{"id":229,"date":"2025-07-17T11:10:33","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T10:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/?p=229"},"modified":"2025-11-12T15:36:26","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T15:36:26","slug":"from-prompt-to-practice-teaching-ai-literacy-to-international-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/2025\/07\/17\/from-prompt-to-practice-teaching-ai-literacy-to-international-students\/","title":{"rendered":"From prompt to practice: Teaching GenAI literacy to international students\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/534\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-1475054812-1024x614.jpg\" alt=\"Robot hand making contact with human finger on dark blue background. \" class=\"wp-image-232\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is GenAI a friend or foe?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This was the question we posed to new tutors during our Pre-sessional* induction at the University of Southampton. It\u2019s a question that also resonates with our international students &#8211; many of whom arrive with limited awareness of UK academic norms, but growing familiarity with GenAI tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek or Grammarly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As educators, we\u2019re tasked with helping students navigate this complex space. For international students in particular, the stakes are high: misuse of GenAI, even unintentional, can lead to academic misconduct &#8211; a concept that may be entirely new. But with the right guidance, GenAI can also become a powerful tool for language development, critical thinking and academic confidence. So how do we support our international students in finding the balance?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>* The Pre-sessional programme is an English for Academic Purposes entry pathway for international students<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI as a language and literacy tool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On our Pre-sessional programmes, we frame AI not as a shortcut, but as a skill. Our\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/sotonac-my.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/g\/personal\/pjb1f11_soton_ac_uk\/EdpT2hvNIPtLk4b-4cp6OzkBWJR8uknMWXj2QHKfMEVCAw?e=Uh2bee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pre-sessional Prompt Guide<\/a><strong> <\/strong>introduces students to the PREP\/EDIT framework (Fitzpatrick et al, 2023) &#8211; a structured approach to crafting effective prompts that mirrors academic communication. Students learn to:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>PREP<\/strong>: Set a clear purpose, role, and parameters for the AI.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>EDIT<\/strong>: Evaluate, discuss, improve and test the AI\u2019s responses.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach helps students use GenAI to summarise readings, explore research questions, and reflect on their writing. Crucially, it also builds their\u202f<strong>academic English<\/strong>,\u202f<strong>digital literacy<\/strong>, and\u202f<strong>critical awareness<\/strong> &#8211; skills they\u2019ll need throughout their degree.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/534\/2025\/10\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-231\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Creating a safe space for ethical experimentation&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We have found that international students often worry about \u2018getting it wrong\u2019 with GenAI and have also expressed a need to know <strong><em>why<\/em><\/strong> they can or cannot use it for certain tasks. To address this, we provide clear, accessible <a href=\"https:\/\/sotonac-my.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/g\/personal\/pjb1f11_soton_ac_uk\/EZ--pdOYfx9EtLcuhZKOkvUBi9_mi4YG81yl4u3VGCkW0w?e=6kuhRe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GenAI Student Guidance<\/a>,&nbsp; FAQs, videos and tutor-led discussions. For example:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Students can use GenAI to generate ideas or check grammar &#8211; but not to write or translate full assignments. We explicitly link our guidance to our learning objectives and explain why they can or cannot use GenAI for a particular task.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They\u2019re encouraged to\u202f<strong>save AI conversations<\/strong>\u202fand discuss them with tutors.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We emphasise that\u202f<strong>different departments have different rules<\/strong>, and that asking questions is always encouraged.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This clarity helps students feel safe to explore GenAI tools without fear of accidental misconduct. It also reinforces the message that\u202f<strong>GenAI is a support, not a substitute<\/strong>\u202ffor their learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Training the trainers&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Supporting students starts with supporting staff and on the Pre-sessional programmes we employ approximately 200 tutors, all with varying degrees of, and attitudes towards, AI literacy. Our\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/sotonac-my.sharepoint.com\/:w:\/g\/personal\/pjb1f11_soton_ac_uk\/EUDSgCDM7RlDjsbpA7tXcJkBl9TYgIIYNaj31OJZH_14KA?e=tt95aM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PS Tutor Induction AI Task<\/a><strong> <\/strong>invites educators to use GenAI to plan and draft a Pre-sessional-style essay. They then reflect on:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What was useful?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What was misleading or problematic?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How might a student misuse this?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How could it support or hinder language development?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This hands-on approach helps tutors build empathy for students\u2019 experiences and equips them to model ethical, effective GenAI use in the classroom.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bite-sized task&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, you can sample the experiential task that we gave our tutors. The aim is to develop an understanding of how our students experience GenAI in an academic context and reflect on those ideas in relation to our own teaching.