The number of artificial intelligence tools that perform tasks such “paraphrasing” or rewording inputted text, solving problems/equations, writing code, answering questions, creating art, and“writing” content such as blogs or whole academic papers is increasing.
The rise of ChatGPT has amplified the conversation around these tools, but they have existed for quite some time in many forms.
AI tools may be used in a productive, creative, and educational manner, or they can be used to cheat, plagiarize, or attempt to disguise plagiarism. Instructors and students may be considering using these tools, so it is important to understand the implications of their use and when and how to use them appropriately.
The Howe Center for Writing Excellence and the Center for Teaching Excellence have published information and resources about AI tools as they pertain to teaching and assignment design. From an academic integrity perspective, instructors are encouraged to consider the following in order to promote integrity, prevent dishonesty, and to address potential unauthorized use of such tools, which could be considered a violation of the academic integrity policy:
Get to Know the Tools
Learn how ChatGPT and other tools (Jasper, Quillbot, DALL-E 2, Grammarly, Brainly, Symbolab, PhotoMath, Socratic, etc.) work. Use them yourself.
Think about how the tools might be used creatively in your course.
To demonstrate pros and cons of the tool(s)
To view with an information literacy lens
To analyze and critique what the generators produce in light of an assignment prompt or questions or to compare to work produced by students
Assignment Design
See the resources linked above, and other Teaching and Learning resources from the Centers, with regard to assignment and assessment design.
Follow best practices in creating assignments that minimize the opportunity to use AI tools or use them successfully (if you do not want students using them).
If allowing use of text-generating tools, require citations as you would for any source.
Communication and Expectations
Have discussions with your students about the use of AI text/answer/product generating tools.
Set clear guidelines and expectations – explain why you have these guidelines.
Include your specific guidelines in course syllabi and assignment instructions.
Provide resources on appropriate source use, paraphrasing and summarizing, and citation.
Have students practice paraphrasing and summarizing with an emphasis on understanding and explaining content rather than just rewording/reordering content.
Discuss the purpose of course assignments.
Unauthorized Usage Detection
Use the tools yourself to understand how they work and what they generate. Generate output for your assignments to use as comparison to student work.
Review sources (some AI tools fabricate sources).
Select specific sources/content/choices to follow-up on with students in a conversation
Online “AI Detection” programs exist, but they are not well-tested and may not be accurate.
If you suspect Academic Dishonesty or have questions about whether an issue can or should be reported through the Academic Integrity process, contactBrenda Quaye, Assistant Director for Academic Integrity.
