One way to include the use of generative AI in assignments, that may or may not involve students creating accounts and engaging with the tools themselves, is to guide students to critique responses provided by generative AI tools. Have students analyze AI-generated text or other outputs. For example, for written texts students could evaluate the accuracy and other strengths and weaknesses of the content created, identify gaps where more needs to be added, examine whether summaries appear to match the original texts, examine the credibility of cited sources, etc. It can be useful to provide a rubric to guide such review of AI outputs, in order to support students’ learning about how to improve their own writing.
Some faculty members are having their students analyze ChatGPT outputs, not just for written work, but for other outputs such as equations or chemical formulas. Even though generative AI tools may provide incorrect information at times, this presents an opportunity for students to assess the AI’s answers and learn in the process.
Through active discussion with faculty members and fellow students, students can fine-tune their analytical and critical thinking skills using AI-generated responses. More importantly, such active discussion fosters a scholarly learning environment in classrooms where students and faculty are communicating and developing ideas together.
Some educators are introducing the use of generative AI in written assignments as a new approach in specific academic domains. Students can use this technology and include a reference section to detail their usage. At UCLA, Professor John Villasenor is one of the advocates of this approach and even encourages first-year law students to employ ChatGPT. To create work that combines the strengths of both AI and traditional writing techniques, students must learn to seamlessly blend generative AI into their assignments in a logical and coherent manner.
You could suggest ways for your students to utilize generative AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance their learning experience. Students may use generative AI writing tools to support parts of their ideation, research, and writing processes, while doing other parts themselves that are grounded in disciplinary and course-specific topics and methods.
You could require students to submit screenshots of the AI outputs and describe how they built on that material. It’s important to remind students that AI can (and at this point often does) make mistakes and provide false information, and that they need to check the AI outputs and correct them as needed.
Students could use generative AI tools to add more creative elements to their work, such as using image generators like Stable Diffusion to create images that they add to slide presentations, games, apps, portfolios, blog posts, and more. There are also AI tools that can generate music or sound effects that could be used for student-created videos or games. Students could also use AI text generators to create draft scripts for videos that they can edit and refine to provide more details and information to better fit within the course context and learning objectives of assignments.
Laurier University has created an excellent resource that allows you to explore ways to support academic integrity in assessments and course activities, as well as maximize productive engagement with generative AI in your assessments.
Adapted from Generative Artificial Intelligence in Teaching and Learning Copyright © 2023 by Centre for Faculty Development and Teaching Innovation, Centennial College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Back to top
is requesting access to a wiki that you have locked: https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/296/generative-artificial-intelligence-ai/wiki/view/20378/assignments
Your session has expired. You are being logged out.