Empowering Canadian Geography Students and Faculty: New Approaches to Curriculum and Course Material Development Using Generative AI as a Writing Assistant

Student surveys and expert interviews with geography graduates currently working in consulting or government positions reveal that students have limited awareness of career opportunities available to geography graduates. We suggest that geography classes need to be more than cool and interesting; they also need to be seen as relevant and important. We recommend utilizing comprehensive resources, including relatable examples of department alumni who have developed geography careers, supplemented by lists/profiles of professional geographers, broadening students’ vision of potential paths. We emphasize the benefits of early enrollment in discovery classes allowing students to explore the field before committing to other programs and careers. Providing early information on educational requirements for careers involving professional registration is crucial. Students in discovery classes are diverse and need to have learning options with plausible individual relevance. To support the development of such a diverse set of resources we discuss our experience using ChatGPT as a writing assistant in the preparation of teaching materials. We acknowledge its limitations while noting the efficiency and inspiration it provided. Our findings and recommendations are potentially valuable for educators and curriculum developers in undergraduate programs seeking to rapidly develop diverse yet meaningful learning experiences in geography education.