Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Last updated - 2024-04-17 10:23:41

What is it?

AI is not new. As a field of research, it has been around for around 60 years, but as an industry has only taken off in the last decade due to the arrival of big data, cutting-edge algorithms, and low-cost computing (Tan, 2020).

AI is a type of technology that helps actual machines (like self-driving cars), and virtual machines (like Grammarly and Google Search), process information, make decisions, execute actions, learn from past actions, and make better decisions. AI has the potential to radically transform the way we live, work, and learn.

Learn about working with AI (PDF, 126 KB)

At JCU, we measure our impact by the success of our students. Preparing our students for the future of work will mean ensuring they have the skills for lifelong learning, and we acknowledge that Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools will become an embedded part of future ways of working.

Our students’ success as graduates will be underpinned by proactive educational opportunities that allow them to engage with emerging and evolving technologies, including GenAI, with an emphasis on the development of the general capabilities and skills that foster their professional expertise, critical thinking, evaluation, and intellectual curiosity. At JCU, the use of GenAI in learning, teaching, and assessment is required to be ethical, pedagogically sound, transparent, and purposeful.

→ Learn about the impacts to ethics and assessment integrity (PDF, 208 KB)

Contemporary approaches to assessment are holistic, valuing graduate attributes such as critical thinking, collaboration, communication and problem-solving skills alongside disciplinary knowledge, skills and application.

Programmatic assessment may mitigate the risk to academic integrity from inappropriate use of AI. This approach considers individual assessment items as data points that provide information on learner performance and feedback, and there is a continuum of low to high stakes decisions across the whole program (course). Decisions regarding progression are based on these cumulative data points in combination with high stakes (e.g., invigilated or otherwise resource-intensive to deliver) assessment tasks.

→ Learn about designing assessment tasks that minimise academic integrity misconduct (PDF, 100 KB)

Overview of the Alleged Academic Misconduct process:

  1. If you suspect a student has used a GenAI tool and not provided appropriate attribution that makes it transparent, the appropriate action is to refer to the Academic Misconduct Procedure.

    Any person, including staff, students, members of the University community, or the public; may refer an instance of suspected academic misconduct to the University. The allegation raises suspicion of cheating, particularly contract cheating because a third party has written the assessment item.

  2. All allegations of academic misconduct shall be treated confidentially and in the strictest privacy.

  3. The process for referring suspected academic misconduct is progressed by the Subject Coordinator.

→ Learn about the Alleged Academic Misconduct process (PDF, 102 KB)

GenAI offers a useful tool to align and refine your subject. For example, you can have a ‘chat’ with ChatGPT to generate content and test ideas about:

  • subject titles, descriptions, learning outcomes, topics, and key concepts (i.e., curriculum)

  • assessment items, marking criteria, and feedback (i.e., assessment)

  • learning activities, materials, and technologies (i.e., teaching).

→ Find out how you can use GenAI to support subject design (PDF, 69 KB)

For further information and support, contact your Associate Dean of Learning and Teaching (ADLT) or Email the Academic Design & Development (ADD) team (acaddevdesign@jcu.edu.au) with a brief description of your design request and we’ll follow up as soon as possible.


Information for students - Using Artificial Intelligence


Referencing resources -  APA 7th guidance from JCU Library on AI and FAQs on using and citing AI (multiple styles).


ChatGPT resources – Collection of articles about ChatGPT (JCU staff only). Feel free to contribute articles of interest by emailing our academic developer Sherre Roy, sherre.roy@jcu.edu.au.

Educators and site builders have access to an AI Design Assistant in LearnJCU. The tool generates:

  • Subject structure suggestions
  • Rubrics
  • Test questions
  • Question banks
  • Images
  • Assignments
  • Discussions and Journals

More detailed information on how the AI Design Assistant works in LearnJCU.

AI-generated content is intended to inspire and potentially save time and must always be checked for accuracy. Your judgment and knowledge are the most important components of developing high-quality educational content. Ensuring the quality of the learning materials is the responsibility of the Subject Coordinator. (See Charter of Responsibilities for Academic Quality: Subject Coordinator)

Anthology’s Trustworthy AI Approach governs AI-powered tools in LearnJCU. We encourage you to read and consider this information, along with Microsoft’s documentation regarding the Responsible use of AI.