Introducing AI Technologies To Students And Possible Expectations Of An Institution
As a lecturer, expect students to be inquisitive about these tools and to need clear guidance on whether they are authorised to use them for academic work within your course.
As a result, instructors are urged to engage students in an open conversation regarding artificial intelligence apps and how they interface with academic integrity.
When speaking with students, preferably at the beginning of the semester, inform them of the following institutional expectations:
- Any unauthorised use of ChatGPT (or other AI technologies) on exams is seen as a violation of academic integrity;
- Remind students of the Policy on Academic Honesty and provide examples of how unauthorised use of this technology can lead to violations of:
- Cheating if they use an AI tool to gain an unfair advantage on an academic evaluation when it has not been authorised by their lecturer.
- Plagiarism if they use images created by others, such as through the use of DALL-E or another image-generating tool when it has not been authorised by their lecturer.
- When giving assignment instructions, be extremely clear about your expectations. To assist prevent confusion, make sure these objectives are presented in a variety of methods, such as in Moodle, teaching guidelines, and in class.
- Teach information literacy through AI. Many students over-trust information they find on websites; use AI software to fuel a conversation about when to trust, when to verify, and when to use information found online.
- Discuss how various lecturers might have varied expectations for AI tools, and if it is authorised by one lecturer, this does not indicate it will be permitted by others.
You can also possibly utilise the arguments raised above to further examine the ethical implications of AI technology in your discipline, as well as any possible issues that may develop. Some leading conversation questions may be:
- What do you know about artificial intelligence apps?
- Have you used them before? How, if at all, have you done so?
- What were your observations?
- What are some ethical difficulties that might come from utilising these applications in your field/discipline?
- How can you utilise AI apps to help you study in an ethical manner?
Consider creating and prioritising an honour code in your class. Submitting AI-created work as one’s own is, fundamentally, dishonest. As professionals, we consider it among our top priorities to graduate individuals of character who can perform admirably in their chosen discipline, all of which requires a set of core beliefs rooted in honour. Make this chain of logic explicit to students (repeatedly if necessary) in an effort to convince them to adopt a similar alignment toward personal honesty. A class-specific honour code can aid this effort, particularly if invoked or attested to when submitting major assignments and tests.
Consider discussing the ethical and career implications of AI-writing with your students. Early in the semester (or at least when assigning a writing prompt), have a frank discussion with your students about the existence of AI writing. Point out to them the surface-level ethical problem with mis-representing their work if they choose to attempt it, as well as the deeper problem of “cheating themselves” by entering the workforce without adequate preparation for writing skills, a quality that employers highly prize.