AI Use Syllabus & General Policy Statements: Examples and Guides
Accessible Syllabus TemplateThe current accessible syllabus template contains an area called Generative AI Tools. You must provide a statement about whether you encourage, restrict, or prohibit the use of AI, Generative AI, or AI tools. The syllabus also contains an AI Assessment Scale (see below). Please read the directives about modifying the scale on the syllabus template: Syllabus Template Note: In addition to a syllabus statement, instructors should consider attaching an AI-use statement or guide to each assignment. For instance, some instructors might permit students to use AI to brainstorm ideas and develop an outline for one assignment, but then for another assignment, they might prohibit any use of AI. |
Leon Furze’s AI Assessment Scale This color-coded scale can be useful to share with students–and of course, amended to meet your needs. Consider cutting and pasting or recreating this scale and including the appropriate row next to your directions for each assignment. Click on the link above, to find Furze’s detailed explanation. (Also see: Can the AI Assessment Scale Stop Students “Cheating” with AI?)
| 1 | NO AI | This assignment is to be completed entirely without AI assistance. This level ensures that students rely solely on their knowledge, understanding, and skills. AI must not be used at any point during the creation of this assignment. |
| 2 | AI-ASSISTED IDEA GENERATION AND STRUCTURING | AI can be used to complete this assignment for tasks associated with brainstorming, creating structures, and generating ideas for improving work. No AI content is allowed in the final submission. |
| 3 | AI-ASSISTED EDITING | AI can be used to enhance the clarity or quality of student-created work, thereby improving the final output; however, no new content can be created using AI. AI can be used, but your original work with no AI must be provided in an appendix. |
| 4 | AI TASK COMPLETION, HUMAN EVALUATION | AI can be used to complete certain elements of this assignment, such as _________, with students identifying and providing discussion or commentary on the AI-generated content. This level requires critical engagement with AI-generated content and evaluating its output. Any AI-created content must be cited. |
| 5 | FULL AI | AI should be used as a “co-pilot” to meet the requirements of this assignment, allowing for a collaborative approach with AI and enhancing creativity. You may use AI throughout your assessment to support your own work and do not have to specify which content is AI-generated. |
Sample Syllabus/Assignment Statements from Colleges & Universities around the World |
Course Hero Collection
**Graphics Included** Sample Syllabi Statements + Helpful Graphics for GenAI and Ethics A great Google doc from Course Hero
Lance Eaton’s Collection
**New**: Comprehensive Spreadsheet/List of Syllabi Statements from Lance Eaton
UNC
UNC Handout for Students (Great Infographic)
Graham Clay (an AI blogger and philosophy instructor)
A Guide: Crafting Your Syllabus’ AI Statement by Graham Clay (Philosophy; UNC; AutomatedED); Note: This resource is available for non-subscribers in late January 2024.
Drexel University
Levels of AI Assistance Faculty should consider the differences among the varying types of AI assistance offered through a variety of programs. This handout, created by Drexel University, is handy.
From the AI for Education Newsletter:
Try It Out |
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If your students are struggling to understand when it’s ok to use AI, try out this tip from Helen Greatrex’s students at Penn State. If in doubt, replace the GenAI chatbot with the “name of that older friend/brother/sister that was an A student” that you might normally go to for help. For example: “Can I use ChatGPT to do my homework assignment for me?” Becomes the more relatable: Can Sam do my homework assignment for me? Can I use ChatGPT to brainstorm some ideas to help me get started on a project? Becomes: Can I brainstorm some ideas with my friend Sam to help me get started on a project? |
Impact Risks of AI This arresting infographic might be useful to share with students, whether you plan to permit them to use generative AI or not. The infographic certainly provides excellent starting points for classroom discussions on AI. Below, you can see a non-interactive screenshot of the infographic.
Click on the image below to enlarge it:
And . . . Food for Thought: What is “postplagiarism”?
In the article “Postplagiarism: Transdisciplinary Ethics and Integrity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Neurotechnology,”Sarah Elaine Eaton discusses the emerging era of “postplagiarism,” where advanced technologies like AI and neurotechnology become integral to education and society. Eaton argues that in this era, traditional notions of plagiarism are challenged, and a new ethical framework is needed to address issues such as authorship, accountability, and the role of AI in creative processes. She emphasizes the importance of human creativity and ethical responsibility in navigating this complex landscape. Eaton concludes with a call for transdisciplinary research to understand and address the ethical implications of these technologies in education, stating, “Ethics and integrity are intensely important in the postplagiarism era when technology cannot be decoupled from everyday life.”
