Teaching In The Age Of AI

SSU's Center for Teaching Innovation has been collaborating with faculty and faculty support centers to help our instructors reflect on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on teaching. The CTI team will continue to review literature on AI as well as AI tools that may intersect with or otherwise impact faculty interests. We will update this document as needed or create additional resources to meet specific faculty interests and needs.

What can SSU's faculty support network do to help you address the impact of AI on your teaching and on the ways you communicate and support students?

If you have questions or feedback, please email Jim McGrath: jmcgrath2@salemstate.edu.

CTI Generative AI Resources

CTI Guidance for Using AI at Salem State University

As you have hopefully seen by now, SSU course policy information guidelines (as of Fall 2024) now note that instructors need "an Artificial Intelligence (AI) syllabus statement." We know that generative AI tools (like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini) and their impact on teaching can be challenging topics

CTI Guidance has been updated (as of August 2024) to include additional links to syllabus policy language, including examples from SSU faculty. Interested in sharing your AI course policy or talking through the reception of your course policies / syllabus statements? Please email Jim McGrath.

Upcoming Workshops and Events

Information on workshops will be available here and on our Upcoming Workshops page.

Previous Workshop Materials

"Generative AI Course Policies and Recommendations" Slides (Jim McGrath; Spring 2025; PDF)
"Getting Started with Generative AI" Slides (Jim McGrath; Fall 2024; PDF)
"Generative AI and Course Design" Slides (Jim McGrath; Fall 2024; PDF)
"Teaching In The Age of AI" Slides (Jim McGrath; Spring 2024; PDF)
"AI and Assignment Design" Slides (Jim McGrath; November 2023; PDF)
"Teaching In The Age of AI" Slides (Jim McGrath and Eliza Bobek; September 2023; PDF)

Where do I start?

Review "CTI Guidance for Using AI at Salem State University" (Google Doc)
Review Generative AI and Information Literacy (SSU Library LibGuide; created by Rukmal Ryder)
Try out some AI tool(s) yourself.
- Jim McGrath has created a guide to testing generative AI chatbots if you need some starting points!
Think about how students may/may not use AI tools in your courses.
Prepare to discuss with students.
Given that AI course policies are new to both faculty and students, we recommend devoting some time at the start of the semester to discussing your expectations as they are outlined on the syllabus. You may also want to give students opportunities to ask questions (in class, one-on-one, or even anonymously) that allow them to more easily understand expectations and comply with them. These conversations can help faculty revise and reflect on AI course policies and syllabus language documenting expectations.

As AI tools become increasingly embedded in existing technologies, students will enter gray areas that don’t obviously align with the policies. If a student is unsure of whether and how much of a submission has been AI-generated, or whether they are in violation of a certain policy, they should reach out to the instructor and ask for guidance. You may want to encourage students to come to you with questions before work has been submitted for formal evaluation. Given that AI use in higher education is so new and that tools are still being modified and refined, you may want to be flexible with course policies and allow students to resubmit or revise completed work to align with your expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions about Generative AI

What is ChatGPT?

Chat GPT Website
Product of OpenAI; free to use but requires registration / mobile phone number
Works with text-based inputs (including code) and outputs can be revised / refined
When you use it, you are training it; an improved version is due out in a year
Already being used in professional contexts (Nature example; Rep. Jake Auchincloss example)
In March 2023, OpenAI announced GPT-4, its latest version.
In May 2024, OpenAI announced GPT-4o, its latest version. This version is connected to the live web and allows users to upload files, among other new features.

Are there other kinds of tools similar to ChatGPT?

Google Gemini (formerly known as Google Bard), a tool that uses chatbot technology similar to ChatGPT, officially launched in March 2023. Unlike ChatGPT, Bard is connected to the live web and can generate outputs on recent / ongoing events.
Microsoft Copilot was announced in March 2023. Copilot will be added to several programs in the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), though it it not immediately clear what the pricing or implementation will be or when (or if) SSU faculty and students may expect to encounter it.
Microsoft's search engine, Bing, also now has an AI tool similar to the ChatGPT chatbot.

What are some reasons to be skeptical or critical of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools?

What are other uses of AI in higher ed beyond ChatGPT?

