Guidance on GenAI in Instructional Settings
At a Glance
Generative Artificial Intelligence along with other AI-driven technologies, are becoming more common in higher education. These tools offer exciting new opportunities for innovation in your teaching and your students’ learning, but they also present challenges regarding academic integrity, equity, and privacy. This interim guidance aims to provide clarity and direction to you and your students on how to responsibly use GenAI in instructional settings at Chemeketa Community College while our policies are still being developed.
Instructional Use of GenAI
You’re encouraged to explore GenAI’s potential to enhance learning experiences, especially when it comes to fostering critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.
Here are some examples of appropriate instructional use you might consider:
- Generating prompts for discussions or written assignments for your classes.
- Supporting personalized learning by recommending resources or explanations that you can share with your students.
- Facilitating student brainstorming or idea generation in creative projects that you assign.
When you integrate GenAI tools into your coursework, remember to provide clear expectations for their use. Make sure that the use aligns with the intended learning outcomes of your course.
Student Use of GenAI
Your students may use GenAI tools for educational purposes, such as generating ideas, drafting content, or getting feedback on their writing, as long as it adheres to your course guidelines. However, you’ll want to remind your students to avoid using GenAI to bypass learning objectives or undermine the integrity of their assignments.
Be sure to outline specific expectations for the use of GenAI in your syllabi, including:
- Permissible and non-permissible use cases of GenAI in your courses.
- Requirements for transparency, like asking students to disclose when they use AI tools in their academic work.
- Consequences for inappropriate use, which could include academic integrity violations.
Academic Integrity
While GenAI can be a valuable educational tool, you know it can also bring risks related to plagiarism and unauthorized assistance. Chemeketa’s Academic Integrity Policy applies to all uses of GenAI in your courses. You’ll want to ensure that your assignments are designed to minimize the misuse of these tools. Consider alternative assessment methods (like oral presentations or reflections) that really emphasize student understanding.
To maintain academic integrity in your classes:
- Remind your students that they should properly attribute content generated by GenAI when it’s appropriate.
- Establish clear guidelines about the extent to which GenAI-generated content is allowed in your assignments.
- Clearly communicate your policies on GenAI use with your students during class at the beginning of the term. Include your policies in your syllabus and in your Canvas course so students can easily refer back to them.
- Provide clear examples of appropriate versus inappropriate use of GenAI for specific assignments and tasks you give.
- By providing clear guidelines, having an open dialogue with your students, designing creative assignments, and using other strategies, you can promote academic honesty and foster critical thinking in your classes.
Data Privacy and Ethical Considerations
When you’re using GenAI, it’s important to recognize potential privacy risks and ethical concerns, particularly around data security and the misuse of sensitive information. Remember that Chemeketa is committed to safeguarding student and faculty data.
- You and your students should avoid inputting sensitive, personal, or proprietary information into GenAI tools, as these systems often store and analyze user data.
Make sure your use of GenAI tools complies with Chemeketa’s Interim Guidance on Data Uses and Risks of Generative AI and any relevant federal, state, or institutional regulations (like FERPA).
Equity and Accessibility
Keep in mind that GenAI tools may have varying levels of accessibility and impact on different student populations. You should be mindful of:
- Ensuring that all your students, including those with disabilities or limited access to technology, can engage with or opt out of GenAI-related activities in your courses.
- Providing alternative methods for completing assignments when GenAI tools are part of your course requirements.
- Acknowledging and mitigating biases inherent in AI-generated content, which may perpetuate stereotypes or inaccuracies.
Ongoing Evaluation and Future Policy Development
This interim guidance is part of Chemeketa’s ongoing effort to balance the innovative use of GenAI with our ethical and educational responsibilities. Your feedback, as well as feedback from students and staff, will help inform the development of a comprehensive GenAI policy.
You’re encouraged to:
- Participate in professional development opportunities related to GenAI.
- Share your experiences and challenges in using GenAI to contribute to institutional best practices.
Chemeketa will continue to evaluate the impact of GenAI tools in instructional settings and update this guidance as needed.
Conclusion
As the landscape of artificial intelligence evolves, Chemeketa Community College remains committed to supporting you and your students in the responsible and effective use of GenAI. This interim guidance serves as a foundation for ongoing discussions on the ethical, pedagogical, and practical implications of GenAI in education.
For questions or further clarification, please contact the Center for Academic Innovation.
Use of Generative AI: This article was drafted with the assistance of ChatGPT, a generative AI tool by OpenAI, to ensure clarity and comprehensiveness. The content reflects a collaborative effort, incorporating user guidance and institutional context. All content was reviewed and edited by the author to ensure accuracy and appropriateness.