Students’ submission of AI-generated texts is among educators’ top concerns. Like the calculator and Wikipedia, AI-assisted writing seems likely to impact teaching practices for years to come. Keep in mind, however, that we ask students to write in our classes because we believe there is something of value in that exercise that cannot be found in multiple choice or other types of assessments. Writing these assignment prompts and grading them is hard, so spend time reflecting on why you assign writing. 

Thinking about that why of writing will help you develop and potentially scaffold better writing assignments, create effective rubrics, and set generative expectations for students, even in large classes. You might also reflect on authentic assignment options best suited to the learning outcomes.

We encourage you to communicate that pedagogical rationale to students, including the importance of writing in your own education, profession, and life. You might do this in a class conversation, syllabus statement, or extra reading; it does not need to be long, but it does need to help students understand that writing in your class actively contributes to their learning and development in our community. Without such explicit framing, students can easily forget that writing is more than just a task when it is actually a way of learning, of thinking, and of doing.

ChatGPT software offers specific benefits and challenges for English language learners. Dr. Frederick Poole (Michigan State University) writes about how language teachers might leverage ChatGPT for language material, and it also has potential for grammar practice. However, issues of text generation and authorship still apply, and are perhaps even more complicated by challenges of voice in translation.

AI-generated text has not historically been a part of how educators have thought about plagiarism. Additionally, there is a wide variety of teaching practices now with ChatGPT, with some instructors encouraging student experimentation and others prohibiting its use. Because of changing norms and the wide variety of instructional practice, it is helpful for instructors to be explicit to students about their own expectations.

For both undergraduates and graduate students, Brown’s academic code states,

A student’s name on any exercise (e.g., a theme, report, notebook, performance, computer program, course paper, quiz,or examination) is regarded as assurance that the exercise is the result of the student’s own thoughts and study, stated in his or her own words, and produced without assistance, except as quotation marks, references, and footnotes acknowledge the use of printed sources or other outside help.

Within this framing, consider how you might update your classroom plagiarism guidelines or develop a new AI writing policy for students that details how they should, might, or cannot engage with this or similar software platforms.

For example, Professor Monica Linden (Neuroscience and Provost’s Faculty Teaching Fellow), created a new syllabus statement about the ethical and effective use of ChatGPT in her course.* (See additional commentary about Prof. Linden's statement in this blog post.) Here is another example from Professor Steven Lubar (Center for Digital Scholarship, American Studies, History, and the History of Art and Architecture):

Other examples of syllabus statements can be found on the Sheridan Center's Creating a Brown University Syllabus page (see "Syllabus Statements Addressing Emergent Issues").

Even though it is past the first day of class, you can still publish an official update of your syllabus with revised language to reflect these changes, and ongoing classroom discussions around specific assignments are also useful. A Sheridan Center newsletter on Inclusive Practices for Addressing Academic Integrity offers additional ideas.

* Dr. Monica Linden, Distinguished Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Neuroscience, and Provost’s Faculty Teaching Fellow, shared her syllabus statements about the use of ChatGPT and similar software in the class:

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASS:

This is written specifically about ChatGPT, but applies to using any artificial intelligence technology in this class. I actually had ChatGPT write this statement, with a couple of editing prompts, to help you think about both what it can and cannot do. I copied this verbatim from ChatGPT, so the statement is not my own.

As a student in a writing class, you may be wondering how to use ChatGPT ethically and effectively.

First, it is important to remember that ChatGPT should be used as a tool for idea generation and grammar and syntax assistance. For example, you can input a topic or a writing prompt into ChatGPT and use the output to generate ideas and to understand different perspectives on the topic. You can also use ChatGPT to proofread and check your grammar, punctuation and syntax. However, it is important to note that the output should not be presented as your own work and should always be used as a tool to supplement and support your own ideas and writing.

Another way to use ChatGPT ethically is to properly cite any information or ideas generated by ChatGPT in your work. This means identifying the source of the information and giving credit to the author. This way you can use ChatGPT as a reference and not as an origin of the ideas.

It's also important for you to understand that ChatGPT should be used as a tool to assist your writing, not as a replacement for your own ideas and critical thinking. So, always try to think critically and come up with original ideas and concepts, and avoid relying too heavily on the tool.

As a student, it's important to know how to use the tool effectively. Your teacher will provide guidance on how to use the tool in a way that helps you generate ideas and improve your writing, rather than just using the tool to complete your work.

By using ChatGPT ethically and effectively, you can improve your writing skills and enhance your ability to generate ideas and communicate effectively.

Now that you see what ChatGPT wrote, you see both strengths and weaknesses in how it writes. For example, I find it to be a little repetitive and sometimes more broad than I would like. You can also probably tell that it’s not in the same voice as the rest of the syllabus. WORK IN THIS COURSE SHOULD BE IN YOUR VOICE!

Any classroom conversations about ChatGPT should include issues of authorship and ethics. Data privacy and content ownership are important issues to raise with students. Dr. Autumm Caines’s (University of Michigan-Dearborn) blog post on the larger implications of using tools like ChatGPT addresses privacy concerns with data acquisition, labor issues, student privacy, and performance stability, walking through recommendations for how to talk about ChatGPT. 

Additionally, while ChatGPT has been free in preview mode, subscription costs are likely in the future with some users already reporting access to a “pro tier.” Possibly including faster responses, more stable access, and longer content length, any tiered pricing scheme will starkly divide those with and without resources. Even if free options continue, the option of enhanced service by fee threatens to exacerbate existing inequities that Brown has committed to addressing in our community. 

Consider how you might address issues of use, cost, authorship, and ethics with your students. For example, Professor Shriram Krishnamurthi (Computer Science) encourages use of GPT-3 in CSCI 1710 (Logic for Systems) but requires students to work through a series of guided questions first, some of which address ethical and privacy-related issues. (Professor Krishnamurthi notes that others are welcome to use and adapt this prose, with attribution.) Such prompted reflection can productively address these issues and potential implications for students as individuals and as members of a learning community dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.