Several software companies, such as Zoom, now offer AI-generated summaries of synchronous meetings. With thoughtful implementation, these tools can support teaching and learning in higher education settings. This article outlines potential uses and practical guidance for instructors interested in integrating AI summaries in their courses.

• Experiment first: AI summaries vary in their accuracy and usefulness. Try using the summary features in low-stakes settings before classroom use with peers or students to test and identify limitations.
• Edit for accuracy: AI summary tools can create content categories and action items that may distort the actual meeting discussion. Meeting host(s) should review and edit summaries before distribution, especially when discussing complex topics with potential biases. Consider whether you or a TA will have time throughout the semester to edit AI summaries for accuracy.
• Communicate to students about usage: If you plan to use and share AI-generated summaries with students, include a statement in your syllabus. Note that once the summary is enabled in a class meeting, students cannot opt out, and their comments may be included in the summary.  To respect privacy, seek student consent and pause the summary during sensitive discussions.
   

• Session Review: Use AI summaries to check that you addressed the desired topics and objectives for the session. Identify any material that was left out or could use more reinforcement.
• Assessment Prep: Review summaries to verify that students got enough exposure to content needed for assessments. AI summaries can be a tool to ensure alignment between class activities, objectives, and assessments.
• Course Design Revisions: Use AI summaries as a resource for refining future course design. For example, you can identify topics that need additional scaffolding, could benefit from different sequencing, or need more practice opportunities.

• Pause for Key Moments: Summarize or emphasize key points, action items, and logistical information at various points throughout the class. Not only can this help the AI tool better capture critical takeaways and action items, but it can also help learners to consolidate information from previous portions of the class meeting.
• Keep Your Focus on Facilitation: While emphasizing critical points can enhance the AI summary's accuracy, avoid placing too much focus on it during class. Instead, prioritize responding to student needs and fostering engagement. You can review and edit the summary afterward. 

• Reinforcement Strategy: AI summaries provide additional reinforcement of ideas discussed in class sessions, which may benefit students with specific learning needs. However, because summaries may omit or skew information, they should be viewed as supplements rather than substitutes for note-taking or transcripts for students with accommodations.
• Absent Students: Consider providing summaries to students who miss class for legitimate reasons, while noting they are not a full replacement for attendance. 

• Avoid Relying on Summaries for Participation Tracking: AI Summaries should not be used for reliably tracking student participation. Summaries are broad and do not provide enough information to gauge individual student participation in class sessions.  They also may misattribute contributions in hybrid settings.
• Group Work Documentation: Students working in groups outside of class on tools with AI summaries (such as Zoom) could use AI summaries to capture and reflect on  the group’s collaborative process.
• Sensitive Topics: For sensitive topics that students may not want included in the AI summary, consider using breakout rooms (if using Zoom), where there is no AI summary, or stopping the AI summary.

• Online discussions: Use summaries to extend discussion threads that came up in class and could benefit from further exploration.
• Annotation Exercises: Ask students to annotate summaries using tools like Hypothes.is or Google Docs. Tasks might include adding examples of concepts, ranking key points, or agreeing and disagreeing with specific ideas in the summary.
• Note Comparison: Have students compare their notes with the AI summary and reflect. Prompts could include: What points were lost? How did the AI  summary differ from the points you thought were important? What do you think the AI summary captured better than you did?

Overall, AI-generated summaries can be an effective supplement for teaching and learning activities but should not be viewed as a replacement for active engagement, learning, and note-taking in class sessions. If you’re interested in using AI summaries in your course, we encourage you to contact Digital Learning and Design. Email [email protected].