Collaborating with ChatGPT in the classroom: a graduate student’s reflection

This reflection offers a student perspective on integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) in graduate education, focusing on collaboration rather than replacement. Drawing on my experience in a doctoral seminar on the intellectual history of educational technology, I examine four key instructional practices that shaped meaningful AI use: conceptual framing, reading-based discussions, a quote juxtaposition assignment, and live demonstrations. These experiences illuminate how AI can act as a thought partner—challenged, refined, and co-opted to surface complexity and multiple perspectives. In doing so, the reflection contributes to conversations about AI in higher education by highlighting the learner’s perspective and pedagogical possibilities when technology is approached as a collaborator rather than a shortcut.