“Collaborative intelligence is defined as the integration of people, teams, and technology to bring together their knowledge, skills, and resources, enabling innovative problem-solving, effective decision-making, and enhanced creativity by harnessing their complementary strengths.” Allen, 2024
Your purpose in school is to be a learner. AI can help you with tasks. Don’t let AI take your purpose.
You are not here just to complete assignments or check boxes. You are here to develop your ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve problems independently. That kind of intellectual growth only happens when you engage the material yourself, when you wrestle with ideas, draft and revise your own words, and work through confusion instead of outsourcing it. AI is a great tool. It can help you brainstorm, organize your thoughts, or polish your writing. But it cannot do the learning for you. If you allow it to think, analyze, or create in your place, you may gain efficiency, but you lose development.
I don’t expect perfection from you. I expect effort, honesty, and growth. I want to see your thinking. I want to hear your voice. Use AI as support, like a tutor or a copyeditor, not as a replacement for your own mind. Stay in the driver’s seat. Your education is forming you, not just your grades. Don’t trade that formation for convenience.
The content below is similar to advice I would have given students over the past decade(s), but it has been updated to cover the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
All submitted work (including process work, drafts, brainstorming materials, and final submissions) must be created by the students themselves. Whether working individually or collaboratively, as outlined in the assignment instructions, all contributions must reflect the genuine effort of the student(s) involved.
- Prioritize Learning Over Convenience: Use AI systems to deepen understanding and support your learning rather than as a shortcut to completing assignments. Engage the instructor, students, and course material to develop critical thinking and expertise. You are here to learn.
- Develop Critical Skills: Use tools to enhance skills, not as a crutch. Focus on building critical academic competencies such as analysis, writing, and methodologies. AI systems should not replace fundamental aspects of your education.
- You are Responsible for the Accuracy: Verify all information generated or suggested against credible academic sources. You are accountable for ensuring the accuracy and validity of the content included in your final work.
- Rely on Trusted and Peer-Reviewed Sources: Use tools to aid in locating and synthesizing information, but ensure the primary sources for your research come from reputable, peer-reviewed, and academically accepted publications.
- Avoid Plagiarism: Don’t present others’ content (from any other source) as your own. You can modify, critique, and integrate such content to align with your academic objectives and intellectual voice.
Yes, you can cite AI platforms appropriately
Treat a platform like ChatGPT as a source, like any reference in your academic work. Use phrases like “This response was informed by ChatGPT (OpenAI, [year])” using APA citation formatting:
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT [Language model]. https://openai.com
The rule that I use for all of my classes that are allowed to use AI:
- Originally from you! If this is true:
- Your brain + A.I. as needed
- You are responsible for the accuracy
- Must use citations
- Must acknowledge sources
- Use as a copyeditor. Not as a co-author
Dr. Jeff M. Allen 