Faculty Resources
Teaching with AI
Syllabus language, a three-tier model for AI use on assignments, and assignment ideas that keep the thinking with the student.
Say what’s allowed on every assessment
Students can only follow expectations they know. Whether you encourage AI, permit it with disclosure, require it, or prohibit it, say so on every assignment, quiz, and exam.
One simple way to do that is to label every assessment with a tier.
A three-tier model you can adapt
Tier 1
AI prohibited
No generative AI at any stage. Use it for exams, quizzes, and work that measures what a student can do alone. A violation is academic dishonesty as defined in the Student Handbook.
Tier 2
AI permitted with disclosure
Students may use AI for brainstorming, outlining, grammar, and comprehension. They submit an AI Use Statement, and the analysis and conclusions must be their own.
Tier 3
AI required
Using AI is the assignment. Grade the quality of the student’s direction and their critique of the output, not the output itself.
The default matters. Tell students that an unlabeled assignment means Tier 1, and that they should ask.
Sample syllabus language
Copy it, paste it into your syllabus, and edit it to fit your course.
Artificial Intelligence Policy Every assignment in this course is labeled with one of three AI-use tiers. The tier appears on the assignment in Canvas. TIER 1 — AI PROHIBITED No generative AI at any stage. Applies to all exams and quizzes. Violation is academic dishonesty as defined in the Student Handbook. TIER 2 — AI PERMITTED WITH DISCLOSURE You may use AI for brainstorming, outlining, grammar, and comprehension. You must submit an AI Use Statement naming the tool, what you asked it, what you kept, what you rejected and why, and what is entirely your own. The analysis and conclusions must be yours. TIER 3 — AI REQUIRED Using AI is the assignment. You will be graded on the quality of your direction and your critique of the output, not on the output itself. If an assignment is not labeled, assume Tier 1 and ask me. Choosing an AI tool, and protecting data Sign in to Microsoft Copilot with your Faulkner account for coursework. Used that way, Copilot operates under Faulkner's enterprise agreement with Microsoft, and your prompts and responses are not used to train Microsoft's foundation models. You may also use ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Claude on their free tiers, but these are personal consumer accounts under consumer terms: what you type may be retained by the provider and used to improve its models. Whatever tool you use, never enter grades, student identification numbers, other students' names, or any personally identifiable information into an AI tool.
For Tier 2 assignments, give students a template so disclosures are consistent and easy to grade.
AI Use Statement Assignment: Tool(s) used: What I asked it (paste or summarize my prompts): What I kept from its output: What I rejected, and why: What is entirely my own work:
Protecting student data
- Use Microsoft Copilot with your Faulkner sign-in. Under Faulkner’s enterprise agreement with Microsoft, prompts and responses aren’t used to train Microsoft’s foundation models.
- Faulkner doesn’t license the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on, so the Copilot features built into Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams aren’t included. Use Copilot Chat in the browser or the Copilot app.
- Free consumer accounts (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) run under consumer terms. What you type may be kept and used to improve the provider’s models.
- Never enter grades, student ID numbers, student names, or other personally identifiable information into any AI tool. Student education records are protected under FERPA.
Assignment ideas that keep the thinking with the student
Grade the process
Collect the prompts or an AI Use Statement, and grade the student’s direction and critique, not just the final product.
Critique the machine
Give students an AI-written answer with planted errors. They find and fix each error and cite a source for every correction.
Make it local and current
Tie the work to a local business, a class discussion, or data the model has never seen, like a guest speaker’s talk or this week’s numbers.
Build in checkpoints
Proposal, outline, draft, final. Short check-ins along the way show how the student’s thinking developed.
Add a short oral defense
Two or three minutes explaining one choice the student made and what they would change.
Compare two tools
Run the same prompt in two AI tools, compare accuracy, gaps, and bias, and decide what a professional would actually send.
AI tools for teaching
A short list worth knowing. Links open in a new tab. Where you can, sign in with your Faulkner Microsoft account; on personal accounts, keep grades and student information out.
Plan and prepare
Teach in Microsoft 365 Copilot ↗
Drafts lesson plans, rubrics, quizzes, and flashcards. No extra cost with your Faulkner account.
Formerly NotebookLM. Upload readings and slides, ask questions, and get answers that cite them. Free with a Google account.
Microsoft’s notebook: collect class files and turn them into a study guide. Uses your Faulkner sign-in.
Point students to
Walks students through a problem step by step instead of giving the answer. Free.
Microsoft’s learning coach: questions, practice, and feedback. Uses your Faulkner sign-in.
Students have their own list on Student Resources.
Research and citations
Answers drawn from peer-reviewed studies, with citations. Free plan.
Free AI-powered search of more than 200 million research papers.
Finds papers and summarizes their findings. Free basic plan.
Web answers with linked sources you can check. Free.
Free citation manager. Saves sources and builds APA references in Word.
Microsoft tools use your Faulkner account at no extra cost. If one doesn’t appear, ask IT; some have to be turned on.
More for faculty
- “AI-Proofing” Your Course from Faulkner Law
- Prompt Library: prompts from our workshops, ready to copy
- AI Glossary: plain-language terms to share with students
- NIST AI Risk Management Framework