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What is Generative AI?

Institutional Policies

AI in Academic Practice

Building Your Skillset

Ethical Implications

Pedagogical Considerations

Cultivating Your AI Literacy

AI Futures

As a student in the MET program, you will encounter a wide range of perspectives on the use of generative AI (genAI) tools in education. These include differing views on their potential benefits and limitations for teaching and learning—as well as the complex ethical, environmental, and societal implications they raise. Increasingly, the discourse around AI is highly political.

Some argue that the significant environmental impact of these tools—alongside the unequal distribution of their harms—creates a moral obligation to limit or even reject their use. Others contend that their potential benefits must be weighed carefully against these costs.

As a student, it’s understandable to yearn for clear and consistent guidance on when and how to use AI. But like many aspects of contemporary digital life, consensus is hard to come by! Within the MET program, we do not offer a single answer. Rather, we believe it is essential for you to engage with a diversity of perspectives in order to build your AI literacy and develop informed, reflective positions of your own.

"The use of ChatGPT or other generative AI tools does not automatically equate to academic misconduct at UBC. At this time, the use of artificial intelligence tools is a course-level decision and there is no overall ban on its use in teaching and learning."

Simon Bates, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Teaching and Learning pro-tem, March 2023.

A key starting point for understanding how to engage with AI in your learning is the Syllabus Statement on AI Use. These statements are not generic boilerplate—they are intentionally crafted, sometimes directly by the instructor, sometimes by course authors, each reflecting a specific vision for how (or whether) AI should be used within that particular course.

Course Level AI Use Statements: Examples and Considerations

In this section you will find a collection of AI Use Statements from different instructors teaching different courses within in the program. As you read through these statements it is helpful to ask yourself the following questions:

Is AI use allowed?
Are there specific tools I may or may not use?
How am I asked to document my usage of AI?
What are the expectations around citation?
What values are reflected in this statement?

Dr. Leah Macfadyen

Use of Generative AI in this Course
If you make use of generative artificial intelligence tools to complete any project deliverables or other course-related work, the generated material must be clearly and correctly indicated, and cited/referenced using APA referencing style for generative AI.

Failure to clearly indicate and reference AI-generated material will be reported as academic misconduct.
You should consult your Instructor if you have any questions about the use of generative AI tools.

Instructor Intent:
This statement allows for the use of generative AI, but places a strong emphasis on transparency, proper attribution, and academic honesty. It treats AI output similarly to any other source—students must cite it using APA.

Key Takeaway:
You can use AI in this course, but only if you are upfront about it. Treat AI like a research assistant—helpful, but not invisible. Failing to cite its use properly may lead to academic misconduct. When in doubt, ask your instructor.

Dr. Sam McCready

The introduction and growth of AI and GenAI tools represents a moment of both significant challenge and opportunity for education and learning. Working with and integrating the use of GenAI into your work can be productive and beneficial for learning and skill development, when it is done thoughtfully and with careful attention to ensure that the authoritative voice and ideas expressed in your work are still your own. The policy below is intending to strike a balance between the use of GenAI in coursework and maintaining the integrity of independent and collaborative academic work. If you are ever unsure about using GenAI in an assignment, do not hesitate to reach out and ask your instructor.

First, as a rule, if generative artificial intelligence tools are employed by the student to complete any coursework, the generated material must be clearly and correctly indicated and cited/referenced using APA referencing style for generative AI. In addition to this citational practice, you are asked to include one further document consisting of two parts related to your AI use.

Part 1: A brief (i.e. 200~ word) AI “Artist’s statement.” A typical artist’s statement tries to provide context and understanding for a given work and the process that has gone into its development. Applied to the use of GenAI in coursework, this statement should aim to do the following: explain your decision to use GenAI in your work, highlight your understanding of how GenAI has contributed to your work, comment on the process of working with GenAI, and identify the specific areas where GenAI has been integrated.

Part 2: An appendix that contains captured images (screenshots) of the prompts you have entered into the GenAI tool(s) and of the results that the tool(s) has produced. This appendix should include every prompt and response that you end up using in your work. To capture a screen image on a windows OS, students can hit the windows key + ‘print screen’ (sometimes abbreviated to PrntScn). On Mac OS, students can hit the command key + shift + 3 to capture a screen image. This appendix should be organized so that it is legible (i.e. a given prompt is followed by the generated response from AI, in order).

