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Generative AI in Ghent University Education: Impact and Approach

Latest update: 30 September 2025 

Generative AI tools impact Ghent University education, the intended competencies/learning outcomes we want to foster, and the way we teach and assess. Learn how to adapt your teaching practice and how to use GenAI in the following Education Tip. 

If you are seeking more information on (generative) AI, its risks, and Ghent University's policy framework, please visit our landing page on GenAI at Ghent University: Policy and Support.

Ghent University's Policy on GenAI in Education

The easy access to AI systems forces study programme managements and lecturers to consider the implications for their intended competencies/learning outcomes, as well as for teaching and learning activities and assessment. What is more, the professional field and society at large demand that we teach our students to use GenAI tools appropriately. 

In close consultation with our Directors of Studies and/or the education support staff of our faculties, we have developed guidelines for GenAI in education.

Ghent University 

  • ... opts for the responsible use of GenAI tools in teaching practice, with a particular focus on
    o its impact on students' learning;
    o the validity of assessment;
    o ethical implications;
    o preparing students for a professional environment and a society permeated with GenAI. 
  • ... chooses to explicitly permit the responsible use of GenAI tools in the context of the Master's dissertation; 
  • ... chooses to promote responsible use of GenAI tools in other (written) assignments and only to prohibit it if such measures are feasible and necessary for assessing the competencies or learning outcomes. The latter implies that assessments will need to be carried out in a controlled environment.

Responsible GenAI use is always permitted unless a lecturer explicitly prohibits its use for (parts of) an assignment, requiring that assignment to take place in a controlled environment.  

To clarify the term responsible use, the Ghent University education policy builds on the same core values as the university-wide framework for the responsible use of AI, and translates them into the context of education:

  • accountability and independent action: As a lecturer or student, you always remain ultimately responsible for the quality, accuracy, and integrity of your study materials, assignments, and learning outcomes. AI may provide support, but it should never fully replace human judgment or the individual learning process. As a student, you are aware that relying too heavily on generative AI systems can undermine the learning process;
  • honesty and critical approach: As a lecturer or student, you always adopt a critical attitude toward AI output. You take into account the limitations of AI systems and always check for errors, inaccuracies, bias, possible plagiarism, copyright infringements, or breaches of anonymity. You are transparent about the use of (Gen)AI when asked, for example in the context of feedback;
  • privacy and confidentiality: As a lecturer or student, you respect and protect personal, privacy-sensitive, or copyright-protected data. You never upload personal or confidential information without clear permission. This also applies to copyrighted work, such as course materials or certain student assignments;
  • respectful use: As a lecturer or student, you check outputs for potential bias. You also reflect on broader societal implications, such as unequal access to AI systems and the possible training of language models on unlawfully obtained datasets;
  • careful and sustainable use: As a lecturer or student, you use AI consciously and purposefully—only when it adds value to the learning or teaching process. You avoid casual or unnecessary use;
  • exemplary behaviour: you demonstrate the core values outlined above and lead by example.

 

Impact on the Validity of Assessment   

Allowing GenAI into our teaching and assessment practices requires us to reconsider the validity of our assessments. If students are given an assignment in an uncontrolled environment, such as at home, which could easily be completed by an AI tool, then the validity of the assessment is no longer assured. It becomes impossible to determine whether the student or the AI tool completed the work. At Ghent University, we have developed a support offer for lecturers wishing to redesign take-home assignments.

 

What about the Master's Dissertation (and the Bachelor's paper)?

The impact of GenAI on these two assignments is significant. It is impossible to carry out an entire Master's dissertation in a controlled environment. This requires us to reconsider the approach as a whole. 

 

Are you a supervisor, mentor, and/or evaluator of the Master’s dissertation ? Take into account the attached special considerations for the use of GenAI in the Master’s dissertation that will apply as of the 2025–2026 academic year.

Are you looking for inspiration to organise the oral defence? Take a look at these sample questions. 

Do you have questions about the redesign of the Master’s dissertation ? Contact onderwijs@ugent.be

What about other written assignments?

The assessment of smaller assignments that students do not complete in a classroom setting will also need adjustment. Research papers are a clear example, but also consider reflection reports, programming assignments, and other similar assignments.  

Read up on how to rethink written assignments in these extensive guidelines.

Can you ban the use of GenAI for (written) assignments?

Lecturers can impose a ban on GenAI for on-campus assignments in their course units, provided that this is feasible and realistic. For homework assignments, such a ban is neither possible nor desirable to enforce. Most importantly, there is no foolproof method to determine whether students have used GenAI tools. The current detection tools are unreliable.  

In the event of unauthorised use, Article 78 of the Education and Examination Code shall apply.

 

Online Assessments: Impact?

Apart from (written) assignments conducted in uncontrolled environments, online wirtten exams also require extra vigilance. For on-campus exams, physical supervision is still highly recommended. For bring-your-own-device exams, there is no way to guarantee that students will not use GenAI: any student with basic IT skills can find alternative ways to access the internet, even if access to other websites is blocked. Holding online exams in computer classrooms using university-owned devices is a safer option thanks to NetSupport School. Online off-campus written assessments are challenging to organise and are therefore recommended only for specific target groups. 

