Artificial Intelligence (AI) Curriculum and Assessment Hub

Background

Generative Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools are increasingly prevalent in academic settings. These tools provide opportunities to enhance and support the work of both students and staff, but it also creates significant risks to academic integrity.

Academic Integrity Framework and policy are framed around a positive view of academic integrity, working from the position that students do not want to cheat and that rather than focusing on ‘catching’ misconduct we aim to support them to understand how to learn with integrity.

USW AI Position Statement

The University of South Wales (USW) is committed to leveraging generative AI for the benefit of students and staff, and promotes the fair, ethical, professional, and responsible use of generative AI tools. The University is committed to preparing our students for an increasingly AI-enabled future and acknowledge digital fluency as a key USW graduate attribute.

View the USW position statement on the use of AI in teaching and assessment.

AI Framework University Staff Guidance

This guide presents an acceptable use framework for Generative AI (aka GenAI) at USW. This requires staff to provide a categorisation of the level of acceptable use, and description of the specific types of use of AI (Artificial Intelligence), that would be acceptable in each assessment task.

Download the Framework Staff Guidance

Download the USW Assessment Scale (PDF)

Support and Resources

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education - webinar recording

The integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education presents a wealth of opportunities and challenges. Generative AI can personalise learning experiences, catering to individual student needs.

Watch our 'introduction to GenAI' webinar recording (this is a learning resource).

AI Detectors Statement

Read our statement on the use of AI detection software in assessment at USW.

Inclusive and accessible use of AI

AI is a valuable tool to support an inclusive curriculum, however, it is important to consider what barriers your students might face in accessing generative AI and design your curriculum and assessments accordingly. This includes considering your students’ digital literacy and whether they have the knowledge and skills to access AI to support their learning in the first place.

We need to be aware that generative AI tools are not equally accessible to all users. Although ChatGPT is free of charge, it remains unavailable in certain countries and could be temporarily inaccessible at peak times. GPT-4, a more powerful and multimodal AI chatbot, is restricted to fee-paying subscribers. The range of AI apps available is also expanding at a rate beyond our capacity to explore them for teaching and learning purposes, so there needs to be a way that we can level the playing field for students needing to engage with these rapidly developing technologies.

When planning for the use of AI tools in your teaching, consider beforehand what barriers students might face and design these out.

Choose free tools.
Identify and point students towards subject-specific AI tools.
Provide guidance on the expected use of the AI within the learning or assessment activity.
Scaffold the use of generative AI so that all students are supported to develop the skills to use AI within your context.
Ensure that all students can use the AI in the context and country where they are based.

Guidance for Students

Benefits of AI for students

Generative AI can interact with students conversationally, providing personalised learning support and feedback. By adapting to students’ performance and adjusting the learning paths accordingly, AI tools can respond to individual learning needs and improve learning progress.

24/7 Availability: Generative AI is always ready to assist, ensuring students can access support whenever they need it, be it during late-night study sessions or on weekends.
Scalability: Generative AI can allow for learning activities and assessments to be scaled easily by accommodating scalable groups.
Self-Paced Learning: Students can progress at their own pace, ensuring no one feels rushed or left behind.
Enhanced Engagement: Conversational AI interfaces can make learning interactive and engaging, keeping students motivated and interested.
Adaptive Content: Generative AI recommends supplementary learning materials tailored to each student's unique learning style and pace, ensuring they receive the right resources at the right time.

Appropriate use of AI for learning and assessment

Using AI tools to help with such things as idea generation or essay planning, may be an appropriate use, though the requirements of the assessment must be considered. Where the use of generative AI tools is permitted within an assessment, students may be asked to explicitly share and reflect on the prompts they have used within a generative AI tool, the resulting outputs, and any modifications they have made before final submission.

Take a look at our Library skills guide guide which will help and support you to find the information you need with tutorials, video guides and more.

Student declarations of AI use

Students must understand that to maintain academic integrity their use of AI must be transparent and made clear to the person grading their work.

Certain courses may require students to use AI-generated content for certain assignments. In these cases, it will always be explicitly stated in the assignment brief that you may use AI, and the brief will give guidance on how to write a proper declaration and acknowledgement of your use of AI. You should use this declaration to aid your academic judgement of the extent to which students have met the assessment criteria.

In practice, detecting AI-written text may prove to be challenging. If you suspect a student of inappropriate use of AI tools, then you must proceed as you would in any other example of misconduct.

Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching