How I Used ChatGPT to Reimagine “Introduction to Literature” 

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When I was asked to teach a face-to-face section of LIT-2300 this semester, I was a bit hesitant. While I have experience teaching literature to high schoolers, I had never taught it at the college level. With the campus-wide subscription of OpenAI’s ChatGPT EDU in place, I decided to integrate AI not as a grading shortcut or a novelty (although a Gatsby bot that appends every answer with “old sport” is very tempting), but as a teaching assistant. Using a dedicated ChatGPT project (“LIT-2300 TA Bot), I developed lectures, discussions, and creative learning materials grounded in Cedarville’s theological framework. 

My first steps were to start like any other course design: with the objectives. I uploaded the objectives, my chosen textbooks, and a table of contents of the online anthology I would be using. I also added the specifications of the course, like the length of time and cap. After several iterations, I had a final exam, a 14-week schedule, and a rough idea of assignments and texts along the way. And because I used a project, the outputs were based solely on the files I had uploaded.  

Once the “spine” was built, I began working on drafting slide outlines, Canvas agendas, announcements, pop culture references, formative assignments (like reading quizzes and reflections), and summative checkpoints to monitor student progress toward the final exam. I also developed a framework based off of H. Richard Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture and asked for how we as a class could approach each piece of literature from a Christian worldview:  

• Affirm biblical truths reflected in literature. 
• Reject distortions of those truths. 
• Transform through redemptive reinterpretation. 

This ART framework informed each lecture and was (or will be as I write this) a significant part of the final exam.  

Throughout this process, I made sure to follow the 80-20 rule: AI does 80% of the work, and I do the other 20%. When it drafted lecture/slide outlines, I refined tone and examples. When it created assignments, rubrics, and checkpoints, I applied grading nuance. When it was totally off base or started to make too big of an assumption on applying Scripture (this happened more often than not), I made sure to redirect and revise.  

Here are the benefits I have found of using a ChatGPT project in this way 

1. Consistency: Every lecture followed the same format, reinforcing learning habits 
2. Engagement: Students recognized literary patterns in pop culture and Scripture 
3. Assessment readiness: Each checkpoint mirrored final exam expectations 
4. Faith integration: The ART reflections kept theological inquiry central, not ornamental. 

AI didn’t replace teaching; it amplified it. My TA Bot functioned like an intern who could instantly draft, cross-reference, and format material across my entire course, freeing me to focus on what can’t be automated: pouring into the lives of my students.  

If you’d like to know more, feel free to email me!  

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