AI: General Guidance
Thinking about whether you will or will not allow students to use generative AI tools in your course
If you want students to use or avoid use of these tools, it’s important to set clear expectations. In general, since we know students are already living in a world where the ability to use these tools effectively will be expected, faculty are encouraged to play with them, see what they can do and use them at least selectively in their assignments, with guideposts for students. Faculty are encouraged to explore the tools to see what they can–and can’t–do. Share your own explorations and what surprised you and what concerned you, especially around questions of intellectual property.
It may be useful to guide students through considering the ethical implications and security concerns of these technologies. Encourage students to think through the benefits and costs of using these technologies. Whatever policy you decide, share your rationale with your students, grounding the conversation in the learning activities and outcomes your course aims to achieve.
A simple series of questions to ask students for any course or assignment is:
- what do we gain?
- what do we lose?
- what are the objectives and what skills are you gaining from this course/assignment?
- how do the tools fit in?