5 Tips for Creating An AI Policy

When my kids were toddlers, I could not wait for them to start talking. I knew it would help with the tantrums if they could just communicate what they wanted or needed. And when they did start talking, it made life so much easier.

Until they learned to ask why.

If you spend any amount of time around a toddler you know that the unending question of why can drive you crazy. But, when our son was born almost five years ago, one of the things we quickly decided was that we would be transparent with our kids and work to explain as much as we possibly could. So, when they asked why - why can’t I have that, why can’t I do that, why should I stop doing that -  we agreed we would never say “Because I said so.”

Why? Because we felt our job was to help them learn and understand the world. For us, explaining the why behind what we were saying is important for helping them process information, learn about the world around them, and understand their place in it.

So, how does this relate to what we do as teachers? Let me explain.

In early 2023, I started noticing some interesting differences in student’s written work (probably like many of you). As I was going through papers in my sport marketing class, I noticed a word I hadn’t encountered once in over 10 years of teaching - keen. As I dug in a bit deeper, I also noticed more advanced vocabulary and an uptick in the use of adverbs. Because I had been experimenting with ChatGPT in my consulting work since late 2022, I recognized the style and structure of assignments mimicked outputs I was generating in my own prompting. I was certain I was seeing work created by generative AI tools.

Immediately I started to think about how to approach the situation and how I viewed the use of generative AI in higher education. For me, the question was, how do we, as educators, adapt to this new technology in a way that preserves the integrity of the learning process?

Outright banning these tools didn’t seem to be the answer. It was likely that this approach would end up feeling more like a challenge to students to do it anyway and hope they didn’t get caught.

So, I spent a lot of time thinking about, learning about, and using generative AI in my consulting business. As I thought about its place in higher education, it came down to one simple fact - students will need to use generative and predictive AI tools in their jobs. The tools will keep evolving and getting better. Instead of limiting students because it is difficult to adapt to the change, we must help our students think critically about using generative AI tools in their careers and educational journeys.

But, I also wanted to hold students accountable for their learning in a world of generative AI.

It got me thinking - how exactly do I do that?

I thought back to my approach for helping my young children understand the world and it seemed so obvious - tell my students the why. If I used my AI policy to help students understand what generative AI tools are, how they work, and ways they can be used in my course and in their future jobs, it might result in a more productive path forward - for the students and for me.

Want to try this approach? Here are five things that you should consider including in your generative AI policy.

1️⃣ Explain to students the what and the why.

Start by educating your students about what generative AI tools are and how they work.  I have found most students don’t understand large-language models and think they work the same as traditional search engines.

Don’t understand them yourself? Now is a great time to do the legwork. While the Marketing AI Institute was originally created to help marketers understand AI tools, they have a ton of education for faculty in higher education that is accessible and high quality. They even host free webinars and seminars.

2️⃣ Describe what generative AI tools do well and what they do not do well.

Tell your students what the models do well - help with ideation, summarization, and research - and what their limitations are. For example, students need to understand that it is possible for current models to give incorrect information, which means students need to verify facts when using generative AI in their work.

Outputs from basic copying and pasting of a homework prompt tend to sound robotic and lack personalization or human voice. Without putting at least some effort into prompting, outputs are unlikely to sound like students.

Additionally, share with students that while generative AI tools do not give the exact same response when given the same prompt, the structure and main arguments are often the same. Responses tend to be broad and lack specificity and detail making them unlikely to meet assignment requirements (more on that in later editions).

3️⃣ Share how generative AI and other AI tools are being used in your field.

Not sure how generative AI tools are being used in your field? It is time to find out! Check out trade publications, ask the tools themselves, and reach out to alumni and connections. The more you can learn about how these tools are being used, the better you can prepare your students to use them.

For example, in marketing, many practitioners use generative AI in their content creation process. There are a lot of concerns with this approach, but students need to explore where these tools fit in the process and how they can supplement creating content (and how relying solely on those tools can be problematic too). Then, design assignments in ways that allow students to experiment with the tools in meaningful ways. Include how these tools are being used in your field.

4️⃣ Detail the appropriate and inappropriate uses of generative AI tools in your course.

Provide a list of ways students can use generative AI in your course (to supplement their learning) and how it should not be used in your course (to replace their learning). Lists may look different in other disciplines, but I have curated a list from my own experience and other sources that might help you get started.

But, don't just tell students what they should not use generative AI tools for  - tell them why those uses are not recommended. For example, I tell my students not to use generative AI to answer exam questions. Why? Because they won’t have an accurate gauge of their own learning, and when it comes time to take that next class or to get a job, they won’t know what they don’t know!

5️⃣ Detail ethical and legal concerns around the use of generative AI in your field and in their education.

As the use of generative AI tools has proliferated, and LLMs have improved, there has been a huge push toward ethical AI adoption. For students, now is the time for them to think about where they stand. Encourage them to wrestle with the use of generative AI to do tasks in their daily life, in their jobs, and in their education. In your classroom, create opportunities for them to discuss what it means for the future of their field.

By opening a dialogue, you can help them see that we are all in this together and no one has the right answers right now. The challenges are real and present, even if the opportunities are exciting and the potential seems limitless.

To help connect with your students, tell them how you use generative AI tools in your work and why. Share your ethical stance with them and explain how you arrived at it. Don’t just tell them to do the critical thinking about their own stance - model what you want them to do by doing the same yourself.

In my courses, I give students permission to use AI, but require that they disclose their use in assignments, including how they used it in their work. I do not treat work that used generative AI as plagiarism for one simple reason - I want them to see generative AI tools as part of a process and not as an outcome. If I focus too much on the outcome of its use (negative grade due to plagiarism) I am focusing students on the exact thing I want them to avoid.

I require my students to sign this policy, indicating they have read and agree to it.

In the end, I want my students to use generative AI tools as just that - tools that can help them be more efficient, improve ideation, and be a part of their process. I believe it is essential for them to learn how to use these tools ways that add to the value they provide as humans.

Whether you are in favor of using generative AI tools or not, they are here to stay. That 🧞 is not going back in the bottle. In the long-term, these tools and the subsequent advancements will change how we work in ways that are difficult to predict. It is our job as faculty to prepare students for the world outside of college, a world that continues to evolve and change.

Ultimately, approaching AI use from a transparent perspective and encouraging students to engage with tools and learn the what, how, and why encourages connection to the teacher, instead of causing a negative “you can’t use this” roadblock.

I truly believe that teaching is about buy-in and connection. Helping our students understand and use technology helps build both.

Plus, we build credibility when we adapt with the world around us, understand how our fields are changing, and communicate that to our students.

Not sure where to start? Download my free template.