Using AI tools for reflective practice

Generative AI can be a powerful assistant to help you make sense of your student feedback. To support your growth, the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) has developed a custom AI assistant or "Gem" using Google Gemini to help you interpret your Student Perspectives on Teaching (SPOT) results. 

The SPOT reflection tool supports your reflection by identifying key themes, recognizing strengths, and surface areas for consideration. It also prompts questions to guide your reflection, helping you to turn SPOT feedback into clear insights and a structured plan for your next semester.

Strategies

Choosing your approach

  1. To ease in (pre-review): Use the Gem before reading your report to get a neutral overview of the feedback. This is a helpful option if you feel overwhelmed by the raw data.
  2. To deepen insight (post-review): Use the Gem after reading your results to help identify subtle themes and further your reflections. 

Generative AI can sometimes misinterpret nuance or "hallucinate" facts. Always critically compare the AI summary against your original report. The Gem is a tool to support, not replace, your own authentic engagement with student feedback.

How to use the Gem

Access the SPOT reflection tool in the U of A’s secure environment. Your data remains private and protected. 

Access the SPOT Reflection Tool Gem 

  1. Tell the Gem, “I’m ready to reflect!”
  2. Follow the instructions: provide your role, years of experience, and purpose of reflection.
  3. Upload your SPOT results and course syllabus.
  4. Review the generated summary of strengths and areas for growth.
  5. Use the 3-5 targeted questions provided to plan actionable steps for your next term.

Privacy and data safety

The Gemini app is a core Google Workspace service supported by Information Services and Technology (IST) and included under the University of Alberta’s agreement with Google. This means:

  • Interactions stay within the U of A’s Google environment.
  • Your data is not reviewed by humans.
  • Your data is not used to improve Google's generative AI models.

SPOT data is considered standard administrative information and is safe to use with this tool. As a general rule, never submit extremely sensitive personal information such as identifiable health care information or social insurance numbers. For more information, please visit the University of Alberta’s Artificial Intelligence Data Safety Guidelines.

Putting it into practice

To help you integrate these strategies, consider these reflective questions:

  • How could you integrate this tool into your usual process for reflecting on the previous semester and planning adjustments for the upcoming one?
  • Which of the themes identified by the SPOT Reflective Tool aligns most closely with your personal goals for teaching improvement this year?
  • What is one concrete change you can make to your syllabus based on the “areas for growth” the Gem identified? 

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