Is This Cheating?

​Is this Cheating?

By Crystal Nolen

Using AI Responsibly

Word Cloud

When you hear the word "cheating," what do you think of?

What's the difference?

• Asking for an explanation.

• Asking for a starting point.

• Checking the work you have already done.
  

Using a Resource

• Copying and pasting an answer from AI or a book.

• Skipping any reading or research.

• Using AI's answer or someone else's work as your own.

• Asking AI to think FOR you or work out a problem.

• Directly asking AI for the answer.

Cheating

​Ask: If I did not have AI or my computer, would I still know this?

How do I know?

• A Crutch: Does the work for you. If you take it away, you can't "walk" (do the skill).

• A Tool: Helps you go further or faster, but you are still thinking and working.

• Good AI use: "Can you explain why I missed this problem?" (Asking for clarity after you have done the work).

• Bad AI use: "Give me the correct answer to this problem." (Looking only for an easy way to get an answer).

​Is it used as a tool/resource?

​Is it used as a crutch to do the work for me?

Multiple Select

Which of these do you think would be using AI to "cheat?"

• Using AI to generate 10 ideas for a science fair project, then picks one and does all the research themselves.

• Using AI to translate an entire English essay into Spanish to turn in for Spanish class.

• Writing a history paragraph and asking AI to "fix the grammar and make it sound more professional."

• Taking a photo of a math problem and asking the AI to show the steps so you can "understand it better" before writing the answer.

Poll

Read the scenario below. Decide if you think Leo is totally fine with his use of AI, cheating a little, mostly cheating, or totally cheating.
Meet Leo. It’s 8:00 PM on a Sunday. He has a 1,000-word essay due tomorrow on the Causes of the American Revolution. He knows the facts, but he’s staring at a blank screen and panicking because he doesn't know how to start.

Leo goes to an AI and types: "Give me a detailed 5-paragraph outline for an essay on the causes of the American Revolution."

The AI gives him the structure: Introduction, Stamp Act, Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts, and Conclusion. It even gives him bullet points for what to say in each section. Leo then spends two hours writing the actual sentences himself, using his textbook for the details, but following the AI's plan exactly.

• Totally Fine

• A

  Little
  Cheating

• Mostly

  Cheating

• Totally Cheating

Open Ended

Explain your thinking for your answer to Leo's scenario.

If Leo had asked, "Can you explain why the Stamp Act was a big deal so I can decide if I should include it," he’s learning. When he asks, 'Tell me what to write," his brain is not having to do any of the thinking.

Leo didn't plagiarize words, but he plagiarized the logic (thinking). When you ask AI to build a complete outline, you’re letting the AI do a big part of the work for you. The essay had more of AI's information than Leo's own thoughts.

The "answer" is...

What do you think?

The fix is...

Poll

Is this using AI to "cheat?"

Sam is tired and has a soccer game in an hour. He takes a photo of his chemistry worksheet and tells the AI, "Solve these 5 problems and show all the work so I can copy it into my notebook." The AI provides the step by step work and the final answers. Sam carefully hand-writes everything the AI produced into his own notebook so it looks like he did the work himself. He doesn't look at the numbers: he just copies them.

• Yes, that is cheating!

• No, that is not cheating!

Poll

Is this using AI to "cheat?"

Sam finishes all his chemistry problems on his own. Before turning them in, he scans his page and asks the AI, "Check my work for any math errors."

The AI points out that in problem #3, he multiplied when he should have divided. Sam sees the mistake, understands why he was wrong, and fixes the answer before submitting his homework.

• Yes, this is cheating!

• No, this is not cheating!

Remember....

​Teacher’s Rules

​Protect Your Data

​Ask for Help

​Always follow your teacher’s directions and expectations when using AI on an assignment.

​Never put anything personal (address, phone number, etc.) into any AI tool.

​It is ok to ask for help, like we ask a friend to check our work. It is not ok to use AI to give us the answers without thinking.