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AI Resources

Generative AI is 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.

What is generative AI? 

Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can create content, such as text, images, code, and more. These tools generate responses based on patterns in large data sets. While powerful, AI-generated content can sometimes be inaccurate or biased, making critical evaluation essential. As educators preparing students for careers that increasingly utilize AI, it’s important we help our students understand how to use it responsibly.

Common AI tools

Below are widely used AI tools in industry and their typical applications: 

  • ChatGPT / Copilot / Gemini: Answers questions, assists with brainstorming, and generates content
  • Adobe Firefly / DALL·E: Creates AI-generated images or video from text prompts 
  • GitHub Copilot: Helps programmers write and debug code 
  • Latimer AI / Perplexity AI: Assists with research and summarizing 

Below are AI tools used and piloted in California Community Colleges: 

  • Grammarly: Aids in grammar checking and text refinement  (Note: full generative AI capabilities are not enabled in LPC’s Grammarly account.) 
  • Nectir AI: Tool instructors can pilot in Spring 2025 to create FERPA-compliant, customizable course assistants 
  • PlayLab AI: Tool available through a Fall 2024 pilot for faculty, classified professionals, and administrators to create custom bots that support teaching and learning

Important Tips:  

  • When exploring AI tools, be sensitive to FERPA/data privacy concerns that arise when using AI. You should not input material that is confidential, proprietary, or copyrighted.
  • Responses from generative AI need human review to check for accuracy and potential bias.

How students commonly use AI 

Students are increasingly using generative AI to: 

  • Brainstorm ideas for essays and projects 
  • Summarize articles or complex topics
  • Check grammar and improve writing
  • Get help with coding assignments 
  • Create presentations, graphics, or study aids

While these uses can enhance learning, students may also misuse AI by submitting AI-generated work as their own or relying on it without critical thinking. Clear guidelines are essential to address ethical concerns. 

Developing your AI course policy

A clear AI policy is critical to help students understand how AI tools are permitted and not permitted in your course. When creating your class 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 and which they may not. 
  • Transparency requirements: Ask students to disclose when and how they use AI, if allowed. 
  • 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. 

Sample Course AI Policy Statement

Many students benefit from using generative AI tools to support their learning. In this class, students may use our class PlayLab assistant or Grammarly to: 

  • Help generate study guides or practice questions to review for exams 
  • Help with brainstorming, outlining, and feedback on projects 
  • Refine grammar in essays 

It’s important to use AI ethically and not use AI to replace your learning. For example, students may not: 

  • Paste copyrighted content or any peer's work into AI tools
  • Submit AI-generated or AI-remixed discussion responses or essays

Directly submitting AI-generated work as one’s own is considered academic dishonesty. Student work will be scanned for plagiarism and AI using Turnitin. If work is flagged as plagiarized, AI generated, or AI remixed, the student will receive a zero and will need to: 

  • Attend a conference with the instructor to review the submitted work 
  • Attend LPC's Academic Honesty SmartShop 
  • Redo the assignment (time-permitting and with instructor permission)

Students who engage in academic dishonesty will be reported for follow-up by an administrator. Learn more about LPC's academic integrity policies.  

Please note: the above is only one example of an AI course policy. We encourage faculty to work collaboratively with colleagues in your departments to identify AI policies that best reflect your unique needs. The Academic Senate for California Community College's Academic Integrity Policies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Resource Document includes additional helpful guidance to consider.

How instructors can leverage AI 

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 suggest lesson plans and assignments to engage students or to draft alternative forms of assessments that align with your SLOs. 
    • 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 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, data visualizations, and/or presentations.

Next steps 

By embracing generative AI thoughtfully, instructors can guide students toward responsible and innovative AI use in their academic and professional journeys. To continue to explore AI: 

Did you know?
Las Positas College is part of the AI Regional Joint Venture, established to help integrate AI into community college education. Learn more about the curriculum LPC and other colleges in the Bay Area Community College Consortium are developing to make sure our students are prepared for careers in the rapidly evolving tech industry: AI Regional Joint Venture BACCC Showcase.

For more information please contact:

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