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A Generative AI Guide for Students
Bryan Hiatt, Assistant Professor at Frederick Community College

With the introduction of generative AI in early 2023, it’s fair to say that tools like ChatGPT, Bard and others have upended the way students and teachers alike think about their work. After a term of getting to know generative AI and seeing it in my students’ work (Spring 2023), it makes sense to provide a best practices list for students. This is by no means an inclusive list, but it’s a start. I’ve asked generative AI (specifically BARD) the following question, and I’ll provide additional commentary (response). NOTE: AI answers are in bold, quoted, and treated as citable discourse.

Bryan: How can students use generative AI in a writing class responsibly?

• “Be honest about your use of generative AI. If you use generative AI to generate content for a writing assignment, be sure to disclose this to your instructor. This will help ensure that you are not plagiarizing or cheating” (Bard).

Bryan: This one is SUPER important. Ask your instructor about acceptable uses, and even inquire about using generative AI as a source, where applicable. It is better to cite the use of AI than not. It’s also fair to say that your instructors are getting to know generative AI as they see it in student writing. They will also likely be using AI detection web sites, and other products that are now appearing in LMS products like Canvas. So keep this in mind. There is potential for a good deal of misunderstanding.

• “Use generative AI for brainstorming, not for writing. Generative AI can be a great way to generate ideas for your writing, but it should not be used to write your assignments for you. The goal of a writing assignment is to demonstrate your own knowledge and skills. Generative AI can help you get started, but it should not replace your own writing” (Bard).

In my own classes at FCC, I ask students to generate possible questions to answer for an essay. In a case like this, using AI to help jump start the thinking process is key. For example, if I gave students the topic related to the complexities of identity, I might ask the following of AI: “What are some issues surrounding the idea of identity?” The AI response provides several interesting points for review, as listed here (via ChatGPT).

• • “Identity is fluid and ever-changing. Our identities are not fixed; they are constantly evolving as we experience new things and meet new people. This can be a source of both excitement and anxiety, as we may not always know who we are or where we belong” (ChatGPT).

• • “Identity is often shaped by external factors. Our identities are not just shaped by our own thoughts and feelings; they are also shaped by the expectations of others, the culture we live in, and the historical moment we are living in. This can make it difficult to feel like we have control over our own identities” (ChatGPT).

• • “Identity can be a source of conflict. Our identities can sometimes conflict with each other, or with the identities of others. This can lead to feelings of confusion, anger, and frustration” (ChatGPT).

• • Identity can be a source of strength. Our identities can also be a source of strength and resilience. When we feel connected to our identities, we are better able to weather the storms of life” (ChatGPT).

Any of these points could be used/reshaped into a question for an essay, and fall into the space of using the tool as a support mechanism in the writing process.

• “Fact-check the content generated by generative AI. Generative AI is not always accurate. It is important to fact-check the content generated by generative AI before you use it in your writing. This will help ensure that your writing is accurate and credible” (Bard).

This one is SO important. Recently, a lawyer submitted an AI generated legal brief to a judge and it turned out to be filled with fake legal precedents. The lawyer, Steven Schwartz, used ChatGPT after hearing about it from his kids. He thought that it drew from established legal databases, but it did not. The cases in the brief were all fake, and the judge said in a special hearing about Schwartz’s conduct, “Can we agree that’s legal gibberish?” When you do use it, check the data it provides, as it is not always accurate.

LINK: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/08/nyregion/lawyer-chatgpt-sanctions.html

• “Use generative AI to improve your writing style, not to replace it. Generative AI can help you improve your writing style by providing you with examples of different writing styles. However, it is important to use your own voice and style in your writing. Generative AI should not be used to replace your own writing style” (Bard).

This one has so much potential. A student could ask generative AI to evaluate a thesis statement, the essay’s use of MLA form, or its organization, or even look for grammar issues. It can do all of these things, and this falls into the tool providing some EVALUATION of content, which lets the student then decide on what to do from there.

Other Specific Advice on How to Use generative AI in Academic Writing

For students wanting more specifics, here’s a listing of five ways to use generative AI in a college writing course, created by ChatGPT. Some ideas are repeated below.

