What is Generative AI?
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to a type of technology designed to create new content, data, or information. Unlike traditional AI systems that are task-specific and rely on predefined rules or patterns, generative AI has the ability to produce content that is not explicitly programmed.
Generative AI is based on deep learning models trained on large datasets from which the system learns to generate content by predicting the most likely next element in a sequence based on usage patterns.
The release and rapid development of ChatGPT, the most familiar Generative AI in higher ed, faculty, instructors and staff throughout higher ed considering its role in and out of the classroom given the (relative) quality of its responses and potential misuse regarding academic integrity.
Generative AI applications can create articles, stories and code; generate images, art or designs; produce speech for voiceovers or synthetic voices; compose music or generate melodies; create video content, special effects and animations; augment datasets or generate data samples; summarize long texts or articles; and power chatbots (OpenAI. (n.d.). What is Generative AI?).
Join the Conversation
Instructors can participate in the development of resources on this technology.
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Upcoming Events
Workshops, sessions and panels on Generative AI can be found on the Programs and Events page. CTLA staff and Faculty Learning Community facilitators are available to present on Generative AI and Teaching and Learning or to assist departments and teaching teams in developing programming on the topic.
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CTLA Summer AI Redesign Institute
faculty who are interested in exploring the ways generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be infused into a course -- topically, as an instructional strategy or as a significant support for student achievement of course learning outcomes -- are invited to apply to be part of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment’s Summer 2024 AI-enhanced Course Redesign Institute.
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Share Teaching Tips
Instructors are invited to submit a teaching tip (written or multimedia) sharing how they are approaching this new technology. We'll use these tips to further develop this website with OHIO case studies.
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CTLA Seeks AI Faculty Fellow
CTLA is currently accepting applications for an AI in Teaching and Learning Faculty Fellow. The AI Faculty Fellow will work closely with the CTLA leadership team on a projects ranging from the scaling of an AI Redesign Institute to further development of robust AI and teaching and learning digital resources, including case studies and model assignments and assessments. The fellow will also promote, facilitate, and elevate conversations on AI and teaching and learning.
Sample OHIO AI Policies and Assignments
CTLA highly recommends all courses have a policy established on the use of Generative AI. These three examples, as well as a recommended policy used by the College of Business, can be adapted to best meet an instructor's needs given their discipline and course level.
The following are additional examples of course policies and assignments developed during the spring semester 2023 ChatGPT and AI Faculty Learning Community.
- An interim course policy from an English course specifically addressing prohibited submission of ChatGPT text as one's own and requiring proper documentation of ChatGPT use.
- A first-year writing course policy .
- A general Artificial Intelligence course policy "including but not limited to ChatGTP, Moonbeam, or Bard AI, etc."
- A course policy for ENG 4600 .
- A ChatGPT module-level policy and assignment for Understanding Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of ChatGPT for Higher Education in the course Campus Environments.
- Sample activities for encouraging students to think about ethical uses of ChatGPT and an accompanying general course policy.
- A midterm essay in a Women and Gender Studies course with guidance on how to use ChatGPT.
- A physical science assignment allowing for use of AI.
- A sample assignment for a literature course using ChatGPT to generate a sonnet.
- A sample assignment on on writing ChatGPT-assisted argumentation .
- How to Get Away with Murder: Chat GPT as a Co-Conspirator , a ChatGPT-assisted assignment.
CTLA Recommended Resources
Because this list will be updated frequently, we recommend contacting the staff at the Libraries should you need access to any of the content.
- Available AI Systems:
- Available Detection Applications (Use caution!)
- The AI Education Project (COMPLETELY FREE):
https://www.aiedu.org/
- K-12 Instruction/Curriculum that can be easily adapted to any undergraduate introductory course; massive slide deck of 180 classroom warm up activities on AI; a Google account is needed to use all the forms/resources/materials
- The Modern Language Association's report, MLA-CCCC Joint Task Force on Writing and AI Working Paper: Overview of the Issues, Statement of Principles, and Recommendations
- Bryan Alexander’s Blog on Resources for Exploring ChatGPT and higher education: Like the CTLA website, this is a living document exploring implications and curating readings.
- ChatGPT Is So Bad at Essays That Professors Can Spot It Instantly: https://www.vice.com/en/article/epzjew/chatgpt-is-so-bad-at-essays-that-professors-can-spot-it-instantly ChatGPT Tips and Tricks
- ChatGPT will fundamentally change how we teach writing; that’s a good thing: https://edsource.org/2023/chatgpt-will-fundamentally-change-how-we-teach-writing-thats-a-good-thing/686768
- Resource from OLC Accelerate 2023, Master Class: Revolutionizing Course Content Creation With ChatGPT: An Interactive Workshop For Educators.
- Hard Fork by the NYT podcast on ChatGPT Transforms a Classroom . One of the most insightful commentaries on the role of this AI in the classroom comes from Cherie Shields, who teaches dual credit enrollment and high school writing courses. (But don’t worry, everybody is talking about it, just search your favorite pocasts for the topic.)
- I'm a student. You have no idea how much we’re using ChatGPT ….: https://www.chronicle.com/article/im-a-student-you-have-no-idea-how-much-were-using-chatgpt
- Louder, J. Teaching In The AI-Powered Future AI systems will give us personalized learning experiences, tutoring systems and more robust VR/AR systems.
- National Public Radio on a ChatGPT detection app developed by a 22-year-old Princeton student.
