Generative AI is right here and is creating challenges in larger training (Balch, 2023). As instructors, we’re battling the necessity to train our college students needed and marketable expertise for his or her evolving world (e.g., Balch & Blanck, 2025; Butulis, 2023; Parks & Oslick, 2024; Schoeder, 2024), whereas sustaining educational rigor and integrity. Our college students are conscious of and are utilizing generative AI in some ways (Kichizo Terry, 2023), and generative AI might change the way in which that we and our college students understand the function of instructors in larger training (Saucier, 2025). I share my current experiences with and reflections on my college students utilizing generative AI in my lessons under within the hopes that the teachings I’ve discovered will assist different instructors navigate comparable experiences with college students of their lessons.
On the finish of the semester, I obtained an e-mail from a scholar in my basic psychology course to ask me what he ought to do a couple of paper he needed to show in. The paper was an article abstract and reflection paper that college students can full in my course in lieu of taking part in analysis. The analysis participation requirement, and thus these papers, don’t rely for factors – the analysis requirement simply has to be accomplished (I’ll word right here that it is a division coverage for all basic psychology programs – not a coverage I personally created for my course). He ran his paper via an AI checker “only for enjoyable” and it reported his paper was 43% written by AI. He questioned how one can proceed as a result of he mentioned he didn’t use AI to write his papers and didn’t need to get into bother. Figuring out that AI checkers aren’t that dependable, I advised him that if he had not used AI to write his paper, then he can be superb. He submitted the paper (and a few others) and I rapidly forgot about his e-mail within the chaos of the top of the semester.
In processing the papers submitted by the scholars in my class with an enrollment of 206 college students, I later found a problem. The paper project asks college students to retrieve, learn, and write a abstract and reflection on analysis articles printed within the present calendar yr from considered one of two specified journals. The primary a part of the project asks them to supply the reference for the article they used for his or her paper. Resulting from my questionable determination to not spend a lot time on APA format in my course, most of the college students offered references in numerous states of incompletion and disrepair. Consequently, I copied and pasted the article info they did present into Google Scholar to test to see if the articles used for every paper have been in reality from one of many specified journals for the present calendar yr. Throughout this tedious job, I discovered that some articles weren’t from the required journals, and a few weren’t from the present calendar yr. This was not shocking. What was shocking is that I discovered that among the articles (together with the three utilized by my scholar above) didn’t exist.
Over many e-mail exchanges and Zoom conferences over the subsequent a number of days with two college students who used non-existent articles for his or her papers, I found that every had used generative AI to finish their papers. Thrice, the coed above put the instructions from my posted project into generative AI, and every time generative AI obligingly produced one thing the coed thought was an article from considered one of specified journal within the present calendar yr. The articles have been authored by “Smith”, “Johnson”, and, my private favourite, “Doe.” The coed then clarified that he requested a abstract of every article, not the precise articles to assist him write the papers in his “personal phrases.” What was attention-grabbing to me was, that in reviewing the papers submitted, I do consider the coed wrote the papers as I directed, however used the article summaries offered by AI somewhat than the complete articles. I totally acknowledge that I can not completely decide by studying them if papers have been written by college students or by AI, however the concepts, language, and grammar errors within the papers lead me to consider my scholar on that time. My scholar did acknowledge he knew this was fallacious, however was overwhelmed by his workload on the finish of the semester and made a nasty determination for papers price no factors. The opposite scholar advised me that he uploaded articles into generative AI and requested for summaries that match the project instructions, and mentioned that the AI botched the references which was why the papers didn’t exist. Provided that the articles the coed later offered me that he mentioned he uploaded to AI had totally different authors and matters from what he reported on his initially submitted papers, I think the coed was not utterly sincere with me.
Each college students appeared genuinely shocked that AI would retrieve articles for them that didn’t exist. Each college students acknowledged that they knew what they have been doing was not allowed and that they’d violated our college’s honor code. Each college students famous that finish of the semester stress and the low stakes of the project have been components of their selections to make use of AI. Particularly provided that the papers they’d used AI for have been price no factors in my course, I handled these as teachable moments. I mentioned with every scholar the problems with their utilizing AI they usually appeared receptive to this dialog. Every promised to not use AI for coursework ever once more. I’m not optimistic sufficient to assume that it is a binding settlement, however I do assume each college students have been impacted by this expertise. I allowed every scholar the prospect to redo their papers with out the usage of AI.
Classes Realized
These experiences have been unsettling for me and triggered me to assume deeply about AI and the way I might alter my programs to keep away from future conditions like these. These are a couple of of the teachings I’ll take with me from these conditions:
First, I’ll have a helpful AI coverage in my programs that helps college students higher perceive what’s and isn’t allowable.
Each course ought to have a clearly said AI coverage – and my course did. My AI coverage said that college students are prohibited from utilizing AI for any coursework until I explicitly inform them they might accomplish that. I believed this offered sufficient steerage for my college students (and suppleness for me if I ever needed my college students to make use of it for one thing), however the first of my college students above noticed no moral distinction in utilizing AI to search out analysis articles than in utilizing a database like Google Scholar or PsycInfo. Somewhat than typically stating to “use library sources,” offering specific instructions to make use of these particular library sources would have been invaluable. Additionally, discussing how AI might or will not be used for “concept technology” (and what meaning) can be invaluable, versus utilizing it to finish coursework.
