Terms of Reference

The purpose of this document is to outline the terms of reference for the Teaching and Learning Advisory at UBC. This committee will will explore the opportunities and challenges for generative AI tools in the teaching and learning space from the perspective of students, faculty and staff.


Purpose

This UBC-wide advisory committee will serve as a subcommittee of the UBC Generative AI Steering Committee. Members of this advisory committee will review and discuss implications and opportunities of GenAI for teaching and learning broadly, including topics such as academic integrity; curriculum, course, and assessment design; faculty, student, and staff access to and responsible use of GenAI tools for teaching and learning; and other related topics.

This will be a forum for sharing input and ideas and discussing evolving community needs for information and guidance for GenAI in teaching and learning. Considerations related to Indigenous intellectual sovereignty, equity, accessibility, privacy and personal information, and copyright and intellectual property will be a significant focus.

The committee will contribute to the development of guidelines and/or principles for responsible use of GenAI in teaching and learning, including leveraging opportunities as well as mitigating risks. This committee will also provide input on approaches for advice and communications for faculty, students, and staff about the use of GenAI when engaging in teaching and learning activities.


Scope

The scope for this committee includes undergraduate and graduate teaching and learning in courses, as well as use of GenAI in theses, dissertations, and comprehensive exams. The guidelines created may also apply to other teaching and learning contexts, including non-credit courses and programs, professional development workshops, practicums, co-op or other work-integrated learning, though these will not be the main focus of the committee’s discussions. The use of GenAI in research activities is out of scope for this group, except where this is taught as part of the content of courses.

This committee is expected to be in place from October 2023-June 2024. Discussions of how to continue to evolve the advice, principles, and guidelines after that will form part of the committee’s work as well.


Objectives / Output

This committee will generate guidelines and advice for faculty, students (undergraduate & graduate, including TAs), and staff engaging in teaching and learning activities within the committee’s scope noted above, including:

  • Opportunities it can provide for enhancing teaching and learning and preparing students for future careers.
  • Opportunities and challenges related to use of GenAI to enhance learning, including use by students as permitted within the framework of their courses and programs.
  • Strategies to address the evolving impacts of GenAI tools on academic integrity and academic misconduct, including strategies to address these impacts.
  • Indigenous considerations related to the use of GenAI, including Indigenous intellectual sovereignty, following protocols for Indigenous knowledges, avoiding harms from sharing biased or otherwise false information about Indigenous communities, cultures, knowledges, and histories.
  • Ethical and legal considerations related to the use of GenAI tools, including:
    • Equity, anti-racism, inclusion and bias
    • Equitable access
    • Privacy, personal information, and confidential information
    • Copyright and attribution

The committee will also provide input on approaches for advice, guidelines, and communications for faculty, students, and staff about the use of GenAI in teaching and learning, including opportunities it can provide for enhancing teaching and learning and preparing students for future careers.