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AI Literacy for Faculty

Cheating Lessons - Learning from Academic Dishonesty by James M. Lang

Cheating Lessons, by James M. Lang focuses on the learning environments that lead to cheating.  While some tools, like ChatGPT, can make cheating easier, the reasons for cheating have remained the same.

Image Source: Harvard University Press

Four Features of a Learning Environment that may pressure individuals to cheat: 

  1. An emphasis on performance 
  2. High stakes riding on the outcome 
  3. An extrinsic motivation for success 
  4. A low expectation of success 

Strategies for creating a learning environment that promotes integrity and discourages dishonesty:

  • Fostering intrinsic motivation | “I care about what I learn.” 
    • Connecting the questions of the course to questions that students already have
    • Challenging the students with questions or problems you can help them see as fascinating and important
    • Engaging them with authentic assessments 
    • Giving students autonomy to choose how to demonstrate their learning in the course (e.g., student choice, consider multi-modal project types such as presentations, videos, or podcasts.) 
  • Learning for mastery instead of grades | “I love learning, not just grades.” 
    • Lowering stakes by providing low-stakes practices before high-stakes assessments (e.g., formative assessments)
    • Assessments present opportunities for students to demonstrate how well they have achieved the learning objectives
  • Instill self-efficacy by improving metacognition | “I know I am on track for success!” 
    • Providing low-stakes activities with direct feedback 
    • Providing scaffolding: Break large tasks into small tasks 
    • Reflection writing or writer’s memos - Reflect on the state of knowledge 

Pedagogical Discernment Questions

Consider the following guiding questions provided during the SPU ChatGPT workshop to assist your students in appropriately using AI tools in your course.  

What should we tell students? 

  • What can AI do well? 
  • What doesn’t AI do well? 
  • How do the strengths and weaknesses of AI relate to the goals of writing in our classes, and our disciplines? 

What should we teach them? 

  • Teach about AI tools? 
  • Ban these tools? 
  • Teach with these tools? 

Strategies for creating learning experiences with AI-generated content

Ideas for using AI-generated content for student critique and discussion:

  • Have students critique AI-generated content (e.g., identifying what’s missing). 
  • Have students collaboratively annotate and critique AI-generated content.
  • Have students ask for multiple answers from ChatGPT and then rank, compare, and critique the answers. 
  • Use ChatGPT to represent one side of a debate and then have students dialogue with it.
  • Use ChatGPT to find the underlying theories or concepts on a topic, have students search the literature using topic and theory.

Syllabus Language

Syllabus example shared by the FLO office, created by Dr. Traynor Hansen, Director of Campus Writing, that is used in the writing courses. 

"The use of another’s work in writing—or of work you have completed for another class—without citing their contribution, whether intentional or accidental, is a serious offense. This applies equally to work produced by other writers or by AI writing software (such as ChatGPT). If you are ever in a situation in which you are concerned about whether your presentation of information is plagiarism or not, it is your responsibility to vet your writing with an instructor or writing tutor before you present it as your own work. Plagiarism or academic dishonesty of any sort is not tolerated." 

Additional resources and syllabus examples: 

SPU Writing Courses and Generative AI writing tools

If you have a writing intensive class, read Faculty Guidance on Generative AI Writing Tools on the SPU Writing Program website. Written by Traynor Hansen, Director of Campus Writing, this post was created with writing faculty in mind, but gives suggestions and examples for developing guidelines around the use of AI tools in class, additional syllabus language, and options for constructing writing assignments that emphasize working with students on the process of writing, not just the submission of a final product.

Guidance on AI Citations - APA Style

Usually in APA Style content that is nonrecoverable and can’t be retrieved or linked would be cited in-text only as personal communication, but APA has determined that since generative output is not created by a person, this format is not the recommended format for ChatGPT. The current recommendation is include the prompt and relevant text in the body of the paper and to credit the author of the algorithm as an intext citation and in the reference list.

Citation Example:

  • In text -  In the body of the paper provide the prompted use and then any portion of the relevant text that was generated in response, then cite (OpenAI, date)
  • For citation -  OpenAI. (year version used was released). ChatGPT. (version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat 

Additional Resource:

Guidance on AI Citations - MLA Style

For MLA, create a reference using MLA's template of core elements, with starting with the prompt entered into AI tool as Title of Source and the name of the AI tool as the Title of Container:

Citation Example:

  • In text -  "Abbreviated title"
  • For citations -  "Text of your query/prompt.” prompt. ChatGPT, version, OpenAI, date, chat.openai.com/chat

Additional Resource:

References

  • Mollick, E. R., & Mollick, L. (2023). Using AI to implement effective teaching strategies in classrooms: Five strategies, including prompts. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4391243
  • Mollick, E. R., & Mollick, L. (2022). New modes of learning enabled by AI Chatbots: Three methods and assignments. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4300783
  • Lang, J. M. (2013). Cheating lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty. Harvard University Press.