Technology@Wooster

B-WISEST ’25

Written by

Dr. Jon Breitenbucher

Attending College in the Age of AI

Presenters: Emily Armour & Jon Breitenbucher, Educational Technology, The College of Wooster

Agenda

  1. Welcome!
    • How familiar or comfortable with AI are you?
      a survey question with 5 response options and a colorful circle graph of percentages
  2. How have you used GenAI?
  3. How does AI Work?
  4. Academic Integrity
  5. Free no-account Gen AI tools to use today:
  6. Assignment Scenario
    • Discussion of Prompting
      • How do you prompt?
  7. General principles for use of generative AI
    • Recommendations for how to maintain academic integrity, comply with AI policies, and ‘protect’ yourself from being accused of GenAI misuse

AI Policy Examples

Policy A

The use of generative AI, including ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs), as well as AI-enabled writing assistants like Grammarly, is prohibited in this class. If detected, it will be treated as a form of plagiarism and disciplined accordingly. In the view of the instructors for this class, LLMs are not a neutral tool like computers, internet searches, or word processing software, but essentially a highly sophisticated form of plagiarism. Their operation relies on the uncredited intellectual work of the authors whose texts are used in their training data. Because of the lack of transparency with which they operate, in particular their failure to make visible their sources, they are unsuited to academic contexts. They are especially out of place in a course where the point of writing assignments is to give students an opportunity to think through difficult material for themselves. Generating text using AI is sometimes advertised as a way to help formulate your ideas at the beginning of a project, but using it for this purpose is liable to interfere with your own independent thinking and reasoning about the material.

Policy B

Do not use generative artificial intelligence to write for you. Outsourcing your writing to generative artificial intelligence services violates academic integrity policies, slows your development as a college-level writer, and silences your voice.  

You are welcome to use generative artificial intelligence for research, like to identify a source, summarize an article, or format a citation.  

You may not copy any instructor-provided materials, including assignment instructions, worksheets, and slides into any generative artificial intelligence service without explicit consent from me. This includes the services listed in the previous section as well as services like StudyBuddy, Scribbr, and Gizmo.ai. 

Policy C

Use of Generative AI tools for writing (such as ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) will be explored and is permitted in this class, following specific guidelines.
– You may use Generative AI tools to help you in the writing process as an assistant, such as with developing ideas, outlining, and feedback.
– You may not use Generative AI for generating long chunks of text (several sentences or more). You should also not rely on Generative AI for researching information.
All writing assignments will include a check-in asking you to describe how you used Generative AI tools, based on a list of possible uses.

Policy D

As many of us have explored new AI tools like ChatGPT, we can think of them as valuable aids, similar to calculators in math classes. These tools excel at idea generation, synthesis, rephrasing, summarizing, and gathering information on various topics. However, it’s crucial that you take the lead in guiding, verifying, and shaping your final answers. Avoid simply cutting and pasting without fully understanding the material. Let’s leverage these tools as extensions of our knowledge to enhance our learning experience.

Policy E

Within this class, you are welcome to use foundation models (ChatGPT, GPT, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, GitHub Copilot, and anything after) in a totally unrestricted fashion, for any purpose, at no penalty. However, you should note that all large language models still have a tendency to make up incorrect facts and fake citations, code generation models have a tendency to produce inaccurate outputs, and image generation models can occasionally come up with highly offensive products. You will be responsible for any inaccurate, biased, offensive, or otherwise unethical content you submit regardless of whether it originally comes from you or a foundation model. If you use a foundation model, its contribution must be acknowledged in the handin; you will be penalized for using a foundation model without acknowledgement. Having said all these disclaimers, the use of foundation models is encouraged, as it may make it possible for you to submit assignments with higher quality, in less time.

Assignment Scenario

Objective

Students will begin a longer research project by investigating how media, education, and societal expectations influence girls’ interest and participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

Prompt

How do media, education, and societal expectations influence girls’ interest in STEM?

Your task is to begin developing a research paper that explores this question. For this phase, you will:

  1. Craft a clear thesis statement that presents your main argument or perspective.
  2. Create a detailed outline that organizes your key points and supporting evidence.
  3. Identify and cite at least two credible sources that you will use in your paper.

You may choose to focus on one influence (e.g., media) or explore how all three factors interact.

Requirements

  • Thesis Statement: 1–2 sentences clearly stating your argument.
  • Outline: Include an introduction, 3–4 main body sections, and a conclusion.
  • Sources: Minimum of 2 credible sources (books, academic articles, reputable websites).
    •   Use MLA or APA format for citations.
    •   Include a brief annotation (2–3 sentences) for each source explaining its relevance.

You will complete your work in Word online using one of the documents in our Group Assignments folder (update: view-only).

General principles for use of generative AI

Below are recommendations on how to use AI in your learning and studies (borrowed from the University of Sydney).

  1. Ensure your use of AI follows the guidelines given for the particular course, unit, and assessment
    • Follow your instructor’s guidance on exactly what and how generative AI tools can be used during assessments for your unit.
    • Ensure that any use of generative AI has been acknowledged according to unit’s or institution’s policies and guidelines.
    • Use of AI in a way that is not consistent with policies and guidelines may result in a finding of academic misconduct.
  2. Keep track throughout your assignment process of the ways you have used generative AI
    • Save copies of each step to create a record that can be shared with instructors to facilitate respectful conversations about your work. For example, keep copies of your previous drafts before and after interacting with generative AI. It’s a good idea to keep a copy of your conversations with generative AI as well, if possible.
  3. Ensure that your final work is your own and is not copy and pasted from a generative AI tool
    • Your own style and voice should be evident.
    • Simply rephrasing AI-generated content is not enough for it to be considered your own work! You must still apply your own critical thinking and logical reasoning to complete assignments and, most importantly, ensure learning.
  4. Exercise critical thinking and disciplinary expertise when considering AI-generated information 
    • Fact-check the information you receive. Recognize the limitations of generative AI, including that content generated by AI may not be up to date or accurate.
  5. Be wary of biases in generative AI.
    • AI tools may align with commercial objectives or political prejudices.
    • Apply critical thinking at all times: analyze and contextualize AI’s outputs and cross-verify any information AI gives you. 
    • Form your own perspective.