Before the actual discussion, let us first explore the meaning of some terms that will be used.
Gen-AI (generative artificial intelligence) is a technology that generates content based on “simple” prompts. The content can be text, images, video, music, etc.
content being submitted There are varying definitions of academic integrity. All the definitions share a common theme: the outcome of an assessment authentically reflects the ability and competence of the individual (human) being assessed. American River College has a web page dedicated to Academic Integrity.
A common misunderstanding is that “cheating” occurs only if another person is involved, or the submitted content is copied from another person. The use of Gen-AI can be considered “unauthorized materials or aids,” hence leading to a verdict of cheating.
In this context, an aptitude is:
An interest is a “want” or “desire” to learn or to do something.
Gen-AI can be considered a person who can help with studying, homework, etc. There are two distinct ways to use Gen-AI:
A litmus test is to ask the following question:
In the absence of the Gen-AI technology, will the outcome of the submission differ significantly relative to the rubric of the assessment?
The rubric is essentially in this litmus test because if Gen-AI does not affect the outcome based on the rubric, then the use of Gen-AI technology also does not affect the assessment outcome. For example, if “Grammatical correctness” is not a part of the rubric, then the use of Grammarly (but strictly for grammar correction) is probably not impacting the outcome of an assessment.
If the answer to the question in the litmus test is “yes”, then the use Gen-AI technology is probably not a good idea.
In the absence of the Gen-AI technology used in a submission, and a student is allowed to reattempt and resubmit an equivalent assessment, does the assessment outcome of resubmission change based on the published rubric?