Use Within Lessons

We encourage manuscripts that use AI as a tool for learners and/or teachers during instructional episodes. We hope authors will document these uses and reflect on their effectiveness as part of manuscript preparation.

Use for Manuscript Preparation

The JTILT editorial team expects manuscripts (and the lesson ideas they document) to be original works of the listed authors. Original work means that the ideas, procedures, and reflections are generated by those authors—who retain the copyright for their work but grant the journal and its subsidiaries permission to retain, use, copy, distribute, and display the work. Because generative AI platforms cannot guarantee the originality of work, cannot be granted copyright, and cannot grant permissions for use, they cannot be assigned authorship and should not be used to generate substantive content—including, but not limited to, writing or drafting substantive portions of the sections required in JTILT articles.

However, AI can be used as a tool to facilitate manuscript development. Just as editors review spelling and grammar, argument structure, and/or style formatting without earning authorship, authors may use AI to improve manuscript readability (i.e., to improve upon author-first writing) when:

1. The ideas and procedures expressed are first developed by the authors.
2. Only modest revisions to author-originated work are made by AI tools.
3. Revisions by AI are verified for copyright adherence, accuracy of thought, and actual implementation.

When AI is used for these purposes, authors should note the role and extent of its use within the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript or wherever acknowledgement would make the use most clear. In this manner, AI may also be used to translate author-developed materials, alter reading levels of author-developed materials, and prepare author-developed derivative works (e.g., written, audio, audiovisual).

Use for Lesson Preparation

Additional discretion and transparency are needed when AI is used to write assessments, rubrics, and other lesson requirements (i.e., AI-first writing). If minimal author-guidance was given regarding the ideas and/or procedures developed with AI (e.g., “let’s see what AI suggests regarding this topic”) then the JTILT team is not interested in resulting works; AI cannot be a primary author of manuscript sections. However, if substantial author ideas and procedures were leveraged to prompt AI to draft learning materials that were further refined by the authors, the AI use may be acceptable. For example, if authors developed learning objectives and assessments, used these resources to prompt AI to generate an assessment rubric, then authors examined/expounded the rubric to further align with desired outcomes, then the JTILT team remains interested in the work because:

1. The ideas and procedures were first developed by the authors.
2. AI was used to draft materials from developed ideas and procedures.
3. Drafted materials were further refined by the authors.
4. AI generated content did not impersonate, replace, or pass for author ideas, reflections, or decisions.

In this manner, AI may be used to draft materials that are revised or transformed through revision.

When AI is used for these purposes, authors must describe the role AI played in prompting and drafting materials and how these materials were reviewed and revised. It should be clear in the resources provided for manuscript submission where and to what extent AI was used to help draft content. Acknowledgement should appear within the manuscript sections where these tools were used. It should also appear in the acknowledgements section near the end of the manuscript.    

Use for Image Generation

AI generated images can be problematic from a copyright perspective because AI may copy parts of the works they were trained on. Generally, authors should refrain from using AI-generated images in manuscripts. Sites like Pixabay, Pexels, UnSplash, and pxhere provide non-AI generated images that may be freely used (with attribution for journal purposes). If AI generated images play a key role in the manuscript, authors should document the AI tool used and the extent they developed the image through prompts. This information should appear close to the image in question and its approval is up to the discretion of the JTILT editorial team.  

General Exceptions for AI Use

If a lesson focuses on AI and example AI images, writings, and other materials are needed to demonstrate points in the lesson, these AI authored examples may be used. However, their purpose should be clear, and it should be clear that they were generated by AI—with appropriate acknowledgements placed by the content in question and within the Acknowledgements section.  

Use for Manuscript Peer-Review

Peer-reviewers are selected for their expertise regarding manuscript topics and journal guidelines. The JTILT editorial team expects reviewers to rely on their expertise to evaluate the quality and suitability of manuscripts for the journal. The editorial team also expects reviewers to provide their own feedback regarding content accuracy, originality, audience suitability, and so forth. Circumventing this expert review process by leveraging generative AI for these tasks is unacceptable. Reviewer feedback should be original and substantive. However, the editorial team realizes that AI may be used to provide technical feedback regarding spelling/grammar and APA formatting. If used, this feedback should not be the focus of the overall review. When AI is used for these purposes, the reviewer should check AI output for accuracy and acknowledge that it was leveraged for those purposes.