Artificial Intelligence: AI Guide for Students

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that can help us teach and learn in new ways. One type of AI called "Generative AI" is especially exciting because it can be used to generate content. So, it's important for teachers and students to learn about AI and to use it responsibly and wisely so we can use it to improve our education, learning, and careers.

"AI is a double-edged sword; we should use but not abuse it, use it as a research but not cheating tool, and most importantly, use AI to think with you, but not for you." (CUHK, 2023) 

As a general principle, unless specifically permitted, students are expected to complete all coursework formative and summative assessments independently without using AI tools or other forms of unauthorised assistance.

AI provides many practical applications for students in the classroom or in the professional world. 

• Students can use AI to summarise their class notes.
• Students can use AI for tips on how to study for a test or exam.
• Students can ask questions like, "Ask me two essay questions about [enter topic]." They can also input information they already have and ask ChatGPT to quiz them.
• Students can research other viewpoints and arguments before establishing their own opinions.
• AI can be used as a spelling and grammar checker to help students identify areas where they can improve.
• AI can generate ideas and topics to write about when writing creative pieces. AI also gives general information on topics or experiences students may not be familiar with so that they can write more realistically.
• AI fosters more inclusive network connections and helps students practice finding answers they will have to research in the real world.

• Teaching with ChatGPT: Examples of Practice

  This playlist from the University of Kent's Digitally Enhanced Education webinars provides instructors with various practical application examples of teaching with ChatGPT.

• Using ChatGPT as a Learning Tool

  Examples from the American Psychological Association, June 2023

• 101 Creative ideas to use AI in education

  Nerantzi, C., Abegglen, S., Karatsiori, M. and Martinez-Arboleda, A. (Eds.) (2023). 101 Creative ideas to use AI in education. A collection curated by #creativeHE. Graphic Design by Bushra Hashim. CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Examine the above guide to learn how to CREATE more effective AI prompts. The more effectively you communicate with AI, the better the results. 

C - CHARACTER - who will AI be?

R - REQUEST - What are your needs?

E - EXAMPLES - to emulate and model

A - ADJUSTMENTS - what are some small but important details

T - TYPE - what type of output (report, essay, summary)?

E - EXTRAS - finishing touches

You can also download the CREATE prompting worksheets below to engage with AI on varied healthcare-related content. The worksheets will demonstrate how useful an AI tool can be! 

• AI Prompting Practice

  Beginners' step-by-step guide to engaging with AI and getting the best output for your needs.

• CREATE prompts

  Further Practice: A range of healthcare topics can be explored using AI.

Important Note

• It’s important to note that prompting generative AI tools is an iterative process, and you may not get the response you’re looking for on the first attempt.
• Additionally, as your second prompt, you can always ask generative AI tools to “look for errors and inaccuracies in your response,"  which studies have shown to improve the accuracy of the output.

Need more training? Learn more about using ChatGPT and other AI tools to accomplish your goals using this free, open-source training course for all skill levels! Link below. 

Your Guide to Communicating with Artificial Intelligence

ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Quick Start Guide (UNESCO, 2023)

You must cite all content and ideas you did not create, even AI-generated content. It is also important to include the prompts you used since the “chat" (i.e., your prompts and the responses from the AI tools) are not retrievable by other readers. The prompts can be stated in your content or listed as an appendix in a copy of the text.

Below is an example showing the format of in-text citations and references in APA citation style.

In-text citation format:

• Parenthetical citation: (Company, Year).   e.g. (OpenAI, 2023).
• Narrative citation:  Company (Year)    e.g. OpenAI (2023)

You can supplement your writing with an Appendix that includes the entire "chat" and add a description in the in-text citation.

Reference format: 

• Company. (Year). AI Name (version) [Descriptor]. URL
• e.g., OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 25 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

You will also need to include a complete reference list entry. Some necessary parts of a reference list entry are:

• Name of AI
• Year of communication (in round brackets)
• Medium of communication
• Receiver of communication - learner name
• Day/month of communication or access

Bard. (2023). Bard response to John Doe, 29 June 2023.

OpenAI ChatGPT. (2023). ChatGPT response to Jane Doe, 2 April 2023.

It is important to remember that more detailed guidelines may be produced for different referencing styles (i.e., Harvard, APA, Vancouver) as the area develops. Always check the department guidelines via your instructor or lecturer. 

It is also possible to include a full or partial transcript of a response from AI in an appendix or other supplementary materials. For more general tips on referencing and citing AI, you can visit Scribbr.  

For more information related to citing AI-generated content in different citation styles, please see below:

• APA Citation Style: How to cite ChatGPT
• Chicago Citation Style: Recommendations for Citing ChatGPT & other tools
• MLA Citation Style: How do I cite Generative AI in MLA Style?

Like any other technology, generative AI has advantages and disadvantages when used in university studies and research. Here are some key problems and disadvantages that should be taken into consideration:

• Originality & Biases: Generative AI is trained on large datasets. It is not capable of "creating" original ideas. Biases may reflect those in the training data and can be perpetuated and amplified in the content generated.
• Accuracy & Reliability: Generative AI can produce coherent and well-written content, but the AI-generated information might not always be accurate or reliable.
• Plagiarism & Academic Honesty: Generative AI can be misused to generate content for assignments and research, potentially leading to higher instances of plagiarism and compromising academic integrity.
• Copyright: It's unclear whether the output of generative AI has copyright or intellectual property rights.
• Overreliance on AI-generated Content: Students and researchers should use scholarly sources in scholarly journals, primary sources, and other essential research materials.
• Data Privacy & Security: Generative AI tools, especially commercially available tools (ChatGPT, etc.), pose a data privacy and security risk. Uploading personally identifiable, institutional, copyrighted, or research-related data onto public generative AI tools is considered a breach of RCSI’s data privacy protection policy and should be avoided.