Second, I’ll focus on why I’m not permitting AI for not less than among the coursework in my class.
Whereas AI and the talents to make use of it successfully and appropriately are necessary, they’re not necessary for all the things. I’ll focus on with my college students the need of their independently studying content material data and expertise with out the usage of AI. Relatedly, I’ll focus on with my college students that AI typically just isn’t in a position to do the required duties reliably (e.g., discovering related articles that truly exist). I’ll clarify to my college students that my insurance policies and course selections are designed to assist them be taught, to not present boundaries to their success. It will spotlight that my function is to interact and assist my college students of their studying (Saucier, 2019; Saucier, 2022).
Third, I’ll have clear and actionable plans for actions and penalties if college students violate my said AI coverage.
One of many points I encountered was what to do with the scholars who violated my AI coverage. When reporting circumstances to our college Honor and Integrity system, we’re requested to advocate a sanction. I used to be unsure what an acceptable sanction can be in these conditions through which college students used AI inappropriately to finish papers price no factors. I might have beneficial that the scholars fail the course attributable to an educational integrity violation, however this appeared too harsh to me (and I acknowledge some readers might disagree) with out my having indicated in my syllabus that this penalty can be sought in circumstances like these. My future AI insurance policies will probably be extra specific in how I pursue penalties when the insurance policies are violated.
Fourth, I’ll attempt to assist my college students by lowering finish of semester stress in my programs.
As a part of empathetic course design (Saucier, Jones, Schiffer, & Renken, 2022), I like to recommend spacing out assessments. I like to recommend utilizing extra decrease stakes and fewer larger stakes assessments. I like to recommend not having a excessive proportion after all factors due within the final weeks of sophistication. I like to recommend utilizing the minimal efficient dose of evaluation, comparable to by setting maximums (e.g., not more than two pages) somewhat than minimums (e.g., not less than three pages) on assignments – which is a call that additionally streamlines and positively impacts my expertise in processing my college students’ work.
Conclusion
Generative AI is right here and our college students are utilizing it in our programs. We must always anticipate having to take care of our college students utilizing AI in ways in which might shock us. Accordingly, our insurance policies and instructing practices needs to be designed to assist them (and us!) navigate the conditions through which our college students use AI in unauthorized and inappropriate methods. It will make their experiences higher as learners and our experiences higher as lecturers.
N.B. I uploaded my conclusion to ChatGPT and requested if it agreed. It did, concluding that, “The purpose needs to be to assist college students change into savvy, moral customers of AI whereas sustaining the integrity of the educational course of.” Properly mentioned.
Donald A. Saucier, Ph.D. (2001, College of Vermont) is a College Distinguished Educating Scholar and Professor of Psychological Sciences at Kansas State College. Saucier has printed greater than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and is a Fellow of the Society for Persona and Social Psychology, the Society for the Psychological Research of Social Points, the Society for Experimental Social Psychology, and the Midwestern Psychological Affiliation. His awards and honors embrace the College Distinguished College Award for Mentoring of Undergraduate College students in Analysis, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Educating, and the Society for the Psychological Research of Social Points Educating Useful resource Prize. Saucier can also be the College Affiliate Director of the Educating and Studying Heart at Kansas State College and gives a YouTube channel referred to as “Have interaction the Sage” that describes his instructing philosophy, practices, and experiences.
References
Balch, D. E. (2023, August 25th). Synthetic intelligence: The rise of ChatGPT and its implications. College Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/artificial-intelligence-the-rise-of-chatgpt-and-its-implications/
Balch, D. E., & Blanck, R. (2025, March 31st). AI-powered instructing: Sensible instruments for neighborhood school college. College Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/ai-powered-teaching-practical-tools-for-community-college-faculty/
Butulis, M. (2023, December 6th). Embracing synthetic intelligence within the classroom. College Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/embracing-artificial-intelligence-in-the-classroom/
Kichizio Terry, O. (2023, Could 12th). I’m a scholar. You don’t have any concept how a lot we’re utilizing ChatGPT. Chronicles of Increased Training. https://www.chronicle.com/article/im-a-student-you-have-no-idea-how-much-were-using-chatgpt
Parks, M., & Oslick, M. E. (2024, Could 22nd). Empowering scholar studying: Navigating synthetic intelligence within the school classroom. College Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/empowering-student-learning-navigating-artificial-intelligence-in-the-college-classroom/
Saucier, D. A. (2019, September 9th). Bringing PEACE to the classroom. College Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/philosophy-of-teaching/bringing-peace-to-the-classroom/
Saucier, D. A. (2022, February 23rd). Bringing PEACE to assist all college students. Inside Increased Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2022/02/23/professors-should-learn-about-respond-students-unique-experiences-opinion
Saucier, D. A. (2025, Could 12th). What can school instructors provide their college students within the age of AI?. College Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/what-can-college-instructors-offer-their-students-in-the-age-of-ai/
Saucier, D. A., Jones, T. L., Schiffer, A. A., & Renken, N. D. (2022). The empathetic course design perspective. Utilized Economics Educating Assets, 4(4), 101-111.
