Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Building a Culture of Integrity: Addressing AI Use in Student Assignments

During the previous term, a significant portion of my grading hours was dedicated to evaluating the presence of AI in student assignments. This involved distinguishing between AI-generated and non-AI-generated posts, tracing AI-generated references, analyzing how students utilized AI in their work, and engaging in discussions with students who excessively relied on AI about issues of plagiarism and the ethical use of AI. Additionally, we deliberated on how unethical AI usage in academic settings could adversely affect their future practice in social work, especially with vulnerable and marginalized populations.

This process has been exhausting. As an educator, my primary role is not to police my students. Therefore, I seek to find a way to assist myself, my colleagues, and my students in navigating this complex landscape, allowing us to focus on course content rather than the intricacies of AI usage. I propose an expansion of the current academic standards, particularly the APA format, which students are accustomed to using for their assignments. This expansion would provide a framework for the ethical usage of AI.


Scholarly writing already incorporates a foundation for academic integrity, and the APA style can be adapted to address some of the challenges posed by generative AI in our educational system. Although some students might still evade these measures, I believe that most students can benefit from AI if used ethically. A familiar format and process are essential to educating students on how to integrate AI ethically into their work and utilize various tools to enhance the content they produce.

Tracking AI use in assignments can enhance students' learning. One example of AI use by students offers a way to mitigate some of the inequities inherent in educational systems, but educators must understand how this would work. The benefits of an APA AI approach can assist students for whom English is a Second Language (ESL). ESL students can ethically use AI software to address grammatical and stylistic differences between their primary language and English. ESL students can also write their papers in their native language and use translation applications. AI detection software flags such uses as not being in the student's own words. Educators can focus on content rather than grammar or inappropriate AI use by adopting an extended form of APA referencing that includes links to comparisons between original work and AI intervention. This approach allows students with different linguistic backgrounds to concentrate on learning course material without being misunderstood by monolingual educators. Educators can differentiate their grading of ESL students through a fair assessment process reducing penalties for errors inherent in cross-cultural communication.

Educators are navigating the evolving landscape of AI alongside their students. I do not believe the majority of students have malicious intentions regarding AI use. Students do, however, need more training and guidance on how to use AI tools. Employing an expanded APA format for AI content fosters greater awareness of students' decisions when integrating AI into their learning process. This approach allows educators to determine which AI-generated references necessitate supporting documentation, ultimately facilitating a more focused and content-driven educational experience.

The examples below begin to provide a framework for AI tracking academic behavior in student assignments. I welcome your feedback and enhancements to this procedure. Here is a link to a crowd-sourced document for comments. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mUicNnddZ4U9iVPM7UWz7ZrM_6XpVxZDPTZ4QdhNMkQ/edit?usp=sharing


APA Extended Reference Options for AI

AI Referencing Format

Name of AI company. (year). Name of AI program: “Prompt used” (version date) [Type of AI]. Purpose of Use. (Appendix Identifier or Link to Chat).

 

Appendices

Each appendix should include a title underneath, identifying the content. i.e. Chat Log, Outlines, Summaries, Paraphrasing, etc. If the students use more than three different types of chat logs, then the logs should be categorized into different appendices related to their function (i.e., Outlines, Summaries, Grammar Corrections, Brainstorming, etc.) Each reference includes either a link to a chat or a transcript of the chat. If transcriptions are over two pages total, students will create a Google Doc on their drive and make the appendix sharable to anyone with the link.

Footnotes

When the student uses AI to paraphrase a quote within an assignment, footnotes need to be included. Link the quote to its original source. The example provides an AI paraphrase of a direct quote from an academic source.

I would mandate the student compare the original quote and AI paraphrase to relay the information in their own words. Using the term “Explain it to me like I am a 5th grader” in AI helps students find meaning and connect it to the original work as they develop a new paraphrase of the concept.

APA Referencing Format for Footnotes

Footnote number Paraphrasing. (Author, year, page, paragraph). Link to paraphrasing tool’s chat

Example of Reference Pages

References

Fording, R. C., Soss, J., & Schram, F. S. (2011). Race and the local politics of punishment in the new world of welfare. American Journal of Sociology,116, 1610-1657.

AI References

Claude. (2024).  Claude: “Identify colonialist ideas in TANF” (June 18 version) [Chatbot], Brainstorming. (Appendix A).

Google. (2024). Google Chrome: Check spelling and grammar in this document. (June 16 version) [Large language model]. Spelling and Grammar.

Quillbot. (2024).: Google Chrome Extension (June 16 version) [Large language model]. Paraphrasing. (Appendix B).

