AI Classroom Policy
Incorporating AI tools in education offers exciting opportunities but also raises ethical challenges, especially in a social studies classroom where critical thinking and societal impacts are deeply explored. Establishing an AI ethics policy is crucial to ensuring that AI is used responsibly. It helps students understand the broader implications of AI, such as privacy, bias, and accountability, fostering a learning environment that promotes ethical decision-making and prepares students to navigate the complex digital world.
It is unlikely that these tools are ever going to go away. More than likely, students will also be expected to have proficiency with these tools once they get into the workplace. And if work positions continue to be consolidated or automated with AI, a student’s future opportunities may be more expansive if they are better at using these tools than their peers. So it falls on today’s teachers that to influence how they engage with these tools, potentially for the rest of their lives.
In my classroom, students will be allowed to use AI tools in certain projects and assignments. Before they do, I will go over the guidelines I’d like them to follow when using AI in my class. I have adopted the policy that was drafted by my district’s librarians and have included their statement on my syllabus. Whether you adopt the policy I use or create your own, consider the following concepts that should be addressed by such a policy.
Promotes Digital Citizenship: An AI ethics policy teaches students the importance of responsible digital behavior, encouraging them to critically evaluate the tools they use and understand the potential consequences of AI on society. Students should be taught to understand the positive and negative ways that AI could impact society, and how it can generate better outputs.
Acknowledges Bias and Inequality: AI systems can perpetuate biases if not carefully monitored. An ethics policy ensures that AI tools are used in ways that do not reinforce stereotypes or disadvantage any group, aligning with the values of fairness and equity that are central to social studies.
Encourages Ethical Use of Technology: By discussing and implementing an AI ethics policy, students become more aware of the ethical considerations in technology use. Students are made aware of the types of ways that using AI could violate an academic honesty policy, and it gives them a transparent way to cite the ways they used AI to complete an assignment.
The policy my district crafted provides a good baseline for what we should be talking to our students about. It is also broad enough for a teacher to tailor the policy more narrowly for their classroom.
AUHSD Artificial Intelligence Syllabus Statement 2024-25
Learning to engage with generative AI tools responsibly and ethically is an important skill. When used appropriately, AI tools can strengthen the learning process.
As AI evolves, and we learn how to use it effectively in the classroom, consider:
QUALITY OF PROMPT
Output is only as good as input. A good AI prompt is clear and specific, providing context and background.
Remember, AI responses may seem correct and sound academic, however they can contain inaccuracies.
FACT CHECK
Always fact check responses. Don’t rely on AI responses alone.
Reliable AI will always provide sources for the information.
CITE
AI is a tool, but one that requires you to credit it as a source.
Whatever prompt is given to AI becomes a part of the citation.
Sample MLA Citation:
“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.
The following uses of AI are inappropriate and violate the AUHSD Academic Honesty Policy:
Using AI to complete coursework that is intended to be completed independently
Using AI to generate content and presenting it as original work or not including proper citations
Using AI in ways that violate class-specific policies or guidelines