Some assignments include working with GenAI tools as part of the process, and in these cases, it is important to ensure that the above information is accounted for. For most assignments, the decision to use or not use GenAI tools will be up to you (or up to your group for collaborative work). If you do decide to use GenAI for an assignment, please make sure you include the necessary information outlined here in your submission.

Instructor Intent:
This statement allows for the use of generative AI, emphasizing thoughtful, intentional use and reflective practice. In addition to APA citation, students must submit an AI “artist’s statement” and an appendix of prompts and responses to ensure transparency.

Key Takeaway:
You can use AI in this course, but you must document your process. Be clear about when and how you used AI, cite it properly, and include both a short reflection and screenshots of your interactions. Your voice should remain central. When in doubt, ask your instructor.

Dr. Rachel Horst

On Using AI in this Course: Please read this entire page even if you do not use AI tools

We are living in extraordinary times, surrounded by extraordinary tools. These tools can deepen and extend our thinking, learning, and communicative capacities—they can also be used in ways that bypass the intellectual effort necessary to make these processes meaningful and transformative.

As an educator and researcher committed to digital justice, computational empowerment, and futures literacies, I recognize the growing role of AI in education and scholarship and I am excited about the potential democratizing nature of these tools in terms of accessibility and bridging structural inequities in knowledge production. When used critically, creatively, and ethically, I believe AI can support all learners, enhancing access to information, facilitating communicative processes, and enabling new forms of creativity and expression to emerge. However, these benefits must be weighed against the risks of homogenization, bias, and the potential erosion of individual voice and intellectual agency.

In this class, I am most interested in what you think—not in what our collective intelligence thinks for you 😊. AI can be a powerful collaborator in writing, thinking, and learning—but only when used intentionally, thoughtfully, and in a way that always centres your voice, questions, and ideas. In my own work, I use AI as a tool for research, writing, and editing. I use it to identify gaps in my argumentation, to brainstorm, to refine my focus, to critique my writing and suggest areas for improvement. I have found that it requires vigilance and negotiation to ensure these tools support my thinking and expression rather than overtaking them. The key is active collaboration: AI should always enhance your ideas and voice, never substitute for them.

At this stage, the decision to use or even not to use AI tools must be a considered one. Like spellcheck, using AI to check your work and thinking can be a matter of professionalism. If writing is a challenge for you, AI can support your process—but it is important to remain actively engaged rather than passively accepting its outputs. Out-of-the-box 'Copy and Paste' may be tempting, but it's never a good idea. And, in many cases, AI simply has no place in the process. Ultimately, you will know the right balance. My goal is not to police AI use, but to support your ability to think and express yourself critically and ethically.

My Policy on AI Use is:

You are welcome to use AI tools, and I really do encourage you to continue refining and developing your engagement with them. If you would like suggestions or ideas about how to do this, please do reach out.
Your voice and critical thinking must remain central. Don't let AI overshadow your intellectual contributions.
Including an AI use statement with your submission can help me understand if and/or how you’ve integrated these tools. While not required, it is encouraged—especially if you rely heavily on a specific platform in your writing process. Whether you are or are not using AI tools, explicitly stating your approach can help minimize assumptions on my part and ensure that my feedback is as relevant and meaningful as possible.
If a submission reads as overly AI-generated, I will provide feedback as such. This is not an accusation, but a genuine response in terms of the quality of the writing and argumentation. I have found AI-generated writing to hover around a B level grade at the graduate level— while it often has a veneer of professionalism, without editing and refinement—which is actually quite time consuming—out-of-the-box AI-generated text reads as generic and lacks depth, specificity, voice, and insight—all qualities I'm looking for in your written work.

Remember: You have taken this course to learn and grow. If you rely too heavily on AI-generated text, you risk missing out on the opportunity to receive meaningful feedback and deepen your thinking. Don’t rob yourself of the chance to struggle through your ideas, refine your arguments, and develop your own voice—this process is, in my opinion, essential to real learning.

You will always find me eager and open to discussing and sharing ideas about process, productivity, and how we construct, organize, and make meaning from knowledge using the tools, texts, and technologies available to us. This conversation is central to our work in this course, and I look forward to engaging with you all!

