Using and Evaluating AI Tools

Since the wide use of Generative-AI tools is relatively new to academia, many students and instructors are not sure if and how it is OK to use for academic work. Whether or not you allow the use of generative-AI in your course, it benefits you and your students to ensure that your expectations are clear. One way of doing this is by providing a detailed syllabus statement addressing if and how you expect students to make use of generative AI in your course. Here are some tips for creating a strong syllabus statement:

1. Be specific: Remember that AI doesn't just mean ChatGPT, tools like grammerly.com are also AI-based. Many scholarly databases have also developed or plan to develop their own internal AI applications which may include features like generating recommendations for further reading and literature reviews or summarizing text.
2. It doesn't need to be all or nothing: Syllabus statements vary widely in how restrictive or permissive they are. You may want to allow certain AI-applications in certain contexts and not in others. For example, while you may not want students turning in work that includes AI-generated text, are they allowed to use AI tools to generate ideas, find sources, or create citations?
3. Explain why: Many students are new to generative-AI. Giving them a clear understanding of your reasoning is an opportunity to engage them on topics like AI ethics and academic integrity while setting clear guidelines for them to follow.

If you aren't sure where to get started these examples from other institutions are a great place to begin: