ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI is the computer systems that produce “new” content such as text, images, and other media from training data. ChatGPT is a large language model (LLM, a subset of generative AI) that generates text-based content based on existing data in response to user prompts. (To find out how generative AI and LLMs work, watch this 18-minute video: .)

Since OpenAI’s release of ChatGPT 3.5 in November 2022, generative AI (ChatGPT in particular) has quickly become a hot topic in higher education, especially in learning assessment and academic integrity. Faculty views toward acceptable use of AI are influenced by course and assignment learning goals, amongst other factors, and fall loosely into 3 categories: permitted or encouraged, allowed for some assignments or for some purposes, and not allowed.

Regardless of how you intend generative AI to be used (or not) in your courses, we recommend that you try out some generative AI tools, such as (OpenAI), (Microsoft), (Google), etc., to get a feel for what AI can and cannot do. This will help you to make informed decisions on whether and how you will use or allow the responsible use of AI in your classes.

Resources to get started

Check out this by Harvard . Part I AI Starter and Part II LLM Tutorial will help you get started with the generative AI tools. Alternatively, take this 2-hour course (by Vanderbilt) on Coursera.

AI policy in your classes

It is good teaching practice to be clear and transparent about the purpose, task, and criteria for assignments and learning activities. This includes communicating with students about what is and is not allowed with regard to the use of AI in classes and for course assignments. We recommend that you include an AI statement in the syllabus and discuss it with your students on the first day of class. You may also consider co-creating course guidelines for the acceptable use of generative AI with your students. The Faculty Senate recommends the inclusion of an AI statement in course syllabi (and in assignment descriptions and instructions) and has developed sample syllabus language that you can adapt and adopt.

Sample syllabus language

• (created and curated by Lance Eaton)
• (DePaul University)

Teaching and learning with AI

Generative AI holds many challenges but also provides exciting opportunities. Generative AI has already been integrated in various sectors of society. A recent study found that generative AI could affect more than . Preparing students for a future workforce may require educators to embrace the use of AI and to re-evaluate course and curriculum design to include AI literacy as one of the learning outcomes.

AI can be useful and powerful for teaching and learning when used properly and responsibly. Think of AI as your teaching or learning assistant. Take some time to play with and get used to the generative AI tools. and experiment with different AI tools. Start incorporating AI using some of the ideas and examples on this webpage.

Before you start, keep in mind that all generative AI output is considered a draft and must be reviewed (for accuracy and bias) and revised before adoption.

Using AI as a teaching partner/assistant

Generative AI can be used to help with teaching preparation, saving the time spent on tasks such as creating course materials, writing assignments and examples, and generating rubrics for grading. Note that the quality of the work generated by AI depends on the prompts you provide and the tools you use. The more specific and detailed the prompt, the better the output.

Content design:

• Creating and enhancing course content
• Developing course materials
• Generating learning outcomes and objectives
• Suggesting ways to improve the course content
• Creating lecture notes

Example prompts for content design:

• You are an expert in [name of the field]. You are going to teach a course in [course title] to [student level]. Develop an outline of the course, including a general overview of the course, student learning outcomes, 12 learning modules and their learning objectives, the learning activities and how students will be assessed.
• You are an instructor teaching [the course title] to [student level]. Create a lesson plan that covers [insert a specific topic]. The lesson plan should include learning objectives, an engaging activity and assessment criteria.

Assignment/Assessment design:

• (Re-)Design assignments
• Generating (low stakes) quiz questions
• Generating multiple versions of assessment questions
• Generate in-class discussion questions
• How to improve assignment instructions
• Write scenarios for case studies
• Creating rubrics

Example prompts for assignment/assessment design:

• [Describe/Copy-paste an existing assignment and the learning goal or upload the word file containing the description of the assignment.] Provide five different ways I could make this assignment align better with the learning goal. Include a rubric for this assignment.
• You are an expert in [course title and level]. Create a quiz with 10 questions to test the following topics [list the topics] for [course level and student]. Include 8 multiple choice questions and 2 short answer questions. For each question, provide correct answers and write feedback to students about the correct and incorrect answer choices.

We recommend that you try the prompts in different Gen AI tools and compare the output they produce. All the major AI tools (e.g. , , ) can be used for these tasks. In addition to these tools, we recommend that you try out as it was designed as an instructor aid for higher education (by Contact North, Canada). Visit at by Ethan Mollick for more detailed prompt examples.

Using AI as a tutor/peer

Generative AI can be used to help students with learning. It has the potential to provide students with personalized learning experience on any topics. Below are some ideas about using AI as a personal tutor.

AI as a peer (for feedback)

Timely feedback is essential for student learning. Although not a substitute for instructor feedback, with well-constructed prompts, AI-generated feedback can help students improve their work.

AI as a tutor

Generative AI has the potential to be a personal tutor for students. For AI to be an effective tutor, an interactive dialogue between students and AI is needed. A well-crafted prompt helps create a dialogue between students and AI, guiding students through learning. Although students may use any generative AI tools,  is a tool specifically designed for this purpose. Students can either “grow knowledge and skills on any topic” or “check my knowledge and skills on any topic”. In addition, this tool is anonymous, requiring no registration.

AI for roleplay (for interviews, debates, etc.)

Generative AI can be used as a roleplay partner. Students can use it for a mock interview, as a teammate to generate ideas or counterpoint or debate.

Example prompt:

• You are a debate partner of mine. We will be debating [debate topic]. Ask me to state a position. Then challenge my perspective with alternate views and data. Only take your side and do not prompt me with potential arguments I could make. Keep your responses similar in length to mine. (Adopted from )
• You are a [subject area] studying for your exam. Generate a set of flashcards on [a specific topic] based on the text below [copy-paste the lecture notes].

References and additional resources

Articles and books

• Bowen, J. A., Watson, C. E. (2024). . Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. Bowen’s website provides additional resources on .
• Mollick, E. (2024). . Portfolio / Penguin. Mollick’s newsletter () and its companion site (), contain AI resources and prompts, and provide many ideas for incorporating AI in teaching.
• Mollick, E., Mollick, L. (2023). . arXiv.org. https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2306.10052

Podcast episodes

• .
• .
• .

Courses on generative AI (on Coursera, log in with your University credentials)

• (Vanderbilt University, on Coursera)
• (Vanderbilt University, on Coursera)

Web resources

• . A collection of prompts from lesson planning to administrative tasks.
• MIT Sloan Teaching & Learning Technologies. .
• metaLAB (at) Harvard. . A collection of assignments that incorporate AI. Its AI Guide helps you get started if you are new to this technology.
• Speicher, S. (2024). . ACUE.
• The University of Maine. Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. . This teaching guide provides a framework for how faculty may approach generative AI in their course and links to additional resources.
• University of Michigan. Generative AI Resources. . A guide to help you get started with prompting. 
• University of Michigan. Generative AI Resources. . This guide includes questions to evaluate if you need to make changes to your course and assessments.
• University of Virginia Teaching Hub. . A collection of curated resources on topics related to teaching and learning with generative AI across a variety of disciplines.
• Vee, A., Laquintano, T., & Schnitzler, C. (Eds.) (2023). . The WAC Clearinghouse. . The WAC Clearinghouse is an open-access publishing collaborative that is supported by the efforts of more than 200 scholars who serve in various editorial roles, including journal and book series editors, editorial staff, reviewers, and editorial board members. It is widely regarded as the leading website supporting the use of writing and speaking in courses across the curriculum.