Artificial intelligence detection is poised to integrate into Mt. SAC’s Canvas platform as early as next fall, leaving many students wondering how its use might impact them.
Generative AI has become an issue for academic institutions globally. The potential of generative AI is growing, with educators growing concerned as it has put learning in jeopardy.
Mt. SAC Academic Senate Co-Chair and political science professor Raul Madrid, 38, shared his insight regarding implementing Canvas AI detection and its prospective impact on the academic landscape.
“There is no current AI detection that is embedded into Canvas,” Madrid said. “The reason why we are looking at it is because it came at the recommendation of an academic senate workgroup.”
With the increasing volume of online courses, assessments, homework, testing and implementation, AI detection is pivotal in upholding academic integrity as manual homework checks become impractical.
Adding AI detection into Canvas and other homework housing sites can allow professors and instructors to effectively analyze large amounts of data and flag anomalies and suspicious activities.
“We have begun vetting different kinds of software that can be embedded into Canvas and we are in the process of looking at what will work best, ” Madrid added.
The next obstacle to overcome would be deciding which software to integrate into Canvas.
Determining the most suitable software is tedious, requiring input not only from the academic senate, but also from external consultants who can provide insights into what would benefit the entire school community.
Regardless of the software chosen, it will affect how students and faculty use Canvas. The intention is to maintain the integrity of student learning.
“We want to be sure that when folks walk out of here that they’ve actually done the work and that they’ve learned along the way or else what’s the point of college,” Madrid said.
He acknowledged that technology has value in an academic environment but there needs to be parameters around the extent it can and should be used.
“What I want is something that works so that we’re not being punitive on students, but we’re helping them to understand the value of the technology and when and when not to use it,” Madrid said.
Uncertainty lingers regarding the estimated cost of the detection software, a pivotal factor in the decision-making process for the institution. The implementing cost for AI detection software is a factor in the decision making process and will depend on which application is selected.
Currently, professors have been encouraged to add language to their syllabi that address their rules around AI tools including what they consider cheating. A school-wide policy has yet to be put in place.
Mt. SAC has not specified when it will implement AI detection software into Canvas, but that it will notify students when the feature has been implemented. The addition could be made as soon as next fall.
