As the semester begins, faculty are navigating the place of AI tools, like ChatGPT, in the classroom. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
As Bailey Kreft, a fourth-year in communication, walked into her Strategic Message Design class last spring, she expected to discuss the syllabus, future assignments and course policies.
But to her surprise, the first lesson she learned pertained to the dangers of using OpenAI — the artificial intelligence research organization that operates ChatGPT and other AI products — for academic purposes.
“I’ve always heard of other people being caught using [OpenAI],” Kreft said. “Even though I don’t, I was kind of worried that something could be flagged in my own work.”
As AI continues to evolve, Ohio State professors must navigate the challenges and opportunities this technology presents, striving for excellence in the classroom while also attempting to prevent academic misconduct. To do so, faculty members are implementing innovative strategies to maintain integrity and adapt to a rapidly evolving educational landscape.
Calvin Olsen, a senior lecturer in the Department of English, said he previously detected OpenAI usage in students’ writing based on their unnatural vocabulary and syntax. Rather than employing the tools for strict research or editing purposes, Olsen said he saw that more often, students took advantage of OpenAI to replace the creative process, which defeats the course’s purpose.
Though he highlights academic integrity in the syllabus and on the first day of class, Olsen said he also tries to build trust with his students across the semester, even offering extensions on certain assignments to discourage AI use.
“I want to trust my students, and on the whole, I can trust my students,” Olsen said.
For Olsen, the root of AI misuse often lies in students feeling stressed or overwhelmed by their schedules. To deter misuse, Olsen said he supports offering flexible deadlines and creating an environment in which students can reasonably manage their workloads without cutting corners.
“If they need a week to turn in a big assignment, I’m going to almost always give them that,” Olsen said. “It lessens the chance that they will do something that will hurt their grade or the way they learn.”
Elizabeth Hewitt, a professor in and chair of the Department of English, said she values teaching students how to harness AI responsibly. More specifically, she incorporates assignments that require ChatGPT as a preparatory tool, emphasizing that understanding how to effectively use AI is just as important as knowing its limitations.
“It can’t do the thinking for you in the same way you have to translate long word problems into a calculator,” Hewitt said. “We are too quick to accuse students of using ChatGPT, but often, it’s just their own inadequacies as writers coming through.”
Olsen said he thinks it would be beneficial to establish a division within the university’s Office of Technology and Digital Innovation dedicated to training both students and faculty on proper AI usage.
“If we educate people about AI technologically — what it is, how it works — and acknowledge that you’re going to use this at some point, and at some [point], there are places where we’re gonna have to require you not to, students will make that balance.” Olsen said.
On the other hand, Hewitt said she sees value in personalized support and one-on-one writing assistance, noting the benefits of smaller student-to-teacher ratios for deeper learning.
Hewitt also said she advocates for a balanced approach to AI, urging professors to avoid dismissing the technology outright and instead base their classroom policies on informed knowledge.
Kreft, who said she is personally wary of AI, said it can be “easy to fall into the trap of using AI as a shortcut.”
“That doesn’t help us learn, or actually grow as students or even in our future careers we are working so hard toward,” Kreft said.
As students, faculty and staff head into a new semester, professors at Ohio State continue to learn more about OpenAI and whether its usage could be a benefit or detriment to their classrooms.
“AI is not pumpkin spice — we don’t need it in everything,” Olsen said. “But when it’s in season, it’s a great thing to have.”
