Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education

There is an institutional AI policy: The UWI AI Policy Framework v1.8, approved in October 2025 by BUS and BGRS. However, the use of AI tools as a lecturer, you have the discretion to determine the degree to which Generative AI may be used in the context of your class and this should be communicated via the course outline. Notwithstanding, faculty should remind students that the work they present should be their own and therefore discourage students from presenting Generative AI output as their own work. Please see The UWI plagiarism policy UWI_AI_Policy_Framework_v1.8.pdf For additional information please see the AI assessment scale link https://aiassessmentscale.com/.

Turnitin introduced AI detection capabilities in April 2023. This feature is not foolproof and lacks full transparency in how results are generated. Meaning, AI-produced content may still be misidentified or go undetected; as a result, GenAI should be used with caution and not as the sole basis for determining academic misconduct. A concern reflected by institutions such as Vanderbilt University which have disabled the feature due to questions about its reliability, and instead, it is recommended that AI detection be complemented with academic judgement and other assessment methods. However there are rear cases of false positives. A false positive refers to incorrectly identifying fully human-written text as AI-generated. There is also a The UWI policy on Plagiarism https://libguides.uwi.edu/citingreferencing.

Faculty are encouraged to take a proactive approach by clearly communicating expectations for AI use in the classroom,  including outlining acceptable practices and the penalties for misconduct as defined in the UWI Plagiarism Policy, and reinforcing this through honour code statements or course-specific guidelines; tools such as Generative AI should be addressed explicitly so students understand appropriate use, and if AI misuse is suspected, lecturers may seek the student’s permission to review the work using a plagiarism detection tool like Turnitin as part of a constructive discussion, using the results as a basis for further inquiry rather than definitive proof. Some instructors in higher education have tried embedding invisible text in assignment pages or assignment sheets in an attempt to detect AI-generated student work. If a student copies and pastes the assignment or attaches the assignment in a chatbot, the hidden instruction can shape the AI’s output in seemingly detectable ways.  Explore the use of UWI AI Framework Policy Builder to assist in creating your course level AI Policy.

AI is reshaping assessment design, so educators should adopt strategies that promote critical thinking and reduce opportunities for misuse while acknowledging tools such as Generative AI may be used by students; this can include requiring staged submissions (e.g., drafts), asking students to provide evidence of their process, and designing more specific, contextualised questions that require personal reflection or application rather than generic responses, while also considering AI as a support tool in developing assessments, and as noted by Nancy Gleason (2022), institutions should evolve towards alternative assessment methods that incorporate AI use, preparing students for real-world environments where such technologies are increasingly common.

Faculty should begin by familiarising themselves with AI and its role in education, then engage students in open discussions about tools such as Generative AI and other generative AI, acknowledging that many students may already be using them. It is important to clearly communicate expectations for appropriate use in your course, emphasise alignment with university policies on academic integrity, and guide students to use AI responsibly and ethically, including proper citation and referencing (e.g., via the UWI referencing guide).  While also encouraging the use of credible resources to deepen understanding of AI as a learning support tool rather than a substitute for original work. https://libguides.uwi.edu/citingreferencing.

Yes, provided it is done intentionally and in alignment with course-specific Ai policy as many students are already using tools Gen AI. Rather than taking a purely punitive approach, educators can guide students to use Gen AI ethically and contextually by designing assessments that incorporate its use—for example, asking students to generate an initial screenplay draft using AI and then critically refine it, or having students solve a problem independently and compare their approach with an AI-generated solution (e.g. Photomath, Mathway), thereby fostering critical thinking, reflection, and responsible engagement with AI as a learning tool.

AI can support content creation by helping faculty efficiently develop engaging teaching materials, including video content, through tools such as (DALL-E, Deevid AI and Pictory.ai) . These tools can automate tasks like generating subtitles, summarising videos, improving audio quality, and even creating visuals. Also analysing student engagement data to inform improvements, enabling faster production of high-quality, interactive content that enhances teaching and learning experiences.

Prompt engineering refers to the intentional and structured way of communicating with AI tools such as Generative AI to achieve accurate and useful responses; it involves designing clear and effective prompts that guide the AI in completing a specific task, and a strong prompt typically includes key elements such as Context (setting the background), Task (what you want the AI to do), Instruction (how the task should be done), Clarify (confirming understanding), and Refine (iteratively improving the prompt), enabling educators and students to interact more effectively with AI for teaching, learning, and content development.

The use of AI tools such as Generative AI does not in itself violate the learning process; rather, it depends on how the technology is used, and misuse occurs when students engage in indiscriminate copying or submit AI-generated content without proper attribution, as this limits critical thinking, reduces skill development, and undermines the achievement of intended learning outcomes.

The key principles of the AI policy framework (2025) are human-centred approach, responsible use, context-appropriateness and maintenance of academic integrity.  This means that AI is not banned university-wide, individual courses must establish clear AI policies, policies should be pedagogically justified, students must understand and follow course-specific guidelines and misuse/abuse is treated as academic dishonesty.

AI tools such as Generative AI can enhance teaching and learning in higher education by supporting lesson planning, including the development of course outlines, learning outcomes, and assessments, while also enabling imitative learning through modelling and guided practice, where students observe and refine their own work based on AI-assisted examples, with educators demonstrating responsible and ethical use of the technology.

Educators can guide ethical and selective use of AI by reinforcing academic integrity policies and clearly outlining expectations for acceptable use, while drawing on frameworks such as UNESCO’s AI ethics guidelines; practical strategies include assigning both AI-assisted and independent tasks with multiple drafts and reflective components, encouraging early and guided interaction with tools like Generative AI, requiring students to revise and justify AI-supported work, and emphasising the value of proper citation and acknowledgement of sources—including AI—so that students develop responsible, transparent, and critical approaches to using technology in their learning.

Faculty can access support for designing assessments and using AI tools such as Generative AI by booking a consultation with CETL via the UWI consultation clinic, while guidance on citation practices and referencing can be obtained from library personnel; it is also important to exercise caution when using generative AI, as any information shared may not remain confidential, and therefore all use should align with ethical standards and university guidelines. https://sta.uwi.edu/cetl/uwi-ai-policy/).  You may also want to use our AI powered “Ask Betty” which is name after our first Director – Dr. Betty-Ann Rohler.

If your question is not included in this FAQ, you are encouraged to contact CETL via email at [cetl@sta.uwi.edu), and a member of the team will respond as soon as possible; enquiries are typically addressed during office hours, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.