Designing assessments that promote personal critical thinking skills, and that de-incentivize excessive AI use, also requires clear communication of your academic integrity expectations. This can and should be done through a variety of mediums that include: During on campus or virtual class sessions, through Canvas announcements (video and written), within your syllabi verbiage, and in your assignment prompts.
Use of Leon Furze’s AI Assessment Scale can help you determine the extent to which AI may likely benefit or hinder your students in achieving particular learning objectives. You can also include a color-coded scale on each assignment, indicating where it falls on the continuum of AI use. Liza Long and Courtney Bond, in their presentation When Can I Use AI in this Course give us suggestions on how to help our students decide when to use and when not to use AI tools.
Here are some example prompts for different types of assignments that you can use as is or modify to fit your specific needs:
Example prompt: Written Papers
This written assignment is designed to help us both evaluate your understanding and personal application of the content and concepts covered in previous weeks. While you may consult other people, other resources, and other tools such as AI programs (e.g. ChatGPT and others) to help generate ideas and brainstorm, you may not use these people, resources or tools to write portions or the entirety of your paper for you. In addition, the material generated by AI programs frequently is inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise problematic. Beware that use may also stifle your own independent thinking and creativity.
Our VU Academic Integrity Policy, along with the assignments given (including this one) in this course are specifically designed to maximize your learning and help you receive the most benefit from your overall educational experience. Completion of this assessment acknowledges that you have read and understand the expectations above.
Example prompt: Quizzes/Exams
This quiz/test/exam is designed to help us both evaluate your retention and understanding of the content covered in previous weeks. While you are encouraged to use your personal notes, along with content given to you within this course, you should not use any other external source, tool (including AI) or person to find the answers for this assessment.
Our VU Academic Integrity Policy, along with the assignments given (including this one) in this course are specifically designed to maximize your learning and help you receive the most benefit from your overall educational experience. Completion of this assessment acknowledges that you have read and understand the expectations above.
Example prompt: Video Projects
This video assignment is designed to help us both evaluate your understanding and personal application of the content and concepts covered in previous weeks. While you may consult other people, other resources, and other tools such as AI programs (e.g. ChatGPT and others) to help generate ideas and brainstorm, you may not use these people, resources or tools to create portions or the entirety of your video or video script for you. In addition, the material generated by AI programs frequently is inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise problematic. Beware that use may also stifle your own independent thinking and creativity.
Our VU Academic Integrity Policy, along with the assignments given (including this one) in this course are specifically designed to maximize your learning and help you receive the most benefit from your overall educational experience. Completion of this assessment acknowledges that you have read and understand the expectations above.
Example prompt: Presentations
This presentation assignment is designed to help us both evaluate your understanding and personal application of the content and concepts covered in previous weeks. While you may consult other people, other resources, and other tools such as AI programs (e.g. ChatGPT and others) to help generate ideas and brainstorm, you may not use these people, resources or tools to create portions or the entirety of your presentation or presentation script for you. In addition, the material generated by AI programs frequently is inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise problematic. Beware that use may also stifle your own independent thinking and creativity.
Our VU Academic Integrity Policy, along with the assignments given (including this one) in this course are specifically designed to maximize your learning and help you receive the most benefit from your overall educational experience. Completion of this assessment acknowledges that you have read and understand the expectations above.
Example prompt: Discussions
This discussion is designed to give you and your peers an opportunity to participate in a conversation that helps everyone involved better understand and apply the content and concepts covered in previous weeks; it also helps me evaluate your learning as well. While you may consult other people, other resources, and other tools such as AI programs (e.g. ChatGPT and others) to help generate ideas and brainstorm, you may not use these people, resources or tools to create portions or the entirety of your discussion posts (original or peer posts) for you. In addition, the material generated by AI programs frequently is inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise problematic. Beware that use may also stifle your own independent thinking and creativity.
Our VU Academic Integrity Policy, along with the assignments given (including this one) in this course are specifically designed to maximize your learning and help you receive the most benefit from your overall educational experience. Completion of this assessment acknowledges that you have read and understand the expectations above.
In conclusion, the suggested verbiage acknowledges the realities of current technological advancements while setting clear boundaries to guide students’ academic integrity. It explains the reasoning behind any restrictions, helping students understand the importance of these guidelines in fostering a fair and ethical learning environment. Ultimately, the focus remains on promoting authentic learning experiences that empower students to engage meaningfully with the material and develop their own skills and knowledge.
Back to Main Page (Scroll to bottom of page for links to series) – How to Foster Academic Integrity
This content draws inspiration from the University of California San Diego Academic Integrity website. They also provide a Reinforcing Academic Integrity in the Age of AI: A Guide for Instructors, which offers additional recommendations for how to craft a GenAI policy for your courses.