The following information is taken from the work of Ben Jane, a Senior Lecturer at Marjon who has produced this information as guidance for students.

Introduction

Since December 2022, the increased accessibility of AI/LLM tools such as ChatGPT, DALLE-2, CoPilot and Google Bard has led to many discussions around its use, and potential misuse, in academia and beyond.

We believe these tools are potentially transformative as well as disruptive, that they will feature in many academic and professional workplaces, and that rather than seek to prohibit your use of them, we will support you in using them effectively, ethically and transparently.

This page outlines how AI might be used to support your learning for this module and also ways in which you should avoid using it.

Video: A 3 min introduction for students on appropriate and inappropriate uses of generative AI in HE

An overview of the use of AI in HE

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This whole page is an introduction to the use of AI but in this section are included some of the key terms and a few introductory resources.

A Brief Glossary

Artificial Intelligence (AI) involves using computers to do things that traditionally require human intelligence. AI can process large amounts of data in ways that humans cannot. The goal for AI is to be able to do things like recognize patterns, make decisions, and judge like humans. AI is not new and AI is a much broader field than LLMs and ChatGPT. It can be used in many ways AND we have all been using it for years (e.g. music streaming, search engines, social media, online shopping, online advertising)
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that can create new content, such as text, images, or music. It does this by learning from a large dataset of existing content and then using that knowledge to generate new, similar content. This could be text, images, music or 3D objects
Large Language Models (LLMs) are a type of AI that generate and understand human languages. They are an advanced chatbot that can also trawl the internet and quickly produce succinct answers to complex questions. They are trained on massive datasets of text and code, and they can be used for a variety of tasks, including text generation, summarisation, question answering, translation and natural language inference where it can be used to determine the meaning of text.
ChatGPT (Google Bard, Bing Chat etc) are all apps/tools that allow users to engage with a LLM and ask it questions. These are the user interfaces.

Key Principles

Learning to use AI is an emerging skill. You will need to be able to show competence in using it in the future.
AI (ChatGPT/Bing/Bard) is great at presenting solutions. Also, it has many limitations. Make sure you are aware of those.
If you provide poor prompts, you will get poor results from it. The questions you ask of it will need refining and a degree of prior knowledge.
Don't trust anything it says. You will be responsible for using anything that it presents to you and you should check all facts and have a level of knowledge on a topic to know what is useable and what is not.
Be thoughtful about when this tool is useful. Don't use it if it isn't appropriate.
You may need to acknowledge when and how you have used AI in the production of your work. Be conscious about how you are using it and keep a record of this.

What is AI good for?

Answering questions where answers are based on material which can be found on the internet.
Drafting ideas and planning or structuring written materials.
Generating ideas for graphics, images and visuals.
Reviewing and critically analysing written materials to assess their validity.
Helping to improve your grammar and writing structure – especially helpful if English is a second language.
Experimenting with different writing styles.
Getting explanations.
Getting over writer’s block - rather than stare at a blank page, ask it a question and get something down on paper like an essay outline.
Improve your critical analysis and evaluation skills - by studying and critiquing what they produce, and making judgements about whether what they produce is actually valid and believable.

The Limitations of using AI/LLMs

Artificial intelligence and human intelligence are not the same; AI tools do not understand anything they produce nor do they understand what the words they produce mean when applied to the real world.

AI tools frequently get things wrong and can’t be relied upon for factual accuracy.
AI produces a very generic, often surface-level response which can appear automated in style.
They perform better in subjects which are widely written about, and less well in niche or specialist areas.
Unlike a normal internet search, they don’t look up current resources and are currently some months out of date.
They cannot currently provide reliable references – they tend to produce well-formatted but fictitious citations.
They have been said to perpetuate stereotypes, biases and Western perspectives.
Over-reliance on these tools will reduce your opportunities to hone your writing, critical thinking, and evaluation skills.

AI tools and apps

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This section includes a list of tools and apps that allow relatively easy use of AI.