Grammarly (2024). Grammarly (June 18 version) [Large language model]. Spelling and Grammar.

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT “Give me an outline for the following assignment: Using the six stages of the Policy Change Process (based upon the Generalist Intervention Model of Social Work Practice), choose a policy area from below. Identify each stage as it occurred in the history of the development of the chosen policy within this area of practice. Specifically, detail each area according to its definition and how the policy advocates addressed each stage. Evaluate how you would change the approach of one of the stages. Use the Violence Against Women Act as the policy.” (June 16 version) [Large language model] Outline. https://chatgpt.com/share/39be0dac-f99f-41e2-ae43-4d7e16d0c7d9

OpenAI. (2023). ]. ChatGPT: “Identify colonialist ideas in TANF” (June 16 version) [Large language model]. Understanding. (Appendix A).

 

Appendix A

Chat Logs 

1.     Claude. (2024). Claude (June 16 version) [Chatbot]. “Identify Colonialist Ideas in TANF” (June 16 version) [Large language model] Brainstorming.

Chat History

a.      The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program in 1996, has been criticized for incorporating certain colonialist ideas and perpetuating systemic inequalities. Here are some ways in which colonialist ideas have been identified within the TANF program: 

b.     Paternalism and control: TANF's work requirements, time limits, and strict rules have been seen as a form of paternalism, where the government exerts control over the lives of low-income individuals, particularly women of color, under the guise of promoting self-sufficiency. This echoes colonial practices of controlling and disciplining colonized populations.

c.      Perpetuation of stereotypes: The rhetoric surrounding TANF often portrays recipients as lazy, irresponsible, and dependent on welfare, reinforcing negative stereotypes about poverty and race. These stereotypes have historical roots in colonial representations of colonized peoples as inferior and in need of "civilizing" interventions.

d.     Emphasis on nuclear family structure: TANF's promotion of traditional nuclear family structures and emphasis on marriage and responsible fatherhood have been criticized for imposing Western, Eurocentric values on diverse family structures, particularly those of indigenous and minority communities.

e.      Criminalization of poverty: The strict rules and sanctions associated with TANF, including the potential for loss of benefits or criminal penalties for non-compliance, have been likened to the criminalization of poverty, which echoes colonial practices of controlling and punishing colonized populations.

f.        Undermining of self-determination: The top-down, restrictive nature of TANF has been seen as undermining the self-determination and autonomy of low-income individuals and communities, similar to how colonial powers imposed their will on colonized territories.

g.      It's important to note that these criticisms highlight the systemic inequalities and biases embedded within the TANF program, which disproportionately affect marginalized communities, particularly those with historical experiences of colonization and oppression.

2.    OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT “colonialist ideas in TANF” (June 18 version) [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/share/f41d25ac-512a-4f08-9afa-149013a65d39

3.      OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT “Give me an outline for the following assignment: Using the six stages of the Policy Change Process (based upon the Generalist Intervention Model of Social Work practice), choose a policy area from below. Identify each stage as it occurred in the history of development of the chosen policy within this area of practice. Specifically detail each area according to its definition and how the policy advocates addressed each stage. Evaluate how you would change the approach of one of the stages. Use the Violence Against Women Act as the policy.” (June 18 version) [Large language model] https://chatgpt.com/share/39be0dac-f99f-41e2-ae43-4d7e16d0c7d9

 

Appendix B

Other Uses of AI within this Paper 

Google. (2024). Google Chrome (June 16 version) [Large language model]. Grammar and Spelling Check.

Google. (2024). Quillbot: Google Chrome Extension (June 16 version) [Large language model]. Paraphrasing.

Grammarly (2024). Grammarly (June 18 version) [Large language model]. Grammar and Spelling Check.

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (June 16 version) [Large language model]. Definition Summaries.

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (June 16 version) [Large language model]. Summarize PDF’s.

 

Footnote Example

 

The first approach, often called "paternalist," has led governance to take a more explicit role in directing and overseeing the behaviors of the poor (Mead 1997). By using images of disorder and dysfunction as justifications, public authorities have claimed a duty to "tell the poor what to do" (Mead 1998). Consequently, programs for poor people have been redesigned to focus on behavioral expectations, administrative monitoring, incentives for proper behavior, and penalties for noncompliance (Mead 1997). Various means-tested benefits, such as nutritional assistance and housing support, have been made contingent on compliant behavior. [1]



[1] Paraphrasing. (Fording et al. 2011, p 1161, para 1). https://chatgpt.com/share/239069b4-bb10-472e-ae08-c318d028c674