Rubén Casas

Classroom Policies

In this course, using AI in your assignments is governed by the following:

1. Follow only the specific permitted uses as set by your instructor.

2. Document and attribute all AI contributions to your coursework (see below).

3. Take full responsibility for AI contributions, ensuring the accuracy of facts and sources.

Permitted uses of generative AI in this course include:

• Condensing/shortening your own text

• Proofreading your own text for grammar, mechanics, etc.

• Creating study aids 

• Identifying and understanding varying or opposing viewpoints and perspectives in any given issue you may researching

• Gaining clarity on terms and concepts central to the course

Documentation and Attribution 

• When using generative AI, keep a journal documenting prompts, AI responses, and your usage. Your instructor may ask you to provide this documentation.

• Attribute AI generated text in the text and in your list of references.

  • Remember, a generative AI conversation in and of itself is not a valid source for facts. Always refer back to original sources and verify and cite the original source of ideas, rather than citing the AI directly.

• You are responsible for verifying sources and facts and attributing ideas generated by the AI. Generative AI tools sometimes invent facts and sources.

Failure to abide by these guidelines may expose you to accusations of academic dishonesty and violations of the university's academic integrity policy. 

Assignment/Activity

Learning Outcomes

• To help students practice making and supporting claims through evidence and reasoning

• To help students students find, consider, and synthesize various perspectives on the productive use of A.I. in writing

• To help students differentiate between plagiarism from other forms of academic misconduct 

Tools/Resources Used

Canvas, UW Libraries databases

Approximate Time to Complete

3-4 hours

Step-by-step Instructions

Write an argument in which you answer the following question: Is using large-language model generated text such as ChatGPT plagiarism? Demonstrating your growing understanding of academic argument (Claim + Evidence + Reasoning) and the construction of strong thesis statements, answer this question. Your argument should also describe ways that a student could use A.I./chatbots ethically in their research and writing, regardless of your claim. Your argument should draw from a variety of credible sources as evidence, and you should variously quote, paraphrase, summarize, and synthesize from these. You should use signal phrases and in-text citation as you are writing in an academic context for academic readers. Your argument should include a list of references written out in either MLA or APA style.

Reflections on Creating the Assignment

Already, there is limited time to address transferable research and writing skills in a 10-week writing intensive course that appeals and should be practical for a wide range of students. Adding a well-developed and critical discussion of AI and its challenges and opportunities is a high mark. I don’t suggest that this one assigment does it, but it does at least get students thinking of these issues while practicing other salient tasks that are central to the course. 

Post-Implementation/Testing Reflection

What about your project worked well? What would you revise for future iterations?

The student work that came on for this project shows that a) students are aware of the impacts of AI on academic work. The most compelling insights revolve around the sense that plagiarism—what it is and how it happens—is contested territory, and that AI and chatbots are only going to complicate that terrain and conversations about it. Very few students stated that any use of AI in writing is automatic plagiarism, and most suggested that it could be efficiently and ethically used. For my purposes, this assignment worked well as it demonstrated that students can weigh in on issues that don’t have an easy solution using the research and writing tools we want them to be practicing in intermediate composition. Many students also demonstrated an ability to see the impact of AI on learning as complicated, complex terrain that goes to ethics, and that’s a dimension that I think is worth exploring further as a learning community.

When you tested this policy or assignment, how did you feel working through the steps?

I need to spend more time discussing the policy. I don’t know if many students adhered to it even though we discussed it in class. I can also see value in coming up with a policy with student participation/input. Students also seem willing to explore how AI can be a deterrent to learning and growth. Many also would like to take on the question as one of ethics. This was unexpected, and I think I could do more with students in taking up the matter through this lens.