This is how I use AI
Incorporating skills involving the responsible use of AI is vital in today's rapidly evolving educational landscape. (School of Education) shares how he’s implemented generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) in the first-year courses English Literacy for University (EDUC 1009) and Academic Literacy for University (EDUC 1010) which equip students with fundamental language skills, as well as skills to navigate the complex linguistic terrain of academic study.
How are you using AI in your courses?
I have encouraged my students to upload the course readings to ChatPDF to get a pre-reading summary and list of questions that will help them engage with the readings. In a couple of instances, I have formalised this and asked them to upload the questions generated by ChatPDF to a discussion board and reflect on the relevance and quality of the questions. I have also encouraged them to use ChatGPT to reduce cognitive load by kickstarting the thinking process with various writing tasks, for example, drafting an essay plan.
I also encourage my research students to use Microsoft Copilot as a search tool for resources by asking it to create a literature review on a topic and then exploring the sources it cites. For one assignment they are tasked to reflect on the use of Grammarly and Studiosity Writing Feedback+.
I have used a mix of AI tools to generate videos that encourage my students to personify the collective AI tools at their disposal into a personal tutor. I have encouraged some of my students to do something similar as an alternative to oral presentations.
What are the main reasons for using AI in this course?
Our role as university educators is to prepare students for industry.
They will encounter AI in their future work environments so we must make sure they know how to use it effectively, ethically and transparently.Daniel Lee
We can model this here at the university as well as encourage them to practice and develop relevant AI skills.
I use AI to explore its capabilities; partly because I am researching this topic, but also to reduce my cognitive load and expand my course designs. AI is a useful tool that can access the vast collective consciousness and thus is capable of producing content that a single mind would not create individually.
How are you maintaining academic integrity?
Transparency. I ask students to reflect on their use of AI. We use AI openly in the tutorials, so they experience first-hand the open and exploratory attitude to this tool. They are asked to journal their use of AI. They are asked to include, in an appendix to assignments, a record of their use of AI and how it reflects the 4 levels of interaction in the AI in Assessment Guidelines. I have included this in the rubric for all written assignments.
Did you encounter any problems, how were they resolved?
Not all students have responded with equal enthusiasm. Some seem to be afraid to engage, maybe due to fear of the unknown, maybe fear of retribution. I have presented the options and left it up to their own autonomy.
A couple of students have not been as transparent as I hoped. This has usually been addressed by email, which in most cases has been positive.
What tips do you have for other educators interested in using gen AI in their teaching?
- Use it and explore it.
- Encourage your students to use it and explore it.
- Be transparent, model transparency.
- Know the boundaries and show the boundaries; and make sure your students know them, too.
- Stay up to date
- Join the AI Community of Practice
Read more:
Lee, D. et al. (2024) ‘, Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 6, p. 100221. doi:10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100221.
Lee, D. (2024).
We’re sharing these case examples to profile the different ways educators are approaching generative AI in their teaching practice. Before using any gen AI software tools, ³ÉÈË´óƬ staff should understand the ITDS Generative AI IT Security Guidelines and ensure they maintain information security and data privacy.
If you’re encouraging students to use gen AI tools in their studies, be mindful of how varying levels of access to software (including paid subscriptions) might impact education equity among diverse student cohorts.
Feel free to encourage your students to check out the for study and research in an ethical, responsible and evaluative way.