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GenAI basics

Why use genAI to help you learn?

genAI has the power to enhance your learning experience, from the way you find and evaluate information, to your writing approach, and the learning strategies you apply. Used responsibly and ethically, it has the capacity to boost your study skills, improve the way you learn and prepare you for the future of work.

Ways genAI tools can help you study

There are a wide range of ways that genAI tools can help you when studying at university. Click on the plus (+) icons below to explore different applications of genAI in your studies.

 

Activity overview

This interactive image hotspot provides some examples on how genAI tools can help you when studying at university. Hotspots are displayed as plus (+) icons that can be clicked, to present the information.

Hotspot 1: Planning

  • to summarise information on a topic to help you get started
  • provide creative inspiration or suggestions that you can build on
  • to develop a schedule to manage your study time.

Hotspot 2: Writing

  • enhance your written communication skills by refining your grammar and sentence construction
  • translate text into other languages
  • draft and brainstorm ideas.

Hotspot 3: Revision

  • to revise for assessments by making word puzzles, flash cards, quizzes, help sheets and other revision aids to prepare
  • to explain complex concepts to increase your understanding
  • to improve code quality and efficiency by simplifying coding language and identifying and fixing bugs.

Hotspot 4: Creation

  • create content such as images and music for presentations or videos
  • develop code to increase productivity and automate repetitive tasks.

Think critically when using genAI

Utilising genAI tools can be helpful, but the output can be inaccurate or even incorrect. Often the responses can be misleading, out of date, biased or completely made up.

The ability to critically evaluate the output from genAI tools is a crucial skill. As a Deakin student, you have a responsibility to evaluate and verify the responses you get from genAI tools, and not rely solely on the generated responses.

Click on the plus (+) icons below to learn more about critically evaluating information generated by AI.

Question the training data

It’s important to keep in mind that the information generated by AI is based on the data it was trained on. Whilst these datasets are often vast and diverse they can also provide inaccurate information. Therefore, you need to be cautious and evaluate the genAI outputs using your critical thinking skills. This process should include cross-verifying the information and forming your own informed perspective.

Ask yourself:

  • When was the program last updated? How current is the data?  
  • Does the output include all the relevant data for your needs?

Appraise AI tools

It is good practice to consider the purpose of any genAI tools you are using. This means thinking critically about its limitations, why you’re using it and how it can help you. This is also important when it comes to the prompts you create.  You need to carefully evaluate your prompts and consider how they might affect the accuracy and relevance of the output. By continuing to test and adapt your prompts you can improve the quality of the responses you get.
 

Note

You will learn more about genAI limitations and prompt writing in Modules 2 and 3.

Factcheck the information generated

genAI is prone to making up facts, commonly referred to as hallucinations (learn more). This can include inaccurate or even fabricated references; therefore, it is crucial to critically evaluate AI-generated information and verify the facts by cross-referencing with reliable sources. Remember that just because it sounds authoritative, doesn't mean it is correct.

Explore this Guardian article that demonstrates the real-world implications when a group of accounting academics rely on the Google Bard AI tool in a submission to Parliament.

Ask yourself:

  • What sources, if any, are cited?
  • How accurate and relevant are those sources?
  • Can I find the original sources via the Library search?

Identify and address biases

You need to be wary of biases in the genAI tools you are using and apply your critical thinking skills to analyse the responses. Consider the below questions:

  • Is the language extreme or persuasive?
  • Does the argument appeal more to emotions rather than to logic?
  • Is the information oversimplified or generalised?
  • Have alternative points of view been presented objectively? Both sides of the argument represented fairly? Or is the information heavily one-sided?

When writing prompts try to use a neutral tone to avoid introducing bias or leading the genAI tool towards a specific response.

Check out the article Ageism, sexism, classism and more which discusses 7 examples of bias in AI-generated images to learn how bias occurs and what it can look like in genAI imagery.

Ask yourself:

  • Does the output reinforce stereotypes?
  • Does the wording create positive or negative impressions?

Critical thinking at every stage

By applying your critical thinking skills when using generative AI tools you can improve the responses, identify inaccurate information and bias, and adapt the content to make it your own.

Read the information below and drag and drop the corresponding words into the blank spaces to complete the paragraph.

 


Remember and reflect

Key takeaway

genAI can alleviate some of the cognitive load, but should never replace critical thinking and engagement with information.

Consider

Remember AI tools have no grasp on fact or accuracy. Think about how you will apply your critical thinking skills whilst using genAI.