While there are mixed feelings about generative AI among faculty and students, it’s undeniable that AI is not going away and will continue to become embedded in all aspects of life. Even if students choose not to use it, they still need to understand how it works and ethical implications of its use. Who is going to teach them this?
You may have noted in your AI policy in your syllabus that students may not use AI for assessments, but what about during the learning process? Many aspects of effective learning are counterintuitive: productive struggle leads to better learning, re-reading and highlighting do not improve memory, we don’t always prefer the most effective learning techniques, etc.
We can’t assume that students will intuitively understand the most effective ways to use AI for learning, so it’s up to us to provide this guidance for them. Consider providing some suggestions to learners about how they might use AI to help them understand a reading assignment, quiz themselves to prepare for an assessment, or explore difficult concepts with personally relevant examples. You can find more ideas here: How to Use AI to Help, Not Hinder Your Learning.