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With the increase in use of AI not only in our personal lives but also in the workforce, it is becoming increasingly more important to create a dialogue about and guide student use of AI. That includes addressing AI in relation to the courses you are teaching and the coursework you assign.
Ensuring Academic Integrity
Clear expectations are the cornerstone of establishing a learning environment in any class. Make sure you are updating your course materials to reflect updated policies such as the acceptable use of AI in the course. This will help students understand what is expected of them, and bolster academic integrity and student success in your course.
- Add a syllabus statement on Acceptable AI Use. CTL sent out potential language you can add to your syllabus or other course documents to reflect the level of acceptable use of AI in your course.
- Add a content topic on Acceptable AI Use. CATS added three content topics to the Learning Object Repository in Brightspace that you can choose between to add to your course content. Here are directions on how to add one to your course: https://helpdesk.commonwealthu.edu/TDClient/66/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=19367
- Agree upon an integrity framework. Empower your students by involving them in creating an integrity framework for the class. Reach consensus on acceptable use of AI in the class and consequences for improper use. Use this framework to guide and evaluate their scholarly work.
Highlight the Relevance of Coursework
Explaining why coursework is relevant to students' learning can help them understand the importance of concept mastery. When you can directly correlate an assignment's value to intended outcomes, it encourages academic integrity. Students who know how coursework will help them attain their goals after school are more likely to try to achieve mastery of that content honestly.
- Correlate assignments to learning objectives and with external achievements with workplace relevance such as certifications and designations.
- Share and explain how the coursework students are doing contribute to their success in the workplace.
Evaluate Carefully and Consistently
It's important to maintain careful and consistent evaluation of your students' work. If you have set expectations and provided clear guidance, evaluating student work should follow a clear and consistent pattern. As always, maintain thoughtfulness and professionalism in your evaluation.
- Use agreed upon frameworks and rubrics. Remember that integrity framework mentioned earlier? Use it to evaluate student work as agreed upon. Use other rubrics you have provided that set clear expectations for student work.
- Discuss concerns with students. If you suspect students of using AI in a way that compromises their academic integrity, schedule a meeting with them to discuss the issues, the importance of academic honesty, and try to come to an understanding of how to move forward.
- Use CATS Recommendations for AI Detection. See these recommendations here: https://helpdesk.commonwealthu.edu/TDClient/66/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=19373
Integrating AI in Education [Coming Soon]