Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) models (that generate text, music, code, and images) pose challenges in the classroom. They also present new opportunities for teachers and learners. Because faculty have different opinions about the utility of GAIs, there is no single policy that works for every instructor of every course. However, as you finalize your syllabi, and plan assignments for your courses, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding your GAI decisions and how you communicate them.
Resources available to you:
- The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship and the Multilingual Writing Center are available to assist faculty with implementing best practices for the writing process. These practices not only enhance the quality of writing and learning but also reduce opportunities for academic dishonesty. Please contact Noreen Lape or John Katunich if you’d like to work with them in this area.
- The Academic Technology Department is prepared to assist faculty in integrating AI into their assignments or courses. Examples may include AI for simulations, feedback, brainstorming, or explanations of text and code. Please contact your Academic Technology department liaison or James D’Annibale directly if you’d like help. As with any assignment, we’ll work with you to discuss learning goals, student training, and provide support to you and the students throughout the process.
Guidance for deciding on GAI use, writing syllabus statements and communication with your students:
- First, decide if GAI should be part of the course, limited to individual assignments, or not at all.
- Here are some questions (Bruff, 2023) you may wish to ask yourself when making this decision for individual assignments:
- Why does this assignment make sense for this course?
- What are specific learning objectives for this assignment?
- How might students use AI tools while working on this assignment?
- How might AI undercut the goals of this assignment? How could you mitigate this?
- How might AI enhance the assignment? Where would students need help figuring that out?
- Focus on the process. How could you make the assignment more meaningful for students or support them more in the work?
- Keep in mind that some students may use GAI as a learning aid and in ways that are not dishonest or in violation of the academic integrity policy. For example, they can use GAI as a subject tutor. It is recommended that faculty who are concerned about students incorporating GAI into their learning/writing/research processes should contact Academic Technology staff who can train students to use GAI honestly and effectively.
- Please contact Academic Technology, CTLS, or the Multilingual Writing Center if you’d like to sit down and talk through this decision or to learn about GAI capabilities.
- Here are some questions (Bruff, 2023) you may wish to ask yourself when making this decision for individual assignments:
- If you are going to allow or even encourage GAI use, determine what type of GAI use makes the most sense.
- The scale at the bottom of this document created by Leon Furze presents different levels of use of GAI within a course and can be useful for considering different scenarios and providing explanations of what ought and ought not to occur at each level. You can read about the scale here: The AI Assessment Scale: Version 2.
- There are other scales you can find online that may also help you think through this process, such as the Gen AI Intent and Orientation Model. Use whatever works for you. The scale is meant as a guide for consideration. You should not feel limited to choosing a level listed.
- Make your communication of the above decisions very clear to your students.
- Consider discussing with students the educational benefits and ethical considerations of your choices regarding GAI in your assignments. Some classes include their students in the process of formulating a policy on GAI as well.
- If using a scale like Furze’s below when making your decisions, you can also share the scale with your students, much as you would a grading rubric, to help them understand expectations for uses and limitations of GAI within their assignment.
- Mention the caveat that different professors at Dickinson College will have different policies.
Very important note: Unfortunately, there are no AI Checkers that are reliable. In fact, “AI Checkers” are notoriously unreliable. The company that created ChatGPT took their checker down because they realized it was not able to perform adequately. John Katunich, director of the Writing Program, can help faculty design assignments and work with students in a way that would lessen opportunities for GAI-related academic dishonesty.
AI Use scale:
(Creative Commons license for Leon Furze’s image. To see original, and full peer-reviewed article, go to https://open-publishing.org/journals/index.php/jutlp/article/view/810)
Resources
AI is new and constantly changing. If you haven’t tried it yet, now is a great time to do it. Below are some resources from Academic Technology that you might find useful. Please also be sure to read the Academic Technology blog which has several posts related to GAI.
The Big Three LLMs ·
Other Resources: ·
- Assignment Makeovers in the AI age – The Derek Bruff article cited previously.
- Learn with AI – a Resource developed by the University of Maine.
- AI Pedagogy Project – a resource from metaLAB at Harvard.