Instructor Intent:
This statement encourages thoughtful, ethical, and creative use of AI. Rather than policing your usage, the goal in this course is to support you in developing your process with AI tools, with the goal of deepening your own ideas, refining your arguments, and growing through meaningful engagement with AI.

Key Takeaway:
You’re welcome to use AI tools in this course—but only if they support and do note replace your own thinking. Though it is not required, consider including an AI use statement with your submissions to clarify how (or if) you used these tools and to help tailor instructor feedback. Work that lacks depth, voice, or reads as AI-generated will receive feedback as such and be graded accordingly.

Dr. Keri Ewart

Use of generative AI tools
The UBC policy on Academic Misconduct can be found in the UBC Calendar and is detailed as follows: Students are responsible for informing themselves of the guidelines of acceptable and unacceptable conduct for graded assignments established by their instructors for specific courses and of the examples of academic misconduct set out below. Academic misconduct that is subject to disciplinary measures includes, but is not limited to, engaging in, attempting to engage in, or assisting others to engage in any of the actions described below. Cheating, which may include, but is not limited to:

falsification of any material subject to academic evaluation, including research data;
use of or participation in unauthorized collaborative work;
use or possession in an examination of any materials (including devices) other than those permitted by the examiner;
use, possession, or facilitation of unauthorized means to complete an examination (e.g., receiving unauthorized assistance from another person or providing that assistance);
dishonest practices that breach rules governing examinations or submissions for academic evaluation (see the Student Conduct during Examinations).

A note about ChatGPT and AI Writing Tools:
If you choose to use ChatGPT or an AI Writing Tool to aid in any of the ETEC 565S assignments in any way, it is expected that the ChatGPT or AI writing tool be properly referenced using APA style, and a description outlining why the ChatGPT or AI writing tool was used/for what purpose, and how it enhanced your assignment. This description needs to be explicit and accompany all assignments that utilize ChatGPT or AI writing tools. Failure to include a proper reference and description will be considered to be a breach of academic integrity and an academic misconduct. If you have any questions about the use of ChatGPT or AI assistants, please reach out to your instructor for clarification.

Instructor Intent:
This statement permits the use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, but sets a clear expectation around academic honesty and transparency. Students must explicitly state how and why AI was used, and cite it using APA style. The instructor aligns with UBC’s academic misconduct policy, emphasizing that lack of disclosure will be treated as a violation.

Key Takeaway:
You can use AI tools in this course—but only if you clearly explain their purpose and cite them properly. Every assignment that includes AI assistance must be accompanied by a description of how the tool helped and an APA citation. If you don’t follow these steps, it may count as academic misconduct. When unsure, ask your instructor.

Guidance on Developing Your AI Use Statement

These statements are sometimes referred to as AI Use Statements, Declarations of AI Use, or even Disclosure Statements—though the latter may carry an unintended negative connotation. Your instructor may ask you to include such a statement in your assignment, you might even be invited to write an AI Artist’s Statement (as in the example from Sam McCready above) and receive specific instructions on how to compose it. Regardless of the name, these statements serve a vital purpose: they help you track your research and writing methodology, maintain transparency with your instructors, and reflect on your own metacognitive development. In other words, they not only clarify your process for others but also support you in understanding and deepening your own process and learning.

Because expectations vary by course and assignment, your statement should be responsive to the context, your use case, and most importantly the instructions from your instructor. In the absence of specific instructions around how to draft you AI Use Statement, consider the following guidelines:

Meaningful AI Use Statements usually include the following

1. 1. 1. 1. The AI tools utilized (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly).
        
        The specific ways these tools were employed (e.g., brainstorming, drafting, editing).
        
        The prompts or queries used, if applicable.
        
        An explanation of how you used the output in your final work
        
        (and sometimes) A reflection on how AI influenced your work.

Below are three examples of assessments you might find in the MET program and how you might approach the use statement.

Example 1: Editing a research report

I acknowledge the use of Grammarly in helping me to review my writing at the final stage of preparing my research report. I used the following prompt: "Suggest ways to improve clarity and concision. Highlight areas that need work and provide me with general advice and examples. Do not re-write any of my writing." I reviewed the feedback generated by Grammarly critically and, based on this, revised the writing using my own words and expressions. Engaging in this process made me more aware of habits in my writing that obscure my intended meaning.

