Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) in the Age of GenAI
There has been an increasing movement encouraging greater transparency in teaching in higher education in the last few decades. Why? It is thought that by purposefully communicating essential information about instructor motivations and practices to students, they emerge as better learners and thinkers. Transparent teaching encourages instructors to “unlock their disciplinary and pedagogical codes so that all students understand [an instructor’s] expectations and aspirations for their work” (Felten and Finley, 2019, p. viii). Transparency in course design and delivery has been shown to support student development of academic confidence, sense of belonging, and metacognitive awareness of their work as learners (Winkelmes et al, 2016). Transparent teaching is also associated with increases in classroom equity, improved academic success for underserved and underrepresented students and social success in higher education (Felten & Finley, 2019; Strada-Gallup, 2018; Winkelmes et al, 2016).
Including GenAI with TILT
The emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has made clear that MORE transparency is needed in course design and development. As the use of GenAI cannot be reliably detected – and different instructors have vastly different practices around how GenAI might be used by students – clear and consistent messaging allows for all stakeholders in higher education to share expectations and aspirations for student work and learning. Educating students about the ethics of using GenAI in different disciplines for different purposes can be a part of this transparency (i.e., “GenAI use is not permitted for any reason for this assignment because the purpose of your work is to generate xx”)
One of the best-known scaffolds for transparent teaching is called the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework. The TILT framework is applied to individual assignments to provide guidance for students about instructor expectations. Traditionally, assignments using the TILT framework are set up with three sections to provide specific guidance for students: purpose of assignment, tasks to be completed, and criteria for success. With the advent of GenAI, we are suggesting the addition of a fourth section for assignments that outlines expectations for the use/non-use of GenAI. Thus, an assignment using this revised version of the TILT framework would include the following:
- Purpose of assignment: This section explains why students are being asked to complete an assignment and provides connections between the content of the assignment to a course, discipline, and/or future use of the content.
- GenAI use statement: This section includes a statement about how GenAI should/should not be used to complete the assignment, providing a rationale for this decision that allows students to understand how GenAI might help or hinder their learning, depending on the objective of the assignment. It is in this section where instructors might specify a GenAI Usage Expectation Level to further clarify expectations related to GenAI use for students.
- Tasks to be completed: This section provides specific instructions for students to follow to successfully complete an assignment.
- Criteria for success: This section outlines how a student’s work will be assessed, providing grading criteria, rubrics, or other metrics/instruments that will be used to grade assignments.
Applicaton of TILT and GenAI
An example of an assignment using the revised TILT framework is taken from a recent professional writing course at Illinois State University and is provided below:
Sample Assignment: Define a Disorder
Due February 21, 2024 by class time.
This assignment is worth 20 points and should take 1-2 hours to complete.
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to practice producing written materials that explore how professionals share information about specific communication disorders in an efficient and effective manner. You will be working to create a "disorder brief" to outline one communication disorder, then provide a very brief overview of how that disorder is assessed and treated. You will have a template (attached below) to help you format your work. You could imagine this assignment as a "one page" resource in a clinic for clients and families.
GenAI Use: This is a Level 2 assignment. The use of generative AI is acceptable for completion of this assignment, so long as YOU do the actual writing about the disorder. You can use AI to brainstorm and ask questions about your disorder, but since AI can get things wrong, make sure that you check facts and correct any inconsistencies between disciplinary sources and generative AI.
Task: Using the template available below, create a "one pager" that briefly explores a disorder of your choice that impacts communication. This can be a medical condition that isn't primarily a communication disorder (i.e., Parkinson's disease, autism) or can be a primary communication disorder (i.e., stuttering, hearing loss). Your job is to create a brief resource that outlines the basic aspects of this disorder and its connection to a human's ability to communicate. To complete this assignment, please:
- Download the assignment template (at the bottom of this assignment) and review its requirements.
- Identify a disorder you'd like to focus on.
- Use time prior to class on 2/19 and all of class time on 2/19 to draft a 1-2 page, at least 1.5 spaced, description of your disorder.
- Add to the end of assignment a statement about how you used AI to complete this work OR that you didn't use AI to complete the assignment. If you did use AI, answer the following three questions (note your AI statement can exceed the max page length, if needed):
- what platform(s) you used (e.g., ChatGPT, CoPilot)
- what prompts did you use to ask your chosen AI platform(s) for information?
- what is your overall sense of how AI helped or hindered your work on this assignment?
- Bring two printed copies of your A7 to class on 2/21 for peer review.
Criteria for Success: This assignment will be graded for content, grammar, and spelling. In terms of content, you'll be expected to accurately convey information about your disorder in a clear and effective manner that a layperson would be able to understand. Points for this assignment will be assigned as follows:
- 5 points for clarity
- 5 points for accuracy
- 5 points for speaking appropriately to your audience
- 5 points for grammar and spelling
Questions? Email the instructor or post in the Questions about Assignments discussion board in our Canvas course site.