There is an increasing interest in Artificial intelligence (AI) generally, and specifically in terms of educational practices. As AI technologies continue to develop, UWM’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) is providing information below to assist you in making informed decisions in your classroom.
Below, we provide information on:
- What is Generative AI?
- What are AI Teaching Considerations?
- Sample Syllabus Information for Student AI Use
- Upcoming CETL Workshops on AI
What is Generative AI?
ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Google Bard are part of the latest generation of AI technology. While AI has been present in our lives for years, what makes AI tools innovative and “disruptive” is the level of competence AI now demonstrates in communicating with the user, and the versatility of its abilities.
Generative AI in the form of chatbots, plugins, and writing assistants are present in our online tools, consumer websites, social media, and are increasingly in our educational tools (such as Grammarly and Khan Academy). In the future, generative AI tools will be added to Canvas according to official statements by Instructure. While not perfect, some AI tools can cite sources for information based on live internet information. By 2024, we will see generative AI that will be able to naturally communicate with users through voice-based conversations. Today, generative AI tools can respond to text, compose written works and have conversations, as well as analyze and describe pictures, create new imagery, compose music, replicate people’s voices, write websites, code, and analyze data. Increasingly, employers are implementing AI into the workplace as well.
What are AI Teaching Considerations?
Teaching Students Expectations for AI: Because AI is a new technology, educators must make expectations for AI use clear to students. Creating an explicit syllabus policy and sharing expectations for AI use at the start of the course and again with each assignment is important to help students understand appropriate use (see syllabus samples below). If AI use is encouraged or allowed for specific assignments, it is also necessary to help students understand the limitations, ethical implications, and proper way to credit/cite AI. See the UWM Library resource on using and citing AI.
Assignment Design Considerations: While no assignment design is perfect to foil cheating (AI based or otherwise), various assignment factors reduce the motivation to cheat (i.e., assignments that students connect to necessary skill development and are personally relevant) and make cheating more difficult (i.e., scaffolded assignments that build meaningfully to larger projects, assignments that include description of thought processes and decisions, work that requires analysis of existing work). Please attend upcoming CETL workshops or contact CETL for a consultation for course design assistance.
Academic Misconduct: Generative AI use has heightened plagiarism concerns. Industry responded to these concerns swiftly with products geared to “detect” AI student use. Concerns about student misuse of AI are valid, but as with many use cases, the answer is rarely ever purely technological. Currently, there is no program that accurately detects use of AI and many programs identify non-AI work as AI work (false positive identification). In light of this, use of these products is not recommended at this time. Additionally, because student data and assignments are protected by certain privacy-related laws, including the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and UWM and UW System data security-related policies, educators may not share protected student information with programs operated by outside entities without approval by UWM administration.
The Dean of Students office has provided guidance on how to handle suspected use of AI technologies.
Sample Syllabus Information for Student AI Use
For each class, be sure to:
- Explicitly state your expectations for student AI use in the syllabus.
- Include written expectations for AI use on assignments and talk directly with students about your AI policy, sharing examples of what is and is not appropriate use.
- If applicable, provide information on how students are expected to cite AI use for assignments. See the UWM Library resource on using and citing AI.
Sample Syllabus Policy Allowing Full AI Use by Students
In this class, you may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for assignments with appropriate citations. Please be aware that despite the many uses of AI language models, it is important to recognize AI’s limitations and use this technology both responsibly and ethically. AI-generated answers are known to be highly biased, inaccurate, incomplete, or generally unreliable. It is your responsibility to critically evaluate all responses generated with the use of AI. Furthermore, you must cite ÅI when it is used. Taking credit for any work that is not your own original work constitutes academic misconduct and is subject to disciplinary action as defined by UWS Chapter 14.
All AI use must be cited and include the prompt used to generate the material. See the UWM Library resource on using and citing AI.
Sample Syllabus Policy Allowing Specific AI Use by Students
In this course, it is permitted to use AI language models such as Chat GPT as a tool to aid in your understanding of content, to develop ideas, and edit drafts of your work [This description may be replaced by naming specific activities or assignments that allow AI use].
Please be aware that despite the many uses of AI language models, it is important to recognize AI’s limitations and use this technology both responsibly and ethically. AI-generated answers are known to be highly biased, inaccurate, incomplete, or generally unreliable. It is your responsibility to critically evaluate all responses generated with the use of AI. Furthermore, you must cite ÅI when it is used. Taking credit for any work that is not your own original work constitutes academic misconduct and is subject to disciplinary action as defined by UWS Chapter 14.
All AI use must be cited and include the prompt used to generate the material. See the UWM Library resource on using and citing AI.
Sample Syllabus Policy Prohibiting AI Use
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not allowed in this class. AI use to assist in assignment completion in part (e.g., generating ideas, brainstorming, summarizing information) or in whole (e.g., submitting direct text from an AI source) is considered Academic Misconduct as defined by UWS Chapter 14. According to UWS Chapter 14:
“Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to: cheating on an examination; collaborating with others in work to be presented, contrary to the stated rules of the course; submitting a paper or assignment as one’s own work when a part or all of the paper or assignment is the work of another; submitting a paper or assignment that contains ideas or research of others without appropriately identifying the sources of those ideas; stealing examinations or course materials; submitting, if contrary to the rules of a course, work previously presented in another course; tampering with the laboratory experiment or computer program of ano student; knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above, including assistance in an arrangement whereby any work, classroom performance, examination or other activity is submitted or performed by a person other than the student under whose name the work is submitted or performed.”
If you are uncertain if using an online learning support platform or AI appropriately for this class, please discuss this directly with me before submitting coursework. All assignments that use any external source other than you must be credited using a proper citation. Please see the UWM Library resource for citations or talk with me directly for assistance.
Upcoming CETL Workshops on AI
CETL is offering a variety of workshops on AI and Education:
You’re always welcome to contact CETL with specific questions regarding AI, teaching, and learning at cetl@uwm.edu or 414-229-4319. CETL consultants can help you think through practices that make sense in your teaching context and will support the learning outcomes of your course(s). There are endless opportunities for AI to augment research, brainstorming, composition, tutoring, and the creative process. With future innovations imminent, we can support proactively integrating AI into course design.