COMPASS for students

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools

AI tools can answer initial queries and these responses can then be refined through further inputted suggestions, so-called ‘prompt engineering’. The growth in both the availability and processing power of AI tools will continue for the foreseeable future. COMPASS is the LJMU Faculty of Science’s response to this environment and provides guidance on when it is OK to use AI within your Modules’ coursework and exams. Our aim is to provide you with opportunities to learn how to use AI tools responsibly and ethically.

Helping you to stay on the right track

For any assessment, there are a variety of paths that you might take to complete that assignment: COMPASS is here to make sure that you stay on the right track. As a student, it is your responsibility to understand any permissions on the use of AI for each assessment before you start work.

As with any journey, you must know at the start which direction you are heading in.

The purpose of COMPASS is to give direction only: for guidance on how to use modern technologies in your University studies, refer to the Study For Success Canvas Course.

What you may choose to do

To keeps things as straightforward as possible, Module Leaders will use Canvas to indicate which one of the four distinct paths you should follow for a particular assessment task; N, S, E or W. If you have the option to use an AI tool then you also have the choice not to use it: we call this ‘non-use’.

• N - No AI tools may be used
• S - Some AI tools may be used and these will be specified
• E - Every AI tool may be used.
• W - Ways in which AI may be used will be specified and the choice of tools may be limited

Your use or non-use of AI is accompanied by an appropriate acknowledgement.

Acknowledging your use or non-use of AI

This is one way for you to demonstrate that you are using these technologies responsibly and ethically. There are two scenarios: use and non-use.

Use of AI

For assessment tasks where you have chosen to use an AI tool (S, E and W), keep a record of this use: which, what, when and how.

• Which AI tool did you use (provide link)?
• What did you use it for?
• When did you use the AI tool (dd/mm/yy)?
• How did you use it i.e. what prompts did you enter?

Next, use the template provided in the next section to prepare your acknowledgment.

Non-use of AI

If you are not permitted to use AI tools, or have the option to use AI but decide not to do this, then you must acknowledge this restraint using the template in the next section.

AI Acknowledgement templates

Copy this text, edit as appropriate, and place it at the end of your work prior to any bibliography or references.

Use of AI

Non-Use of AI

Example acknowledgement of AI use

AI Acknowledgement
I acknowledge my use of https://chat.openai.com/ to generate a draft version of my work on 07/11/23. The prompts used included: Write a 200-word summary about LJMU in an academic style. Add quotations from University Vice Chancellors.

Wandering off the right track

The ways in which you can deviate from COMPASS depend on the direction that you are heading in:

• N - Using GenAI tools to create any draft or final versions of your work
• S - Using a prohibited GenAI tool or failing to appropriately acknowledge your use of AI tools
• E - Failing to appropriately acknowledge your use of GenAI tools
• W - Using a permitted GenAI tool in a forbidden way, using a prohibited GenAI tool, or failing to appropriately acknowledge your use or of GenAI tools

The consequences of wandering off the right track

By submitting your work for marking, you are confirming that you have worked fully within the direction published on Canvas. In cases of doubt, an investigation may be held and, in proven cases, an Academic Misconduct Panel will determine the appropriate penalty.

Acknowledgement

Policy and practice guidance around the use of AI technologies, Monash University (4/7/23)