AI-generated vs. student-crafted assignments and implications for evaluating student work in nursing: an exploratory reflection
Published version of a preprint
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) is an artificial intelligence-powered language model that can generate a unique outputs, in reponse to a user's textual request. This has raised concerns related to academic integrity in nursing education as students may use the platform to generate original assignment content. Subsequently, the objective of this quality improvement project were to explore and identify effective strategies that educators can use to discern AI-generated papers from student-written submissions. METHODS: Four nursing students were requested to submit two versions a Letter to the Editor assignement; one assignment that was written by the student; the other, exclusively generated by ChatGPT-3.5. RESULTS: AI-generated assignments were typically grammatically well-written, but some of the scholarly references used were outdated, incorrectly cited, or at times completely fabricated,. Additionally, the AI-generated assignments lacked detail and depth. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing educators should possess an understanding of the capabilities of ChatGPT-like technologies to further enhance nursing students' knowledge development and to ensure academic integrity is upheld.
Integrity signals
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GenAI has documented ability to produce clinically relevant material and develop task-specific reasoning skills.
“with documented ability to produce clinically relevant material and develop task-specific reasoning skills (Metersky et al., 2024)”
From Patterns, advances, and gaps in using ChatGPT and similar technologies in nursing education: A PAGER scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as Metersky et al., 2024
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- Authors
- Metersky, K., Chandrasekaran, K., Rahman, R., Haider, M., & Al-Hamad, A.
- Affiliations
- Toronto Metropolitan University (CA)
- Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing , Toronto Metropolitan University , Toronto , ON , Canada
- Corresponding author
- Metersky, Kateryna
- Venue
- International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship
- Publisher
- Walter de Gruyter GmbH
- Published
- 2024-01-01
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 1
- ISSN
- 1548-923X (ISSN-L)
- 2194-5772
- OpenAlex
- W4403376565
- Cited by
- 10
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7
- FWCI
- 4.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Academic integrity and plagiarism
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Artificial Intelligence in Education
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Health Informatics › Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
- Keywords
- ChatGPT, AI-generated text detection, academic integrity, nursing students, student assignments, citation errors, generative AI in education, nursing education
- MeSH terms
- Artificial Intelligence, Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate, Humans, Students, Nursing, Nursing Education Research
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