Oxford

AI Competency Centre / Getting started with AI for students

• 发布单位Publishing unit University of Oxford
• 官方来源Official source https://oerc.ox.ac.uk/ai-centre/ai-guides/getting-started-with-ai-for-students

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Getting started with AI for students

Note:

Students must refer to the University’s

Guidance on safe and responsible use of GenAI tools for study. You should always follow the advice and guidance of your tutors and/or supervisors, and consult your department or faculty in relation to ethical use.

The role of generative AI in learning

Generative AI can be used in variety of ways to support learning. These include:^{分级许可Tiered scale}

Supporting cognition:

For example, by helping break down complex concepts or materials or making visual or audio versions of materials.

Supporting organisation:

For example, by organising notes or creating actionable learning plans.

Supporting skills practice:

For example, by creating supporting tools such as custom bots to assist with practice activities.

What you should know about generative AI before starting

Before you start, make sure you:

Understand the general strengths and limitations of generative AI tools

Get to know the specific tool you are using

Consider whether using generative AI is causing you to bypass rather than augment your learning^{学习理由Learning rationale}

Important:

Generative AI tools are unlike traditional software. You are not just learning the features and interface but also a whole new mode of interaction. Make sure you spend enough time learning about how they work before you start relying on them.

The outputs they produce may contain critical errors, so build in processes for reviewing them critically and checking their accuracy.

Policy and guidance

The University of Oxford supports the responsible use of generative AI to enhance learning while maintaining academic standards. Clear policies ensure AI tools support rather than undermine educational goals.

Students must understand and follow the guidance on safe and responsible use of GenAI tools

. Each course and assessment may have different requirements. Always check the specific guidelines provided by your tutors, supervisors, department or faculty, and in your course handbook.^{课程规则优先Instructor override}

Key principles include:

Transparency about any AI use in academic work

Following

AI use in summative assessment policies without exception

Maintaining academic integrity and personal accountability^{违规定性Integrity framing}

Developing authentic understanding alongside AI assistance

When using AI tools with University data, always follow information security guidelines and use only approved platforms when working with confidential or sensitive information.

Capabilities and limitations

Critical limitations

Large Language Models (LLMs) have limitations that should always be kept in mind if you are using them to support learning. For example, LLMs do not:

Give exactly the same response every time

Always provide reliable facts, figures or quotations

Perform reliable calculations on numbers

Report accurately on their internal processes

Remember, anything generated by AI must be treated as a first draft to be checked or a hypothesis to be tested. Never assume that because AI performs well on one task, it will work equally well on a task that seems very similar.

Hallucination risk:

AI tools generate plausible text that often includes accurate information but can also contain complete fabrications. This is particularly common with:

Numbers, dates, and statistics

References and quotations

Specific facts about people

Claims about what the AI has generated itself

Academic citations and page numbers

Privacy considerations:

Be cautious about information shared with AI tools. Always:

Check privacy policies and opt-out options

Use University-approved tools for work or study related activity

Avoid sharing any personal or confidential research data with non-approved AI platforms^{数据与隐私Data & privacy}

Remember that free versions you access without your University SSO ( abcd1234@ox.ac.uk

) may use your data for training AI models.

Verification and iteration:

Don't accept the first result; iterate and ask for improvements.

Don't assume that one experience is enough to understand how AI works.

Don't expect to be able to predict quality of the response based on the last time you tried something similar.

If a conversation goes off the rails, abandon it and start over in a new one.

Treat everything you get from AI as a first draft or a hypothesis to be tested.

Never trust an AI tool when it tells you about how it achieved a result.

Always check any number, quote, name or date generated by AI.

Many AI tools such as ChatGPT now include ‘search’ functions. Don’t assume that the search results are comprehensive, or that everything on the retrieved pages is accurately quoted or includes the necessary context.

Do not assume that internet search results are the best sources of information on a particular subject.

Understanding hallucination

The only thing generative AI does is produce plausible text. This often includes accurate information but it can just as easily be completely fictitious. This is called hallucination.

AI tools can hallucinate anything at any time in an extremely plausible way. Hallucinated text is often mixed with perfectly accurate information. Common hallucinations include:

Numbers, facts and figures

References and exact quotes

Suggestions about what the AI itself did

Tips for getting started

Begin with low-stakes practice

: Use AI for note organisation or study planning before applying it to assessed work.

Document your process

: Keep records of prompts and interactions, especially when AI contributes to assessed work.^{过程留证Process evidence}

The key to successful AI use in learning lies not in replacing your own understanding, but in enhancing your ability to engage with complex materials while demonstrating academic integrity and developing critical thinking skills.

University-supported platforms

These tools can be accessed securely using your SSO email ( abcd1234@ox.ac.uk

) to log in. These are the only tools which have been approved for use with University data.

ChatGPT Edu

: The University's version of ChatGPT with data protection.^{机构工具Institutional tools} Features include voice interaction, canvas for live text collaboration, and Study Mode for exploring academic concepts. You can create custom GPTs for specific learning tasks or subjects.

Google Gemini

: Google’s chatbot, powered by Google’s Gemini language models. The University-supported account you can access with your SSO ( abcd1234@ox.ac.uk

) has equivalent features to the free/public version but offers enhanced data security. You may want to explore using this for summarising videos or creating applets.

Gemini Notebook:

Google’s notebook, powered by Gemini models. You can log into this with your SSO ( abcd1234@ox.ac.uk

) to collect multiple documents, make your own notes about them, or combine those with AI-generated insights. Where appropriate, you could also explore using them to create study aids such as mind maps, flashcards, quizzes, and even audio podcasts or video summaries.

Microsoft Copilot Chat

: Microsoft’s standalone chatbot, powered by GPT models from OpenAI, is a limited alternative to ChatGPT, offered for free by Microsoft. You should login with your SSO ( abcd1234@ox.ac.uk

) for enhanced data security. Note: The free version of Copilot Chat does not offer integration with Microsoft Office apps.

Note:

Make sure you are familiar with the possible limitations of Large Language Models (LLMs) before considering using them in your studies. You should always follow the advice and guidance of your tutors and/or supervisors, and consult your department or faculty in relation to ethical use.

Important caveats:

AI may subtly change meaning when rephrasing

Not all suggestions will be appropriate for your context

Always maintain your own voice and understanding

Never present AI-generated text as your own work^{摘录Excerpt}

Responsible use principles

Core academic integrity

Never present AI work as your own

: Any use of AI must be properly acknowledged according to your course requirements.^{披露要求Disclosure} This includes paraphrased content, structural suggestions, and generated examples.

Follow assessment guidelines

: Always check and strictly follow the AI use policy for each assignment. When in doubt, ask your tutor or lecturer for clarification.^{默认规则Default rule}

Maintain accountability

: You remain fully responsible for any work submitted, including any errors or inaccuracies from AI assistance.^{核实责任Verification duty}

Subject-specific resources

: Many departments offer discipline-specific guidance on using AI. Appropriate use of AI varies in different departments and on different courses. Check your department's website for advice and if you are an Oxford student, ask your tutor or supervisor about available resources.