Navigating Generative AI in Higher Education

Using AI tools such as ChatGPT to complete homework assignments is considered a form of academic dishonesty. Students should review OWU's Academic Honesty Policy to understand what constitutes a violation of academic integrity. If a faculty member has given a student permission to use AI tools to complete an assignment, students should make sure to cite how and when AI was used. Proper attribution can ensure a student is not taking credit for work created artificially. 

As with other sources one might use, any information gathered using an AI tool should be evaluated for accuracy. To do this, click on each citation generated by the AI tool to ensure the sources exist and to further evaluate their accuracy and relevancy. If citations are not available, users should use reliable sources to verify accuracy of information.

As noted before, ChatGPT is not connected to the internet and was trained using materials available before September 2021. That means you may not receive current information and should double-check that more recent information is not available. This is a best practice regardless of the AI tool being used. 

Generative AI tools were trained using materials that may contain bias or perpetuate stereotypes. When evaluating information, think about the sources in terms of how they might contain bias. Most of the data training sets used are English-language based which means that most generative AI tools lack a multilingual, multicultural perspective. It is important to be aware of this limitation and to seek out other sources that can provide diverse perspectives.

One of the key components of evaluating sources for credibility is using critical reading skills. Whether you get your news from a traditional media source or social media, question everything you read while keeping an open mind to learn from trusted sources. Ask questions of the text as you are reading as though you are having a conversation with it. Embrace some skepticism without veering into cynicism. 

• What are the credentials of the author? Have they written or spoken about the topic previously? When you search their name online, what do others say? Are there any issues with claims made in the past? Why do you think the author wrote this work?
• Who is the publisher? When you search them online do you find any controversies or complaints?
• Is the claim being made reliable? Do other reputable sources support the claim? Is it backed up by evidence? Does it seem plausible? Is it up to date? Remember, if it is breaking news, it may take time for all of the facts and evidence to come to be clear. 
• Are there viewpoints missing from the conversation? If so, find other sources that can provide a full picture of the topic. 
• Is the source intentionally trying to mislead or cause harm? 

For every source you find, evaluate and investigate the arguments, evidence given to support arguments, opinions, and biases to determine if this is a source you can reliably trust. 

All of us have life experiences and beliefs which shape the way we see the world. As a result, every human has some degree of bias. The key is to be aware of your own bias and understand how it effects your interpretation of information. 

Sources are prone to bias simply because they are written by humans. Systemic bias is baked into many of the digital platforms we use, which can devalue some points of view and cause harm to individuals. 

Algorithms, which power search engines and social media, use data to make predictions about users. They take into account not only the search terms entered and the assumed relevance of sources related to those terms, but also things like your past searches, personal preferences, and location; what other people have searched for and clicked on; and in some cases if a company has paid for their results to show up sooner. Due to the way they were created, algorithms tend to perpetuate the biases of society at large, referred to as algorithmic bias.