Artificial Intelligence

A Working Group has been set up to consider the University's approach to the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools in teaching and learning settings. We will take a positive, educational approach to the potential use of generative AI tools as part of teaching, learning and assessment at Reading. 

The Working Group is developing a suite of guidance materials and considering the development of an over-arching policy on the use of generative AI tools to support staff and students. Materials will be added to this website in due course.   

In the interim please feel free to contact the Co-Chairs of the Working Group (Professor Alan Howard and Dr Alexandra Hayward), or its Secretary (Richard Sandford), if you have any queries. 

Policy and Guidance

The University Board for Teaching, Learning and the Student Experience (UBTLSE) approved a Position Statement on Generative Artificial Intelligence as the first output from the Working Group. This sets out the University's overall position with reference to developments in AI in teaching and learning. 

At the start of the Autumn term UBTLSE also approved amendments to Section 9 of the Assessment Handbook (Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct) to make it clear that the misuse of Generative AI Tools will normally be considered an act of plagiarism.

Additionally, an Annex to Section 9 has been produced on Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools, Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct which sets expectations for Schools and students. The Annex also gives an indication of what might be considered misuse of Generative AI Tools.

Colleagues in Study Advice have also produced a LibGuide on Generative Artifical Intelligence and University Study aimed at students.

Further support materials are in development and will be shared with colleagues when they are ready.

In preparation for the 2023/24 exams season the Working Group has prepared Interim Guidance on the Development of Exam Questions for Online Exams in the Academic Year 2023/4 only. 

Generative AI Detection Tools

With the nature of AI-generated content changing rapidly, caution should be applied to the use of any ‘ AI detector’. For example, Open AI (the creators of ChatGPT) launched a tool to distinguish between AI-written and human-written text but withdrew it due its low rate of accuracy. (source https://openai.com/blog/new-ai-classifier-for-indicating-ai-written-text).

Turnitin released AIWDC (Artificial Intelligence Writing Detection Capabilities) functionality in April 2023. We have opted not to switch this on at the University at this point. We need to have confidence in its reliability and effectiveness, understand its limitations, and ensure there is policy and advice around its use if we are to switch it on. Early use in the sector has indicated that while Turnitin AIWDC is reasonably able to detect simple copy-pastes from basic AI prompts, this ability drops when common methods of deceiving AI generation are applied to these outputs. There is also concern around “false positives” where a student’s work is incorrectly identified as AI-generated.

We will keep a watching brief on these detection technologies, and consider if they have a role as part of a wider approach to AI. Turnitin themselves advise that teachers should not rely on detectors and “will need to apply their professional judgment, knowledge of your students, and the specific context surrounding the assignment" when considering if AI has been used. (source https://www.turnitin.com/blog/understanding-false-positives-within-our-ai-writing-detection-capabilities)

Support for Students

LibGuides: Generative Artificial Intelligence and University Study: Home (source: https://libguides.reading.ac.uk/generative-AI-and-university-study/intro)

Using Generative Artificial Intelligence tools at University: (source: https://www.reading.ac.uk/essentials/Study/ai/using-generative-ai-tools-at-university)

Useful Resources

Key Documents on the Use of Generative AI in HE - Details will follow shortly.

Using Generative AI in Assessment Design - Reconsidering Assessment for the ChatGPT era.pdf