Lesson 6 – Design Considerations
We can provide the guidance students want, embed analysis and evaluation into our assignments to get at that all-important critical thinking, and nudge students toward integrity. How? By embracing transparency.
Flowers Darby, Faculty Focus
Setting the Stage for Gen AI Use
Modifying the assignment structure and making Gen AI use expectations within instructions crystal clear can go a long way. This involves including acceptable Gen AI use statements and providing templates to help students to acknowledge their Gen AI use.
Setting the stage for intentional Gen AI use in your course is equally important. It is not simply about ensuring that students follow Gen AI use rules. We want students to develop Gen AI literacy habits and skills that will serve them well in their careers.
We do this by nurturing a course culture of active, intentional Gen AI use. Ideally, students internalize the importance of critical engagement with Gen AI through practice and continual dialogue.
STRIVE Model
Designing holistic assignments that are process-focused and support ethical, intentional use of Gen AI is multi-faceted. Weaving all of those components together can seem like a daunting task.
The STRIVE Model (Anselmo et al., 2024) outlines considerations for designing assessments with Gen AI use in mind.
Click on each step for details.
STUDENT-CENTERED
Goals
- Provide students with choice to make assessments personally relevant and motivating.
- Allow flexibility in due dates.
Implementation
- Students can choose topics and submission format.
- Students choose deadline dates that works for their schedule.
TRANSPARENCY
Goals
- Guide students to acknowledge and cite Gen AI use.
- Ask students to document their Gen AI interactions.
Implementation
- Students complete a Gen AI acknowledgement statement that describes tool they used and how they used it.
- Students share prompt and generated results. They describe how they modified the content or engaged with Gen AI to complete the assignment. This can include providing rationale for key adaptations made.
RESPONSIBILITY
Goal
- Reinforce students’ need to be accountable for the accuracy of the Gen AI created content.
Implementation
- Students describe how they verified the accuracy of the content and sources provided by Gen AI.
INTEGRITY
Goal
- Engage in discussions about the importance of attribution, and of ensuring that Gen AI content is accurate and free of bias.
Implementation
- Students prepare citations and complete a reflection about whether the Gen AI generated content they reviewed was accurate, free of bias, and modified for improvement.
VALIDITY
Goal
- Ensure that student use of Gen AI supports rather than hinders achievement of learning outcomes.
Implementation
- Professor does an in-class understanding check in by having students answer questions about their assessment topic.
EQUITY
Goal
- Ensure that Gen AI tools selected for use are available to students.
Implementation
- Students use the same school-approved or safe, openly available Gen AI tool.
Set Expectations for Appropriate GenAI Use
An assignment with instructions that include clear expectations can prevent misunderstanding and set students up for success.
The TILT (Transparency in Teaching and Learning Framework) (Winkelmes, 2023) provides a structure for making assessment expectations clear. It can also help students understand how the assignment benefits their learning and connects to the overall course learning goals. Its intention is to prevent confusion and support students to buy into the value of the assignment.
TILT assignment instructions for Gen AI use can include these three elements:
Purpose
Describes the purpose of the assignment, how it connects to learning outcomes, and how it connects to the rest of the course.
Task
Gives specific, step-by-step instructions about how to do key aspects of the assignment. This section could include statements about what kind of Gen AI use is and is not acceptable. Instructions can also include templates and worksheets to scaffold tasks in which they use Gen AI. Providing student examples of effective and ineffective Gen AI use for the assignment can remove ambiguity.
Criteria
Provides criteria for how they will be graded. This would include checklists and rubrics that also assess how they work with Gen AI to complete their assignment.
If students are new to prompting, providing specific prompt details can ensure that students are working with effective Gen AI results.
Statements of Permitted Gen AI Use
Statements of use can frame Gen AI use according to three general levels:
- Limited use of Gen AI is permitted as specified by the professor.
- Unlimited use of Gen AI is permitted with appropriate acknowledgement of use and citation.
- No use of Gen AI is permitted.
When preparing and communication instructions, use student-centred, plain language. Avoid legalese and threats which prioritizes compliance over the benefits of engaging in the learning process. Include a rationale that connects the statement to student learning or real-world practice – especially within the discipline or industry.
