of fearing it, I’m embracing it as a tool for research, experimentation, and reflection.

Looking ahead, I anticipate using Copilot regularly for ideas on how to supplement my course materials with new and fresh content, while also stretching my own knowledge and understanding of an ever-changing topic.

I hope that my experimentation and transparency here encourage you to play and experiment with artificial intelligence in ways that make sense for you, your teaching style, and the content in which you teach.

When you do take some time to play a little with AI circle back and let us know what you discovered!