AI/Large Language Models

ChatGPT - https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt - v 3 is FREE (inconsistency access, not as clever), v4.0 is ~$20/month (and is always accessible and more powerful)
Google Bard - https://bard.google.com/ - use your google log-in, you might need to register to be part of it. Very good access, similar to ChatGPT v3.5
Bing - You must be using Microsoft Edge as your browser. Look for the "chat" tab on the Bing homepage. If you have trouble accessing Chat...make sure you are signed in with your Microsoft log-in. If you can't use it due to SafeSearch, go into settings and switch away from Safesearch. Other tips include...make sure that you have the latest version of the Bing app installed, clear your browser’s cache and cookies, and restart your device, if the issue persists, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app, consider setting Microsoft Edge as your default browser.
- A comparison of ChatGPT, Bard and Bing - https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/24/23653377/ai-chatbots-comparison-bard-bing-chatgpt-gpt-4

Apps that use AI

Consensus - "Ask a question, get conclusions from research papers" - https://consensus.app/search/ - Seems good for signposting to good sources AND providing snippets from each.
Elicit - Another tool that can be asked questions and will provide references and signposting to papers https://elicit.org/
Vizcom - produce a line drawing, refine the image description with words and allow the app to render a full version of your desired image - https://app.vizcom.ai
Pi.ai - An AI chatbot that you can talk to. On iOS it can hear your voice and maintain a conversation, On Windows and Android, it responds to typed chat but can respond with voice. Maybe use it to get feedback on your initial ideas https://pi.ai/talk

Academic Malpractice and AI

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ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs) could potentially be used to help create written content that students then use in submitted assessments. Generative AI can be used in a number of appropriate ways but it could also be used inappropriately and in a way that is contrary to University regulations.

A key element of the Student Regulations Academic Integrity Procedure (2022-23 section 14) states that students must, “ensure that all work submitted as their own as part of an assessment or other academic activity is produced without the aid of impermissible materials or impermissible collaboration.” Inappropriate use of generative AI tools could be deemed as "impermissible collaboration".

The following section outlines some key points in this area.

Key Points

ChatGPT/Bing/Bard present a potential threat to the originality of your submitted coursework: While these tools present opportunities to help support your learning, they are also tempting to use as shortcuts, or worse, substitutes for independent thinking. There is, however, a line between acceptable use and inappropriate use and students should take care to understand where this line is. Many of the same principles applied to plagiarism and originality issues can be applied to the use of AI apps.
The ability of Turnitin to identify AI malpractice is developing. Following the introduction of mass access generative AI apps in 2022, much work has been done to find a mechanism of detecting AI use in submitted assessments. Student's submitted work may be subjected to review by such tools as it has been for plagiarism for many years. (Note: teaching staff do not rely solely on any AI detection tool but will prioritise professional judgement in identifying inappropriate use of AI apps and follow existing protocols for dealing with originality issues that include working with other colleagues and talking to students in question).
Many early examples of AI misuse have been identified and dealt with in existing plagiarism process and policy - poor referencing, limited attribution of sources, inconsistent writing style, repetition of key text are all examples of potential AI misuse, and familiar to HE staff as well as within existing guidance on poor scholarship.

Signs a student’s essay might have been written using AI

Adapted from: https://medium.com/@marginaliant/5-signs-a-students-essay-has-been-written-using-ai-a569235ab1be

Lack of Clarity and Coherence - One of the most common signs that an essay has been written using AI is a lack of clarity and coherence. AI-generated essays often lack a clear thesis statement and tend to be disjointed, with no clear connection between the different paragraphs.
Repetitive Content - Another sign of an AI-generated essay is repetitive content. Because AI algorithms rely on pre-existing data to generate essays, they often end up repeating the same points over and over again, without adding any new insights or ideas.
Grammatical Errors - Despite the advances made in AI technology, grammar and syntax remain a challenge for most AI algorithms. As such, essays generated using AI are often rife with grammatical errors and awkward sentence structures.
Lack of Originality - AI-generated essays are notorious for their lack of originality. Since they rely on pre-existing data, they tend to regurgitate the same ideas and arguments that have been made in the past, without adding anything new or innovative to the conversation.
Unnatural Language - Finally, essays generated using AI often feature unnatural language that sounds stilted and robotic. This is because AI algorithms are still not advanced enough to replicate the nuances and complexities of human language, resulting in essays that lack a human touch.
Incorrect Referencing - Early versions of ChatGPT/LLMs have struggled to provide accurate citations. They can look correct, but may well be reconstituted and adapted citations that use real authors and journal titles but meld them together into manufactured sources. This inability will no doubt be addressed over time however, examination of citations and references could demonstrate poor scholarship and potentially use of AI.

