GenAI at Melbourne
Using GenAI tools in accordance with University of Melbourne policy.
Is it okay to use GenAI at Melbourne?
While you can use GenAI to support your learning, the University of Melbourne has clear policies relating to GenAI and assessment.
Note: Before you use GenAI for assessment-related work you must check to ensure that your Subject Coordinator has authorised its use. To get the most out of GenAI, review the Using GenAI effectively resource.
How do University of Melbourne students feel about GenAI? Watch the videos or read the transcript to find out.
-
-
Hajrah: I love AI. Absolutely love AI. I use it every single day all the time.
Samuel: I think there's a lot of potential for AI tools to really enhance the student experience. Personally, I use ChatGPT often as almost a personalised tutor, and it's definitely enhanced my learning outcomes.
Finlay: Initially, when I started using AI tools, it was super easy to see much better results.
Hajrah: I think with any technology, there's always going to be a downside to it.
Anya: Students, use and rely more on generative AI instead of critical thinking.
Finlay: Obviously I want to use, like the newest tools, and you want to do as well as you can with whatever tool possible.
Samuel: I think there's also a fear of over reliance on AI.
Sally: I also sometimes worry about I maybe over rely on GenAI in facilitating my learning.
Finlay: I would say you have to really think about kind of the purpose of why you're studying. Use it in a way where you still learn because you might get the outcome, but without the journey, it doesn't really mean much.
What is GenAI?
GenAI produces text, image, sound or video based on user instructions (prompts) or offers suggestions within existing applications (like Grammarly or QuillBot). Prompts can be delivered in conversational language and do not require special training, making these tools easy for most people to use.
What makes GenAI popular is that anyone can prompt these tools to generate outputs that often appear to be of very high quality.
GenAI can produce such a broad range of outputs on any topic because it has been supplied large amounts of data from content on the internet. This data is statistically analysed for patterns, which are used to create coherent text or other outputs.
These tools do not understand the content they create, they simply reproduce common patterns with variation.
Limitations and risks
Should you trust GenAI? Listen to University of Melbourne students or read the transcript to find out.
-
-
Hajrah: AI is fed data from all over the Internet and a lot of it is misinformation. So I don't think it's entirely accurate, and that's why it's always important to fact check.
Finlay: I think I trust them a little too much maybe because it's easy to see them as someone super knowledgeable or smart and take the answers as fact.
Samuel: I don't trust GenAI tools that much, but I think also understanding how a GenAI model is built helps you to sort of understand what you should trust it on. If it's not going to be trained on good data, it's going to give bad responses.
Sally: I've definitely encountered some of the kinds... I asked GenAI about a certain question, and I got false responses or obviously, like, inaccurate responses. So I guess users might be more informed about ChatGPT can make mistakes or other GenAI performed that are not 100% accurate.
Bronson: Well, there have definitely been times where I've asked the question, and I know that the response has been incorrect.
Finn: I can't really reliably get, like, ChatGPT to create a reliable solution to an answer. So even if it can come up with an answer, it can't come up with a solution. So it's kind of pointless in that sense.
Finlay: I think then if I have felt unsure, I've tried to go for a human input, like looking up on a forum or something like that or talking to an expert. So it is a human voice and a human opinion of someone who knows a lot in that field rather than the tool which seems to know a lot in that field, but could very possibly be wrong.
Samuel: There's anything fact based with AI, I always refer to something that is going to verify if it's true or not. When I don't feel confident about content, I refer to academic literature or reputable websites that are going to provide me information that will be useful.
Hajrah: The best thing is to just look at academic sources online. Obviously, papers and research that has been done. Maybe just a simple Google search sometimes can help that.
Samuel: Don't submit anything that GenAI has completely produced at this point. I mean, refer to UniMelb websites in terms of academic integrity. It's just not worth getting a flag and having to sit in front of a committee and try and explain that you didn't use GenAI when you obviously did.
