GenAI Usage Expectation Levels
Making expectations about the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) transparent to students is necessary to ensure that they understand how and why GenAI might be used or restricted to best support their learning. The GenAI Usage Expectation Levels outlined below offer one way to provide clarity to students that can be used across a single learning experience, an individual course, a larger program, or an entire institution.
Describing Clear Expectations
There are seven levels, ranging from absolutely no use of GenAI (Level 0) to the unrestricted, unattributed use of GenAI (Level 6). These levels can be adapted to meet course or disciplinary needs. What is important to retain is consistent use with clearly defined guidance on how students can or can not use GenAI as a tool for their learning. GenAI Usage Expectation Levels can be assigned in a manner that fits with course/program learning objectives, instructor preference, and student learning needs. Applied consistently, these levels provide clear information to students regarding GenAI use for entire courses or individual learning experiences:
Individual Learning Experiences
Learning experiences can be defined as individual assignments, projects, assessments, or other activities completed by a student as part of a given course. In courses where GenAI usage expectations might differ across learning experiences, GenAI usage expectation levels can be assigned to individual learning experiences so that students know how GenAI might be used for that experience. Using GenAI usage expectation levels in this manner allows for open conversations between instructors and students about how GenAI might help students as learners in some situations but not others.
Entire Course/Program
In the case that all learning experiences in a course would be assigned the same GenAI Usage Expectation Level, the entire course could be designated as “level x” course. Using GenAI usage expectation levels in this manner allows for open conversations between instructors and students about how stable and consistent use/non-use of GenAI might support students’ achievement of the learning outcomes for the course.
Beyond the individual course, a larger program or multiple programs at an institution could be designated as “level x” program, meaning that the same expectations for GenAI use are consistent across all courses in a program.
Seven Levels of Possible GenAI Usage
| Level descriptor: | What this looks like in practice: | |
|---|---|---|
| Level 0 | No use of GenAI | Students will create their own, original work without the use of GenAI for any manner. |
| Level 1 | Organizational use of GenAI | Students will create their own, original work without the use of GenAI; however, the use of GenAI for personal efficiency (i.e., summarizing notes/readings, clarifying content) is acceptable. |
| Level 2 | Use of GenAI for brainstorming or idea generation | Students can consult GenAI as a tool for brainstorming or idea generation, but are expected to create their own, original work without the use of GenAI. |
| Level 3 | Use of GenAI for feedback | Students create their own work, then use GenAI as a tool to provide feedback on their work. Students are expected to use feedback from GenAI to conduct their own revisions of their own work, so any work submitted should be GenAI-supported, not Gen-AI created. |
| Level 4 | Use of GenAI to co-create and revise work | Students can use GenAI to develop drafts/outlines of their work but are expected to carefully edit and revise GenAI-created content as appropriate for their learning context. It is expected that any use of GenAI-created content is properly disclosed and attributed. |
| Level 5 | Unrestricted, attributed use of GenAI | Students can freely use GenAI if the use of any GenAI-created content is properly disclosed and attributed. |
| Level 6 | Unrestricted, unattributed use of GenAI | Students can freely use GenAI in any form. Attribution is not necessary. Note: While it it possible to use GenAI in an unrestricted manner without attribution, any who apply this level of GenAI use in their course should carefully consider ethical and legal implications of such AI use. |