2019 EDUCAUSE Overview
Chatbots use AI to field student questions; emerging use in academic advising (Georgia State example)
Research tools (Litmaps; Elicit)

How can I tell if a student has been using AI to complete coursework?

The short answer is that you can't always tell.
OpenAI launched an AI Text Classifier Tool in early 2023, but it produces inconsistent results at the moment and requires manual text input (labor, time)
Some instructors are asking students to explicitly acknowledge the use of ChatGPT in coursework (without necessarily penalizing) to learn more about its impact

How can I help students cite work created using AI tools?

Your syllabi and assignment prompts may already outline expectations regarding how students should cite sources. If you encourage adherence to MLA, APA, Chicago Style, or other citation guidelines, you may want to review their recommendations regarding AI citational practices and direct students to these resources. We advise that you review information published on official channels, as this content will likely be the most up-to-date in terms of style guidelines.

How do I cite generative AI in MLA style? (MLA website)
FAQ on citing content developed or generated by AI (Chicago Manual of Style)
How to cite ChatGPT (APA Style)

What should I do if I suspect that a student is attempting to submit work created with (or by) AI tools?

We have had a few consultations and requests for assistance from faculty who are concerned about the impact of AI on end-of-semester work and we're also reviewing approaches taken by other schools facing similar situations.

The CTI team is always happy to talk with individual faculty about their concerns, given that this is a challenging situation and that we don't want faculty making assumptions about work being AI-generated (and lowering a grade accordingly) if they can't prove that to be the case.

AI Detection is Imprecise: While there are ongoing efforts to develop tools that can document the use of AI tools in the creation of text, we have not yet seen a tool that convincingly and authoritatively delivers on that promise. So we do want to caution faculty from using third-party tools that promise detection until SSU (and ITS / CTI) can assess and provide guidance on usage if detection technology does materialize. For example, Turnitin, among other companies, is developing this type of software, but as you may know from previous experiences with Turnitin products, it can still take time to learn how to read and use reports from detection software tools.

That being said, there may be instances where concerns about academic honesty can and should be explicitly addressed with students: for instance, if an assignment is similar to an online source without attribution, or if multiple students submit work that contains the same phrasing / language. Faculty can submit prompts to ChatGPT and view results, but ChatGPT does vary its outputs depending on user. We mention that for two reasons: 1) Faculty may not get the same exact prose that a student did if they used ChatGPT; 2) A student may have still used ChatGPT or another AI tool even if the text a faculty member received from a prompt is different (they may have received a different output or further refined and revised what they did receive),

AI Outputs May Ignore Course Contexts / Assignment Prompts: Some students (generally speaking) have copied and pasted specific assignment prompts into ChatGPT, but even here there are often signs in these outputs that submitted work does not align with an assignment's expectations or rubric. So we have seen faculty here and elsewhere successfully grade work that does not seem to meet an assignment's expectations without invoking ChatGPT or AI.

For example:

Submitted work may deviate significantly from core prompt expectations or include content that is not relevant to course readings, discussions, etc.
The arguments or analysis may fall short of assignment expectations (prose that is not engaging, claims that are not substantiated by expected materials, abrupt or awkward transitions between paragraphs or ideas
In certain cases, basic information or citations may not be accurate (OpenAI refers to these instances as "hallucinations")

If a faculty member encounters these kinds of materials in student work, they may consider docking a submission accordingly on the basis that the submission fails to meet assignment expectations (or a stated rubric). Some faculty have graded accordingly; others have asked the students to resubmit work on the basis that the submission did not meet stated assignment expectations (for reasons x, y, and z).

Communicating with Students: Faculty should be careful about making accusations (orally or in writing) about AI usage that can not be substantiated. If you have concerns, we recommend talking to your students. Consider asking questions such as "Tell me more about how you came to this conclusion?"

We have also heard of faculty simply asking students if they have used AI tools to complete coursework. In some cases where a student has admitted to using a particular tool, an instructor may request that work be resubmitted without AI support. Lowering a grade or failing a student on an assignment because a student later admitted to using ChatGPT or an AI tool (in lieu of documenting how an assignment received a low grade or failed because it did not meet stated expectations or an assignment's rubric) may be a bit trickier, a case could be made that a student violated Academic Integrity expectations documented in a course syllabus. Documentation and clear communication are particularly important in these cases, as they are in all incidents where a potential violation of Academic Integrity expectations may have taken place.

