Teaching with AI

Since February 2023, the Provost Office has been equipping APU faculty to engage effectively and critically with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and their potential impact on teaching and learning. Below are resources that have been developed to support faculty as they engage with their colleagues and students around these critical issues. If you have any questions or need additional consultation, please contact Mike Truong, Director of Faculty Development at mtruong@apu.edu.

APU Resources

General Resources

AI-Writing Detection Tool in Canvas

SimCheck (a Turnitin product) is an integrated plagiarism tool within Canvas. It provides both an Originality Score (percentage of submitted work that is found elsewhere) and an AI Score (percentage of submitted work that is potentially written by AI). Both reports can be accessed from within the SpeedGrader view. Please note that instructors and students can view the Originality Score, but only the instructor can view the AI Score.

Outside of Canvas, there are stand-alone AI-writing detectors you can use. Please note that these free tools are often limited in how many words they can check. If you have a lot of text to check, you'll need to do it in small batches.

Caution: At the moment, AI-writing detection tools are not entirely reliable. There are many "false positives." If a piece of writing is flagged as "AI-written," further investigation is warranted. Watch the webinar on AI and Academic Integrity for a detailed discussion (see below).

AI-Writing Remover Tools

AI detection tools work by recreating questionable text using AI models. If the questionable text has high variability, it's likely that it's not AI written. However, there are "remover tools" that can "scramble" or "wash clean" AI writing, making them virtually undetectable by traditional AI detection tools. Some of the most popular AI remover tools include Undetectable AI, HideMyAI, and WriteHuman. If you come across writing that sounds machine-generated but has a 0% AI score, then most likely an AI remover tool was used. There are second-generation AI writing detectors that can detect "sanitized AI writing," but it's a matter of time before new AI removers will come onto the scene. 

Here are some recommended practices for how to deal with suspected AI-related academic integrity violations:

Webinar: Harnessing AI to Enrich Student Learning: A Faculty Panel Showcase

This panel showcase introduced faculty to the various AI-powered tools and their potential applications in the classroom. In particular, different APU faculty shared how they have leveraged AI to enrich students' learning experiences and boost their engagement. This webinar featured Brianna Pack (Nursing), Heekap Lee (Education), Janet Hanson (Education), and Sharon Titus (Nursing). Mike Truong, Director of Faculty Development, Office of the Provost, will facilitate the session.

Date: March 12, 2024, 11:00am -12:30pm PT

Panelists:

Facilitator: 

Resources: 

Webinar Series: AI in Academia

Dr. Mike Truong, Director of Faculty Development, and Tim Schreffler, Academic Support Center Coordinator, facilitated a semester-long faculty learning community (FLC) on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) tools for academic productivity gains during Fall 2023 and Spring 2024. In particular, the FLC explored AI tools and techniques for improving teaching, research, and administrative tasks. All faculty, including full-time, part-time, and adjunct faculty, are encouraged to apply.  You can access the recordings, presentation slides, and related resources below.

Webinar: AI and Academic Integrity

Upholding academic integrity in the face of prolific AI use can be challenging for instructors. In this workshop Drs. Karen Lang and Mike Truong will discuss how AI writing detection tools work, what cautions need to be considered, and how to approach conversations with students when investigating if there was a violation. Dr. Kandy Mink Salas, Associate Provost for Student Success, will be available to answer questions related to academic integrity violations. 

Date: November 14, 2023, 2-3:30pm PT

Facilitators: 

Resources: 

Webinar: Are Your Assignments AI-Proof?

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) text-generation tools presents new challenges for educators. How can faculty ensure assignments reflect students’ true learning rather than AI's capabilities? In this interactive workshop, Drs. Karen Lang and Mike Truong will offer guidance and strategies on how to revamp your assignments to encourage deeper learning in the age of AI.

Date: August 17, 2023, 11-12pm PT

Facilitators: 

Resources: 

Faculty Conversations on AI

During spring 2023, the Office of the Provost hosted a series of informal conversations with faculty and academic staff about the potential impact of artificial intelligence (A.I.), such as ChatGPT, on teaching, learning, and scholarship. Over 100 individuals participated in these conversations.

Conversation #1: An Overview of Generative A.I. Part 1

Date: February 16, 2023, 11-12pm PT

Overview: This introduction session focused on what generative artificial intelligence is, how it works, and why it's getting so much attention in education.

Facilitator: Mike Truong, Director of Faculty Development, Provost Office

Resource: Presentation Slides

Conversation #2: An Overview of Generative A.I. Part 2

Date: February 22, 2023, 11-12pm PT

Abstract: This session was part 2 of the overview of generative AI, focused on some of the challenges and opportunities of this tool with special attention to how Christian educators should approach this technology.

Facilitator: Mike Truong, Director of Faculty Development, Provost Office

Resource: Presentation Slides

Conversation #3: ChatGPT and Writing

Date: February 28, 2023, 1-2:30pm PT

Abstract: This session focused on the ins and outs of AI-created text, suggested some positive practices and guardrails for its uses, and examined the pitfalls together.

Facilitators: 

Resources


Conversation #4: Humanizing Our Classrooms

Date: March 13, 2023, 1-2:30pm PT

Abstract: This session focused on the ethical handling of AI writing and motivating student-writers in an AI age.

Facilitators: 

Resources: 

Conversation #5: Rethinking Student Learning Outcomes