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 1 &#8211; learn&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch the <a href=\"https:\/\/southampton.cloud.panopto.eu\/Panopto\/Pages\/Viewer.aspx?id=f091c3c5-b5cc-4eba-96b0-b2db0154646e\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/southampton.cloud.panopto.eu\/Panopto\/Pages\/Viewer.aspx?id=f091c3c5-b5cc-4eba-96b0-b2db0154646ehttps:\/\/southampton.cloud.panopto.eu\/Panopto\/Pages\/Viewer.aspx?id=f091c3c5-b5cc-4eba-96b0-b2db0154646e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">short student guidance video<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"GenAI Student Guidance Pre sessional 2025 default\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bi3JNgWR5rQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AND\/OR<\/strong> explore the <a href=\"https:\/\/sotonac-my.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/g\/personal\/pjb1f11_soton_ac_uk\/EdpT2hvNIPtLk4b-4cp6OzkBWJR8uknMWXj2QHKfMEVCAw?e=bKRLD5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pre-sessional Prompt Guide<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 2 &#8211; do&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try the <a href=\"https:\/\/sotonac-my.sharepoint.com\/:w:\/g\/personal\/pjb1f11_soton_ac_uk\/EUDSgCDM7RlDjsbpA7tXcJkBl9TYgIIYNaj31OJZH_14KA?e=K0QFgd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PS Tutor Induction AI Task<\/a>: use an AI tool to create an essay (feel free to create something more appropriate to your own teaching) using prompts like:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cCan you create an outline for an essay on [topic]?\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cWhat are some academic sources I could use?\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cCan you write a 100-word introduction?\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Then reflect on the experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 3 \u2013 reflect&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What surprised you about the AI\u2019s responses?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How might your students interpret or misuse this?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How could you model ethical use in your own teaching?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8cf370e7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8cf370e7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"background-color:#caebfa\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join the conversation&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/l\/channel\/19%3Aa6bcd01693ee48e5b0402b091da0219d%40thread.tacv2\/GenAI%20Essentials%20-%20Quick%20Tips%20for%20Educators?groupId=fff5f73d-b455-4784-afa1-8fe78cfcde3a&amp;tenantId=4a5378f9-29f4-4d3e-be89-669d03ada9d8\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/l\/channel\/19%3Aa6bcd01693ee48e5b0402b091da0219d%40thread.tacv2\/GenAI%20Essentials%20-%20Quick%20Tips%20for%20Educators?groupId=fff5f73d-b455-4784-afa1-8fe78cfcde3a&amp;tenantId=4a5378f9-29f4-4d3e-be89-669d03ada9d8\">Post your thoughts on the weekly Teams post to join the conversation.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Further links&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/newteacherlibraryandtools.square.site\/uploads\/b\/e4443390-f724-11ec-9291-b5b724deb1dc\/The%20AI%20Classroom%20The%20Ultimate%20Guide%20to%20Artificial%20Intelligence%20in%20Education%20(Dan%20Fitzpatrick,%20Amanda%20Fox,%20Brad%20Weinstein)%20(Z-Library)(small).pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/aiie\/article\/1\/1\/1\/1266997\/AI-and-learning-experiences-of-international\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI and learning experiences of international students studying in the\u202fUK: an exploratory case study | Artificial Intelligence in Education | Emerald Publishing<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/384394940_Factors_affecting_university_students%27_generative_AI_literacy_Evidence_and_evaluation_in_the_UK_and_Hong_Kong_contexts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/384394940_Factors_affecting_university_students%27_generative_AI_literacy_Evidence_and_evaluation_in_the_UK_and_Hong_Kong_contexts<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sotonac.sharepoint.com\/teams\/GenAI\/Shared%20Documents\/Forms\/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fteams%2FGenAI%2FShared%20Documents%2FFinal%20Report%20%28Jan%202024%29%2Epdf&amp;parent=%2Fteams%2FGenAI%2FShared%20Documents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Generative AI working group<\/a> &#8211; information for UoS staff&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucl.ac.uk\/teaching-learning\/generative-ai-hub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Generative AI Hub | Teaching &amp; Learning &#8211; UCL \u2013 University College London<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ffe9a6\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contributor biography&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Philippa Bunch\u202fis a Senior Teaching Fellow at the Academic Centre for International Students (ACIS), University of Southampton, where she is Director of Pre-sessional Programmes &#8211; an academic entry pathway for international students which brings in between 1500-1800 (mainly postgraduate) students a year. She also teaches across the university year-round, providing in-sessional English for Academic Purposes support. As a member of the university\u2019s GenAI Working Group, she advocates for fair and inclusive support for international learners. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u00a9 2025. This work is openly licensed via<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is GenAI a friend or foe?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6063,"featured_media":232,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/534\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-1475054812-e1759313077596.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6063"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":838,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229\/revisions\/838"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/genai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}