Engaging with Students About Generative AI

Students, like instructors, recognize that generative AI (Gen AI) has the potential to radically reshape the educational landscape and their future careers. Their views on the topic are as complex and varied as those of their instructors, ranging from optimism to trepidation, from curiosity to concern. Northwestern’s teaching community has sought to understand student perspectives and needs through conversations and surveys, asking what students are thinking and hearing, what tools they are using, and what conversations they want to have with their instructors and advisors. 

In Fall 2023, Northwestern IT Teaching and Learning Technologies expanded their biannual Canvas satisfaction survey to include questions about Gen AI usage and attitudes. Several faculty-facing events over the past two years have included student panels about Gen AI as well, adding nuance to the survey data. While student attitudes and experiences with generative AI are variable, students consistently reported wanting to have open conversations with their instructors about Gen AI tools. Since summer 2023, TLT members engaged undergraduate and graduate students on the topics of generative AI literacy and impact on learning.  

Faculty education thus far has focused on enabling and encouraging instructors to engage with their students on generative AI policy-building and mutual understanding. The Fall 2024 articles and workshops, developed primarily by advanced graduate students, sought to facilitate student-faculty interactions by offering examples of how instructors might tailor generative AI tools to specific pedagogical purposes in their courses. By Summer 2025, Northwestern will release How to Use Generative AI Responsibly in Academia, an AI literacy module that speaks directly to students. This module will be available for instructors to import and integrate in their Canvas sites as part of coursework, or as a stand-alone learning opportunity for students as they seek to understand the academic and professional implications of generative AI. 

Student Literacy Module Timeline 

Fall Quarter 2024 

• Review open source resource and seek feedback from graduate students and institutional partners like the LIbraries. 
• First draft of Northwestern version 

Winter Quarter 2025 

• Version reviewed and feedback returned by Northwestern AI Provost Committee, IT leadership and institutional partners. 
• Pilot with Generative AI 101 cohort 

Spring 2025 

• Planned student implementation