Generative AI @ Kean

As Generative AI technologies rapidly evolve, it is crucial for faculty to be equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to make choices about guiding students and integrating this powerful technology into their teaching practices.

This webpage will be updated as tools and guidelines continue to evolve.

Regarding AI, what are Kean faculty expected to do?

Kean requires faculty to create a AI policy that (a) discipline/subject area and course appropriate and (b) aligns with department expectations.

Policies should be easily seen on course syllabi. Faculty should directly explain to students how they should and should not use AI applications in preparing their course assignments.
Instructors are also encouraged to include learning activities that prompt students to critically discuss, analyze and evaluate the opportunities and limitations/pitfalls of using generative AI within the specific field of study covered in the course.

Kean University's academic integrity guidelines emphasize the need for students to attribute authorship to others when the work the present is not their own through the use of quotation marks, citations, and oral source attributions, and other means of making clear what is original to the student and what is taken from other sources. Any use of generative AI -- meaning programs such as ChatGPT, GPT 4, DALL-E, Vertex, and many others to come -- is subject to the same citation rules as any ideas, text, speech, or imagery derived from human authors.

Five Key Elements (Click drop down arrow for more information)

When creating your AI policy, we suggest including the below five key elements:

1) Specific Use Guidelines (what is permitted/ prohibited)

2) Student Responsibility

3) Violation Consequences

4) Exceptions (if there are any)

5) Clarifications

Student Responsibility: Indicate that students are responsible for ...

Appropriately using it as per the faculty guidelines in each class.
Using AI tools as a supplemental resource (i.e., as an editor), not as the primary means of writing completing assignments
Citing all AI-generated content used in assignments
Demonstrating a comprehensive grasp of the subject matter, relying not solely on AI-generated content.
Understanding that generative AI tools are fallible and can produce misinformation or inaccurate results. Students are responsible for the accuracy of their submissions. This involves cross-referencing assertions and statements with original sources and providing appropriate citations.

Violation Consequences: Can address impacts on learning and penalties.

Examples of impact on learning: A consequence of misuse of AI tools and relying too heavily on AI for work completion is that is undermines your learning and limits your growth.

Examples discussion of penalty: Consequences may range from a reduction in an individual assignment grade to larger academic sanctions as outlined in the academic integrity guidelines. This aspect is crucial for ensuring transparency in the way violations of the AI policy will be addressed.

Clarifications: Remind your students that if they are unsure whether a tool qualifies as a generative AI tool, or if they have questions regarding allowable use, they must consult with you before using it.

SAMPLE STATEMENTS FROM SYLLABI

Click on the dropdown menu to see sample course AI policy statements created by Kean faculty.

As you read the policies, notice the wide range of approaches and how faculty match their policy to the discipline and course goals.

We provide these examples as "inspiration" for your own policy. The authors of these statements encourage you to "borrow" text that works for you. If you have questions or need help, feel free to reach out to drosen@kean.edu

Policy in an Education Class:

AI is ubiquitous in today's technology driven society. This class prepares you for teaching with technology in meaningful ways. Therefore, we will intentionally use AI at specific times in the course. There will also be assignments where I ask you to affirm that you did not use AI to construct a response. These assignments will be checked using AI writing detection tools like Turnitin and GPTZero. Your decision to comply with these requests will influence your preparation for teaching. If you are unsure whether a tool qualifies as a generative AI tool, or if you have questions regarding allowable use, please consult with me before using it.

Policy in an Mathematics Class:

You are allowed to use any software to do homework, including GPT-4/chat GPT, especially to check your work. My Math Lab homework assignments give examples to guide you through a problem. Critical assessments such as quizzes on MyMathLab can be done using graphing calculator and notes. However, critical assessments such as exams and the final are in-class and only a graphing calculator may be used. No mobile phones or web browsing is allowed during in-class assessments, so generative AI cannot be used. If you are unsure whether a tool qualifies as a generative AI tool, or if you have questions regarding allowable use, please consult with me before using it.

Policy in an Humanities Class:

You may use AI programs e.g. ChatGPT to help generate ideas and brainstorm. Think of generative AI as an always-available brainstorming partner. However, you should note that the material generated by these programs may be inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise problematic. Beware that use may also stifle your own independent thinking and creativity. When/if you use Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms in your assignments, please write a note to clarify where in your process you used AI and which platform(s) you used. If you include material generated by an AI program, it should be cited like any other reference material. We will discuss this more throughout the semester in class **Please note, you may not submit any work generated by an AI program as your own.

AI Statement for CBPM Courses:

Organizations are leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and appropriate use of AI technology is part of a leading-edge education. AI programs (e.g. ChatGPT/GPT-4/Bard) can be valuable tools for gathering information and generating ideas. However, material generated by AI programs may be inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise problematic. Your instructor will specifically state when AI programs are allowed for use in assignments, if you are unsure whether you should be using AI, then you should ask your instructor. If allowed by your instructor, inclusion of AI generated material must always be properly cited like any other reference material. Students should never submit AI generated work as their own original work as this would constitute a plagiarism violation as defined by the University Academic Integrity Policy and subject to appropriate sanctions. Instructors may use Canvas Turn-it-in technology to monitor AI content in assignments.

