Copilot for Students - Cheating with AI

 

Controversy with Copilot/AI for Students - Cheating with AI

Yes, there has been some controversy and concern among educators about students potentially using AI tools like Copilot to cheat on assignments. The use of AI tools in education is a new and evolving field, and it’s important for both students and educators to navigate this responsibly and ethically. Here are some key points:

1. Use in Assignments: Some students have admitted to using AI tools like ChatGPT on assignments or exams. In some cases, students have been disciplined for using, or being accused of using, generative AI to complete classroom assignments^.
2. Concerns Among Educators: Teachers are concerned that students who rely heavily on AI tools might not develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. They also worry about the accuracy and safety of the information provided by these tools.
3. Trust Issues: The use of AI tools has made some teachers more distrustful of their students.
4. Need for Guidelines: There is a need for clear guidelines on how students can use AI tools without violating school rules². Only a small percentage of teachers have been trained on how to respond if they suspect a student used generative AI to cheat.
5. Potential for Positive Use: Despite the concerns, some educators see potential in these tools. For example, one teacher allowed a student to work with an AI tool to improve his writing and research skills.

  Tips to Prevent Cheating with Copilot:

1.        Honor Code: Establish an honor code where students pledge not to use Copilot to complete assignments that are meant to be done independently.

2.        Unique Assignments: Design assignments that are unique and cannot be easily solved by querying Copilot. This could involve applying concepts in a new way or combining multiple concepts.

3.        Understanding-Based Assessment: Focus on assessments that test understanding rather than rote memorization. For example, ask students to explain the code they wrote, how it works, and why they chose that approach.

4.        Code Reviews: Regular code reviews can help ensure that students understand the code they’ve written, even if they had assistance from Copilot.

5.        Plagiarism Detection Tools: Use plagiarism detection tools to check student’s work for similarity with known sources or other students’ work.

Remember, Copilot is a tool designed to assist and enhance learning, not to replace it. It’s important to use it responsibly and ethically. Happy learning! 😊

 

 

Introduction to Zero Trust in Copilot

 

Zero Trust Security Strategy

Before you introduce Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 or Copilot into your environment, Microsoft recommends that you build a strong foundation of security. Fortunately, guidance for a strong security foundation exists in the form of Zero Trust. The Zero Trust security strategy treats each connection and resource request as though it originated from an uncontrolled network and a bad actor. Regardless of where the request originates or what resource it accesses, Zero Trust teaches us to "never trust, always verify."

This article provides steps to apply the principles of Zero Trust security to prepare your environment for Copilot in the following ways:

 

Zero Trust principle	Definition	Met by
Verify explicitly	Always authenticate and authorize based on all available data points.	Enforce the validation of user credentials, device requirements, and app permissions and behaviors.
Use least privileged access	Limit user access with Just-In-Time and Just-Enough-Access (JIT/JEA), risk-based adaptive policies, and data protection.	Validate JEA across your organization to eliminate oversharing by ensuring that correct permissions are assigned to files, folders, Teams, and email. Use sensitivity labels and data loss prevention policies to protect data.
Assume breach	Minimize blast radius and segment access. Verify end-to-end encryption and use analytics to get visibility, drive threat detection, and improve defenses.	Use Exchange Online Protection (EOP) and Microsoft Defender XDR services to automatically prevent common attacks and to detect and respond to security incidents.

Watch the video series

https://youtu.be/LE52xoYlFvs

 

Microsoft Copilot and Document Length:
A Deep Dive

Microsoft Copilot, an AI-powered assistant, has been making waves in the tech world with its ability to assist users in a wide range of tasks. One of the key aspects that users often wonder about is the length of documents that can be provided to Copilot. In this blog post, we’ll delve into this topic and shed some light on how Copilot handles document length.

Understanding Copilot’s Capabilities

Before we dive into the specifics of document length, it’s important to understand what Copilot is capable of. Copilot is designed to assist users in a variety of tasks, from writing code and creating content to answering questions and providing information. It uses advanced AI models to understand the context of the user’s request and generate relevant and helpful responses.

Document Length and Copilot

When it comes to the length of documents that can be provided to Copilot, there isn’t a hard and fast rule. Copilot is designed to handle a wide range of document lengths, from short queries to longer pieces of text. However, it’s important to note that the effectiveness of Copilot’s responses can be influenced by the length and complexity of the document.

Shorter documents or queries often result in more focused and precise responses from Copilot. This is because the AI has less information to process and can therefore concentrate on the specific task at hand.

On the other hand, longer documents provide Copilot with more context, which can lead to more comprehensive and detailed responses. However, if a document is too long or complex, it could potentially overwhelm the AI, leading to less accurate responses.

Best Practices

When using Copilot, it’s recommended to provide clear and concise instructions or queries. If you’re working with a longer document, try breaking it down into smaller, manageable sections. This can help Copilot better understand the context and provide more accurate and helpful responses.

Remember, Copilot is a tool designed to assist you. The more effectively you can communicate your needs to the AI, the better it will be able to assist you.

Conclusion

Microsoft Copilot is a powerful tool that can handle a wide range of document lengths. By understanding how document length can impact Copilot’s responses and following best practices, users can get the most out of this innovative AI assistant. Whether you’re working on a short query or a lengthy document, Copilot is here to help make your tasks easier and more efficient.

Stay tuned for more insights and tips on how to get the most out of Microsoft Copilot!