Getting the most out of AI: Students

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The development of Generative AI tools does present great opportunities for the future of work, study and research. There are ways of using it to help you develop your academic skills and outputs and there will be an expectation in the modern workplace that you can use it effectively and appropriately. Here are some ideas for using it effectively in your time at University:

Tasks/Prompts for students

Get help starting your work: Ask it to provide an outline for your work, e.g. an essay plan for...
Get help with referencing: Paste in a bunch of references and ask it to ensure they are all in line with APA7 (for example)
Get help with critical analysis: Ask it to outline a critical analysis of a particular theory, approach or technique (the response will need thinking about, it won't come with specific underpinning references, it might be in the wrong tone, but it might give you some thoughts on key potential critiques).
Get help with the quality of your written prose: Once you have written some text that includes the key points that you want to communicate, and your references you could try asking it to "improve the quality of the writing in this piece of academic writing". The output will need thinking about but there may be some useful changes. it might even tell you what changes it has made which could help you improve your own ability to write in the long term.
Get help consolidating topics and revising/reviewing: Ask it to produce 10 multi-choice revision questions on X, or "review questions on X".
Get help with your writing: Ask it to, "Review and if required, improve, the reporting verbs in this paragraph - insert para".
Get help producing an action plan in response to your previous submission: Ask it "What can I do in response to the feedback on this essay - insert feedback".
Raise your game preparing for that dream job: Ask it to write a cover letter for a job and include a link to your CV, a link to the job advert and a link to the JD [Google Bard accepts links to google docs]".
Get help with your stats: give it some data or a link to a spreadsheet and ask it to perform some analysis, or ask it what analysis might be suitable.

Further Reading: Prompts and using AI for academic work

Langston, T. (2023, June) Last Night ChatGPT Saved My Life… [A blog about a PG student's use of AI] https://teltales.port.ac.uk/2023/06/26/guest-blogger-tom-langston-last-night-chatgpt-saved-my-life

Guidance on using Generative AI

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Video: A longer, more complete version of the 3 min abridged video at the top of this page

