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Teaching Resources

Generative AI and Teaching

Resource Overview

Information and resources about GenAI and teaching and learning

What is Generative AI (GenAI)?

Generative AI (GenAI) refers to a host of tools that can generate new content such as text, images, or audio. These tools are trained on large amounts of data and can perform many tasks much faster than could be done manually by a real person. Generative AI composition tools, in particular, can write convincing text on nearly any topic and even have conversations that mimic human interaction. While GenAI itself is not new, it became much more widely used with the public release of new versions of improved composition tools in 2023, such as ChatGPT.

The ability to quickly and easily generate relatively high-quality text and images raises a number of concerns. Faculty at WashU and other institutions have wondered how GenAI will impact teaching and learning. On one hand, GenAI creates new possibilities to support student learning through things like interactive learning tools, self-quizzes, and help with brainstorming, among others. On the other hand, many instructors worry about the integrity of take-home exams and essays, the future utility of homework, and if GenAI will discourage students from learning the fundamentals of a topic if they can simply ask a chatbot for an answer. However as GenAI is not going to go away, instructors will likely need to adapt their courses to both make use of GenAI (when appropriate) and to respond to any challenges that AI may present to traditional models of teaching and learning.

Recommendations for GenAI and Teaching

Adapting your courses to the new AI landscape can feel daunting. While there is no single correct approach to do so, we hope that the following steps will help you make the pedagogical decisions that are right for you and your students.

  1. Learn about GenAI and its capabilities firsthand
  2. Reflect on the role of GenAI in your courses and discipline
  3. Consider ways that GenAI may enhance student learning
  4. Consider ways that GenAI may detract from student learning
  5. Reflect on the ethics of AI use and avoidance
  6. Be transparent about the role of AI in your course and clear about your AI policies
  7. Reach out for support and to share

Read on for information and resources to support you as you consider each of these facets.

1. Learn about GenAI and its capabilities firsthand

The best way to understand GenAI’s capabilities and limits is to try it out yourself. Experiment with some of the major AI tools that generate text and images. Consider starting with the Washington University versions of ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot which are both HIPAA and FERPA compliant, and then consider reviewing a more comprehensive list of tools. Learn the basics of effective prompt writing to really understand what GenAI can do. Check out the AI Prompt Cookbook to see how GenAI can enhance all aspects of course design, from brainstorming course ideas and development of learning objectives to active learning strategies and course evaluation mechanisms.

2. Reflect on the role of GenAI in your courses and discipline

The impact of generative AI varies across disciplines and across courses within disciplines. Some fields may expect graduates to use AI daily, while other fields may take a much more cautious approach. When confronted with any potentially disruptive situation in teaching and learning, we recommend returning to your students’ learning goals and the principles of backwards design. What should students know or be able to do after taking your course? How will you and your students know if they have achieved those goals? How will you help them reach those goals? Focusing on these kinds of fundamental questions can help you make informed decisions about the appropriate role of GenAI in your course.

3. Consider ways that GenAI may enhance student learning

Students’ progress towards some learning goals may be helped by incorporating GenAI into your teaching and assignments. For example, GenAI tools like ChatGPT can be added into assignments or you can use AI to generate examples and exercises to use in class. Faculty from many institutions have used GenAI in their courses in creative ways, including several which effectively foster critical thinking. We encourage you to investigate ideas and resources for using AI within your teaching and assignments. One place to start is the book Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning which contains many creative ideas for using AI as an instructor and is available as an ebook from WashU libraries. Another is WashU’s Generative AI Teaching Activities: Online Repository.

4. Consider ways that GenAI may detract from student learning

Sometimes students must first learn the basics of a field in order to achieve long-term success, even if they might later use shortcuts when working on more advanced material. For example, we still teach basic mathematics and grammar to children even though as adults we all have access to a calculator on our smartphones and grammar checkers in word processors! For many assessments, the end product is not what demonstrates learning — rather, the complex process of struggling through challenge is where learning occurs. Many writing assignments, for example, are much more about learning how to think and structure arguments than simply creating a block of text on a particular topic. Additionally, struggling through complex mathematical problems is important for the development of critical thinking skills and consideration of mathematical theory.

An additional concern with GenAI is that it can produce false results, for example in the form of hallucinations, citation of nonexistent sources, or inaccurately summarized (or sensationalized) research. Only one with strong AI-literacy skills knows how to recognize these errors and may catch these mistakes when they happen — even as they become more challenging to recognize with the development of increasingly sophisticated models. Those without strong AI literacy skills are less able to critically evaluate the validity of an AI’s output, putting them at risk of learning incorrect or misleading information or unknowingly violating academic integrity.

For any of these reasons, you might consider ideas for AI resistant assignments.

5. Reflect on the ethics of AI use and avoidance

There are many unresolved ethical questions surrounding GenAI and its use. For example, the results of GenAI often display the biases of their training data, the use of AI may have an environmental impact, there are unresolved questions related to intellectual property and AI models, not everyone has equal access to all AI tools and AI literacy training, and AI citation practices are not consistent. However, with an increasing number of jobs integrating (or potentially being outsourced to) AI, some argue that we do our students a disservice not training them to use GenAI or to have robust AI literacy skills. All of these issues are complex and unlikely to be resolved soon, but are important to consider as you make decisions about the use of AI in your courses.

6. Be transparent about the role of AI in your course and clear about your AI policies

A growing source of anxiety for students stems from unclear guidelines for acceptable AI use. This anxiety can lead to inappropriate use of the tools as well as disparate and unequal use in acceptable circumstances.

To combat this, be explicit in your course about when and how students can or cannot use AI tools and your reasons for making those decisions. Different instructors will have different expectations in regards to GenAI, so being clear about your expectations for your course is critical. For assignments, identify skills that are crucial for your students to practice and those that are less crucial and would benefit from AI support. There is a broad spectrum of ways students and AI could collaborate on an assignment. Let your students know what is acceptable in your course by adding a detailed statement to your syllabus explaining your GenAI course policies.

Boundaries for AI use may vary depending on the type of assignment or class. For example, brainstorming with AI may be acceptable for a project with a learning outcome focused on creation of a product, but not if the brainstorming itself is the goal. Within an introductory language course students may need to practice grammar, making proofreading an essential learning activity. However, in more advanced courses, the critical thinking involved in the formulation of and research for a core argument may be the goal, making AI-facilitated proofreading and feedback acceptable. It is important to help students understand the difference between collaboration and delegation. Thus, in addition to course-wide AI guidance for students, it is helpful to provide guidance for individual assignments. Transparency is key (here is a template to help you provide this transparency). Consider also having students reflect on their AI use so that they, also, recognize the importance of transparency.

7. Reach out for support & to share

The Center for Teaching & Learning is here to support you. Reach out to our Assistant Director for Teaching Innovation, Anna Cunningham, to schedule a confidential consultation or consider attending our AI-focused programming (found on our events page). Additionally, if you have AI-related thoughts or resources (such as AI-inclusive assignments!) you would like to share, please reach out to Anna at a.cunningham@wustl.edu.

Further Resources

Basic Information
Teaching Activities
News Outlets
Blog Posts
AI Tools
Additional Resources
References

Flux Pro AI. (2025). Icon representing AI-integrated teaching and learning in college, featuring an abstract brain with circuit patterns and a graduation cap [Image]. BoodleBox.

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