Generative AI for Students: Ethics & Academic Integrity

Generative AI for Students: Ethics & Academic Integrity

Instructors: Andrew Struan

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4,228 already enrolled

3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

23 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

23 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Understand the purpose and function of various AI tools, enabling you to choose the right tool for the right task.
Critically assess AI tools for both practical effectiveness and ethical implications, ensuring responsible and informed use.
Develop AI-driven study and research strategies that uphold academic integrity and align with best academic practices.

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

Generative AI

Details to know

Shareable certificate

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Assessments

11 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 3 modules in this course

This course is designed for university students from all disciplines who seek to deepen their understanding of AI tools and their applications in research, studies, and academic writing. Whether you're in the sciences, humanities, or any other field, this course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to effectively integrate AI into your academic endeavours.

Course Highlights: · Comprehensive Introduction: Gain a solid foundation in how various AI tools function as aids for study, research, and writing. Understand the theoretical aspects before diving into practical applications. · Practical Applications for Study: Learn how to apply AI tools in your research and studies. This hands-on approach ensures that you can leverage these technologies to enhance your academic work. · Ethics and Integrity: Explore key issues such as ethics, academic integrity, authorship, and plagiarism in the context of AI tools. Stay informed with the latest guidelines on using these tools responsibly and accurately. Benefits of Completing This Course: · Enhanced Research Capabilities: By understanding and utilising GenAI tools, you will be able to conduct more efficient and thorough research, saving time and improving the quality of your work. · Improved Academic Writing: Learn how GenAI can assist with rigour, efficiency and accuracy in academic writing. · Ethical Awareness: Develop a keen awareness of the ethical considerations and best practices when using AI in academia, ensuring your work maintains high standards of integrity. · Unique Learning Experience: This course stands out by offering a balanced mix of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, tailored to the needs of modern university students.

Our first module introduces you to what we mean by AI and GenAI, as well as the concept of digital literacies. We'll cover here the ways in which the tools work and the different categories of tools available. You'll be able to use the information here to boost your confidence in using the various types of AI tools available, as well as being able to discern what the tools do and how they might benefit you in your work, research and study.

What's included

4 videos3 readings4 assignments2 discussion prompts

4 videos Total 11 minutes

Course Intro 2 minutes
Lesson 1 recap 2 minutes
Tool limitations based on ethics 4 minutes
Module 1 complete! 3 minutes

3 readings Total 70 minutes

Introduction to AI and Digital Tools 20 minutes
Different Types of AI and Gen AI 20 minutes
Over To You - Exploring GenAI Tools 30 minutes

4 assignments Total 60 minutes

AI, GenAI and Digital Literacies 10 minutes
Types of AI and uses of AI 10 minutes
Using AI with ethics in mind 10 minutes
End of module 1 assignment 30 minutes

2 discussion prompts Total 20 minutes

Explore your own knowledge of / views on AI 10 minutes
What tools do you use and what are your key drivers? 10 minutes

Our second module expands on the use of AI and GenAI tools. We'll cover here the role of the human and the computer in our tasks when studying and researching for university. We'll also look at the types of tools available in more depth and detail. We'll discuss how and why these work in particular ways, the benefits of using particular types of tools for particular types of work, and the role of AI in your studies. We'll also cover the crucial and important elements of some of the challenges and problems in using AI, including the human and environmental costs, the data biases, and the social issues involved.

What's included

5 videos5 readings4 assignments2 discussion prompts

5 videos Total 19 minutes

Welcome to module 2 2 minutes
Your responsibilities vs. the AI's 5 minutes
AI tools for research - Paper-finding tools 4 minutes
AI tools for research - Summarising tools 6 minutes
Module 2 complete! 2 minutes

5 readings Total 120 minutes

Our Responsibilities and the AI’s Responsibilities in Study and Research 30 minutes
GenAI Tools for Research and Study 30 minutes
Over to you - finding AI tools that work 30 minutes
The Costs of AI: Environmental, Human and Social 15 minutes
The Biases of AI: Understanding How AI's Biases Work 15 minutes

4 assignments Total 60 minutes

Your Role and AI's Role 10 minutes
AI Tools for Research and Study 10 minutes
AI's Limitations 10 minutes
End of module 2 assignment 30 minutes

2 discussion prompts Total 25 minutes

Your Role in Your Work 10 minutes
GenAI and You: What Do You Do? 15 minutes

We've covered now the ways in which you can use AI tools in your studies and research, the types of tools available to you, and some of the wider issues or problems with using AI tools. Below, you'll cover the key elements of academic integrity and good academic practice (including avoiding plagiarism!) when using AI tools. We'll look at the key principles of academic integrity in an AI-powered world, as well as thinking about the rules of research and using data with confidence and confidentiality.

What's included

5 videos3 readings3 assignments2 discussion prompts

5 videos Total 31 minutes

Ownership, Plagiarism, and Academic Integrity 5 minutes
AI and AI: Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence 7 minutes
Journals, funding, and GenAI 2 minutes
Data and Rights to Confidentiality 9 minutes
Copyright and Intellectual Property 8 minutes

3 readings Total 60 minutes

The Key Principles of Academic Integrity in an AI-World 20 minutes
The Changing Face of Academic Integrity in the Light of Generative AI 10 minutes
AI and Your Subject 30 minutes

3 assignments Total 50 minutes

Academic Integrity and AI 10 minutes
The Rules of AI in Your Study 10 minutes
End of module 3 assignment 30 minutes

2 discussion prompts Total 20 minutes

Revisited: Explore your own knowledge of / views on AI 10 minutes
Reflection: considering data information and sensitivity in your area of study 10 minutes

Instructors

Instructor ratings

(8 ratings)

Andrew Struan

University of Glasgow

1 Course 4,228 learners

Offered by

University of Glasgow

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Reviewed on Mar 21, 2025

I learned so much from this course about the utilization of AI while still maintaining ethics and academic integrity. It is a course I'll recommend to students, researchers and educators alike.

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