By Emma Plank, Charlotte Tenebrini Steckart & Rayney Wilson
In the rapidly evolving landscape of education, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the classroom offers a spectrum of promises and pitfalls. AI brings forth the potential for personalized learning experiences, and tailored educational content to individual student needs and learning styles. This fosters enhanced student engagement and motivation through interactive platforms, while also lightening the administrative load for educators through automation. Moreover, AI analytics provide insights into student performance, allowing for targeted interventions to address areas of difficulty.
However, lurking beneath the surface are concerns regarding biases embedded within AI algorithms, potentially exacerbating inequalities and discrimination in educational outcomes. Privacy issues also loom large, with questions arising about the collection and utilization of sensitive student data. Moreover, there’s apprehension that over-reliance on AI may diminish critical thinking skills and increase disparities in resource allocation among educational institutions. While AI holds transformative potential in education, its implementation demands a careful balancing act between its benefits and the ethical, social, and economic challenges it poses.
In response to the rapid integration of AI technology in modern education, schools are looking to create comprehensive policies to regulate its implementation and ensure ethical use. The current policy at UWGB states “Taking credit for the work or efforts of another without authorization or citation (this includes using, without instructor authorization, generative artificial intelligence software or websites).”
Although Canvas itself cannot detect AI usage, different software can be used. A software that Canvas uses is Turnitin, which detects the use of artificial intelligence. By combining AI-powered plagiarism detection tools with manual inspection and critical assessment, professors can effectively identify and address instances of plagiarism while promoting academic integrity among students.
Prakash Duriaisamy is a new Information Technology & Data Science faculty member and has a Ph.D. in computer science. During an interview, Duriaisamy was asked whether his teaching style allows students to use AI and he explained that there are qualifications to using it and said that students are “able to use it if creativity is not spoiled by using AI.” It was also noted that students still need to complete their own work because AI is just a tool.
UWGB’s current policy regarding the usage of artificial intelligence is rather short, nor is it explicitly written just for AI. Provost Kate Burns explained in an interview that, “[The Academic Honesty Policy] just looks at like plagiarism in general…They’re trying to keep it broad. I think that sometimes when you make
the policy more specific as technology evolves, you don’t want to box yourself into a corner.” Burns further said that the policy is broad enough to also encompass AI. However, when it comes to monitoring how professors use AI in their classrooms, she described it as a “choose your own adventure book” situation. “In terms of where we are right now, [policies regarding AI are] kind of at an instructor level…we provide different syllabus language that people can utilize. The policy is that we encourage faculty to use the syllabus language that reflects their approach. If you were at the end of choosing your own adventure book, if you allow AI in your class, this is what you would say in your syllabus.”
When it comes to the future of AI management, UWGB hopes to provide a place where professors, and anyone interested, can access training services to encourage the ethical use of these systems as academic tools. “We are part of what’s called New Era, which is all of the public higher ED institutions within Northeast Wisconsin. We are having a joint conference this summer with them as well as folks from the AI industry. It’s not just for the classroom, but more in terms of a university as an industry. How do we better partner, how do we better learn and grow and understand this emerging technology.”
Looking ahead, the potential for further advancements and adaptation in generative AI holds promise for an even greater transformative impact in higher education.
