New to GenAI Guidance

This resource will walk you through steps towards AI fluency by connecting you with resources and having you reflect to determine what is the best path forward for you and your courses.

GenAI has altered our world and it is challenging to continue the ways we have in the past while ensuring our students are learning. Our goal is to help you adapt to GenAI and gain AI fluency. These steps below will help you gain awareness so you can make decisions about what is best for you and your course.

We have organized this into a 5-step process: 1) increasing your awareness of GenAI and trying it out, 2) considering ways you can use GenAI, 3) considering use in your course(s), 4) developing and engaging students in your course policy, 5) sharing what you are doing & getting recognized

Continue your AI journey with us...

1. Increase Your Awareness About GenAI

Watch videos about GenAI
- Watch this Introduction video to GenAI
- This KSU Faculty Reflect on GenAI Workshop Recording
- This Unlocking Increased Instructor Efficiency and Creativity with GenAI Workshop Recording discusses foundational knowledge related to AI, research findings about KSU instructor perception and usage of IA, and explores strategies for instructors.
- This The Impact of AI on Student Writing: Critical Considerations for Instructors Workshop Recording explores the significant impact AI has had on assignments and how we can strategically design writing assignments to support student learning.
Learn about AI Similarity “Detection”: KSU does not have license to a software and there are some things you should consider when “detecting” GenAI output.
Try out the GenAI Susceptibility Tool: This quick and easy tool asks you yes or no questions regarding characteristics of assignments that may increase the likelihood of students using alternative means/shortcuts to finish the assignment (i.e. GenAI, another student, google, etc).
Explore what your professional organizations are saying about GenAI and how GenAI is being used in higher education.
Request a GenAI workshop for your unit/group: Review topics available and email ctl@kent.edu
Attend an IT Training about Gemini or Copilot
Explore the AI Forward website (must be signed in with KSU credentials): This site was developed by IT and has information about prompting tips, training, and safeguarding data.

2. Consider Ways You Could Use GenAI

Check out the Strategies for Instructors to use GenAI to support their teaching subpage to find general faculty uses, example prompts and other resources related to instructor use of GenAI
Think about disclosure of your use of GenAI by exploring these example statements and images.
Watch “To AI or not to AI” that considers both faculty and student use of GenAI.
Talk with colleagues about their use of GenAI
Explore specific uses by watching a GenAI Use Playground recording (30 minutes each)

Reflection Questions: Should you use GenAI

Is there a policy I need to abide by (course, college, professional organization)?
Is it “fair use” to put my/publisher/”x” content into AI?
Do I have an instance of a LLM that doesn’t train on the work I may input?
Am I comfortable with others knowing I used AI for this (transparency)?
Is it still my voice/am I still the author of the feedback?
Will I verify the output’s accuracy?
What is lost by using AI vs. what is gained?
Is this saving time in the long run or not? Will I use the saved time to provide more meaningful human connections/feedback or is it distancing me from my students/process?
Am I balancing productive struggle with getting help (offloading too much/avoiding something I dislike or find uncomfortable)?

3. Consider GenAI to Support Student Learning

Watch this recording of our workshop “To AI or not to AI” that considers both faculty and student use.
Check out our GenAI & Student Learning subpage where you can explore strategies to help students learn about GenAI, your policy, and/or integrate GenAI into your course.
Explore Strategies To Discourage GenAI Use webpage where we discuss ideas to appeal to students through deeper meaning and general ways to design for integrity.
Talk with colleagues about what they are doing.
Explore strategies to prompt student critical thinking about GenAI use.

Reflection Question to Consider GenAI & Student Learning

What do I most want students to learn?
Where might GAI interfere with the learning, an assignment, a particular task, etc.?
Where might GAI support student learning?
How are students probably already using GAI in this course?
What do I want students to understand about GAI itself?
How will I asses learning since GAI is available? How do I get students to do the learning?
What is my disciplinary context?
What are the central habits of mind, skills, practices, or forms of knowledge students should develop in this course?
Which parts of the course require students to struggle productively?
Where do students need practice generating ideas, making judgments, revising, calculating, interpreting, creating, or explaining?
What kinds of student thinking do I need to see in order to assess their learning?

4. Develop & Engage Students in Your GenAI Policy

Explore the Communicating Expectations (Policy) subpage
Try out a GenAI Policy Creator Tool: This tool takes you through elements of a policy, with editable examples, and emails you a policy draft using your choices (i.e. prohibited use, limited use, use freely).
Explore strategies related to unexpected GenAI use and approaches when students refuse to use GenAI by going to our Misaligned GenAI Use subpage
Watch a recording of our workshop “Strategies to Support Responsible Student Use of AI” where we explore guiding students’ decision-making regarding the use of AI tools and their learning.
Watch a recording of our workshop on “Responding to Unexpected AI Use” where Vanessa Earp and Jenny explore what to do when you believe a student has used GenAI.

5. Share, Connect, & Get Recognized

Submit what you are doing (assignment, assessment, curricular element, etc.) so we can share it with others.
Earn an AI-Ready Educator recognition by attending/watching 4 GenAI workshops (at least 3 are 1-hr long sessions) and submitting reflections for each.
Earn a bronze awards that recognizes your learning and the planning you do to incorporate a strategy you’ve learned. Earn a silver award to recognize the process of implementing a change in their course(s), getting feedback, and reflecting on their implementation. Learn more about these teaching recognition awards and submit your application any time (there are no limits to the number of awards you can earn and no deadline for submission)