Guidelines on generative AI in teaching from 20 January 2025
The University’s first guidelines on generative AI in teaching come into effect on 20 January 2025. Photo: Getty Images.
The University now has its first University-wide guidelines on AI in teaching. The guidelines will come into effect on 20 January 2025.
It will hardly have escaped anyone’s notice that systems now exist that can create new texts, images and films in response to instructions from a user. These systems are known collectively as generative AI and they create new material based on large quantities of training data.
In effect from 20 January
The rapid development of generative AI, presenting both opportunities and challenges in educational situations, has brought an increasing need for guidelines on dealing with generative AI in teaching and assessment. In November 2023, the Vice-Chancellor therefore appointed a working group consisting of lecturers, students and staff from the University Administration to draw up proposed University-wide guidelines on the use of generative AI in teaching.
On 26 November 2024, the Vice-Chancellor approved the guidelines based on the working group’s proposal, revised after internal consultations. The new guidelines apply to education at all levels, from undergraduate to doctoral studies.
Support for teaching staff
“The guidelines serve as a framework or base so as to offer support to all teaching staff and study advisers,” explains Susanne Mirbt, Head of Unit at the Division for Quality Enhancement. “Before the guidelines were adopted, it was unclear both to lecturers and students how much scope was allowed for generative AI in teaching situations. The guidelines make it clear that the use of generative AI in teaching situations is permitted if not restricted by explicit written local rules. This sends a signal to both teaching staff and students that we should use generative AI to the extent the lecturer considers appropriate.”
Susanne Mirbt, Head of Unit, Division for Quality Enhancement. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt.
The guidelines are deliberately kept fairly general. This is because generative AI is changing rapidly, besides which the conditions for dealing with generative AI vary between educational programmes and subjects. The idea is therefore that the University-wide guidelines that have now been adopted can be supplemented by more detailed provisions, for example in a syllabus or programme.
“Uppsala University offers hundreds of courses every semester, in a wide range of subjects. What those in charge consider permissible or impermissible use of generative AI can vary so much from course to course – and even between different components of a single course – that general guidelines may need to be supplemented by local rules.”
Restrictions must be stated in writing
The guidelines consist of six points. The most important points are that if the use of generative AI is restricted in a teaching or assessment situation this must be stated in writing, and that students planning to use generative AI must keep themselves informed about guidelines for dealing with AI.
“The guidelines state that any restrictions must be justifiable with respect to the intended learning outcomes, the nature of the task or educational considerations. I know that such reasons occur in teaching situations, which will lead to local guidelines. Having said that, I believe that lecturers will increasingly include the possibility of using generative AI tools in the way they frame tasks and assessments.”
Anders Berndt