Maintaining quality and standards in the ChatGPT era: QAA advice on the opportunities and challenges posed by Generative Artificial Intelligence
Publication date: 08 May 2023
The rise of artificial intelligence and Large Language Models (LLMs) like Openai’s ChatGPT have far reaching implications for learning and teaching in higher education. From concerns about academic integrity and cheating, to redesigning assessment with artificial intelligence in mind, the sector is grappling with how to move forward.
This webpage contains advice, guidance and resources for higher education professionals to adapt their teaching in light of artificial intelligence. It will be updated weekly with new information. You can find our full catalogue of work on our academic integrity page.
QAA webinar series on ChatGPT
ChatGPT: To ban or not to ban?
22 March 2023
This webinar considered whether it is possible to detect the use of ChatGPT in assessments? Is it right to punish students for using it or should we be trusting them? And is banning ChatGPT as futile as banning Google?
Speakers included: Michael Webb, Jisc; Dr Phil Anthony, University of Kent; Stella Maris, University of St Andrews; Dr Bronwyn Eager, University of Tasmania; and Dr Irene Glendinning, Coventry University.
A summary of this event is available.
ChatGPT: How do I use it as a force for good?
31 March 2023
This webinar looked at how it’s right to address the threat ChatGPT poses to academic integrity, but that it’s also an amazing new tool. How can ChatGPT support and facilitate deeper learning? How can it make teaching easier? This panel explored the opportunities ChatGPT presents the sector, from admin, to teaching, to learning.
Speakers included: Michael Webb, Jisc; Maha Bali, American University in Cairo; Dr Bronwyn Eager, University of Tasmania; and Jack Medlin, Keele University Students’ Union and QAA Student Strategic Advisory Committee member.
Following the webinar, Dr Browwyn Eager published a blog post summarising the key issues shared at the event.
ChatGPT: What should assessment look like now?
18 April 2023
How do you design assessments now that students can use ChatGPT? What does ‘innovative authentic assessment’ even mean? Do I have to re-write all my modules? This online webinar looked to unearth the true meaning of authentic assessment and give attendees real life examples of assessment design that account for ChatGPT but still offer an accurate way to assess what a student has learned.
Speakers included: Jan McArthur, Lancaster University; Matthew Glanville, The International Baccalaureate; Dr Thomas Lancaster, Imperial College London and Chair of QAA’s Academic Integrity Advisory Group; and George Bryant-Aird, Edge Hill University
QAA guidance
In addition to our latest papers specifically on ChatGPT, QAA has a large volume of guidance for its members around promoting academic integrity among students and designing ‘authentic’ assessment that prepares learners for the world of work.
Maintaining quality and standards in the ChatGPT era
This paper sets out advice to universities and colleges on how to manage the rapidly increasing use of Generative Artificial Intelligence tools in higher education - and the principles are also applicable in further education.
How to approach ChatGPT
This briefing note considers how higher education providers should be responding to ChatGPT. It outlines ChatGPT’s potential implications for academic standards, as well as suggesting a selection of practices providers can adopt to support academic integrity.
The rise of artificial intelligence software and potential risks for academic integrity: Briefing paper for higher education providers
Publication date: 30 Jan 2023
QAA Academic Integrity Network meeting (March 2023)
On 16 March 2023, QAA’s Academic Integrity Network met to discuss generative artificial intelligence tools in higher education, share approaches and confirm next steps for QAA’s activity on the topic. You can read a summary of the meeting below.
QAA Academic Integrity Network Meeting (March 2023) summary
Publication date: 21 Mar 2023
How to promote academic integrity among students
Communicating the importance of academic integrity with students is an important foundation when dealing with topics like ChatGPT. Section 4, 'Education and Support', in our Contracting to Cheat in Higher Education report is particularly useful for staff looking to renew their efforts in promoting academic integrity to students in light of artificial intelligence developments.
Contracting to Cheat in Higher Education: How to Address Essay Mills and Contract Cheating
Publication date: 20 Sep 2022
Improving student learning by linking inclusion/accessibility and academic integrity
This Collaborative Enhancement Project aims to engage students inclusively in learning and developing academic integrity skills. It has developed innovations to engage all contemporary students in good academic practice as part of an effective approach to academic integrity
How to design authentic assessment
Our Hallmarks of Success playbook on 'Assessment in Digital and Blended Pedagogy' supports staff involved in curriculum design to consider and implement key factors that underpin success in digital and hybrid learning environments. It provides useful prompts that quality staff can use when considering how they redesign assessment in light of ChatGPT.
ASSESSMENT IN DIGITAL AND BLENDED PEDAGOGY
Publication date: 15 February 2022
Available to QAA Members on our Membership Resources Site.
