Most people who feel let down by AI got a vague answer because they asked a vague question. A few small changes make a large difference.
Five things that help
1. Say who it is for
AI does not know your class, your department, or your audience unless you tell it.
- Instead of this: Write a policy about late work.
- Try this: I teach first-year English. Write a short, friendly syllabus paragraph about late work. Students can turn work in up to three days late for a 10 percent penalty. Keep it under 100 words.
2. Ask for the shape you want
A table, a list, three paragraphs, one page. If you do not say, you will get whatever it picks.
3. Show it an example
One sample of what you are going for works better than a long description. Paste in something similar and say "write one like this."
4. Do not stop at the first answer
The first response is a rough draft. Tell it what is wrong and ask again.
- For example: That is too formal. Rewrite it the way I would say it out loud to a student in my office.
5. Ask it to explain itself
For anything with reasoning or numbers, ask it to show the steps. Mistakes are much easier to spot that way.
Check the facts
AI makes things up, confidently.
It will hand you a book title, an author, a page number, and a publication year that look completely real. Sometimes the book does not exist.
This happens most with citations, statistics, dates, quotes, and anything recent. Check anything you plan to rely on. For sources, use the HCC Library databases.
What AI is not good at
- Recent news and current information, unless it is searching the web and showing you links
- Math. Check the arithmetic yourself
- Citations and references. Assume they are wrong until you verify them
- Anything about HCC specifically, unless you tell it. It does not know our policies, our deadlines, or our people
- Judgment calls that depend on knowing the person or the situation
A few habits worth keeping
| Habit | Why |
|---|---|
| You make the decision | AI can help you prepare a decision. It should never be the one making it, especially about a student's standing, someone's job, or money. |
| Say when you used it | If AI did a real part of the work, say so. Students follow the instructor's syllabus. Employees follow whatever is normal for that kind of work. |
| Read it before you send it | AI writing can be bland, slightly wrong, or subtly off in tone. Make it sound like you. |
| Watch for bias | AI learns from what people have written, including unfair patterns. Look twice at anything involving people, hiring, admissions, or evaluation. |
| Keep it accessible | AI-made images used in class or online still need alt text. AI-made video still needs captions. |
If AI is not allowed in your class
Faculty decide whether AI can be used in their courses. The syllabus is the final word. Using AI when your instructor has not allowed it is treated the same as any other academic dishonesty.
If you are not sure what is allowed, ask your instructor before you use it, not after.
These guidelines follow HCC Board Policy CRB(LOCAL) 101506.