Disclosing & Citing AI Use

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Why it works

As AI tools become common in how students research, write, and create, academic integrity now includes transparency about AI use: not just whether AI use is allowed (which depends on the task and your policy), but whether students are honest about when and how they used it. Teaching students to disclose and cite AI use, acknowledging what they used AI for and how, in line with expectations, builds integrity, transparency, and a realistic literacy for a world where AI is a normal tool. This requires clear expectations (what AI use is allowed for a given task, and how to disclose it), teaching the habit and norms of disclosure (describing what AI did and what the student did), and treating honest disclosure as the expected, integrity-preserving default. It parallels citing any source, adapted to AI, and prepares students for academic and professional contexts where AI transparency is increasingly expected.

The research: AI literacy; academic integrity in the AI era.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: teach honest disclosure of AI use

Teachers leave with clear AI-disclosure expectations and norms to teach.

Set clear expectations for what AI use is allowed on a task and how to disclose it.
Teach students to describe what they used AI for and what they did themselves.
Make honest disclosure the expected, integrity-preserving default.
Treat it as a form of citing sources, adapted to AI.

Honesty about how AI was usedAs AI becomes normal, integrity includes transparency: teach students to disclose and cite how they used AI. Set clear expectations, teach the habit, and make honest disclosure the default.

Facilitator notes

Set clear expectations for allowed use and disclosure.
Teach describing AI use honestly, and make disclosure the default.
Treat it like citing sources.

Allowing AI without teaching disclosure invites hidden, dishonest useIf students use AI with no expectation of disclosure, hidden and dishonest use follows. Set expectations and teach honest disclosure as the integrity-preserving default.

Adapt it

Elementary: honesty about AI help, simple disclosure.
Secondary: disclose and cite AI use, norms.
All settings: clear expectations, honest disclosure, treat like citing.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Disclosing AI Use: honesty and transparency

Integrity in the AI era: clear expectations for allowed use and disclosure, honest disclosure, treated like citing sources.

The clear expectations for allowed AI use and disclosure:
How I teach students to describe what AI did and what they did:
How I make honest disclosure the default:
How I treat it as citing sources, adapted to AI:
A disclosure norm to establish:

Make it stick

Honesty and transparency:

Teach honest disclosure of AI use.
Set clear expectations.
Bring an AI-disclosure norm to the next PLC.

Common questions

Should students disclose when they use AI?

When AI use is permitted for a task, yes, honest disclosure of when and how they used it is part of integrity and transparency. The expectation depends on your policy, but the habit of disclosure is a key new literacy.

How do students disclose or cite AI use?

By acknowledging what they used AI for and how (and what they did themselves), in the form your expectations specify. It parallels citing any source, adapted to AI. Teach the habit and the norms.

Isn't the real issue whether AI use is allowed?

That matters and depends on the task, but even when allowed, honesty about how it was used is integrity. Set clear expectations about both allowed use and disclosure, and teach transparent disclosure as the default.