Page 41 - Thetha Issue 7

ONLINE

AI Lecturers: considerations, are thus prioritised
is rapidly replacing
when designing and delivering digital
• Greater ease of analysing student
“COVID-19” as the
innovations – and when making
planet’s biggest buzz
learning patterns in a module, from
word. According to
IBM, AI leverages computers and which adjustments can be made to technology and AI-based choices. the
includes
monitoring
This
pedagogy, content and curricula,
machines to mimic the problem- LT activities and learning resources outcomes of using a specific AI tool
solving and decision-making • AI-powered learning technologies to ensure that its use does not violate
capabilities of the human mind. To do can answer routine, repetitive the University’s values and public
so, computational systems, data and questions, allowing lecturers good ethos.
data management, and advanced AI more time to focus on lecture When implementing human-centred
algorithms (codes) are employed. planning and designing innovative AI-based innovation, we:
assessment tasks
What is generative AI? • Task automation: AI can take care • Emphasise the agency of staff
McKinsey and Company describes of mark capturing and analysis and and students to personalise their
this as algorithms (for example, as admin such as monitoring class learning and work experiences, and
used in ChatGPT) that can be used to attendance, quickly identifying career paths
create new content, including audio, struggling students, those needing • Responsibly leverage intelligent
code, images, text, simulations, and more support, or who are excelling technologies to nudge and enhance
videos. and can be stretched more. active engagement in learning,
research and writing development,
Can AI benefit higher education? UNESCO states that AI in education individual and team performance
Yes it can – for both staff and students. must adhere to a “human-centred and societal impact
approach”. • Encourage ongoing personal
Students: Our University supports human- development, especially in terms of
• It personalises learning: tracking centred digital innovation. Human sharpening existing and developing
progress, customising learning outcomes and liberating human future work-related skills and
pathways (for example, AI-powered potential, along with ethical responsible digital citizenship.
learning management tools can
nudge students to track their
progress, work on weaknesses or Plagiarism Versus Enabling Generative AI Use
work towards a distinction)
• Tutor Bots provide quick, 24/7 Nelson Mandela University is balancing a reflective approach to exploring
answers to common student the appropriate application of generative AI tools in the academic project
questions – a valuable addition to with actively reviewing learning and teaching, assessment and plagiarism
human tutor and lecturer input policies, to include the responsible use of AI tools and the consequences of
• Engaging learning experiences are the improper use.
offered by AI technology, which
actively engages student interest, How can the responsible use of generative AI tools be explored and
learning and success. enabled by the University?
• Developing a position statement that can be included in all module
guides. This provides students and lecturers with clear guidance about
what is permissible.
• Developing resources and training opportunities for students and
“The trick is academics in the form of modules and short courses, web pages with online
resources, webinars, communities of practice, and so on. This sends the
message that everyone needs to learn about the use and misuse of AI tools.
to work with • Dialoguing with students about their views on using generative AI tools,
innovation, which ones they use, what they can and cannot use them for in assessment

rather than tasks, and what the consequences of misuse are. This helps students to be
responsible and honest when it comes to the work they produce.
against it.” • Detection software and training – numerous tools can detect if students
have used AI to produce academic papers. Still, most provide conflicting
results, making it challenging to rule whether or not a paper includes AI-
generated information and other aspects of plagiarism. The expertise of
our academics needs to be relied on as they can pick up trends and patterns
regarding sources, content and layout. However, more dialoguing and
training is needed regarding setting the criteria used to detect plagiarism
and the percentage of similarity that is unacceptable.

2023 | mandela.ac.za | 39