Generative AI
Using Generative AI at Barnard
Things to keep in mind:
- Be informed regarding the terms of service of the tool you're using. Material that you submit may become part of the program’s database—using the software also contributes to its development. The systems have different policies and methods to let you remove your material, so be sure to look for those instructions and to review the Terms of Service.
- What rights does the tool owner have to your content (input or output)?
- What is the privacy policy? Can anyone see what you've entered or generated?
- Be mindful about the prompts you are feeding into your bot. AI tools raise issues of privacy and intellectual property. We advise caution with the following:
- Your own intellectual property (i.e., work you have created and for which you want to protect the copyright), unless you want it to be used to train an LLM, or you are able to disable the settings so that it does not use your work for training.
- Student work, as this may be a violation of their intellectual property.
- Personal or protected information, such as PII (personally Identifiable Information) or FERPA-protected data (e.g., names, addresses, birthdates, phone numbers).
- Copyrighted works of others may be a risk, as the law is unsettled and what constitutes fair use is not clear.
- Even software platforms that don’t use your content to train the product may collect your information or install cookies to track your other activity. While you may choose to make this bargain to try out AI tools yourself, it can be more problematic to require students to sign up for tools that will track and use their private data.
Resources for Faculty, Students & Staff
- Generative AI & The College Classroom: A guide by the Center for Engaged Pedagogy, with contributions and input from the IMATS staff
- Student Guide to Generative AI: A resource by the Center for Engaged Pedagogy, written in consultation with IMATS
- What is ChatGPT?: Slide deck by Elana Altman and Tristan Shippen, IMATS
IMATS Initiatives
Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, generative AI has become a hot topic in the mainstream media and a subject of constant chatter in the higher education space. At IMATS, we've been driving forward the conversation about AI at Barnard.
- Generative AI Learning Community: In collaboration with the CEP, CSC, and BLAIS, IMATS is running a Generative AI Learning Community during the 2023-24 academic year. Open to students. faculty, and staff, this is a monthly, hybrid space where we can come together to learn about and play with this new technology in a supportive, collaborative environment. Discussion topics and activities will be driven by the interests of the participants. To participate, fill out the interest form.
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AI consultations: IMATS staff can consult with faculty and instructors who are interested in discussing teaching and learning in the age of generative AI. We understand there are many different approaches to AI in the classroom: We can help you understand the technology in relationship to your course goals, and discuss the approach that makes the most sense for you. If you are interested in engaging with AI in your course, we can share important considerations and consult on assignment design. To set up a consultation, please email courseworks@barnard.edu.
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Community of Practice Participation and Professional Development: We are ensuring that our staff stays up-to-date on generative AI developments. As such, Melanie Hibbert and Elana Altman are part of Educause's AI Community of Practice, a monthly meeting of instructional technology leaders at colleges and universities throughout the country.
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Who’s Afraid of ChatGPT?: A Conversation with Students, Faculty and Staff about Generative AI in the Classroom: In March 2023, we teamed up with colleagues at the CEP and BLAIS to present this session at the annual Barnard Bold conference.