QAA Membership
Section 2 of our Assessment Reflection and Planning Resource Collection covers how to design and embed authentic assessment. It contains recommended resources and courses, and reflective question prompts that practitioners can when redesigning assessment.
USING OUTCOMES-BASED APPROACHES TO SCAFFOLD THE PANDEMIC YEAR AND BUILD FOR THE FUTURE
Publication date: 30 June 2021
Available to QAA Members on our Membership Resources Site.
QAA Membership
Upcoming activity on ChatGPT
Other QAA events/resources on ChatGPT:
| Content type | Title | Date | Open to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online event | Welsh Integrity and Assessment Network Symposium (HEFCW Funded) | 9 June 09:00-17:00 | All |
External resources on ChatGPT:
- The Government has published its National AI Strategy.
- The Department for Education has also published a paper on Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education.
- Public First has released polling on attitudes towards artificial intelligence.
- Mary Jacob at Aberystwyth University has a weekly roundup of resources for higher education professionals.
- Turnitin has available a recording of its ‘AI: friend or foe?’ event.
- Dr Thomas Lancaster at Imperial has uploaded his slides from the DigiED: Horizons session entitled ‘Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom: Friend or Foe?’.
- Three undergraduate students at Imperial College London presented their research around how well UK universities are adapting to AI-related academic misconduct.
- University of Kent uploaded a recording of its webinar on Teaching with ChatGPT: Examples of practice, as well as the participant padlet that explored audience views on the technology.
- Stephen Taylor from Regent’s University hosted a student panel discussion on artificial intelligence in higher education.
- Anna Mills – advocate for critical AI literacy – regularly collates a broad range of resources for educators on artificial intelligence.
- AdvanceHE has a new project open to its members - Authentic assessment in the era of AI - which includes blogs and webinars.
- Jisc’s National Centre for AI has published a number of event recordings on artificial intelligence:
- SEDA has uploaded a recording of its 30-minute non-technical introduction to ChatGPT.
- University College London has published a briefing on engaging with AI in your education and assessment.
- University of Kent has a YouTube playlist of short webinars from a range of speakers on artificial intelligence in higher education.
- The Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE) at Deakin University has a recording of its event entitled ChatGPT – what do we need to know now?.
- Studiosity has a podcast episode on artificial intelligence tools in learning and teaching as part of its Reimagining HigherEd series.
- Heriot-Watt University has a publication on 'fit for purpose' assessments which supports the consideration of a broad range of assessment methods and design.
Recent external blogs/articles
- The Washington Post writes about Turnitin’s AI Detector flagging innocent students.
- The Washington Post highlights a case where ChatGPT’s false claims resulted in legal action.
- Sarah Eaton writes that we are approaching a 'post-plagiarism era'.
- Jisc’s National Centre for AI released a blog about the efficacy of AI writing detectors.
- Elon Musk and others have urged a ‘pause on AI’ citing risks to society.
- Bill Gates writes on how artificial intelligence is as revolutionary as mobile phones and the internet.
- Anna Mills writes for The Chronicle of Higher Education - ‘ChatGPT just got better. What does that mean for our writing assignments?’.
- OpenAI launch GPT-4 - a more sophisticated LLM than GPT-3 that ChatGPTPlus users can access.
- A glimpse into what Google and Microsoft generative AI integration will look like.
- Times Higher Education article on ChatGPT revolution of academic research.
- Wonkhe’s Jim Dickinson poses fundamental questions about how we deliver higher education in light of generative AI.
- George Bryant-Aird writes that generative AI can change assessment for the better.
- Xue Zhou and Lilian Schofield write about the importance of developing an inclusive approach to implementing generative AI in learning and teaching.
- Jisc has released a series of blogs on Getting started with ChatGPT.
- QAA’s Eve Alcock writes for HEPI on what ChatGPT means for the sector.
- UCL’s Martin Compton writes about AI text generators on essays, citations and plagiarism.
- Ofqual's Chief Regulator, Dr Jo Saxton at the Association of School and College Leaders Annual Conference suggests 'the examined approach' is 'more important than ever'.
- Lydia Arnold of Harper Adams University reflects on artificial intelligence and assessment.
- The Conversation: ChatGPT is the push higher education needs to rethink assessment.
- Dr Phil Anthony at the University of Kent on Navigating the use of ChatGPT in education.
- iNews covers Oxford and Cambridge’s approach to ChatGPT.
- The Guardian covers International Baccalaureate’s approach to allowing ChatGPT in essays.
- Wonkhe’s coverage on artificial intelligence.
- HEPI and Curio are partnering to develop some research into the sector’s response to ChatGPT.
- University World News has published a special report on AI and higher education.