• “Idea generation: College writing students can use generative AI to generate ideas for their writing assignments. By inputting a topic or keyword into a language model, students can receive a range of suggestions and prompts that can help them brainstorm and develop their thoughts” (ChatGPT).

This one appeared in the above listing and is relevant to include again. This might be the most important way to use something like ChatGPT, as you can play around with prompts/keywords to see what lands.

• “Drafting assistance: Generative AI can assist students in drafting their essays or papers. By providing an outline, students can use the AI to generate additional paragraphs or sections based on the existing content. This can help them expand on their ideas and fill in any gaps in their writing ” (ChatGPT).

In this sense, students would be using ChatGPT like they would a sample essay they might find online or is provided in class, as a way to “see ideas in action.” Then students push their ideas forward based on the reading of the sample.

• “Paraphrasing and summarizing: When incorporating research into their writing, students can utilize generative AI to paraphrase and summarize complex information from academic sources. This helps them avoid plagiarism while still accurately representing the original ideas and maintaining the flow of their own writing” (ChatGPT).

As a research comprehension tool, this one is interesting. Imagine you’ve been given a complex scientific article to read. You spend time reviewing the abstract and key findings but are still having troubling in understanding.  Now imagine asking ChatGPT to provide the top 5 points of the article, and summarize key findings related to this. What ChatGPT produces could be a significant study aid and writing tool that will allow you to focus on the most important elements of the piece as you write to bridge that understanding gap. A final note: you can ask ChatGPT to provide info by grade level, so a prompt might look like this: “Provide a listing of  five key points in the article, and explain it to me as if I am a college freshman with limited knowledge of the subject.”

• “Editing and proofreading: Generative AI can be employed as an extra set of eyes during the editing and proofreading process. By running their drafts through automated editing tools, students can identify and correct grammar errors, inconsistencies, and other mistakes. This saves time and allows them to focus on higher-level revisions and improvements” (ChatGPT).

I believe this is an underrated aspect of generative AI, as it can serve students like a tutor might to point out inconsistencies across a range of areas. Here is one I used in both ENGL101 and ENGL102: “Review this paragraph for grammar using Shrunk and White’s ‘Elements of Style'” (which is a rather famous book about in English education…but you could swap out the book title for a phrase like “standard written English” or other variation of your choosing). It’s best to analyze a few  paragraphs at a time.

• “Thesis analysis: Generative AI can be used to evaluate thesis statements to understand more about clarity, organization, research direction, and reader engagement” (ChatGPT).

Here is one I used in both ENGL101 and ENGL102: Ask AI to evaluate your thesis. Ask if it is ARGUABLE and SPECIFIC. Here is an example and what I got back from AI: “Evaluate this thesis statement. This essay is about the effects of global warming.” Here is what BARD (Google AI) said:

• • “First, the thesis statement is a bit too broad. Global warming is a complex issue with many different effects. A more specific thesis statement would focus on one or two specific effects of global warming” (Bard).

• • “Second, the thesis statement is not arguable. It is a statement of fact, not an argument. A good thesis statement should be something that can be argued, not something that is simply stated as a fact” (Bard).

• • “Finally, the thesis statement is not relevant to the assignment. The professor is asking you to write about the effects of global warming, but the thesis statement does not specify what those effects are” (Bard).

Three Final Points:

• Ask AI to fact check your essay for inaccuracies. It’s best to go a few paragraphs at a time.
• Ask AI if to do plagiarism checking. It’s best to go a few paragraphs at a time.

Bryan: these two points could be REALLY useful at the end of a writing process. If AI comes back with answers you didn’t expect, it’s always a good move to take another look.

Perhaps the worst advice I’ve found from generative AI about college writing is this:

• “Generative AI can be used to generate content for a writing assignment. This could include things like paragraphs, essays, or even entire books. This can be a great way to save time and get your ideas down on paper” (Bard).

In the context of an academic class, this advice is not…good. In fact students using this method open themselves up to a range of potential negative outcomes, including failure on the assignment in question, and potentially other more severe academic penalties. A response like this also highlights the generic nature of some AI responses. It sounds good on the surface, but does not make much sense in the context of an academic writing class.