Talking to students

It includes:

• actions you can take
• a set of PowerPoint slides to adapt and use to facilitate discussions
• some suggestions for how to navigate the different ways that students might react.

Why talking to students about Gen AI is important

While we don’t yet have hard data on exactly how many students are using Gen AI and in what ways, we do know that Gen AI use is widespread and increasing. It’s a rapidly changing situation, but there are already many exciting opportunities to enhance learning by including Gen AI tools in some way.

At the same time, lack of clarity about how Gen AI can and cannot be used in assessments is a source of uncertainly and anxiety for many students and staff. Without a clear approach, there is the potential for a surge of academic misconduct cases through misunderstanding as well as an avoidable negative impact on wellbeing. Research indicates those most adversely affected will be people from already disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds.

A shared understanding at module level between teaching staff and students is crucial to maximise the potential benefits of using Gen AI and minimise the potential harms.

Three actions to support a shared understanding

To help achieve clarity about use of Gen AI in assessments, colleagues delivering teaching or assessment are asked to:

1. Share your plans regarding Gen AI in assessment with students early in each module.
2. Provide an opportunity for students to share their views, ideally an open discussion.
3. Respond to the students’ views, showing you have taken them into account.

Schools and Faculties may or may not wish to coordinate these discussions to take place at a particular time or organise additional student voice activities around Gen AI use.

Talking to students: three approaches

Three approaches for talking to students about AI are suggested:

• structured live discussion
• asynchronous online discussion
• a combined approach.

If you need support with any of these approaches, please contact the Digital Education Enhancement team.

Structured live discussion

Where possible, hold a live discussion with students as a timetabled activity either in person or online. To support this activity, a set of PowerPoint slides have been prepared that you may use and edit to fit your circumstances.

Download the Gen AI PowerPoint presentation (PPTX)

 

The presentation contains suggestions for how to carry out this discussion as well as relevant slides to share with students. It is intended that you will adapt the presentation to fit your context, as it will not be effective without doing so.

The presentation includes some example Vevox surveys for illustrative purposes. Vevox is the University's approved audience engagement platform, for further information see the Vevox guides for staff and students website. These can be replaced by similar Microsoft Forms surveys or a simple show of hands.

The full presentation with discussion is estimated to take an hour. If this is not realistic you can consider either reducing the content whilst still addressing the three action points above or select one of the other options below.

Asynchronous online discussion (time limited)

Ideally, students should have the opportunity to discuss use of AI openly with you, but it may not always be possible to conduct a live discussion during a timetabled session. In this case, you can carry out a similar activity online and asynchronously across a fixed period of time, such as one week.

This gives students the opportunity to express their views, respond to each other, and for you to respond as well. The prompts in the PowerPoint presentation can be adapted for an online discussion board.

Combined approach

You may prefer to combine the two approaches above. You could share your plans regarding use of AI with your students for them to read in advance and combine this with a live Q&A or discussion activity. This discussion could take around 10–15 minutes, though that may vary substantially in some cases.

Use of AI across the module, not just assessment

At the time of writing (February 2024) institutional guidance on this topic is forthcoming.

Please do discuss the use of AI in learning activities beyond summative assessment with both your students and colleagues. This includes colleagues with appropriate leadership roles such as programme leaders and School Academic Leads for Inclusive Pedagogies. You can then adopt an approach that you feel is complementary to that taken for assessments.

As a rule of thumb, learning activities would not normally be more restrictive in their use of AI than assessments. There may be sound pedagogical reasons for exceptions to this.

Student disagreement over use of AI

Students might disagree with your categorisation of their assessment, whether it’s red, amber or green. There is no simple answer for how to navigate this as the details are highly contextual. There are some principles to bear in mind for different scenarios, which you may find helpful.

You feel strongly that the approach taken is appropriate

This is most likely to occur where assessments are classified as red, and students would like to be allowed at least some use of Gen AI.

You are encouraged to carefully consider the views that your students express and whether they do in fact justify a change in approach. If so, refer to the guidance immediately below.

Although rare, there will definitely be some situations where there are compelling reasons for an assessment to be red, with no Gen AI use at all, regardless of students’ opinions on the issue.

It is important to show that you recognise both what students are telling you, and where appropriate that they are expressing strongly held beliefs, whilst articulating clearly and sensitively the rationale for maintaining your approach. This is not an easy conversation, and if it arises you are encouraged to discuss the issue with trusted colleagues and consider seeking support to navigate it.

Students make good points or suggestions

There is a wide range of ways of using Gen AI, and a rapid pace of change. There is a good chance your students may suggest possibilities that you had not considered previously, which you might want to adopt.

Rather than agree to anything on the spot, it is generally wiser to acknowledge the suggestion has merit and tell your students you need to consult an appropriate colleague.

There may be implications regarding academic integrity, data privacy, or other factors that you are not familiar with that your assessment/academic integrity/Gen AI lead can advise on. This applies both to ways of using Gen AI and specific tools. It is best to consult appropriate colleagues immediately, so both you and your students can be clear on the agreed approach as quickly as possible.

Optional or mandatory use of AI by students

Here’s some advice if your students don’t want to use AI when you have applied the amber or green assessment category.

AMBER: AI tools can be used in an assistive role

AI use is not compulsory for amber assessments, this should be a choice. You should articulate to students the ways in which they may use Gen AI, and that they may be at a disadvantage if they do not do so. For amber assessments it is up to them to decide whether they take advantage of these tools.

Imagine designing a set of maths questions to be solved using a calculator. Few students would want to attempt them without this assistance. In most cases you would point out they are making the task harder for themselves but permit them to do so.

GREEN: AI has an integral role and should be used as part of the assessment

Since use of Gen AI is integrated into green assessments, it would normally be compulsory for students to use it.

However, this is still subject to reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act (2010). Exceptions will need to be made for some students, unless use of Gen AI is a competence standard necessary to pass, which will not normally be the case outside of programmes specifically focused on AI.

For guidance on reasonable adjustments please see the University’s Inclusive Learning and Teaching website.