Generative AI in Teaching

• The use of generative AI tools in courses and exams depends on the specific learning objectives.
• In student work (e.g., term papers or theses) and other assessments, the use of AI tools is allowed if you (or the examination committee) explicitly approves them as tools.
• The decision-making guide can help you define when the use of AI tools should be allowed as aids in respective exams or when it may be advisable to discourage their use.
• Please note that the use of generative AI tools is voluntary for students unless the assignment explicitly requires engagement with generative AI tools.

Since 10/2024, HWR Berlin has offered the HAWKI service, which provides a data protection-compliant access to the text generator ChatGPT via the HWR user account.

If you would like to use other AI tools in your teaching and for your lesson preparation, please be aware that personal data may be processed. Preferably use data protection-compliant AI services from Germany or the EU.

Please note that students cannot be required by teaching staff to use or register for external AI services as part of courses and assessments. Further information can be found in the Data Protection Information Sheet (3/25).

Additionally, for all AI tools, it is important to consider the following:

• Confidential information should not be shared.
• Copyrighted information should not be entered into generative AI.
• Texts generated by generative AI tools may contain incorrect data or references and should therefore be carefully reviewed. AI tools are often not based on a scientific foundation.

AI tools in the university context:

• AI tools in the context of academic reading and writing processes.

If you allow your students to use generative AI tools in their work (e.g., term papers, theses), they should make their use of AI transparent in their submissions. It is recommended that this be done considering the following apects: 

• AI usage in Declaration of Authorship
• Documentation through an AI directory (possibly including the chat history or prompts)
• Citing (if AI should be documented as source)

At HWR Berlin, there is a phrasing guide offering various options for these aspects. Ensure that the correct indication is agreed upon with your students. Possibilities of AI documentation has been made available to students on the following page.

Additionally, recommend that your students save their chat history (questions/inputs/prompts and responses) outside of the AI application. Depending on the subject, you may decide whether this documentation is mandatory and should be attached to their work.

If you want to allow specific AI/IT tools as aids that do not need to be referenced by the students, you can provide them with a whitelist (see the FAQ topic “Whitelist”).

A whitelist is a list of tools that students are allowed to use without having to explicitly reference their use. These tools may also include AI functionalities. At HWR Berlin, there is no university-wide list. You can decide whether you want to provide such a list to your students.

An example of a whitelist with tools that contain AI functionalities:  

• Word spelling/grammar check
• DeepL Translator (not DeepL Write)
• Duden Mentor

To help you get started with the topic of generative AI, we have compiled a selection of links. There, you will also find materials that specifically address generative AI in teaching.

Additionally, of interest: Once a month, KI-Campus offers Tool-Tip-Tuesday (on the 2nd Tuesday of the month) for those interested, where new AI tools are introduced.

Furthermore, at HWR Berlin, we regularly offer workshops and consultations (see contacts) to support you in implementing generative AI in teaching.