AI Statement from a Health Class

Intellectual honesty is vital to an academic community for a my fair evaluation of your work. All your work submitted in this course must be your own, completed in accordance with the University's Academic Regulations.
- Kean University’s academic integrity guidelines emphasize the need for students to attribute authorship to others when the work they present is not their own thought through the use of quotation marks, citations, and oral source attributions, and other means of making clear what is original to the student and what is taken from other sources.
Academic work involves developing essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and effective communication, which cannot be fully developed by relying solely on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Engaging in independent research, reading, writing and discussion with peers and instructors are crucial components of academic work that should not be overlooked or replaced by technology.
Use of AI tools, including, but not limited to, ChatGPT is permitted in this course for students who wish to use them. HOWEVER, To adhere to the University's scholarly values, students MUST CITE ANY AI-generated material that informed their work (this includes, but not limited to, in-text citations and/or use of quotations and in your reference list).
Using an AI tool to generate content WITHOUT PROPER attribution qualifies as academic dishonesty. Additionally, be aware that information derived from these tools is often incomplete or inaccurate.
- How to cite ChatGPT - American Psychological Association
- Any assignment that is found to have been plagiarized or to have used unauthorized AI tools may receive a zero and/or be reported.
Students should acknowledge the use of generative AI (other than incidental use) and default to disclosing such assistance when in doubt.
- Any use of generative AI – meaning programs such as ChatGPT, GPT 4, DALL-E, Vertex and many others to come – is subject to the same citation rules as any ideas, text, speech, or imagery derived from human authors.
Any student who is unsure of policies regarding generative AI tools are encouraged to ask their instructor for clarification.

TIPS for writing your own AI Use Policy

These tips can be helpful as you develop your classroom Generative AI expectations and instruction:

Teach using a draft-writing approach and emphasizing the writing process is best practice. By requiring students to submit their work at various stages of the writing process, faculty can help students to develop their ideas and ensure that student essays are original and well-written.
Design assignments that encourage original work, that require critical and creative thinking and goes beyond summarizing information. These kind of assignments minimizes the risk of academic dishonesty.
Create instructional activities that guide students guide students to appropriately use AI/ChatGPT tools as a writing aid and NOT as a replacement for original thought and writing.
Require in class writing assignments (major and smaller assignments)

Is AI use detectable in student work? Should I prohibit use of AI?

While there are some tools that check for AI use including TurnItIn and GPT Zero, it is challenging to effectively detect generative AI work. As generative AI advances, this task becomes even more complex. Consequently, many argue that a complete prohibition of AI usage is not feasible.

Many educators believe it is more important for teachers to teach students how to use generative AI to support their learning, growth and development.

How does AI differ from Generative AI?

Traditional AI systems focus on analyzing data and making predictions based on patterns and information within that data. Generative AI goes a step further by creating new data and generating NEW content that mimics human-like outputs, such as text, computer code, images, music, videos, and more.

In simpler terms, while traditional AI specializes in recognizing patterns, generative AI stands out for its ability to create new patterns based on learned data.

AI in our Everyday Lives

Facial recognition Maps and Navigation Personalized Shopping

Food ordering sites Voice Assistants - Siri/Alexa, etc Spell checker

Music streaming Feed Social Media Algorithm (Facebook/Twitter/etc)

Is Generative AI going to ruin education?

Generative AI Technologies is not the first technology educators feared would hinder student learning. We were once concerned about...

1) Spell Checking - It doesn't seem like it is AI because it is so ubiquitous now. It does word prediction.

2) Graphing and symbolic calculators

3) Grammar checker - Grammarly paid version is especially effective

4) Wolfram/Alpha

“What Would Plato Say About ChatGPT?”

Plato mourned the invention of the alphabet... In his “Dialogues,” ... Plato claimed the use of this more modern technology would create “forgetfulness in the learners’ souls, because they will not use their memories,” ... and that those who adopt it would “appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing,”

Tips for using ChatGPT when teaching Essay Writing

ChatGPT and its Use in Essay Writing Instruction (BRENT A. ANDERS) (excerpts/summary of article)

How Can the ChatGPT AI Help Instructors Teach Essay Writing? Chat GPT can..

generate text on a given topic, providing students with a starting point for their essays and helping them to develop their ideas. For example, if the prompt is “Write an essay about the importance of education,” instructors could have students input the prompt into ChatGPT and generate a few sentences or paragraphs on the topic. The students could then work alone or in collaborative writing group to develop their ideas and outline their essay, using the generated text as a starting point.
provide feedback and suggestions for improvement on students’ essays, helping them to expand upon their ideas and improve their writing. Students can input their essay into ChatGPT and ask it to generate suggestions for improvement or additions. They can then make those improvements.
be used to teach students about the conventions of academic writing - use ChatGPT created stories as models for students to analyze and then follow when writing their own essays.

How can Instructors Prevent Students from Using ChatGPT to Write Essays

Instructors can educate their students on the importance of writing original essays and the consequences of using AI tools to write their assignments.
Requiring students to submit rough drafts or outlines of their essays for review and feedback. By requiring students to submit their work at various stages of the writing process, instructors can help students to develop their ideas and ensure that their essays are original and well-written.

Articles about the Higher Ed response to Generative AI

Practical Responses To ChatGPT - Montclair State University
ChatGPT is here — what's NYU doing about it? (Feb 2, 2023)
Coping With ChatGPT | Law, Policy—and IT? - Inside Higher Ed Jan 17, 2023
You're Not Going to Like How Colleges Respond to ChatGPT (Feb 3, 2023)
Huang, Kalley. “Alarmed by A.I. Chatbots, Universities Start Revamping How They Teach.” The New York Times, 16 Jan. 2023
Lesson Plan: Teaching and Learning in the Era of ChatGPT. The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2023

Additional Resources

ChatGPT, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of Writing: How ChatGPT and other AI systems may ruin the ability to write (and think).
- ChatGPT and other AI-assisted writing software... are surprisingly good.
- From the perspective of writing education, this kind of software is more than a little problematic.
- This software may well reduce writing, communication, and thinking abilities dramatically in future generations