In response to the widespread increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across academic fields, the University of Cincinnati (UC) has established clear guidelines for the use of AI on campus.
ChatGPT and other generative AI tools have seen a significant surge in usage in 2022 and 2023, and are now increasingly being used in academia. A survey conducted by the Online Higher Education magazineIntelligent It found that 30% of students reported using ChatGPT for academic purposes during the 2022-2023 academic year.
UC is no stranger to AI’s growing presence in the classroom. To balance the inevitability of the tool with the need for academic honesty, the university has revised its student code of conduct, setting policy guidelines for students and faculty to follow.
Permitted uses vary by professor, but generally include creating sample outlines, spell checking, generating ideas, etc. Students are often advised not to use generative AI to write entire essays or answers, answer multiple-choice questions, or use it as a primary source for research.
“They're good at imitating style, but they don't convey coherence or content, which has to come from students who actually write,” says Rebecca S. Boller, an associate professor of English at the University of California, San Francisco.
To ensure academic integrity, many instructors use plagiarism detection software Turnitin to review assignments. Starting in April 2023, Turnitin has built in AI detection capabilities. According to Boller, if Turnitin flags a paper with a potential AI-used score above 40%, it could trigger an investigation into academic misconduct.
of Revised UC Student Code of Conduct Currently, AI misuse is classified as a type of academic dishonesty and is classified as cheating. Depending on the severity of the violation, academic misconduct can result in a variety of consequences, including a reprimand, failure of an assignment or course, academic probation, suspension, or even expulsion.
“Most of the cheating I've seen is done out of ignorance, time running out or laziness, which are typical reasons for cheating in other ways,” Boller said.
At the end of the spring 2024 semester, UC announced the introduction of Microsoft Copilot, a generative AI tool that leverages data from the public web. UC Digital Technology Solutions WebsiteStudents are encouraged to use only their university issued email address when conducting university related searches within Copilot, as the website strongly discourages the use of personal email accounts for such purposes.
UC faculty received summer training on the new AI policy, but Boller said he would like to see more opportunities as technology advances, and the university “needs to be more proactive” in providing the resources needed to effectively address the complexities of AI in the classroom. This includes not only understanding how to detect AI-generated content, but also how to effectively use AI tools in education and foster open communication about their use among students and faculty.
Boller advises students to tread carefully when using AI to complete assignments.
“Don't use AI unless your teacher has given you instructions,” she said. “Be up front when talking about the content of your paper.”