AI Resources
Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly transforming both education and industry, offering both opportunities and challenges for educators. The resources below can help faculty understand AI and develop policies that guide ethical use in the classroom.
Common AI Terms + Tools
Get familiar with the basics by reviewing key AI vocab and popular tools.
- Generative AI: artificial intelligence systems that can create content - such as text, images, and code - from user prompts. These tools typically generate responses based on patterns in large data sets.
- Agentic AI: autonomous artificial intelligence systems that go beyond generating content, capable of performing complex workflows with little human oversight.
- AI Training: the process of teaching artificial intelligence models to perform tasks by feeding it large amounts of data. Always be cautious what you input into AI; especially when using free tools, it's common for systems to further train their models on user input.
- AI Bias: a term that reflects artificial intelligence systems propensity to amplify bias present in the material it was trained on or people training it (e.g. data, algorithmic, or human bias).
- AI Hallucination: a term used to describe when an AI system generates false, fabricated, or nonsensical information. Because AI typically presents information confidently but can be prone to hallucinations, it's important to verify information.
For a more detailed explanation of AI for educators, visit About AI at the California Community College Chancellor's Office.
Below are AI tools commonly used by educators:
- ComplyBot: An AI tool designed by LPC's Instructional Technology Specialist, Wanda Butterly, to help instructors align course content to accessibility and Universal Design for Learning standards
- Khanmigo: A suite of free AI tools for educators, designed by Khan Academy. (Note: some of the student tools referenced are not free.)
- Nectir AI: Through a CCCCO pilot, LPC instructors began piloting Nectir AI in Spring 2025. Nectir AI is a Canvas-integrated tool available for instructors who want to create FERPA-compliant, customizable course assistants.
- Playlab AI: The CCCCO made Playlab available across our system, beginning with a Fall 2024 pilot for faculty, classified professionals, and administrators. Playlab is used to create custom, FERPA-compliant bots that support teaching and learning.
💡Even when trying AI tools designed with educators in mind, always review results!
Below is a short list of frequently used AI tools in industry, meant to provide a sense of popular applications.
⚠️If trying tools not specifically designed to align with educational policies, do not input personally identifiable information or material that is confidential, proprietary, or copyrighted. Many of the free accounts companies offer leverage user-input to further train their models.
- ChatGPT / Copilot / Gemini: Answers questions, assists with brainstorming, and generates content based on user
prompts
- 💡CLPCCD now offers ChatGPT training for employees. Watch email for upcoming opportunities!
- Adobe Firefly / DALL·E / Nano Banana: Creates AI-generated images or video from text prompts
- Latimer AI / Perplexity AI / Notebook LM: Assists with research and summarizing
Developing Your AI Course Policy
Students are increasingly using AI to summarize readings, brainstorm ideas, and create study aids. While some uses can enhance learning, educators have raised concerns about the harms of cognitive offloading - when students use AI to replace their learning. For example, some students may misuse AI by submitting AI-generated essays as their own or using AI to complete exams.
💡Including clear AI course guidelines to supplement LPC's Academic Integrity Policies can help students understand when AI use may be appropriate or inappropriate in your course.
When creating your AI policy, consider:
- Defining acceptable use: Outline when AI use is permitted in your classroom (e.g., brainstorming, reviewing, refining) and when it is not (e.g., submitting AI-generated essays).
- Defining acceptable tools: Outline which AI tools, if any, students may use freely. (Some educators intentionally build AI assistants, using Playlab or Nectir, that they encourage students to use because they've set up guardrails to deter certain outputs.)
- Transparency requirements: Ask students to disclose when and how they use AI, if allowed. Model this for students by being transparent about how you will and won't use AI for instruction.
- Ethical considerations: Emphasize the importance of academic integrity and critical engagement with AI tools.
- Detection and consequences: Explain how AI-generated content will be reviewed and potential academic consequences of misuse.
Below, you'll find a sample AI course policy you're welcome to edit and adapt to meet your needs. We encourage faculty to work collaboratively with colleagues in your departments to identify AI course policies that align with the unique needs of your discipline. The Academic Senate for California Community College's Academic Integrity Policies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Resource Document includes additional helpful guidance.
Student Use of AI
AI may occasionally be used in our course in ways that align with LPC's academic integrity policies.
✅ Examples of Allowed Use
Many students benefit from using AI tools to support their learning. In this class, students may use our class Nectir AI assistant (in Canvas) or Grammarly to:
- Generate flashcards, study guides, or practice questions to review for exams
- Brainstorm ideas
- Refine grammar in essays
If you choose to use AI, be transparent about how you are using it. You'll learn more about how to cite AI when we begin our first paper.