- Perkins, M., Roe, J., Postma, D., McGaughran, J., & Hickerson, D. (2023). Game of Tones: Faculty detection of GPT-4 generated content in university assessments. arXiv preprint arXiv:2305.18081 .
- Professor Flunks All His Students After ChatGPT Falsely Claims It Wrote Their Papers: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/texas-am-chatgpt-ai-professor-flunks-students-false-claims-1234736601/
- Students are using AI for more than just your course: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/06/01/students-chatgpt-ai-tools/
- Wolfram, S. What Is ChatGPT Doing … and Why Does It Work? (2023). – This is a primer on how large language models (LLMs) work and how many of these early AI systems are working.
- UNESCO Quick Start Guide: ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence in higher education:
https://rb.gy/2kbq
- Published in April 2023; full of great information for higher education institutions; breaks down ways to incorporate AI in the classroom, with research projects and reviews ethical implications and ways to be more proactive with AI use in higher education.
Conceptualizing AI Use
Establish your predisposition to AI trends
Reflect on your own personal biases preconceptions about AI and consider where those feelings originate. Stay open-minded and consider that AI is a tool, not a replacement for instructors or student engagement.
Investigate different tools (generative and detection tools) in a balanced way
Explore tools like AI-driven content generators, plagiarism detectors, predictive analytics, etc., and come to understand the limitations and strengths of each tool.
Explore the broader context of AI use
- In Your Field: How is AI reshaping research methodologies, findings, or pedagogies?
- Inside Academia: Are there leading universities or faculty pioneering AI-driven approaches?
- In the Private Sector: How are businesses using AI for tasks related to your discipline?
- In Everyday Use: Familiarize with general AI applications, like smart assistants, to understand its pervasiveness.
Further explore its uses in your discipline and in your courses
As noted above, the implications of AI differ for various disciplines. Part of evaluating the value or challenge of a particular technology involves understanding how instructors and students might use it in the classroom or laboratory setting. How does generative AI differ from what is already available to students via the internet or in other support services and programs? How might it actually support your instruction?
Reflect on your current concerns related to teaching and learning and/or academic integrity
What worries or excites you about this new technology from a teaching and learning standpoint? It would be helpful to list the positive and negative implications of something like ChatGPT. If your greatest concern is around academic integrity, for example, you might want to examine your graded activities and assessments for susceptibility. If you are excited about how generative AI applications can be used to evaluate aspects of student writing so you don’t have to, how can you incorporate its use into an assignment?
Identify current assignments and assessments where students might leverage AI
New technology that may affect how your students learn is worth considering in light of your currently planned activities, assignments and assessments. Think hard about a balanced approach between mitigation and integration of AI in your pedagogy. Develop a policy for AI use in your course based on your firsthand experience investigating AI tools. Think about assignments that might fruitfully integrate AI or that become less impactful as a result of AI.
- Are the questions you pose in a discussion board easily answered by generative AU? Are they worth keeping if so?
- Can generative AI or another program take multiple choice questions with great accuracy? If so, are you asking for memorization of an essential and scaffolded knowledge set? And if that is the case, how should you best test for that?
- Do you teach coding? How might generative AI impact particular assignments?
Finally, consider how AI might aid your development of some course materials/activities.
Be strategic and transparent in adjustments you choose to make
The more transparent you are in developing assignments, exams or other graded activities, the more students engage with those activities. CTLA recommends Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) frameworks to support students’ meaningful engagement with instructional activities and most effective use of technology.
Consider the needs of your students
Are students equipped with the literacies (information literacy, technical literacy, ethical literacy) to engage with AI tools? How might AI change the job landscape for your students? Do they have the skills to adapt?
Consider how you might productively and academically contribute to your students' various literacies related to AI use.
Engage students in the conversation and course design around new technologies
Ask your students about their use of AI in learning. How does it help them learn? How does it hinder their learning? How are they and their colleagues using ChatGPT? Do they have concerns about ethical use or academic integrity? Students may be the best resource for feedback on how to adjust or refine instructional strategies to support their learning.
Stay updated and collaborate
The field of AI is rapidly evolving, so pay attention to new stories about it. Engage with AI communities, attend conferences or join interdisciplinary teams. Collaborate with colleagues to share findings, approaches, and resources and talk about your experiences and developing pedagogy regarding AI.
Develop ethical best practices regarding AI
Be aware of the ethical implications of AI, especially in data collection, biases, and accessibility, and help students develop their ethical points of view regarding AI use at the university and on the job. Discuss these implications in your courses to foster critical thinking.
Assess the effectiveness of new policies and instructional practices
If you make a significant change to an instructional strategy or assignment, consider how you will assess its effectiveness. To gather student feedback on their experiences or a course policy change, a short survey or question at the end of the assignment might provide valuable information. Maybe students perform differently on an essay assignment or a set of test questions. CTLA is always here to help you strategize on how to best assess the impact of instructional change on student learning.
Recognize that ChatGPT and AI detection is challenging at best
Current applications that support detection of AI-generated text are not highly reliable. The best detection is to avoid having to detect use of generative AI.
Think short-term, mid-term, long-term on pedagogical development
- Short-term: Investigate AI tools. Experiment. Brainstorm. Attend workshops, courses, or webinars on AI basics. Develop a course policy.
- Midterm: Integrate AI tools in one or two courses and gather feedback. Develop activities.
- Long-term: Consider a holistic shift in pedagogical approach. How might you revise curricula in relation to what you've learned about AI?