For each level, providing specific tasks examples of what is and is not acceptable is important for ensuring clarity. Statements can follow this structure from the Carleton University:
- Describe how Gen AI may be used in the course, including examples of what is permitted.
- Describe how Gen AI use should be documented, if at all.
- Explain rationale for the adoption of this Gen AI position.
- Describe limitations (what is “not permitted”) in explicit terms, if applicable.
Example statement
AI Use in this course Students may use AI tools for basic word processing and formatting functions, including:
- Grammar and spell checking (e.g., Grammarly, Microsoft Word Editor)
- Basic formatting and design suggestions (e.g., Microsoft Word’s formatting tools, PowerPoint Design editor)
Documenting AI Use It is not necessary to document the use of AI for the permitted purposes listed above. If you have questions about a specific use of AI that isn’t listed above, please consult your instructor.
Why have I adopted this policy? The goal of adopting a limited use of AI policy is to help students develop foundational skills in writing and critical thinking by practicing content creation with limited AI support. It is intended to ensure that your unique voices and ideas as writers are prioritized and authentically represented. It also provides an opportunity to use Gen AI for basic support to enhance writing clarity and effective flow between ideas.(Source: Sample Syllabus Statements for AI Use in Courses)
A template for an acknowledgement section
Concise summary of AI use in the assessment.
Very briefly explain the ways that you have used AI in the production of this assessment.
- Explain which AI tools you have used and for what purposes.
- If you have found and used tools on your own, explain why these tools were selected and provide a URL link to the tool.
- Note the number of iterations undertaken with each main AI collaborative tool.
- Describe what output from the tool/service has been included, and where.
- Summarise how you have altered, adopted, or built on the AI output.
In addition to using this summary to provide an overview of how AI has been used, it is strongly recommended that you also carefully document the processes undertaken in creating the assessment and to be able to present this process evidence upon request from educators or administrators.
I acknowledge the use of [1] ChatGPT ([2] https://chat.openai.com) [3] to refine the academic language and accuracy of my own work.
On 4 January 2023 I submitted my entire essay (link to google document here) with the instruction to “improve the academic tone and accuracy of language, including grammatical structures, punctuation and vocabulary”.
[4] The output (here) [5] was then modified further to better represent my own tone and style of writing.
Clearly outline how students can reflect on and document their use of AI
In your assignment instructions, describe how you want students to document and reflect on their use of GenAI in your assignments.
There are different ways that students can do this. These include:
Gen AI Interaction Scripts – Including full script of their Gen AI prompt interaction as an assignment appendix
Screenshots – Capturing print-screen images of Gen AI prompts and output (if short amount of text).
Screen Recording and Audio Narration – Capturing student reflections of their Gen AI prompt interactions. They can comment on how they reviewed the content, verified accuracy, and included the results into their final assignment.
Annotation – Adding highlights and annotated comments on draft or final assignment submission documents to indicate where and how they included Gen AI content.
This can indicate parts that were generated or influenced by Gen AI – with a brief explanation.
Process Descriptions – Preparing a step-by-step account of their assignment work process. For key stages, students can highlight how Gen AI was used and reflect on that experience.
Learning Journals and Portfolios – Engaging in continuous reflection and process documentation through regular journal entries and portfolio activities.
Have Conversations With Students
Plan for opportunities in your course for students to reflect on their learning process. A key aspect of Gen AI literacy is learning how to develop a collaborative relationship with Gen AI.
Discuss implications of over-reliance on Gen AI – in their learning, their thinking, their creative pursuits, and in their professions.
- Guide them to consider how Gen AI can augment their work.
- Discuss the impact of offloading too much learning and thinking onto Gen AI.
Create an activity in which students have Gen AI complete a learning task such as answering a discussion post question or completing a programming activity. Then, have them privately verify their understanding via a short quiz.
As a contrasting activity, have students do the same activity but without Gen AI learning assistance, and then with Gen AI learning assistance. Each time, do a knowledge check for understanding.
Have students reflect on their level of learning and understanding during each activity.
Steps for Designing or Redesigning Assessments with AI Use
With a holistic view of designing assessments with student Gen AI use in mind, what are key steps in this design process? The following steps connect to the TILT (Transparency in Learning and Teaching) approach. (Winkelmes, 2023).
