Generative AI in Education

UPDATED MARCH 2025 

The resources shared here are grounded in our understanding of digital literacy as the ability to use, create, evaluate, and engage critically with digital technologies to complete tasks safely and ethically in professional and civic contexts. We have assembled items that present various perspectives and approaches to teaching in the age of generative AI. 

In addition to the teaching-focused materials on this page, we invite you to review the Critical AI Literacy Guide for Faculty (coming soon!) that supports learning about AI - both your own learning and to engage students with. We also invite you to explore the Blackboard-based collection of materials from ongoing digital literacy professional development offerings. This organization is open for self-enrollment and is updated on an ongoing basis. 

General Considerations

 

  1. Understand how AI works. Take the time to learn more about the basics as well as the range implications. 
     
  2. Talk to your students. Rather than wondering about each other's expectations and experiences, invite a conversation. In advance of such a conversation, consider the extent to which you already have clarity. How do you expect students to use or not use generative AI? What are your policies and guidance? How can you help students navigate choices in your class and beyond? 
     
  3. Critical thinking is more important than ever: When should one use AI? When should one not use AI? How should AI output be evaluated? What are the right questions to ask about rapidly evolving new technologies? What assumptions are being made? Who benefits and who is harmed? 
     
  4. Take an "education first" approach. Helping students learn means providing clear guidance instead of relying on policies and policing. Lean into trust as we are all learners in this space. Such guidance can appear in your syllabus but should accompany assignment instructions, as well. It may very well be that a single syllabus-based policy isn't nuanced enough to address the use (or non-use) of AI as it relates to particular assignment. 
     
  5. DO NOT rely on products billed as AI detectors. Such software is unreliable at best and problematic on multiple levels. 
     
  6. There is no one right answer to addressing AI in your teaching, scholarship and work, but reflecting on your own values will inform your next steps in learning.
     
  7. Do you plan to require student engagement with third party tools (many of which have terms of use associated with creating accounts) and if so, do students notified in advance and are you prepared to offer assignment completion alternatives?  

Teaching and Learning Context

Syllabus Policies & Assignment Guideline Language

Assignments

Assessment & Academic Integrity

Writing

Instructor Practices

Equity Considerations

AI comes with costs. What may appear free (for now) requires extensive resources and generates concerns about equitable access. Some questions to consider: 

  1. What are the sources of data? Who has given permission for their work to be included? 
     
  2. Does everyone have equal access to tools? Generative AI tools with enhanced features over free versions come with ongoing costs. 
     
  3. What resources are being used to stand up generative AI? You may be surprised to learn about the environmental impacts. 
     
  4. If you suspect that a student has used of ChatGPT, for example, to complete an assignment, what can you do? We strongly advise against detection tools which have been shown to be ineffective. Assuming that you have provided students with clear guidance on use of AI tools, the best first step is to have a conversation with the student. 
     
  5. Two things that we know for certain is that standalone generative AI tools are evolving rapidly and that AI is increasingly becoming embedded into existing technologies (Office365, Zoom) in ways that are obvious or not. How will you keep up and help students make ethical choices? 

Additional resources on this topic are included in the Pew FTLC Critical AI Literacy Guide. 

Related GVSU Policies and Resources

Artificial Intelligence (AI) at GVSU

Acceptable Use Policy for Public AI Solutions, Information Technology

Academic Misconduct Policies and Procedures, Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution

Social Media and Third Party Tools in Teaching, eLearning Technologies

Writing with Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT, Supplemental Writing Skills 

Writing with Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT, Department of Writing 

Policy on Working With AI-Assisted Writing Tools, Writing Center 

OURS Generative AI Policy, Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship

Artificial Intelligence use in a Research Project, Thesis, or Dissertation, Graduate Education Policies and Procedures Manual

AI Guidelines for Communicators, University Communications 

Protocols and Details Regarding Unit Personnel Meetings (addresses AI tools in the context of personnel actions), Office of the Provost 

Teaching Guides From Other Universities

Additional Resources

A few thinkers on AI we follow:


Page last modified March 6, 2026
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