Generative AI in Student Writing: A Six–Level Taxonomy for Responsible Use in Higher Education Assessment

UÇAN S., DEMİREL UÇAN A.

Journal of Academic Ethics, cilt.24, sa.2, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Derleme
  • Cilt numarası: 24 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s10805-026-09739-y
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Academic Ethics
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Education Abstracts, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Philosopher's Index
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Academic integrity, Authorship and disclosure in assessment, Generative AI usage taxonomy, Student writing
  • Marmara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This conceptual paper responds to the rapid uptake of generative AI (GenAI) in higher education by proposing an ethics–aware taxonomy for student writing. It introduces the Integrated GenAI Usage Taxonomy with six levels: (1) purely human authored; (2) GenAI–assisted language editing/proofreading; (3) GenAI–assisted ideation and outlining; (4) AI–generated drafts with human revision; (5) predominantly AI–generated content curated by a human; and (6) full AI generation and orchestration. For each level, disclosure and accountability expectations are specified, and permitted uses are aligned with curricular intent. It is argued that graded, transparent use, paired with AI literacy, can harness benefits while safeguarding honesty, trust, fairness, and responsibility. The taxonomy is translated into assessment design and provides exemplar policy language for departments and institutions. Reframing debate from whether GenAI is used to how it is disclosed, delimited, and assessed, the paper offers a practical roadmap for responsible adoption.