The TIU recognises that the evolution, public availability, and proliferation of artificial intelligence technologies have created a complex academic integrity environment.
“Artificial Intelligence” is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide spectrum of technologies, from spelling and grammar checkers to sophisticated, specialist-use systems. Publicly available artificial intelligence tools that can produce text, code, image, audio, and video are part of a much larger ecosystem that is increasingly becoming an integral part of our professional, academic, and personal lives.
As good practice emerges, it is evident that a blanket ban on the use of generative artificial intelligence is not the answer to solving academic integrity issues. Not only because artificial intelligence technologies are becoming ubiquitous, but because students need to understand these technologies and know how to use them ethically and well to achieve their professional, academic, and personal goals. As well, graduates need to have the knowledge and understanding of available artificial intelligence technologies to be able to contribute to important conversations on governance, copyright, and biases.
Therefore, everyone associated with the education of our students should develop an understanding of artificial intelligence what acceptable use looks like at UniSA for academic and research work, and how it is being used in industry.
“Presenting and/or submitting academic work for assessment or review produced through artificial intelligence tools” when not permitted in the assessment requirements comes under the definition of academic misconduct in the Academic Policy document AB-69.
In the Course Outlines of every UniSA course, there are statements related to the use of artificial intelligence that advise students to ask the teaching team in the absence of a course and/or assessment statement.
Refer to course outline statements below.
The Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) requires all universities to develop and implement an Artificial Intelligence Action plan. UniSA management is currently responding to this request and details will be shared as appropriate with the wider UniSA community.
The TEQSA-led document “Assessment Reform for the Age of Artificial Intelligence” outlines broad guidance for our sector on ways assessment practice can leverage the affordances of artificial intelligence technologies for student learning while managing the risks .
All UniSA staff and students have access to Microsoft Copilot using their UniSA logins. Copilot is a generative text and image artificial intelligence tool based on ChatGPT 3.5 and 4.0 combined with access to the publicly available internet.
All UniSA staff and students have access to Microsoft Office 365 and the range of apps provided such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. They include artificial intelligence-powered features for document design and spell-checking and some include Add-Ins via the menu ribbon that provide access to tools such as ChatGPT, data analysis and formulas for Excel, and integrated access to external services such as Kahoot! and Pexels. Staff should consult ISTS with any questions regarding the use of third-party tools or plugins and potential data security issues.
An increasing number of the research tools provided or suggested by UniSA such as Qualtrics, EndNote, and REDCap are incorporating artificial intelligence technologies for data analysis and management.
“At the course level, your instructor may also provide specific instruction and guidance on whether the use of tools such as translation software, writing aides, and artificial intelligence software is permissible and to what degree in completing learning tasks and assessments. When in doubt, ask your teaching team.”
There is also a separate heading regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence, presented as follows:
“Use of generative artificial intelligence
The assessment tasks for this course require you to demonstrate your learning.
It is important to understand that information generated by GenAI tools, such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and DALL-E, may be unreliable, inaccurate, and incorrect. It is your responsibility to comply with the conditions for each assessment task summarised in the assessment description and that any use of GenAI tools is ethical and responsible and adheres to the assessment conditions.
Use of GenAI tools that extends beyond the stated assessment conditions will be considered a breach of academic conduct, as per the Academic Integrity Policy (AB-69).”
The TIU-produced and maintained guide to Artificial Intelligence for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education is an excellent place to start for information on artificial intelligence basics as well as teaching with generative artificial intelligence, assessment design considerations, and the broader issues of bias and copyright. The section on AI and Assessment Design includes information and advice on developing acceptable use statements for assessments.
The 2024 Epigeum Academic Integrity Learning Modules for staff and students include discussions of the appropriate uses of artificial intelligence. Guidelines for using EAILM in Teaching at UniSA provide information around these modules and how they inform teaching practice.
Assessment Design for Mitigating Academic Misconduct This module is part of a multi-layered, university wide approach to minimising the risk of academic misconduct. The approach adapts the Swiss Cheese model (Reason’s model) where each initiative represented by a slice of cheese is a barrier and the holes in the cheese slice represent weaknesses in the system but when the slices are together, they act as a defence.
The TIU’s Academic Development offerings regularly include discussion of artificial intelligence. Staff are also welcome to book a consultation with TIU staff to discuss how to integrate artificial intelligence use into courses and assessments.
The Ask Campus Central site has a section specific to the use of artificial intelligence technologies and tools.
In the Academic Integrity module created by the SEU, there is a specific section on the use of generative artificial intelligence technologies and tools.
The 2024 Epigeum Academic Integrity Learning Modules for staff and students include discussions of the appropriate uses of artificial intelligence technologies and tools.