Syllabus statements: academic integrity and generative artificial intelligence (genAI)

Generative artificial intelligence (genAI) technology, such as ChatGPT, GPT-4, DALL-E, and Midjourney, can create text, computer code, and/or images using minimal human prompting, using a variety of algorithms. Thousands of applications have incorporated genAI and these are readily available for free or via paid subscription. GenAI is also improving in its ability to mimic human produced content.

GenAI technology can be used to:

• Create an outline for a paper, or bullet points and graphics for slides
• Write longer coherent prose in multiple languages
• Provide explanations or ideas for a literature review with accurate (and also inaccurate) citations
• Summarize longer articles, text, or a corpus of texts
• Suggest a response to a question, such as on a short answer or multiple-choice test, or for a discussion board posting
• Translate text more accurately
• Create computer code in multiple languages
• Assist users with formulas inside applications such as Excel

GenAI applications may give the user a choice of templates (e.g. email, essay, memo, plan) and tone to tailor the generated content to users’ needs. Familiarize yourself with the type of functionality these systems offer and have conversations with your students about these technologies.

Some instructors may want to allow, or even encourage, their students to use genAI tools, and others may want to prohibit their use. The following examples of syllabus statements may help you shape the message that you provide to your students of what is, and is not, allowed. In a University of Manitoba Syllabus (see CATL Syllabus Toolkit), statements about technology expectations could be placed within the Course materials > Technology or Course Policies > Academic Integrity sections

Permitting the use of genAI tools

In indicating on a syllabus and/or assignment instructions that students may use genAI, the instructor should decide to what degree and on which assignments the students may use these tools.

Here are some example statements that might be used, combined, or adapted for your course or individual assessments:

• Students are encouraged to make use of technology, including generative artificial intelligence (genAI) tools to contribute to their understanding of course materials.
• Students may use artificial intelligence tools, including generative AI, in this course as learning aids or to help produce assignments. However, students are ultimately accountable for the work they submit to be assessed and
  assigned grades.
• Students must submit, as an appendix with their assignments, any content produced by an artificial intelligence tool, and the prompt used to generate the content.
• Any content produced by an artificial intelligence tool must be cited appropriately. Many organizations that publish standard citation formats are now providing information on citing generative AI (e.g. MLA: https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/; APA 7: https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt).
• Students may choose to use generative artificial intelligence (genAI) tools as they work through the assignments in this course carefully. This use must be documented in an appendix for each assignment. The documentation should include what tool(s) was/were used, how the tool(s) was/were used, and how the result(s) from the
  genAI was/were incorporated into the submitted work.

Note that some genAI applications may require a subscription fee. Please consider offering students a choice to opt-out of using a system if they have concerns about the cost, privacy, security, or other issues related to the technology.

Can use genAI in certain instances or specific ways

If you wish to set boundaries for genAI use in completing some (but not all) course work, be as specific as possible. Please consider the difficulty for students, who are trying to navigate genAI rules in multiple courses, before setting up elaborate boundaries in your course. You may also need to clarify your reasons for wanting or needing students to engage with genAI tools in a specific way or on a specific assignment.

Here are some example statements that might be used, combined, or adapted for your course or assignments:

• Students may use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for creating an outline for an assignment, but the final submitted assignment must be original work produced by the individual student alone.
• Students may not use artificial intelligence tools for taking tests, writing research papers, creating computer code, or completing major course assignments. However, these tools may be useful when gathering information from across sources and assimilating it for understanding.
• Students may not use artificial intelligence tools for taking tests in this course, but students may use generative artificial intelligence (genAI) tools for other assignments.
• Students may use the following, and only these, generative artificial intelligence (genAI) tools in completing their assignments for this course: [Insert list]. No other genAI technologies are allowed to be used for assessments in this course. If you have any question about the use of artificial intelligence applications for course work, please speak with the instructor.

Cannot use genAI

The instructor should also decide to what degree and on which assignments the students may not use the genAI tools. Note that as genAI is increasingly incorporated into commonly used systems (e.g. Microsoft applications, Google docs,
various search engines), it will become increasingly important to be clear about what functionalities are allowed or prohibited in your course.

Here are some example statements that might be used, combined, or adapted for your course or assignments:

• The use of generative artificial intelligence tools (genAI) or apps for assignments in this course, including tools like ChatGPT and other AI writing or coding assistants, is prohibited.
• The knowing use of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) tools, including ChatGPT and other AI writing and coding assistants, for the completion of, or to support the completion of, an examination, term test, assignment, or any other form of academic assessment, may be considered as academic misconduct in this course.
• Representing as one’s own an idea, or expression of an idea, that was AI-generated may be considered academic misconduct in this course.
• Students may not copy or paraphrase from any generative artificial intelligence (genAI) applications, including ChatGPT and other AI writing and coding assistants, for the purpose of completing assignments in this course.
• The use of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) tools and apps is strictly prohibited in all course assignments unless explicitly stated otherwise by the instructor in this course. This includes ChatGPT and other AI writing and coding assistants. Use of genAI in this course may be considered use of an unauthorized aid, which is a form of cheating.
• This course policy is designed to promote your learning and intellectual development and to help you reach course learning outcomes.

• Consider an “opt out” option for students if you are encouraging the use of any third-party software in your courses, as the software may require a subscription fee and has not undergone a security review by the University. For more information on other teaching and learning technologies that are supported by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, see https://umanitoba.ca/centre-advancement-teaching-learning/technologies.
• Note that if you choose to use, or encourage use of, applications like ChatGPT, the terms of use may change without notice during the course.
• If you are allowing or disallowing genAI tools in your course, clarify for the students why this decision was made, and how genAI assistance supports or negatively impacts the pedagogical goals of the course or assignment.
• You may need to remind students that the course expectation for genAI use are different in their other courses, and that this is perfectly acceptable.

Version: June 20, 2023

Acknowledgements: This resource has been adapted from a document retrieved from the Office of the Vice-Provost, University of Toronto. https://www.viceprovostundergrad.utoronto.ca/strategic-priorities/digital-learning/special-initiative-artificial-intelligence/ 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For more information: Brenda.Stoesz@umanitoba.ca at The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, University of Manitoba.