AI in teaching and learning

How to use generative AI applications?

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Recommended in Tampere universities

As a rule, the use of AI based applications is allowed, but follow the recommendations of the Tampere Universities community:

  • Students are not expected to use external online services that require registering as a user.
  • In each course, students and teachers should consider together how artificial intelligence is used as part of their studies and how its use is expressed in the outputs.
    • If a student uses a language model in an assignment or a thesis, for example, as part of language editing, this must always be mentioned.
    • Students are always responsible for the content of their own study assignments and the materials subject to evaluation
    • Students’ source-critical thinking is supported.
  • Teachers should estimate whether the possible use of a language model has created a need to develop the current way of assessing learning outcomes.
  • TAU: In maturity tests, the use of AI applications is not allowed

Read all the recommendations:

Instructions for teachers

In each course unit, teachers and students should discuss how artificial intelligence is used as part of teaching and how any use is expressed in study attainments. The following things should be addressed at the beginning of each course and considered in the planning of teaching.

It is forbidden to

  • Require students to register to external services to complete assignments or courses. If external AI application requiring registration is used, an alternative method must be offered to students.
  • Signing into external services using the TUNI email. Registering for services with a TUNI email address is allowed only within the limits of performing work duties. In this case, however, do not use the same password as in the TUNI-services.
  • Entering students’ coursework, personal details, or other confidential information to an external service
  • Presenting a text, image, or other work as one’s own
  • Using an AI application to write the abstract of the bachelor’s thesis or the maturity test (in Tampere University)

Things to agree in each course unit

Think about using AI bearing in mind the learning outcomes, assignments, and assessment methods of each course unit. Communicate, justify, and discuss ways of using AI with the students. Think whether, for example, the following methods of application can be allowed and encouraged in your course unit:

  • Source critical search for information using AI when the source is cited
  • Using AI to help spelling, reviewing and preparing translations
  • Preparing and brainstorming a text with AI, and explaining this part and citing it as a source
  • Using AI as a coach to challenge students’ thinking

Planning of teaching

Supervision and identifying AI use:

  • It is commonly assumed that a text produced by AI is identified with originality checking systems, such as Turnitin, which includes an AI detection feature for texts written in English. However, research shows that AI can create unique content that cannot always be detected by such systems. As before, Turnitin helps with originality checking and can highlight points in the text that can be discussed with the student in a guidance situation.
  • It may be necessary to formulate assignments and completion methods in such a way that the use of AI does not benefit completing the assignments or that artificial intelligence cannot replace the student’s own thinking.
  • For example, the following assignments and methods can support this:
    • Applied tasks that require familiarisation, understanding and application of what has been read about a topic
    • Study circles, panel discussions, group work, Flipped Learning
    • Presentations and acting as an opponent, video presentations, posters
    • Assessing and critiquing an answer given by AI
  • If assessing learning in a course unit requires supervised exams, use TUNI EXAM rooms where access to AI programmes has been technically stopped from the EXAM computers.

Source criticism and copyright:

  • A text produced by AI may be erroneous or it has made references to non-existent sources. Source criticism and the critical evaluation of the answers is important, and students are always responsible for the content of the texts they produce. Artificial intelligence is useful when it produces texts and ideas on a topic on which you already have enough expertise so that you can assess the correctness and relevance of the answers. Language model-based AI is not a search engine, of which students should be reminded.
  • Source material with which the language model has been trained may be copyrighted material. Even if proper citing of the sources is taken care of, be critical of using AI as source material.

AI as a tool in the planning of teaching:

Teachers may benefit from using AI as a tool in the planning of teaching and coming up with ideas, for example, in the following ways:

  • Varying your assignments and questions and making them suitable for different levels: You may ask AI to vary questions on the same topic, but from different perspectives and for different levels.
  • You may also use AI to come up with examples or producing model answers to the questions you ask. Summaries: AI is good at structuring texts and writing summaries as, for example, descriptions or introductions to the topics you are discussing in class.
  • Translations: AI applications can also translate your text into different languages. You can use AI to help spelling and the preparation and checking of translations.

Consider these

  • Under no circumstances can students be required to log in to those platforms that have not been acquired for teaching by the Universities community. The use of such services cannot be a prerequisite for completion of class but must be based on voluntariness in such a way that it is possible to perform without such a service. Please refer to the Information security and data protection page lock for guidance on the use of third-party software.
  • When using AI applications, the security requirements of the higher education community must be taken into account. Read the AI and information security guide lock for information on login and usage rules.
  • Generative AI chatbots are not really search engines, but they can also be used for a wide range of information searching tasks. Check out the library’s guide to Information searching and AI covering topics such as referencing AI, academic use cases and ethical and evaluative use.

Training and self-study materials