Integrating Ethical Guidelines for Generative AI into NTHU Course Syllabi
The impact of Generative AI on higher education is significant, with instructors and students alike utilizing AI to create content (known as AI Generated-Content, or AIGC) for course output. In response to this, NTHU established an AI Task Force and released an Official Guideline titled Guidelines for Collaboration, Co-learning, and Cultivation of Artificial Intelligence Competencies in University Education on May 1, 2023. This guideline is designed to assist NTHU faculty and students in using AI responsibly.
The guideline outlines two primary principles that NTHU faculty and students must adhere to: Transparency and Responsibility.
- Transparency: Instructors are expected to establish clear guidelines for AI utilization in their courses, ensuring that both students and teachers openly disclose their AI usage when relevant.
- Responsibility: Instructors and students should view AI as one of several content sources and develop the ability to assess the accuracy of AI-generated content. They must also assume responsibility for the content they produce.
We encourage all NTHU faculty members to adhere to this guideline in their research, teaching, and learning. A key aspect of this practice is the inclusion of an Ethical Statement in NTHU course syllabi, which ensures that both enrolled students and the university can follow ethical guidelines when handling issues of academic integrity, particularly with regard to AI competencies in the age of AI.
Faculty members are encouraged to specify course logistics and policies regarding AIGC using one of the following four options:
- Unrestricted use No disclosure required
- Conditionally open please specify how to utilize generative AI in course output (see example 1 and 2)
- Prohibited use please specify relevant monitoring mechanisms (see example 3)
- Not applicable
We recommend that instructors integrate these options into existing sections of their course syllabi, such as Logistics and Policy, Academic Integrity, and Ethics Statement, or create a dedicated section for further explanation. To assist in this process, we have provided the following reference examples:
Example 1 ：Conditionally open
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Ethics Statement on Generative Artificial Intelligence Students must briefly explain how generative AI was used for topic ideation, sentence refinement, or structural reference in the footnotes of the title page or after the reference in their assignments or reports. If usage is discovered without proper disclosure, instructors, the institution, or relevant units have the right to reevaluate the assignment or report or withhold scores. If the course materials or learning resources have been derived from generative AI, the instructor will also indicate this in the slides or orally. Students enrolled in this course agree to the above ethics statement if registering for the class. |
Example 2 ：Conditionally open (pay attention to the sentences marked in yellow)
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Ethics Statement on Generative Artificial Intelligence Grounded in the principles of transparency and responsibility, this course encourages students to leverage AI for collaboration and mutual learning to enhance the quality of course outputs. In accordance with the published Guidelines for Collaboration, Co-learning, and Cultivation of Artificial Intelligence Competencies in University Education, this course adopts the following policy：Conditionally open Students may briefly explain how generative AI was used for topic ideation, sentence refinement, or structural reference in the footnotes of the title page or after the bibliography in their assignments or reports. However, in the "personal reflection report" and "group interview assignment" of this course, students are not allowed to use generative AI tools for writing assignments. If usage is discovered without proper disclosure, instructors, the institution, or relevant units have the right to reevaluate the assignment or report or withhold scores. If the course materials or learning resources have been derived from generative AI, the instructor will also indicate this in the slides or orally. Students enrolled in this course agree to the above ethics statement if registering for the class.
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Example ３ ：Prohibited use
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Ethics Statement on Generative Artificial Intelligence
After careful consideration, the instructor of this course deems it inappropriate to use generative artificial intelligence in this class. This is because the content within generative AI contains numerous errors and may adversely affect students' understanding of foundational knowledge. In accordance with the published Guidelines for Collaboration, Co-learning, and Cultivation of Artificial Intelligence Competencies in University Education, this course adopts the following policy : Prohibited use Students enrolled in this course should be aware that they may not submit assignments, reports, or personal reflections generated using artificial intelligence. If such usage is discovered, instructors, the institution, or relevant units have the right to reevaluate the assignment or report or withhold scores. Students enrolled in this course agree to the above ethics statement if registering for the class.
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By integrating these ethical guidelines into course syllabi, NTHU aims to foster a responsible and transparent approach to the use of generative AI in higher education, ensuring that both faculty and students maintain academic integrity while leveraging the power of AI.
Contact point for this matter: Tonny Kuo, Postdoctoral Research Fellow; Email: tonny@gapp.nthu.edu.tw