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Office of IDEAS

Generative AI for Faculty and Students

What is Generative AI

Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that have the ability to generate content, such as text, images, or even videos, that is often indistinguishable from content created by humans. These systems are trained on large datasets of human-generated content and use various algorithms, such as neural networks, to produce new content based on patterns and information they have learned from the training data.

While generative AI offers several benefits for higher education, it's essential to consider ethical and privacy implications, including issues related to data security, bias in AI-generated content, and the need for human oversight to ensure the quality of educational materials. Institutions and educators should carefully implement and monitor the use of generative AI to maximize its positive impact on teaching and learning. (OpenAI, 2023)

Fresno State created a task force to support a campus wide exploration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the 2023-24 academic year. Specifically, the charge is to define how we responsibly leverage AI in ways that are ethical, align with existing university policies, and create guidelines for action. Divisions, college, and school leaders are encouraged to have conversations with employees who have expertise in the use of AI and who have demonstrated their ability to share their experiences in a supportive and intentional manner with their peers. 

The task force includes students and employees and has sub-committees that will explore AI in the context of: 

  • Teaching and Learning - explore the use of AI in educational settings throughout the university
  • Academic Research or Innovation - explore AI in research, scholarship, creative activities, and innovation
  • Security, Classified Data, Legal Implications - explore the impact of AI on security and privacy of employees and stakeholders
  • Workforce Development - explore the role of the university in creating programs to prepare faculty, staff, and students for the future of work leveraging AI
  • University and Academic Policies - explore potential impacts to university and academic policies by the integration of AI throughout the organization 
  • Work Integrity - explore the use of AI in job tasks at every level of the university

These subcommittees will report their findings to the campus community in spring 2024.

Other drivers of this process will include:

  • Open forums with various stakeholders
  • Surveys for initial feedback
  • Focus groups with various stakeholders
  • Academic Senate Discussions

Questions can be emailed directly to AI@mail.fresnostate.edu

Generative AI can be adopted in a teaching and learning context in a variety of ways. Below are some resources to learn more about opportunities to integrate AI tools in your class.

The rise of AI usage has created new avenues for academic dishonesty and cheating. A key aspect of ethical AI use is to ensure fair evaluation and uphold the principles of honesty in education. A primary challenge in this work is that tools to reliably detect text generated, wholly or in part, by generative AI tools are not available at the moment. There has also been research to suggest that detection applications introduce additional bias and equity issues, particularly among students for whom English is not their first or primary language.

Our research into detectors didn't show them to be reliable enough given that educators could be making judgments about students with potentially lasting consequences. While other developers have released detection tools, we cannot comment on their utility.

- Open AI ("How can educators respond to students presenting AI-generated content as their own")

An AI writing detection tool ultimately serves as an indication that AI may have been used to write a paper, but cannot provide a rounded conclusion. We encourage human interpretation to take precedence when looking for AI writing in a student’s paper, considering the possibility of false positives, intentionality, and overall, what we know about our students and their skills.

Turnitin ("AI writing detection - What academic leaders need to know as technology matures")

Another challenege for students is that different faculty members may have varying standards or expectations around AI usage and it is recommended that you be clear to students where the boundaries lie for your class and to emphasize that the universisty Honor Code applies to AI even if AI is not explicitly referenced.

 

Faculty can use generative AI for a variety of tasks from administrative to instructional. Below are examples of tasks that can be done more efficiently with the assistance of a variety of AI tools:

  • Creating assessment rubrics
  • Generating quiz questions and discussion prompts
  • Generating case study ideas
  • Identifying research/reference sources
  • Developing in-class activities
  • Generating images to enhance Canvas pages & Powerpoint slides

Resources

AI can be used by students for just-in-time assistance as well as for providing strategies and tools to maximize time efficiency as student balance competing demands on their time. Some tasks that AI can assist students with include:

  • Personalized tutoring
  • Writing feedback
  • Self-quizzing
  • Brainstorming
  • Executive functioning

Resources: