UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new tool in Canvas lets Penn State faculty quickly set clear AI expectations for their students by adding small icons that show whether generative AI use is allowed, limited, or not permitted.
The GenAI Icons, first introduced last year, help faculty communicate to students whether and how generative AI can be used in their courses. The new tool makes it easier for faculty to add the icons through a rich content editor in their Canvas courses.
Use of the GenAI Icons is optional for faculty. An instructor guide is available on the Penn State AI website.
The GenAI Icons tool walks instructors through the decisions involved: choosing one of the permission levels — allowed, limited, or not permitted — and applying it either at the course level, throughout the syllabus, or on an assignment-by-assignment basis to match the needs of a specific project. Each icon is color-coded and paired with descriptive language that faculty can edit to fit their own policies.
"AI literacy depends on students understanding not only how to use AI, but when and where its use is appropriate,” said Crystal Ramsay, assistant vice provost of the AI Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning. “The GenAI Use Icons create a common language across courses that helps faculty set expectations and supports responsible student use."
Creating a consistent visual standard for students was one of the goals of the professionals from across the University who developed and implemented the GenAI Use Icons. The need for the icons was independently identified by instructional designers at the Commonwealth Campuses and World Campus, who drew on research from Oregon State University and the University of North Carolina in developing the approach. Penn State Smeal College of Business faculty teaching in the online MBA program offered through World Campus recognized the growing need for consistent AI messaging for students and helped drive broader adoption of the icons.
Following the initial implementation, the team identified another need: making the icons easier for faculty and staff to incorporate into their courses. That need led to the development of the new GenAI Icon tool.
Instructional designers Jana Hitchcock, from the World Campus learning design team, and Dani McCauley, from Penn State Behrend, led the creation of the GenAI Icons tool. McCauley and Carmen Strand, a now-retired World Campus instructional designer, led the design of the GenAI icons.
“Feedback from our students has long shown that learners want to know, at a glance, what is expected of them, and they want that consistency across each course they take,” said Hitchcock. “The GenAI Use Icons provide part of that consistency.”
More information is available on the Icons for Generative AI Use page of the Penn State AI website.