Setting AI Expectations
Setting expectations for AI use in the classroom is helpful when creating boundaries and enforceable policy. There are many ways to use AI tools, and chatbots, in particular. This page will help you prepare students to engage with AI in a way that is mutually acceptable.
Conversation Guidance
When considering which AI tool to use and how best to use it, it will be important for everyone to know a bit about how chatbots and AI built on Large Language Models works. With that in mind, we will want to open the conversation with an explanation of how Large Language Models source and produce content. Then, we will shift to a conversation about how students foresee their use of AI tools throughout the course. Finally, we'll build expectations for AI tool use collaboratively with students.
Explain how Large Language Models, like those used in chatbots, work.
- AI chatbots do not pull sentences from a single source. Rather, they use trillions of words, phrases, and sentences from open-access information on the internet (not behind a paywall) to determine the probability of the next word.
- At any given time, a chatbot is guessing that the word it displays next will make sense in the context of the words it has already generated and your prompt.
- Chatbots have difficulty citing sources, and often hallucinate sources that sound very real, because they are using probability to generate the next word.
- The data that chatbots are pulling is words, not facts. If you ask it for 10 medical uses of Pitcher Plant leaves, it will give you 10 uses. In fact, the science around medicinal uses of Pitcher Plant leaves is scant.
Set clear expectations for using AI tools
- Work with your students to create expectations around AI tool use for assignments. Their input will lead to a more inclusive culture surrounding AI.
- Consider the different kinds of tools and the different uses for each tool. Some applications of the tools may be acceptable, while others may not. For example, chatbots (like ChatGPT) can be used to:
- Create an outline for a paper or project
- Brainstorm topics or facets of an argument
- As a grammar/coherence checker
- Consider how AI may impact different assignment types: discussions, essays, quizzes, etc.
- AI is now a part of many programs commonly used by students, such as Grammarly and Quillbot (see Leaning into AI for more info). So, if our students want the default rule to be "no AI at all," this may lead to confusion and frustration for other students.
- Expectations may differ from assignment to assignment. Ensure the expectations for each assignment are clear before students begin. One recommendation is to post the expectations where students may refer back while they complete their work.
- State expectations in multiple places. For example: the syllabus, announcement, assignment instructions, and email.
- It is not too late to start. If you did not set expectations at the beginning of the course, you and your students can still build those expectations together prior to each assignment.
- Refer to these expectations if an issue arises. Co-creating expectations helps build the social contract. Also, see the Reviewing Assignments for AI Use page for more guidance.
Faculty Guidelines for AI Use
Artificial intelligence can be an effective tool to help students during the writing process. It can generate outlines, write an introduction paragraph, and write thesis statements. Additionally, it can be used as a brainstorming partner or to provide information about topics. That being said, students should use artificial intelligence technology to augment or support their engagement in academic work, not replace their efforts.
As AI continues to evolve, it will become more and more difficult to spot when a student is using it. Further, students will increasingly be asked to responsibly use these tools in the workforce. Therefore, we are advocating an approach that adheres to the key highlights above. Some recommended next steps:
- Explicitly state in the syllabus and D2L course site that the use of artificial intelligence is permitted to support or augment the assignments in the class. Even though artificial intelligence is permitted, be sure to inform students that submitting academic work entirely generated by artificial intelligence is unacceptable.
- Spend class time modeling the appropriate and effective use of artificial intelligence. Additionally, dedicate class time to allowing the students to experiment with artificial intelligence and support and provide feedback to students in the moment. Investing time in modeling and supporting appropriate use will communicate your expectations about the ways in which students may use AI in your class.
- Include APA citation for AI usage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
We know that there are, and there will continue to be many questions from faculty about Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially the use of ChatGPT. Given how rapidly evolving these programs are, NLU is working to develop comprehensive policies related to the use of AI or ChatGPT. The work will be done through the Provost Office and shared governance structures in the upcoming months. In the meantime, the Provost Office is sharing the following FAQ guidance and resources for your use. The FAQ and this page will be treated as a living document and will evolve as we work to understand the implications of AI within the classroom.
The first step in curating an AI-positive environment is to explicitly talk to your students about the tool, its limitations, and how students can or cannot use the tool for your course or the assignment. Here are some guideposts for those conversations:
- As a starting point, clearly articulate what tools and resources can or cannot be used both verbally and in assignment instructions. This will communicate your expectations to students.
- Next, seek student input on how they imagine using the tool. Come to consensus and communicate that out.
- Finally, as you introduce each assignment:
- Discuss the implications of AI on the assignment
- Find consensus on expected and acceptable uses of AI for that assignment
- Discuss the use of citations for AI tools - see Usage Guidelines tab for APA guidance
If the faculty and student have differing expectations regarding AI tool use for a particular assignment, the faculty should have a conversation with the student. During this conversation, faculty will attempt to understand the student's process for the assignment, if the student used an AI tool, and where the breakdown in communication may have arisen. Further, this conversation is also an opportunity to review the following topics:
- The learning process - Highlight the importance of making mistakes and receiving feedback.
- Critical thinking skills - Determine the student's thought process while using the AI tool. For example, was the student looking at a topic from multiple viewpoints and analyzing the merits of a position?
- Expectations around AI use - What did the class agree upon? How was this communicated? What was the student's motivation and intent behind when using the AI tool?
- Citing sources - See the APA Guidance for citing chatbots.
- Academic honesty - Take a moment to review NLU's Academic Honesty Policy and emphasize the importance of their original work in the learning process.
If the faculty and student are unable to find common ground during the conversation, it is recommended that a mutually satisfactory remedy be sought. Be sure to review the Academic Honest Policy for suggested remedies and required steps.
Notes: This conversation should be had within 14 days of the assignment submission, as indicated in NLU’s Academic Honesty Policy. For reference, the use of AI tools falls under the “Receiving and/or Giving Improper Assistance and Other Forms of Cheating” section of the Academic Honesty Policy.
AI in Higher Ed Podcast Spotlight
Dara Ryder talks about how not to try to fight against AI (and lose) - He discusses how pedagogy that incorporates AI will better prepare students to enter their fields of study.