If a student is caught red-handed using GenAI during an (online) exam while this has been explicitly banned, this must be treated as exam fraud, which warrants a disciplinary procedure.  

AI Literacy 

Education plays a vital role in developing AI literacy. Consider, for example, the ability to use AI responsibly, reflect on its use, interact with it correctly, and be aware of its risks and limitations. 

Study programmes, in other words, should include teaching and learning activities that promote and evaluate AI literacy. Since we permit the use of GenAI for Master's dissertations and other written assignments at Ghent University, we provide our students with an opportunity to learn to use these tools responsibly. Promote AI literacy across the curriculum and identify course units that support this goal.

Clearly outline to your students what you expect (and what not). As a potential learning activity, have them demonstrate how they used the tools while completing a (written) assignment. It will help you understand if they used the tools correctly. This checklist on how students may use GenAI might provide some ideas. Please note that this checklist is not a valid assessment method! 

 

Looking for inspiration to promote your students' AI literacy? Point them to the "Generative AI: From Concepts to Creation" Ufora info site, or incorporate the information in your course unit by downloading them from our course materials.   

This implementation, of course, also encourages lecturers to become familiar with AI. You do not need to become an expert, but having basic skills is useful. The faculty and university support staff organise workshops on AI literacy for lecturers. Inquire about them at your faculty. 

Looking to hone your own AI skills? Familiarise yourself with GenAI going through the "Generative AI for teachers: Concepts, Creations and Classroom Practice" Ufora info site.

An Approach to Mitigating the Impact on the Curriculum

In the 2024-2025 academic year, Programme Committees will begin assessing the impact of GenAI on programme- and course-specific competencies/learning outcomes, teaching activities, and assessments across the curriculum. They can rely on the help of our university education support staff. They also organise the support services for Programme Committees. 

In these GenAI times it will be key to:

  1. critically reflect on programme competencies and learning outcomes, identify which basic competencies and learning outcomes students must acquire without the assistance of AI, review and revise learning outcomes, teaching activities, and learning materials, and consider how the validity of assessments can be ensured;

  2. enhance digital literacy (including AI and GenAI literacy) among lecturers and students throughout the study programme. 

 

Want to Know More? 

This Education Tip is the result of consultations among Ghent University's AI experts and educationalists, and is based on information from the references below. If you have any further (support) questions, please get in touch with onderwijs@ugent.be.

What about AI in Research?

 

Sources

Adams, J., Brophy, L., Ediger, J., Herry, L. & Zumpano N. (2022). ChatGPT through an education lens. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WeORhcE2tFOjI92MEMdYZK4wdBHVFOnVzrcc6rj1Pio/mobilepresent?slide=id.ga778454a28_0_111

 

Anseel, F. (2022, 8 december) De meest onderschatte vaardigheid. De Tijd. https://www.tijd.be/opinie/column/de-meest-onderschatte-vaardigheid/10432949.html

 

Cardona, M. A., Rodríguez, R. J., & Ishmael, K. (2023). Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning Insights and Recommendations. https://tech.ed.gov

 

Clark, D. (2022) Donald Clark Plan B. http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/

 

Goethals, P. (2023, 24 januari) De grootste intellectuele hold-up uit de geschiedenis. De Standaard. https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20230123_97406419

 

Liu, D. (2023, 11 mei). Care and Connection: Assessment in the Age of AI and Analytics. JISC Connect more

 

Miller, M. (2022). Ditch that textbook. https://ditchthattextbook.com/ai/#t-1671292150912

 

Molenaar, I. (2022). “Towards hybrid human-AI learning technologies.” European Journal of Education, 00, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12527

 

Monash University “Generative AI and assessment” 21 augustus 2023  https://www.monash.edu/learning-teaching/TeachHQ/Teaching-practices/artificial-intelligence/generative-ai-and-assessment#tabs__3173682-02

 

Rubens, W. (2022) Blog over ChatGPT. https://www.te-learning.nl/blog/

 

SURF (12 januari 2023) Impact ChatGPT op onderwijs [webinar]

 

UNESCO (2023) Guidance for generative AI in education and research https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/guidance-generative-ai-education-and-research

 

Van Deyzen, B (2023) ChatGPT-verzameling bronnen. https://communities.surf.nl/ai-in-education/artikel/chatgpt-verzameling-bronnen

 

Van Gorp, S. (2023, 10 januari). Moedig studenten aan de intelligente software ChatGPT te gebruiken. De Tijd. https://www.tijd.be/opinie/algemeen/moedig-studenten-aan-chatgpt-te-gebruiken/10439226.html

 

VU Amsterdam (2022). Hoe ga je als docent om met ChatGPT? https://vu.nl/nl/medewerker/didactiek/hoe-ga-je-als-docent-om-met-chatgpt

 

Watkins, Ryan (2022). Update your course syllabus for ChatGPT.  https://medium.com/@rwatkins_7167/updating-your-course-syllabus-for-chatgpt-965f4b57b003

 

Appendix

 

UGent Practices

Last modified May 18, 2026, 2:09 p.m.