Ask students about their AI experiences
Find out what students already do with AI, so the course builds on their actual use rather than on what you assume it is.
Recommended for: The first session of a course, before any rules or theory about AI
Procedure
- Open with questions rather than with a ban or a definition. Ask: who has used an AI chatbot? What do you use AI for in your studies? Where has it helped you? Where did it let you down? What would you still like to know about AI in higher education?
- Let students exchange answers in pairs first. Speaking to one person lowers the threshold for saying something honest.
- Collect the answers plenary, or through a live poll if the group is large.
- Say back what you heard, and keep it: this is what you have to design around.
Discussion questions
- Where do our uses of AI differ most, and why might that be?
- Which of these uses helps learning, and which replaces it?
- What would you want a teacher to say about AI at the start of a course?
Assessment opportunity
None. This is a formative opener; grading it would defeat the honesty it depends on.
Reference
- Didactische tip in voorbereiding: "Hoe begin je het gesprek met je studenten over AI?" (VU Centre for Teaching & Learning, 2026)