(413) You want me to use AI to write a research paper !? Teaching moments with generative AI to learn about autoimmune diseases in an Immunology course.

Introduction/Rationale: The adoption of generative AI (GAI) in higher education has the potential to transform various educational practices in learning, teaching, and assessment. GAI offers increased accessibility and personalized learning, though the potential for inaccuracies, biases, and unethical use is of major concern. To educate students about these concerns, an assignment that required the use of GAI was implemented in a face-to-face Immunology course with mostly seniors in the class.

Methods: Students chose a specific autoimmune disease from a provided list and used any GAI source to generate a paper on the disease topic. The length of the paper, format and other specifics were indicated. Student learning was assessed using a rubric, which rated students’ effective integration and evaluation of GAI-generated content against peer-reviewed research articles, to demonstrate their critical thinking and synthesis skills, among other metrics. A 16-item survey about GAI utilization, contribution to learning, and ethical concerns was administered as part of the assignment.

Results: Data (n = 25) were analyzed, and free-response answers were thematically coded. While 86.9% of respondents found the GAI-generated content to be “very good” or “excellent,” 28.1% found inaccuracies, and 68% “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that GAI should be allowed to be used as a tool to complete academic assignments. Interestingly, however, only 28.1% “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that GAI may be used for assignments if not explicitly authorized by the instructor. Inaccuracies in the information provided were reported by 34.7% of the respondents.

Conclusion: Students noted concerns about not really learning the topic well. The lack of citations in GAI responses were also noted by many students. This assignment can easily be modified for different learning preferences and course environments. Raising awareness among students and faculty about the ethical use and limitations of GAI is crucial in today’s evolving pedagogical landscape.