Educators and institutions can no longer deny that AI is changing the face of education. Recent research in the UK found that nine out of 10 university students are now using the technology in their studies. This is a significant increase from a third of students using it this time last year and demonstrates just how quickly AI’s influence has spread through academic environments.
While the technology was initially met with fear, overall attitudes are now shifting to embrace the potential of AI in classrooms and support students in their use of the technology in preparation for future careers in an AI-driven world.
While this changing tide brings promise, it can only be successful when educators, students and administrators work together to create learning conditions that uphold the responsible and equitable use of AI.
There are several considerations for educators and institutions to make when cultivating environments primed for positive AI interactions.
Policies to protect academic integrity
A foundation of ethical use and clearly defined and communicated policies is essential for successful AI integration in academia. Currently, we are seeing a concerning lack of awareness of policies among educators, as 41% of teachers say that their schools lack a unified approach to AI use and 17% are unaware of any policies existing at all.
Institutions should be addressing this with regular, critical evaluations of their academic integrity policies, ensuring they encompass the nuances of generative AI technology, which is rapidly developing. Clear lexicons and glossaries of AI terms should exist, along with guidance on potential risks. This will facilitate mutual understanding and agreement on AI usage between staff and students.
Alongside this, organisations need to define what ethical AI use looks like to them, establishing where the line is between augmentation and plagiarism, and what the consequences of varying degrees of misuse are. Guidelines need to be broadly communicated and fairly enforced to effectively maintain academic standards.
Designing an AI-literate curriculum
A skills gap still exists between students and educators, with only 40% of teachers regularly using AI tools compared to 59% of students. To bridge this gap, AI literacy needs to be explicitly built into the curriculum. Training faculty members to deliver this ensures that both students and teachers have a comprehensive understanding of AI’s capabilities and limitations.
Cultivating environments built on understanding, knowledge and education will ensure AI is used constructively in ways that uphold academic integrity. It will also help to prepare students for their lives beyond education, where AI proficiency is likely to be a requirement as the technology becomes ever more ingrained into businesses.
Educators should set tasks that invite students to use AI in a way that enhances critical thinking and writing skills. At the University of Oxford, for example, students have been encouraged to use AI to generate an essay’s first draft, which they then critique, edit and peer review before submitting alongside a statement that lays out which tools were used and how. Such exercises help students understand how AI can be used as a supportive tool while making it clear where and when human elements like creativity and critical thinking need to be used.
Resources and tools for equitable access
Ensuring equitable access to AI tools and resources is an element that institutions must focus on to ensure they are creating fair environments in education. The commodification of AI models and premium services risk intensifying socioeconomic and geographical learning gaps. During the Covid-19 pandemic, a stark digital divide was revealed, with 43% of learners lacking internet access at home. Institutions must make a concerted effort to prevent disparate access to AI tools, otherwise, divides will only expand.
AI has the potential to be an equaliser, but only if access is equitable. Institutions must develop partnerships with technology providers, explore subsidies, and create initiatives that provide open access to AI resources and training for all students, regardless of who or where they are. This will ensure that all students are empowered with the correct guidance to use AI ethically and responsibly.
Building an arena for dialogue and transparency
Ensuring the responsible use of AI demands a collaborative approach involving students, educators, parents and administrators. Establishing leadership roles with specific AI responsibilities, such as seen at De Montford University, can facilitate forums and committees dedicated to engaging in discourse around AI’s role and promoting its responsible use. Regular workshops and training sessions will help with buy-in from educators and create the unified approach which is currently lacking.
Empowering students to be informed AI users is encouraged by transparent and inclusive conversations about AI practices and policies. Openness around the use of AI tools reinforces academic integrity and equips students with the skills to navigate technologies ethically, which builds trust and collaboration between students and educators.
A renewed perception of AI tools
AI detection tools are becoming more sophisticated, but for them to be genuinely useful, perceptions need to shift from “catching students” to technology that enhances learning and teaching experiences. These tools are not designed to be a definitive marker of academic dishonesty, but simply to help identify patterns in writing that suggest that writing tools may have been used. Educators should use them as supplementary resources to identify where students may need additional support or understanding.
There is a new generation of edtech capabilities that can serve as a bridge between the educator and student. It can include a composition experience for students and all-in-one reports that include construction time and draft history all the while giving students AI-assisted feedback during the drafting process. This allows teachers to give targeted feedback and have transparent discussions about AI use in assessments. It also fosters an environment where the learning journey is authentic and personal, and students are empowered to harness AI ethically.
Modern classrooms for modern technology
As AI continues to influence education, cultivating environments that promote and uphold ethical and fair use is paramount. By updating policies, training educators, ensuring equitable access and enabling open dialogue, institutions will benefit from AI’s potential to deliver better learning experiences than ever before. In these surroundings, AI interactions will be positive and inclusive while preparing students for their futures.
