Spotlight
2024 is off to a flying start, and with that comes a second round of AI Roundtables! Thanks to everyone who participated in our sessions in the Fall, and to those of you who shared your ideas and feedback with us.
We listened to you! In the new year, we’ll aim to make these sessions as “roundtable-y” as possible, and provide more opportunities for all participants to engage.
In the upcoming months, we’ll be diving into various topics that continue to challenge the higher education sector. Have any ideas for topics or guest speakers that you want to share? Please reach out.
See below for the invitation to our next session at the end of the month!
Next Roundtable Meeting
Date: Tuesday, January 30th, 2024
Time: 12h00-1h00PM ET
Join us on Tuesday, January 30th, from 12:00PM to 1:00PM ET, for our first AI Roundtable meeting of the year. To kick off the new year, this session will focus on analyzing how post-secondary institutions, a little over one year after the release of ChatGPT, are reacting to this ever-evolving technology. Participants will be asked to fill a short survey upon registration, and the meeting will focus on unraveling the results and discussing the key trends and challenges that emerge. This session will be facilitated by Simon Bates, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Teaching and Learning, at the University of British-Columbia. Register now (it’s free!) to save your spot!
If you missed last year’s AI Roundtables, you can watch the recordings here.
Policies & Guidelines Developed by Higher Education Institutions
Tags: Statement, Guidelines, Academic integrity, Pedagogy, Governance, Canada
The University of Victoria’s Learning and Teaching Support and Innovation division formed an Artificial Intelligence and Assessment Redesign Working Group. UVic’s position statement, as well as the recommendations of this working group are shared on the page Artificial Intelligence Evaluation and Assessment in Post Secondary. The recommendations are as follow: “1) Ensure that the UVic academic integrity policy is up to date and makes reference to the use of GenAI, providing further information on differences between a guideline and senate approved policies; 2) Encourage the creation of discipline specific guidelines, including standards and limitations for the use of GenAI in classes and for assignments, thesis and dissertations; and 3) Provide guidance on GenAI use and copyright implications as they develop”. The working group also recommended the creation of multiple training opportunities and resources.
Tags: Statement, Guidelines, Academic integrity, Pedagogy, Canada
Wilfrid Laurier University recently published new institutional level guidance on Generative Artificial Intelligence and updated their Guidelines for instructors. Laurier’s principles of use for GenAI are the following: Responsible, Ethical, Transparent, and Educated. The guidelines for instructors include information regarding course syllabus, compliance with applicable policy, academic integrity, grading, acknowledgement and citation, and using GenAI to support teaching. Notables include the fact that “there are no institutionally-approved AI grading tools”, and the fact that “GenAI tools can be used as an aid to develop grading rubrics and generate test questions and example solutions” and “can support the creation of lesson plans, assessment descriptions, and customized learning materials aligned with course content and learning outcomes”.
News & Research
Fujii, T. Joseph, A. Times Higher Education. January 10th, 2024.
In this article, the President of the University of Tokyo and the President of Northeastern University share their “belief that the traditional paradigm of higher education must undergo a profound transformation” to respond to the era of AI. “We are responsible for educating students for a future of technological reinvention that will likewise demand personal reinvention. And to serve students in such a period of flux, it is paramount that we do not delay in reinventing higher education to prepare our students for this new era.”
Mapps, L. EAB. December 19th, 2024.
This article shares “steps enrollment leaders should be taking immediately and in the near term to get maximum benefit from generative AI while mitigating the risks”. The four priorities for enrollment leaders are: 1) AI-enable your staff; 2) Nail down your policy on applicant use of AI; 3) Activate AI themes in your recruitment outreach; and 4) Prepare to promptly adopt coming innovations.
Flaherty, C. Inside Higher Ed. January 10th, 2024.
This article shares the main takeaways from a new flash survey of 1,250 students: 1) AI is impacting what students plan to study, especially newer students; 2) AI is impacting students’ career plans; 3) Most students say their institutions should be readying them for AI in the workplace; and 4) Students are seeking both ethical and practical AI training. M’hammed Abdous, Assistant Vice-President for Teaching and Learning with Technology and Director of the Center for Learning and Teaching at Old Dominion University, recommends institutions to do the following: 1) Conduct a thorough analysis of current curriculum and degree offerings to ensure their continued relevancy; 2) Identify careers that are and will be disrupted by AI and update the relevant curricula accordingly; 3) Include AI in every program to guarantee that students are exposed; 4) Offer multidisciplinary programs that address different aspects of AI; and 5) Build lifelong learning pathways for students to continue building their knowledge after graduation.
Taylor & Francis
“This article highlights five key challenges for policymakers looking to regulate AI effectively: 1) Defining AI; 2) Cross-border consensus; 3) Liability and responsibility; 4) The ‘pacing problem’; and 5) Enabling innovation.” It also shares four guiding principles for AI regulation: 1) Fairness; 2) Integrity; 3) Resilience; and 4) Explainability.
Kyaw, A. Diverse. January 10th, 2024.
On January 10th, the American Association of Colleges and Universities hosted an online panel, inviting “a number of scholars in higher ed to weigh in on the potential and challenges that AI tools may bring to the field”. “Faculty need to be properly trained for AI so that they can then in turn prepare students to both be competent in using AI and ready for workplaces where AI is present”. “It can sometimes be difficult to discern whether students have used AI for their work. But that means educators should be asking different questions, ones that don’t have straightforward answers than can be duplicated by machines.”
Coffey, L. Inside Higher Ed. January 11th, 2024.
Early in 2023, Inside Higher Ed consulted with 11 academics to get their advice on how to navigate the emergence of GenAI. A year later, Inside Higher Ed revisited most of them to see what has changed and what to expect for 2024. Some of the advice shared include “try to understand is as far as you need to”, “approach it like a tool”, “consider five to ten years ahead”, “focus on what we teach and what students learn”, “give students a chance to experiment with it and to reflect on it”, “pay attention to AI beyond ChatGPT”, “develop AI literacy for all stakeholders”, for faculty to “catch up to students levels of adoption”, and “communicate the findings and issues across stakeholders and keep each other accountable”.
More Information
Want more? Consult HESA’s Observatory on AI Policies in Canadian Post-Secondary Education.
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