- Define Purpose of the Assessment >
- Define Tasks Involved >
- Confirm Structure of the Assignment >
- Define Criteria for Success >
- Plan How You Will Communicate
Consider what knowledge and skills are being prioritized. Do they include thinking skills (e. g. analyzing, evaluating), planning, communication, professional application of knowledge, executing standard procedures, or internalizing discipline-related knowledge?
Ensure that use of Gen AI supports student attainment of learning outcomes.
Identify key tasks that students would complete as part of the assessment. Which parts of those tasks might be enhanced or hindered using Gen AI? What uses would be low-risk or high risk?
Conestoga College’s Spectrum of AI Use in Learning Tasks can help clarify how you would like students to use Gen AI.
Here is an illustrated example shared by Shehroze Saharan, Dr. Christopher Laursen, and Dr. Mary McCaffery from the University of Guelph in their conference webinar titled Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Course and Assessment Policies for GenAI (Teaching with AI Conference, June 9 – 13)
Learning Objective: Students will use the literature to scope a topic and write a thesis. They will also synthesize the literature to structure an evidence-based argument for their thesis.
AI Use Cases
a) Brainstorm
Risk = High
Instructor Rationale: The topic should be developed in response to the literature. This use is not permitted.
b) Write Outlines
Risk: High
Instructor Rationale: The outline is the synthesis. Students must do this themselves. This use is not permitted.
c) Edit Paragraphs
Risk: Low
Instuctor Rationale: Students may use generative AI to edit paragraphs. Paragraph composition is not a learning objective.
d) Get feedback on language use
Risk: Low
Instructor Rationale: Students may use generative AI to evaluate their writing for overall clarity and formality.
Sharing the specific rationale can help to reinforce the use of Gen AI not just to complete the task but to support learning.
When you provide level of Gen AI use statements early in your course and support their rationale with engaged conversation, this sets the stage for appropriate use in assessments.
When possible, design to focus on process over the product. Instead of assigning students to submit a “one and done” assignment, scaffold a series of smaller tasks across different stages. Each task can have its own goal and can build towards a final product or fulfilling learning objectives.
Design smaller, in class opportunities in which students can practice using GenAI, evaluate output, and get feedback on appropriate use. When done as small group activities, students can provide peer input and feedback – especially as part of reflective discussion.
Decide which activities benefit from doing in class versus out of class. You may want students to do certain non-Gen AI activities in class. When using Gen AI is first introduced, you may want to do an in class activity in which they try out a tool and discuss the results to consider quality of results, potential bias, and copyright implications.
Build reflection, acknowledgement of use, and citation into the assignment.
Provide scaffolding supports, such as worksheets, checklists, attribution templates, prompting examples, and sample Gen AI use statements, to reduce ambiguity and reinforce expectations.
Design grading rubrics that include criteria for reflection on use of Gen AI, and acknowledgement of use activities. This can support intentional completion of those assignment elements.
Consider different options for communicating the assignment instructions and expectations with students. These could include describing it in class, creating a reference video, or creating a scavenger hunt game that requires them to review the instructions and answer questions.
Reflection Questions
Setting the stage for Gen AI use isn’t just about rules or permissions. These questions help you think through how your expectations, assignment design, and communication can shape how students engage with Gen AI tools. Consider:
- Where could you be more transparent about why Gen AI is permitted or restricted? What might help students understand the reasoning behind your choices?
- How might you focus assignment and supporting activity attention onto the learning process rather than the product that is submitted?
- Where could issues of equity show up in Gen AI use in your class? How do you make sure students have fair access and clear support?
- What tools or prompts could help students reflect on their Gen AI use and document it clearly?
Explore Further
Bringing a Process Mindset to Higher Ed, Highter Education Digest, Jason Gulya
Jason, a professor of English and Applied Media, posts regularly on social media about his thoughts and experimentation with AI-informed assessments. This short read makes the case for reorganizing learning to focus on the process rather than the product.
Designing AI-Resilient Assessments in Online and Distance Education, eLearning Rules, Stephen Wheeler
This article provides actionable strategies to integrate AI ethically and effectively into teaching practices, ensuring a focus on student growth and learning outcomes.
Enhancing Student Learning and Assessment with AI: 5 Innovative Strategies (video), Dr. Tarseem Singh Cooner.
This short video provides a succinct overview of key ways to design and support AI-integrated assessments.