How are educators responding to the impact of AI tools like ChatGPT on higher ed?

Try it out if you haven’t already; many instructors are making decisions based on using the tool and reviewing articles on its implications
Revisit your syllabus to include some mention of your own course’s considerations around the use of this tool
Revisit pedagogy to focus on authentic “performance tasks” when possible. Consider artifacts that are visual or audio such as podcasts, videos, debates, speeches, I-Search paper, interviews, drawings, diagrams, peer instruction, dioramas, storyboards, performances, displays, multimedia projects, field studies, analysis of specific data sets, original research, etc

Additional Readings

AI and the Future of Undergraduate Writing (Chronicle of Higher Ed; December 2022)
ChatGPT Advice Academics Can Use Now (Inside Higher Ed; January 2023)
ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education (UNESCO; 2023)
ChatGPT Both Is And Is Not Like A Calculator (Inside Higher Ed; January 2023)
Classroom Policies on Generative AI Tools (crowdsourced Google Doc of AI course policies from various syllabi; 2023-)
Coping with ChatGPT (Inside Higher Ed; January 2023)
Designing Assignments in the ChatGPT Era (Inside Higher Ed; January 2023)
Rethinking Research Papers, and Other Responses to ChatGPT (Chronicle of Higher Ed; February 2023)
Why I'm Not Scared of ChatGPT (Chronicle of Higher Ed; February 2023)
ChatGPT: Understanding the new landscape and short-term solutions (Updating Google Doc compiled by Cynthia Alby)

ChatGPT on Teaching in The Age of AI

On February 2nd, 2023, Jim McGrath asked ChatGPT to "Write some bullet point advice for Salem State University faculty members on how to teach in the wake of artificial intelligence. Provide links to referenced articles." This text has not been edited or revised; it's provided to give an example of the tool in use.

Emphasize the importance of human skills that are difficult for AI to replicate, such as creativity, critical thinking, empathy, and interpersonal communication.
Incorporate technology and AI in course content, but also encourage students to understand the limitations and ethical considerations surrounding AI.
Foster a growth mindset in students by promoting lifelong learning and adaptability in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
Encourage students to develop technical skills, but also emphasize the importance of soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
Keep up with the latest developments in AI and incorporate them into course content to provide students with an up-to-date education.
Encourage students to use technology ethically and responsibly, and to consider the potential consequences of AI on society.
Create an inclusive learning environment that values diverse perspectives and experiences, and prepares students for a workforce that will likely be increasingly diverse and global.
Utilize AI tools, such as personalization and automation, to enhance the teaching and learning experience, but be mindful of the potential for unintended consequences, such as loss of privacy.

References:

"How AI is Changing Education" by EdTech Review: https://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/4064-how-ai-is-changing-education
"The Future of Work: How AI is Reshaping Education and the Skills Students Need" by Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2019/11/the-future-of-work-how-ai-is-reshaping-education-and-the-skills-students-need
"The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution" by the World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-employment-skills-and-workforce-strategy-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/

Page update notes

Updated in October 2024; new workshop slides added; new link to guide to testing chatbots (ChatGPT, Copilot, etc)
Updated in August 2024; info on updated course policy guidance; additional copyediting and light revision
Updated in May 2024: information on new free tier of ChatGPT
Updated in April 2024: AI Info Session details and library workshop; Info Session slides
Updated on February 15, 2023 (brief update to note that Google Bard is now called Google Gemini)
Updated on January 10, 2023 (link to new SSU Libguide on AI)
Updates on November 30, 2023 (new co-learning option added to CTI Guidance for Using AI at Salem State University; "AI and Assignment Design" and "Teaching In The Age of AI" slide decks added)
Updates on August 3, 2023 (CTI Guidance for Using AI at Salem State University)
Updated on July 31, 2023 (information on August workshops and light copyediting)
Updated on April 25, 2023 (new subsection titled "What should I do if I suspect that a student is attempting to submit work created with (or by) AI tools?"and new link: ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education; UNESCO; 2023)
Updated on March 22, 2023 (added new information on GPT-4, Google Bard, Microsoft Copilot)
Updated on February 27, 2023 (new link added: Classroom Policies on Generative AI Tools)