Recommendations and Guidelines
AI, machine learning, and generative technologies
“Artificial intelligence” is a catch-all term that encompasses a wide range of machine learning technologies that use large data sets – collections of information – to make predictions or conclusions.
“Generative AI” is the class of tools where the AI doesn’t make decisions or predictions but instead appears to create – or generate! – something like an image, a paragraph, a video, or a sound file.
Teaching, Learning, and AI Technologies is a self-enrol workshop space maintained by the CTLT. It contains recordings of workshops and is updated regularly with discussions, resources, and professional development opportunities related to the topic.
Is it cheating if my students use generative technologies?
This will depend on the parameters of the assignment and the learning objectives of the course. Some instructors may wish to engage with these technologies in their course activities either throughout their course, or within specific assignments. Some instructors may wish to prohibit their use.
It is important to discuss the potential uses of these technologies with your students and clearly communicate where use is acceptable or unacceptable.
What can I do to encourage students to not use generative technologies in my courses?
Some instructors are concerned about students using generative technologies to, for example, write essays or other written assessments for them. There are strategies for designing assessments that are more resistant to generative technologies:
- Clearly outline expectations. If you wish to allow or prohibit use of these platforms, clearly explain why in your course outline and discuss these expectations during class.
- Evaluate students on process, not only on the final product. You might want to collect outlines or research proposals for evaluation and place less weight on a final paper assignment.
- Include components of self-reflection (including reflection on prior learning or the student’s own life or work contexts) in assessments.
- Reflect on your desired learning outcomes for your assessments. Consider whether an essay/paper assignment as an evaluative form reflects the learning objectives in your class. Could you explore project-based learning or “unessay” instead?
- Ask students to complete certain work during class time. For example, utilize pre and post polls to capture student reflections about material learned. This strategy can also help students prepare for activities that build upon this, such as group work or discussions.
It’s also important to keep open lines of communication with students about these tools.
Consider exploring the limitations of these technologies with your students by, for example, asking it to create a bibliography for an assignment and then checking whether the sources it provides are reliable or even fabricated.
What do I do if I suspect a student has used unauthorized AI assistance in an assignment?
Have a