❌ Examples of Forbidden Use
Don't use AI unethically or to replace your learning. For example, students may not:
- Paste copyrighted content or any peer's work into AI
- Submit AI-generated or AI-remixed discussion responses or essays
- Use AI to complete quizzes or exams
Directly submitting AI-generated work as one’s own is considered a form of academic dishonesty. To deter the unethical use of AI, online exams will be secured using Respondus and student work will be scanned using Turnitin. If work is flagged as plagiarized, AI-generated, or AI-remixed, the student will receive a zero and may need to:
- Attend a conference with the instructor to review the submitted work, which may include a review of your Google Doc revision history
- Attend LPC's Academic Honesty SmartShop
- Redo the assignment or assessment (time-permitting and with instructor permission)
- Follow up with an administrator; actions taken against students who violate academic integrity policies are permanently entered into the student's educational record in the case of repeated, flagrant, or serious incidents.
Instructor Use of AI
As your instructor, my usage of AI parallels the expectations I have for all of you: I sometimes use AI to support instruction, but not to replace me.
For example, I often use AI to help me caption videos I've created for you or otherwise improve the accessibility of instructional materials I've made for our class. But I don't use AI to generate instructional videos or content. I also will not use AI to grade your work. When you submit papers and projects in this course, I will be the one reviewing and providing feedback to you.
🛟Questions About AI?
I know it can feel like a blurry line at times between when AI can be used and when it can't. If you use AI for a reason not listed above, and you're not sure if it's an approved use or not, please don't hesitate to check in with me. You can email or stop by office hours for support.
AI Tips for Educators
Once you've developed your AI Course Policy, explore additional resources to help navigate AI's impact on teaching and learning:
Faculty have a range of tools available to discourage the unethical usage of AI, including:
- Canvas Course Analytics to review student activity. (For example, a student who completed multiple complex assignments while only being active in a course for a few minutes may indicate AI usage.)
- Canvas Quiz Logs to review quiz analytics, like how much time was spent on the exam. (For example, completing a 50 question exam in a couple minutes may indicate AI usage.)
- Respondus LockDown Browser for secure online exams on campus
- Respondus Monitor for secure online exams in DE courses
- Turnitin to identify AI-generated or remixed work
- Google Doc Revision Histories, which can help students more clearly show instructors their drafting progress when they use their Zonemail Google tools to complete work
Generative AI can enhance both teaching and learning in creative ways. Below are ideas to help you explore AI:
- Critical thinking exercises:
- Ask students to critique AI-generated work for accuracy and bias.
- Ask students to compare an AI-generated response with their own analysis.
- Personalized learning:
- Use AI to brainstorm ideas for alternative forms of assessments that align with your SLOs and UDL principles.
- Encourage students to use AI to generate practice problems to aid in studying, turn readings into podcasts they can listen to for help reviewing, brainstorm ways to refine research projects in ways that align with their unique interests, or critique drafts of their own work.
- Streamlined workflows:
- Use AI to help remediate your instructional content for accessibility.
- Ask AI to suggest revisions to your syllabus and/or assignments for clarity and tone.
- Use AI to generate images and/or data visualizations that may help students process difficult concepts.
- Use AI to generate rubrics based on your assessments and SLOs.
You'll find many more ideas to consider in AI Pedagogy: Designing Learning with Intelligent Systems in Mind. Be sure that your use of AI aligns with policies outlined in the faculty contract.
By considering generative AI thoughtfully, instructors can guide students toward responsible and innovative AI use in their academic and professional journeys. To continue to explore AI:
- Register for ongoing AI workshops and AI Professional Development and Learning Opportunities through the CCCCO.
- Sign up for self-paced courses, like @ONE: Generative AI or AI LIteracy for Educators: Supporting Student Success. (Use your LPC email to sign up for free access.)
- Watch recordings from the free, one-day professional development event for California Community College faculty: Reclaiming Joy: Human-First Teaching in the AI Era.
- Consider participating in ongoing pilots of PlayLab or Nectir AI.
- Engage in discussions with colleagues about best practices.
- Connect with the LPC Instructional Technology Team for one-on-one support.
- Learn more about the curriculum LPC and other colleges in the Bay Area Community College Consortium are developing to ensure students are prepared for careers in the rapidly evolving tech industry: AI Regional Joint Venture BACCC Showcase.
- Learn more about system-wide efforts in Generative AI and the Future of Learning in California Community Colleges.
Kat King
Instructional Technology Coordinator
kmking@laspositascollege.edu
Catherine Suárez
Professor & AI and Academic Honesty Liaison
csuarez@laspositascollege.edu
Suzanne Kohler
Academic Senate Administrative Support
sikohler@laspositascollege.edu