Example 2: Conceptualizing a Game Design Project

I acknowledge the use of both ChatGPT and Midjourney in the conceptual development and visual prototyping stages of my game design project. I used ChatGPT to help brainstorm narrative possibilities and mechanics by prompting: “Suggest three world-building ideas for a game set in a post-human ecology where plants are sentient.” The ideas generated helped me think through alternate player motivations and informed the game's quest structure. I incorporated one specific gameplay mechanic—plant-based communication puzzles—based on ChatGPT’s output, though the implementation and coding were entirely my own. I also used Midjourney to generate moodboard images for the game’s environment and character design, using the prompt: “Lush forest city with hybrid plant-technology architecture, posthuman vibe, concept art.”

These tools helped me clarify my aesthetic and narrative direction during the early design phase. Reflecting on this process, I found that AI suggested ideas that gave me new ideas. I did not end up using the AI generated ones, but through dialogue I came up with better ideas than on my own.

Example 3: The Creation of an Online Educational Resource

I used a combination of AI tools while designing my online educational resource focused on digital safety for adult learners. I used ChatGPT to help draft initial content outlines and activity ideas, using the prompt: “Suggest interactive activities for teaching online safety to adults with low digital literacy.” I reviewed the suggestions, selected those that aligned with my learning goals, and rewrote them using plain language appropriate for my audience.

I also used Grammarly during the editing phase to review the clarity and tone of my instructional text. I prompted it to “suggest plain-language alternatives and identify overly complex phrasing,” which helped me revise content for accessibility. For visual design, I used Canva’s AI-assisted layout suggestions to format handouts and infographics efficiently, though all visual content and layout decisions were made intentionally and in alignment with UDL (Universal Design for Learning) principles.

Using these tools allowed me to work more efficiently and reflect critically on my instructional design choices. It deepened my awareness of how to scaffold learning through both language and layout, and reminded me of the importance of reviewing AI-generated outputs with my specific learners’ needs in mind.

Citation Practices

While your AI use statement is meant to describe how you've engaged with AI tools in the process of your work, citation practice is required when you directly quote or paraphrase AI-generated content. Just like with any other source, you need to follow the appropriate rules for your chosen citation style. Each style—such as APA, MLA, or Chicago—has specific guidelines for referencing AI generated content. Refer to this helpful UBC resource for information on each of the main citations styles: https://guides.library.ubc.ca/GenAI/cite.

Please note that UBC Library also has a comprehensive guide on how (and when) to cite other resources here. As always, please be sure to check with your instructor if in doubt about when to cite AI and what style to use.

Academic Integrity

It’s easy to skim over the boilerplate language about academic integrity that appears in all your MET courses. But we encourage you to pause and reflect on what these policies mean—especially as they intersect with your use of AI tools throughout your learning journey.

🔍 What Does Integrity Mean?

Integrity means acting with honesty, fairness, and responsibility—even when no one is watching.

In an academic context, academic integrity means:

- Doing your own work and giving credit where it’s due
- Acknowledging sources properly
- Avoiding plagiarism, fabrication, or misrepresentation
- Upholding shared trust in the learning environment

These expectations apply whether your work is generated entirely by you or developed in part with the assistance of generative AI tools.

A helpful resource for reviewing UBC’s policies is:

Learning Commons Academic Integrity resources.

More Resources:

University of Waterloo (2025). ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence (AI): Attribution and the AID framework. https://subjectguides.uwaterloo.ca/chatgpt_generative_ai/attribution
University of Melbourne (n.d.). Acknowledging AI tools and technologies.
https://students.unimelb.edu.au/academic-skills/resources/academic-integrity/acknowledging-AI-tools-and-technologies
Newman University (2023). AI-Generated content: Student AI disclosures. https://newmanu.libguides.com/ai-disclosure
Weaver, D. (2024). The artificial intelligence disclosure (AID) framework: An introduction. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2408.01904
UBC Faculty of Education, Learning Design & Digital Innovation (n.d.). Syllabus statement on AI. https://learningdesignviews.educ.ubc.ca/syllabus-statement-on-ai/