AI has made its way to college campuses sparking regular debates on how this should play out. Most agree that AI has tremendous potential as a teaching and learning tool, and its adoption is, to some degree, inevitable. However there are also very real concerns, especially as it relates to academic integrity.
So, how can educators foster academic integrity when AI makes it so easy to potentially “cheat”? And, what about students who use AI as an educational tool to support their learning, but have no intention to be dishonest? The fact of the matter is that educators shouldn’t put their students in a position to fail; they need to embrace this technology while also adjusting their approach to teaching to ensure students don’t accidentally fall into a trap.
Teachers can foster student success by innovating their teaching to circumnavigate AI to some degree while embracing it only in contexts where it’s used as a true learning tool.
Setting the Expectation
It goes without saying that educators must have AI and academic integrity conversations with students, while also keeping in mind that using AI isn’t the only way to be dishonest. It’s important to review what it means, including the university’s policies and your own, while being transparent about the issues AI can present in this realm.
Have students share their own thoughts, and let them know you’re dedicated to making class a worry-free environment, where students don’t need to be concerned they may accidentally do something they aren’t supposed to.
This may require a lot of pre-planning on your part as an educator, ensuring that you’ve created lesson plans for the course that keep AI as a learning tool, not a possible crutch. By knowing what’s to come in the course, you can set the foundation for trust in your classroom, which goes both ways.
Rethinking Assessment Strategies: 7 Tips for Educators
Health science educators — especially those who teach online, where the use of AI may be harder to catch — must encourage the responsible use of AI in their classrooms while maintaining some very sensible expectations. After all, AI will no doubt be used in their future as health science professionals, which means students do need to learn its potential and how to use it.
The first step is setting guidelines around when AI is acceptable and when it isn’t, starting on the first day of class. If teachers don’t lay out these boundaries, it’ll be easy for students to rely on AI when they should be relying on other skills — skills that you’re responsible for teaching them.
When AI is not acceptable, educators must create lesson plans that emphasize critical thinking, resourcefulness, and collaboration. This is also to not discourage students from using technology tools to aid in their learning, for fear that they may accidentally plagiarize without intending to do so.
1. Hands-On Clinical Simulations
Plan physical simulations or role-playing scenarios that mimic real-life clinical situations. This approach requires direct engagement and decision-making skills, focusing on practical abilities rather than theoretical knowledge that could be easily sourced from AI. In virtual classrooms, this can be a little difficult, but choosing the right curriculum that incorporates this type of interactive technology in the curriculum can bridge the gap between physical classroom settings and what it means to be hands-on. More on that in a bit.
2. Oral Examinations and Presentations
Conduct oral exams or have students present their findings and understanding of topics. This format assesses their knowledge and communication skills in real-time, making it difficult to rely on AI for immediate answers.
3. Group Collaborative Projects
Assign projects that necessitate collaboration, discussion, and teamwork, which is an important component of any health science curriculum, but especially in this instance. Group dynamics and the need for interactive problem-solving encourage students to rely on each other and their collective knowledge, rather than turning to AI solutions.
4. Research Papers with Reflective Components
Require students to write research papers that include a personal reflection or analysis section, where they express their own thoughts and experiences related to the topic. This personal touch goes beyond what AI can replicate, emphasizing original thought and individual perspective, without making it easy for students to accidentally violate academic integrity.
5. In-Class Debates on Current Health Issues
Organize debates on contemporary health science issues, where students must prepare and argue their viewpoints in class. This activity encourages them to stay updated with current developments and think critically, which can’t be directly substituted with AI-generated content.
6. Peer Teaching Sessions
Have students teach a section of the course material to their peers. This method ensures a deep understanding of the subject matter, as they need to explain concepts clearly and answer questions, which is a skill that can’t be outsourced to AI.
7. Practical Skill Assessments
Plan assessments that focus on practical skills, like laboratory techniques, patient care procedures, or emergency response drills. These hands-on skills are crucial in health science education and cannot be replicated or assessed through AI tools.
Does it Violate Academic Integrity? What To Do When Students Use AI
Ultimately, the purpose of implementing lessons and assessments that evaluate students on their critical thinking, communication, and collaborative skills is to discourage them from using AI when it’s not necessarily needed, which could put them in a tricky situation in the eyes of university ethics.
But, AI is new to everyone, and there will be circumstances that you didn’t expect; circumstances in which you realize that a student has submitted an assignment has, alas, incorporated AI into their assignment.
So, how can teachers detect AI, and what to do about it when you suspect it? Ask yourself these questions:
- Why do you suspect it? What was it about the assignment that led you to believe AI was used?
- Were your directions as the educator perhaps not clear, and the student thought it was safe to use AI, even if it wasn’t?
- Did the student use the AI merely as a tool, or did they do it to answer questions that they were meant to do on their own?
- Does it violate the university’s policies on AI? Does it violate my policies on AI?
- What was the students’ intention when they used AI for the assignment? Asking your student directly – without accusation – can go a long way. Be sure to never call a student out publicly, and have the discussion in a private setting. In a virtual classroom, this will likely be done over email.
Stay One Step Ahead: Innovative Educational Solutions
The integration of AI in online health science education presents a complex challenge to maintaining academic integrity. However, there are many ways that health science educators can create an environment where academic honesty is the norm and students are empowered to succeed without fear of inadvertently compromising their integrity.
All this considered, the fact of the matter is that AI is a double-edged sword, especially in the field of health science. Students will no doubt need to utilize this technology when they enter their careers, and there’s no denying the impact this technology will have on the health science community at large. This will all employ educators of these courses to have to go above and beyond what’s already expected of them, which can impact student learning and your own digital wellbeing.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a course that already had this in mind? Caduceus’ health science courses utilize technology to make it easy for educators to teach and for students to learn in online environments, without the risk of violating academic integrity. With tools like built-in proctoring, you can stay one step ahead. Contact us to learn more!