Key Areas to be aware of
Using AI to help you study	Use it to clarify key areas within a topic: if you are feeling lost within any given topic, ask an AI app to outline the key areas that are usually associated with a topic Use it to assess knowledge: ask it to produce review questions or multiple-choice questions on a particular topic if you think it might help you work out what you do and don't have a good grasp of.	Rely on AI apps to give you the complete or entirely correct content: the output of AI apps is often only as good as the questions that we ask of it. It is also necessary to have some understanding of a topic to be able to evaluate the quality of the output. The starting point should always be the content presented to you by your tutors and AI apps can only complement this.	The AIM programme has a range of opportunities to help you develop Information Literacy, Academic Skills and Digital Skills.
Using AI to Write your assignment	Use it as a starting point for an essay question: to brainstorm, to give you an indication of what’s required, to help you understand the essay question, to clarify concepts that you are having difficulty understanding. Use it to help you create a plan for your work. Use it as starting point to identify gaps in research and areas to investigate further (being mindful of bias, assumptions etc).	Generate a whole assignment and simply hand it in – you learn from working and developing an assignment which will be lost if you do not engage. This could catch up with you as learning is incremental - it is best not to start using AI in this way as it can be a slippery slope! Assume that AI will or can teach you content that you do not understand as the information you receive may not be correct. You should speak to your lecturer, seek support offered by Marjon or discuss with your peers if you are having difficulty understanding key concepts. Allow AI and its development to impact on your sense of integrity and your core values. Submitting work that isn’t yours is a form of cheating and in today’s world we all (staff and students) need to ensure we maintain our integrity. Assume that AI will evade Turnitin detection – there have been instances where software and/or academics are picking up similarities (i.e., many assignments are submitted through Turnitin). How do you know your response is unique and/or not indicative of work generated by AI?	Studiosity is a free personal learning service that is available to all students enrolled at Marjon. Find out more here https://marjon.instructure.com/courses/1806 The AIM programme has a range of opportunities to help you develop Information Literacy, Academic Skills and Digital Skills.
Use AI to paraphrase & summarise	Use AI to better understand/clarify a difficult piece of text so you can work towards your own understanding. Used as an educational tool, it can help you to make sense of difficult text. Remember you are the author and as such you should work on developing a unique style of writing.	Copy and paste a paragraph, ask the AI to paraphrase it directly for you and then use that text directly. Assume you will learn from AI generated paraphrasing. The reason we paraphrase is to make sense of texts; the learning is in clarifying (an often-difficult text) and reformulating it in your own words. Don’t assume the text generated by AI will not be picked up by Turnitin – how can you be sure it is unique (e.g., if other students are asking the same thing?)	The AIM programme has a range of opportunities to help you develop Information Literacy, Academic Skills and Digital Skills. Familiarise yourselves with the common pitfalls of academic practice and how to avoid plagiarism in your writing. MyMarjon Academic Integrity & Plagiarism Page Consult the guidance on submitting and using Turnitin to support your learning. https://sites.marjon.ac.uk/elearninghelp/turnitin-2
Using sources and referencing	Use it as a tool to identify sources and develop referencing. There are already other referencing tools in use, so the same principles apply here in its careful use. Ask AI to check the referencing for you and identify weak areas to develop – it can be a useful tool for feedback.	Copy references used in an AI-generated text without verifying its credibility and reading the original source. Use it to reference without understanding what correct referencing should look like.	More support for understanding and developing skills in referencing is available in MyMarjon here Tools such as Mendeley https://www.mendeley.com/ and Zotero https://www.zotero.org/ can help more than Generative AI in this respect Familiarise yourselves with the common pitfalls of academic practice and how to avoid plagiarism in your writing. MyMarjon Academic Integrity & Plagiarism Page
Working with Data (Qualy and/or Quant)	Use it (where appropriate and permitted) to analyse data, recognise patterns, and make predictions based on that data. Be mindful of its limitations in terms of data analysis. Evaluate the responses generated for any signs of bias or discrimination. Use clear guidelines so you can use AI to help you produce quality content.	Rely completely on automated responses; you must verify your results independently to mitigate against any programming errors. Forget any ethical standards you must adhere to depending on the type of data you’re analysing. Forget any security/GDPR measures you must adhere to	Ask your tutor for signposting to support in working with data. Look for guidance on use of SPSS like this https://sites.marjon.ac.uk/telkit/2022/06/30/spss/ The Marjon Research Ethics page is here https://marjon.instructure.com/courses/1820
Exams E.g., remote exams	Adhere to guidelines from your module/ programme leaders; what are the expectations in its use? Use it to clarify concepts and ask for explanations Use it to review notes and reinforce understanding of key concepts covered in the course. Use it to brainstorm ideas; be careful not to rely solely on the AI-generated ideas	Submit a response directly generated by AI. Forget your response is often submitted via Turnitin which has been identifying similarities from AI-generated responses. Forget your lecturers are also trained to identify generic responses. Don’t put your university education at risk.	Support for completing exams can be found here MyMarjon Exams Study Skills page
Developing language	Use it as a tool to identify spelling and grammar issues. Use it for feedback on your work. If needed, use it to translate language (where appropriate) remembering that it should not be a substitute for learning. It can provide a useful means to understand a text and a model for comparison.	Assume it is 100% accurate (i.e., with a translation); don’t submit a piece of work without checking its accuracy. Expect it to be able develop a unique style of writing and expression. Allow AI to take away the learning in terms of understanding grammar and developing language.	Studiosity is a free personal learning service that is available to all students enrolled at Marjon. Find out more here https://marjon.instructure.com/courses/1806
AI connection to lived experience	Use AI as a tool to research into other cultures, histories or peoples to develop your own understanding of the world. Use AI to understand the factors that influence and make up human emotion and lived experience. Use AI as creative support – to brainstorm initial ideas (it can be a useful starting point or to develop your writing/ arguments).	Rely on AI to understand and express your lived human experience. Rely too heavily on the model's output given its limitations. Interpret AI human-like responses for genuine understanding and accurate insight – it is a tool to support learning, not replace learning	Visit the Marjon Student Wellbeing & Support Services page on MyMarjon

Text above adapted from: SOAS (2023, May) ChatGPT and generative AI – a guide for students https://www.soas.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2023-05/ChatGPT-and-generative-AI-a-guide-for-SOAS-students_0.pdf