Plan Your Approach for Generative AI Use in Your Course

According to a poll by KPMG (2025), 73% of Canadian students rely on using Generative AI for their school work. Furthermore, 35.9% of Canadian workers reported using Generative AI in their job (StatsCan, 2026).

When thinking about student GenAI use in the classroom, it is helpful to consider the following:

1. Identifying Content Created by Generative AI Is Difficult

Existing AI detection tools, such as ones from Turnitin, Grammarly, and GPTZero, are imperfect. Students can modify GenAI content in various ways to avoid detection. Detectors will also produce false positives – which can disproportionately identify the work of students whose first language as English as being AI-generated writing (Deep et al, 2025).

Due to these ethical and reliability concerns, Algonquin College does not have licenses for GenAI use detection.

2. Learning With and About AI is Beneficial for Students

Purposefully integrating AI into learning and assessment can help prepare students for an AI-enabled workplace. By understanding the strengths and limitations of generative AI, students can build career-ready skills while developing critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and reflection. AI tools may also improve accessibility and reduce barriers to learning for neurodivergent students.

Setting the Stage for Student GenAI Use

Introduce the use of Generative AI tools in class by discussing their use in your industry as well as the benefits and limitations of their use for learning.

Algonquin’s approved tool is Microsoft Copilot which is available for all faculty, staff, and students. Learn more about how to access Algonquin’s Microsoft Copilot.

To support intentional GenAI use by students, you may wish to include in-class opportunities for tool exploration, discussion, and reflection when possible.

This may include having students:

  1. Ask Microsoft Copilot questions and critique results through fact checking and critical reflection. Are the results accurate or biased? Are there missing details or perspectives? 
  2. Brainstorm discussion or debate questions related to a topic, then ask Microsoft Copilot to do the same. How does it feel to think of your own ideas first, then have Copilot extend your ideas? 
  3. Prepare short writing pieces without AI, ask Microsoft Copilot to critique the writing for improvement, and write the final version. How does it feel to write collaboratively with AI? If AI generates all of the written content, should that be presented as your own work? 
  4. Create an outline for a project or assignment, then have Microsoft Copilot provide feedback. How is this process different from GenAI creating the content- from a learning perspective?

Feel free to use this PowerPoint template and modify for your program and course: Generative AI in this Program/Course (.pptx)

Review Your Learning Activities and Assessments

Can Generative AI Tools Do My Assessments?

When reviewing the assessments in your course, you may find that Generative AI tools can complete much of the work for students.

Consider these ideas for modifying your assessments.

Evaluate process as well as final product

    • Include assignment activities that require students to share and reflect on their learning process.
    • Require students to submit artifacts (such as drafts, notes, planning documents, or other assignment components) that demonstrate how they developed their work and made key decisions.
    • Include assessment criteria or rubric elements that evaluate students’ progress, reflection on their learning process, and their use of generative AI tools.

Use in-class time for students to demonstrate skills and understanding

    • A flipped classroom model has students review content and complete review activities outside of class, then practice their application in class.
    • Consider using classes for real-time, observable activities such as oral presentations, debates, discussion, group and independent work, and role plays.

Allow submission of video assignments

    • Students can submit non-written assignments such as a video project (in which students share prepared script, edits, and final produced video), a video interviews, or a video role play.
    • As an assignment component, students can submit a video reflection of their learning process.

Encourage students to relate to personal experiences

    • Students can use their own opinions, reflections, and personal experiences as context for completing the assignment.

Contextualize the assignment to specific elements

    • Students can base their assignment on unique course experiences (e.g. guest speakers, class discussions, customized case studies not readily found on the Internet)
    • Responding to very current events or recent developments within a particular industry may be more challenging for Generative AI.

Adapted from “Strategies for Creating “Generative AI-Resistant Assessments”, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning

Academic Integrity and Assessments

It is important to plan how to adapt your assessments to address the use of Generative AI tools in your course.

Review our Academic Integrity section for ideas and guidelines related to assignment redesign, use of AI Detectors, citing/acknowledging the use of AI, and setting expectations for AI use in your course

Visit Academic Integrity