Sally: The University published this declarative form for the use of GenAI, and I will refer to the guidelines to see if my use of GenAI is appropriate.
Accuracy
Because GenAI tools are trained on data from the internet, they are not always accurate and may represent biased opinions as facts or entirely fabricate information. You should approach these tools with the same scepticism and caution as you would any content from the internet.
At university, you should always check the accuracy of information these tools provide against verified academic sources from your subject or the library.
Privacy
Uploading yours or others’ personal information to these tools carries similar risks to sharing it publicly to the open web.
Protect your personal information and that of others. Do not upload your full name, date of birth, address or other confidential, sensitive or private information.
Intellectual property
If you upload material that represents your own or somebody else’s intellectual labour (like lecture slides or other subject material), these tools may use it without permission, potentially violating your own or others' intellectual property rights.
When you upload this material to an AI tool, you may be violating the copyright of creators who have not given permission to do this with their material. Don't make copyright material available on the web or to an AI tool without permission. For more information see the AI and Copyright resource from the University Copyright Office.
How to use GenAI safely
How are University of Melbourne students using GenAI in their studies? Watch the video or read the transcript to learn more.
-
-
Bronson: Using AI tools in my studies makes me feel like I'm just being more efficient and I am better able to prepare for exams or assessments.
Hajrah: Often I have an understanding of what I want, but it's kind of jumbled up in my brain. So AI just helps me categorise my ideas and maybe, like, pin down what I exactly want. So I think it's useful in offering perspectives that I can't really think of sometimes.
Sally: I've used gen ai to create active recall flash cards in my psychology lectures because some of the psych subjects are very content-heavy.
Finlay: One I always use is explain "X' to me like I'm 5 years old, and that was great, but it was almost a simplified answer. And from there I could say, Okay, now like I'm a 10-year-old, and now 15... continued. And so you can get different levels of explanation, which is great to build, like a complex, nuanced understanding.
Bronson: GenAI can aid your learning experience immensely in some ways when used correctly, but it's also a slippery slope, and I think you have to be careful when you're using it in ways that might be counterproductive to your education.
Hajrah: I think definitely know how to use it because it will be a integral part of the work skills that you need in the future. But a good rule of thumb for how much you should be using it is if it's a really difficult task that you know you can do, but requires a lot of brain power and a lot of critical thinking, then you should be using AI less and using yourself more and trusting in yourself and your ability to be able to get through that task.
Remember your value
At university, you develop the fundamental skills and capabilities your degree claims you have. To develop these skills and capabilities, you must produce the text, code, designs or images you’re being assessed on. For example, if a subject learning outcome includes ‘discuss and critique’, you must generate that discussion and critique – not GenAI – in order to develop those skills.
While GenAI can produce seemingly valuable or original output, your own perspective, experience and knowledge is what the University and future employers expect. Therefore, knowing what value you add is crucial.
No one will hire you to do what GenAI does for free. Ask yourself:
- What skills am I losing by outsourcing my thinking to GenAI?
- What value am I adding?
- What do I do that is different from GenAI?
To know your value, build your capabilities in thinking, acting and writing while at university. Remember, learning isn’t just an output. Learning is a process. It may feel difficult or uncomfortable at times, but this discomfort is normal and necessary in the pursuit of learning and developing.
Tips for safe use
If you want to use GenAI, there are three steps you can take to ensure you do so ethically and effectively.
- For assessment-related work, download and follow the ‘Using GenAI for Assessments’ checklist below.
- To support your learning, check out the other pages in the ‘Learning with GenAI’ section of the Academic Skills website for tips and strategies to get the most out of these tools.
- Ask your subject coordinator or make an appointment with Academic Skills if you have any questions.
GenAI checklist
Download the GenAI checklist to ensure that you are using GenAI ethically and responsibly and in alignment with University of Melbourne policy.
Final tip
Using GenAI in line with University of Melbourne policy will ensure both effective and ethical engagement with this technology.