Generative AI in higher education
Generative AI applications have become increasingly accessible and popular among both students and teachers around the world. As a university, we at KTH must consider the impact of generative AI on students' learning, both positive and negative. How can we use generative AI ethically, legally and in an academically honest way? And how do we reliably assess students' knowledge in this new digital era?
What is generative AI technology?
Generative AI is a type of AI (Artificial Intelligence) that can create digital content, which is why it is called “generative” AI. Today, various generative AI applications are available on the internet, which anyone can use to create digital content according to their wishes, such as text, images, video, or code.
How does it work?
Generative AI applications are based on probability-based machine learning models trained on large data sets. These systems thus have no factual knowledge. Instead, they create material by predicting, for example, what the next piece of text should contain. The predictions are based on statistical models and the instructions they receive.
AI applications are not sentient and do not understand what they are creating. Some mimic human communication to give the illusion of sentience, making it easier to use and more appealing to humans.
Considerations for using generative AI
Here you will find guidelines for the use of generative AI, adapted for teachers at KTH based on guidelines from DIGG (the Swedish Agency for Digital Government) and the EU Commission. This page also includes education-specific examples to clarify how you as a teacher can meet legal requirements and behave ethically when using generative AI.
Considerations for using generative AI
Use generative AI efficiently
How you formulate prompts is critical to how useful the results are that you get from a generative AI tool. Here you will find concrete tips on how to write effective instructions – so-called prompts – by, for example, including details and purpose. You will also find more tips, for example on how to work critically with the results from the tool.
How to talk to your students about generative AI
Do you wonder how to best communicate your approach to generative AI to your students? We recommend you inform them of the general rules early, then develop more detailed class expectations in collaboration with your students. During the course, encourage continuous discussions, be transparent with your usage and model the behaviour you expect from your students. For more details and real-life examples, keep reading.
How to talk to your students about generative AI
KTH's templates for course-specific information on generative AI
Each course at KTH are recommended to have course-specific information about generative AI published in both Canvas and the course memo. To help teachers create this information, there are ready-made templates to use. There are four templates that represent four common approaches to using generative AI, here is a brief explanation of how you are supposed to use them.
KTH's templates for course-specific information on generative AI
Examples of course-specific information about generative AI
This page provides examples of how course-specific information about generative AI can be formulated and presented to students in different courses. The examples on this page are based on KTH's templates for course-specific information about generative AI that are available in Canvas. The courses in these examples are fictitious, but are inspired by information given in real course memos. The purpose of the given examples is to give you, as a teacher, inspiration when creating your own course-specific information about generative AI.
Examples of course-specific information about generative AI
Improve the learning experience
On these pages, you can read more about how generative AI can improve student learning experiences. As a teacher, you can use generative AI to enhance your course, for example, refine course material or provide feedback. Students can use it to aid their learning process by, for instance, adapting course material to their individual needs.
Improve the learning experience
Assessing knowledge in a world with generative AI
On these pages, you can read more about how to minimize the potential impact of generative AI on your assessment. Begin with deciding an approach, then what actions to take. Actions can roughly be divided into two categories: Preventive measures or hindering actions. These actions are not mutually exclusive, and you should actively consider both perspectives in your teaching.
Assessing knowledge in a world with generative AI
Legal aspects of generative AI
The use of generative AI has several legal implications that must be considered and managed, just like with any other digital tool at KTH. Here we briefly explain how you as a teacher handle intellectual property rights and copyright, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the AI act from the EU.
Legal aspects of generative AI