Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a category of technology that creates new content in response to prompts. Content can be in the form of text, image, audio, video and software code, depending on the tool. The content that is produced can be very difficult to distinguish from that produced by humans. Where human brains learn based on relatively few examples, these tools have been trained on massive data sets of human-created content. GenAI tools, such as Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, work by predicting what a human would produce in response to an input.

This fall (2024), USask is launching a set of comprehensive (currently provisional) principles and guidelines on the use of AI by researchers, students, faculty, and support services. The guidelines share specific guidance and resources tailored to the act of teaching, learning, research and administration on campus.

GenAI tools will have a significant impact on teaching and learning at USask, and as such they are being included in the LTE Toolkit. If you are interested in using GenAI tools for teaching and learning at USask, please check the Academic A-Z Tools List to see what tools have been approved and to discover which tools are currently under review or those that have been reviewed and deemed not appropriate for use at USask. These tools are listed alphabetically alongside other LTE tools and identified with a GenAI icon . 

Request a new tool review

GenAI is an area experiencing rapid growth and numerous new tools customized to perform specialized functions are emerging frequently. If you are interested in using GenAI tools for teaching and learning at USask, please check the A-Z Tool List to see whether the tool you are interested in has already been (un)approved for use, or is currently under review.

To request a GenAI tool be reviewed, follow the recommendations and steps to Request a new LTE tool. This approval process takes time, so be sure to submit your request well in advance of your intended use.
GenAI in higher education is an emerging area with new ideas and challenges that are continually being recognized. It is important to be aware and anticipate additional guidance from USask as situations and experiences arise.

Academic Integrity

Individual educators and academic units are currently responsible for determining contextually appropriate levels GenAI use by students. 

Please review the USask guidance regarding academic integrity focused on Generative Artificial Intelligence for more details. 

Use of tools

Teaching and learning guidance for the use of GenAI tools

With the emergence of GenAI tools, such as ChatGPT, many members of the USask community are exploring their use in teaching and learning. This guidance will focus on considerations for using GenAI tools safely as part of teaching and learning at USask. Additional guidance may be forthcoming as circumstances evolve.

If you are planning to implement GenAI for teaching and learning, please consider the following:

  • Because GenAI tools usually retain and use the content uploaded, awareness of who owns the content when planning to use GenAI for teaching or assessment is important. Uploading work produced by others, for example student assignments, into GenAI is strongly discouraged unless you have permission from the person whose work it is.
  • Using GenAI to design or create your teaching and assessment materials may be useful, however, it is important to review any generated content to ensure it is accurate and reflective of your needs.
  • Invite students to use GenAI, as an option, for an instructional activity or assessment, provided students do not need to create an account for a specific GenAI tool. If students are required to create an account, please use a tool that is listed in the A-Z Tool List as Approved for Academic Use or work through the process to Request a new LTE tool prior to any student use. For more information on the importance of using approved tools, see: Managing your use of technologies that have not been approved for academic use. 
  • Using GenAI to determine students’ final grades is strongly discouraged. Assessment requires human oversight and review. 
  • The use of GenAI plagiarism detection tools is strongly discouraged. They tend to be unreliable, generate false positives for specific groups or students, and raise copyright concerns. 
  • Publicly available information can be used with GenAI. Visit the Public Classification from the USask Data Classification Summary for more details. 

In all cases, use of GenAI should be consistent with the USask Data Management Policy and the USask Assessment Policy. 

Syllabus and GenAI tool use

The course syllabus is a good place to clearly articulate expectations of acceptable use of GenAI tools in a course. Setting clear expectations in the syllabus may include determining levels of acceptable GenAI use  in class and when completing assessment tasks. Including clear descriptions with examples to ensure student understanding is an effective strategy.

Remember that as students move into the workplace, they will increasingly be expected to engage with GenAI tools. Gaining experience and perspectives on appropriate and useful ways to apply GenAI tools will be valuable.

Support

Building a community of practice and engaging in workshops and conversations about GenAI in teaching and learning can be valuable. Visit the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning (GMCTL) workshops and courses page to learn about upcoming professional development sessions on teaching and learning with GenAI.

If students will be using GenAI in your course(s), please consider asking students to review and complete the module Understanding Generative AI of the Academic Integrity Tutorial from the University Library. This module focuses on the Ethical and Responsible Use of Generative AI.

The following people and groups can be contacted for additional guidance: