Fall 2024 is nearly here (or may be here by the time you read this post) and everyone wants to know what they can do to prevent unauthorized uses of generative AI in their courses. It’s literally a million dollar question, as professionals from multiple industries rush to answer it. Without a so-called silver bullet, and understanding that the capabilities of these models change unpredictably, the Academic Integrity Program can recommend these strategies to help reduce surreptitious and unauthorized use of AI in your course with these basic steps.

• Have a syllabus statement and talk about it, and I mean REALLY talk about it. You can find examples here (Link to comprehensive document of sample syllabus statements for AI). Then, plan a significant discussion early in your course. Your talk should include these elements:
  • When or if AI created and assisted work is acceptable in your course. If the answer is no, that’s fine. Just make it clear. This would also be a great time to talk about why. It helps students connect to the purpose of the assignments: the “what” with the “why.”
  • An explanation of consequences if students are found using AI. Explain that you consider it academic misconduct and that the consequences would be the same if you discovered a student engaging in traditional plagiarism or cheating. Help them understand that, despite what they may have heard, you decide what is appropriate or inappropriate for your course.
• Before each major assignment or formative assessment OR when you’re introducing the assignment, explain how this assignment connects to their learning, why doing it- all of it- is important for them to learn the concepts or methods necessary for their competency and success in the course. This is a so-called “TILT” method (not CSU’s TILT): a “Transparency in Learning and Teaching” method. You can read more about those here (Link to Transparency in Learning and Teaching Resources). However, the gist of the method is this: students are more invested (and likely to authentically engage and succeed) when they fully understand the purpose of the activity and how it connects to their learning.
• Help your students understand what periphery educational uses of AI are acceptable in their quest to do well in your course. For example, are you ok with students using AI:
  • As a project management assistant? (See this link for an example) 
  • A tutor? 
  • A comprehension guide? 
  • A sample problem generator?

This last idea is intriguing because it helps bring out the “how to do school” skills that are invisible to some students and natural to others. This is not to suggest that AI will permanently take over these activities for the student, but, rather, serve as modeling for them as those executive functioning skills fully develop. 

As always, if you have comments or recommendations, or if you need help with an academic integrity question, please feel free to contact me, Dr. Joseph Brown, at [email protected] or at 970.491.2898.