Curriculum Integration: Generative AI in Social Services - Gerontology

Curriculum Integration Statement

Commitment to Lifelong Learning: As educators, We are dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous learning and intellectual curiosity. We believe in the importance of staying updated with the latest advancements in our field and encouraging our students to pursue knowledge beyond the classroom.

Inclusivity and Diversity: We value and respect the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of all students. We strive to create an inclusive environment where every student feels welcomed, supported, and empowered to share their unique viewpoints and experiences.

Student-Centered Approach: Our classrooms are centered around the needs and aspirations of our students. We are committed to providing personalized guidance, fostering critical thinking, and equipping students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their academic and professional journeys.

Setting the Context

This activity/assignment supports action items from the program roadmap and Recommended Action Plan (the “RAP”): “to create a workshop Series on Using GenAI to develop course learning outcomes and activities/quizzes/tests and other evaluations”

Activity OR Lesson details

Activity 1

Create a “client” from the categories on your Wheel of Power (See Appendix for a image of the wheel). To do this, students will select a wedge (or section) from each of the categories around the wheel. For example, from the “Education” category, a student could select either ‘Elementary/GED’, ‘High School/Trade School’ or ‘Post Secondary’. Students should repeat this for all of the categories on the wheel. (The only exception to this is when students get to the “Age” category – they are asked to ensure that their client is over the age of 65).

Next, students will prompt AI (eg. Microsoft Copilot) to use your selections within each category to create a client with an exact age over 65yrs with your selected NCD type with “moderate” or “severe” cognitive impairments. (A sample prompt could be “create a client story with the following features: ...”. A sample client has been provided in the Appendix.

Next, ask AI to generate a picture based on your descriptive prompts.

Save both to your desktop and submit in Module 1, Activity 1 worth 2pts

Activity 2

Using the AI description of your client, prompt AI to create a role play with you and your client using the “Geriatric Depression Scale” and add that your client is exhibiting either mild, moderate, or severely depressed symptoms (students can input the client description that AI created as well as the Geriatric Depression Scale). This will create the script that could be used with an actual client.

Complete the GDS form for your client once role play is done and submit a professional assessment including all legal requirements for the GDS into Module 3, Activity 3 (1pt).

Role-play the script that AI created with a partner, where your partner reads the lines of the client and you read the lines of the practitioner.

Each week the students have another common tool of assessment to complete on their “client” which is their case study for the semester. They role play using the scripts provided by AI based on their client’s description, complete the assessment and submit it for grading and feedback.

There is a larger project worth 30% which they submit based on all these assessments.

Summary

These activities are designed to help students practice their interview skills with geriatric clients in a safe place. The topics of discussion during geriatric interviews can be quite sensitive and carry difficult topics. By using Generative AI, students will get a chance to “create” a sample client using the categories in the Wheel of Power. This client will then be interviewed. GenAI will be “fed” the characteristics of the client, as well as the questions contained in the Geriatric Depression Scale: Short Form. Using this information, GenAI will produce a script for the students to use as they role play as a Social Service Worker. The students will get an opportunity to edit the script (using the knowledge they have learned in this course and previous courses). Once satisfied, in pairs students will role play an interview (one student being the Social Services professional and the other being the client) using the edited script created by GenAI. At the end of the interviews, the following will be submitted: a description of the client made by GenAI; the script created by GenAI; any edits or modifications made to the script, as well as a recording of the interview so the instructor can listen to the tone and manner in which the interview was conducted as well as see where any follow-up questions/comments were inserted.

Appendix

Sample Client

Mr. Kofi Mensah is a 74-year-old, unmarried Black man of Ghanaian (West African) heritage, whose profile is defined by severe health issues and systemic social barriers in Canada.

Category: Characteristic

Age: 74 years old

Race: Black (Deep brown skin tone)

Gender: Male

Marital Status: Unmarried

Family Status: Parent, with his family in Canada serving as a key support system.

Geographical Origin: Ghana (West African heritage)

Socio-Economic Status: low-Income / Working-Class. Relies on the Food Bank and Government Programs.

Education/Occupation: Unemployed, with a history of Manual Labor.

Immigration Statu:s Immigrant

Religion/Beliefs: Christianity, with strong Cultural Values and support from his Church.

Health Status & Co-morbidities: CBD, Corticobasal Degeneration (progressive neurological disorder causing severe, asymmetric rigidity, apraxia, and slowness). Hypertension: Long-standing, managed with medication. Type 2 Diabetes: Diagnosed 10 years ago, managed with oral medication and diet.

Cognitive & Mental Health: Moderate Cognitive Impairment. Major Depressive Disorder, diagnosed following his CBD diagnosis.

Physical Appearance: Slim to medium build with a slight forward stoop (from manual labor). Neat, short, salt-and-pepper hair. Eyes can appear weary but also sparkle with intelligence.

Social Challenge : Subject to Discrimination and Racism. CBD will progressively lead to communication impairments (aphasia/dysarthria).

Other Resources

Wheel of Privilege and Power | Intersectionality | Just 1 Voice

Geriatric Depression Scale

Acknowledgements

A special thank you to Caroline Grammer for all her work as a Faculty Champion and for trying new things in her classrooms. She has graciously shared these ideas for an activity and a follow-up evaluation.