Navigating Ethical Issues in GenAI Use
Open dialogue and transparency are key in addressing the challenges and opportunities AI presents in our teaching and learning environments. Below we explore practical strategies for ensuring GenAI’s use aligns with a commitment to ethical practices, reflecting on its impact across different disciplines and adapting our pedagogical approaches accordingly.
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Shared Responsibility and Dialogue:
- Joint Effort: Ethical AI usage is a collective responsibility involving faculty, students, and professional staff. It’s crucial to foster an environment where all stakeholders understand their role in upholding ethical standards.
- Engage Students: Openly discussing the use and impact of AI in education with students can foster a culture of integrity and responsible use. Students should be made aware of both the possibilities and limitations of AI in their academic journey.
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Transparency and Awareness:
- Open Communication: Faculty using AI for content creation or administrative tasks should be transparent about it, setting a standard for honest usage.
- Recognising Limits: Faculty need to be aware of the capabilities and limitations of AI tools. This includes understanding how AI might affect course materials and assessments and adapting them as needed.
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Discipline-Specific Impact:
- Local School Reflection: Departments should reflect on how AI impacts their specific disciplines. This involves considering AI’s benefits and limitations and aligning its use with the unit’s objectives.
- Rethinking Assessment: Given the current limitations of AI detection tools, faculty should critically evaluate the role of AI in student assessments. Consider alternative assessment formats that focus on skills less likely to be replicated by GenAI, like critical thinking or creativity.
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Consideration of Local and Personal Ethics:
- Beyond Institutional Policies: While institutional AI policies may provide a framework, faculty must also consider local risks and their own ethical standards. Think about how the use of AI aligns with your personal and professional ethics.
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Adapting Pedagogical Practices:
- Innovative Teaching Methods: Adapt teaching strategies to incorporate GenAI’s strengths and address its weaknesses. This might include project-based learning, oral examinations, and other forms of assessments that GenAI cannot easily replicate.
- Focus on Critical Skills: Emphasise the importance of developing critical and analytical skills in students, preparing them for an AI-integrated world.
