This presentation introduces a model for student referencing of their use of AI sources in academic work. The TOPIC model - Tools, Outputs, Prompts, Iterations, Critical reflection - guides the referencing process for complex uses of generative AI tools, by specifying and rationalising the need to focus on structured specific components.

The presented work will include brief background on recent focus-group research with Irish third-level students, which suggests an urgent need for a rigorous deployable framework for students to consider and acknowledge their use of AI tools in academic assessment. The TOPIC model has been used successfully over the past year at DCU, and in linked ECIU universities outside Ireland, and provides a pedagogical value via its introduction - prompting thematic reflection and reporting on usage in addition to facilitating verification of relevant contextual use in evaluated work.

A briefing is provided on the use cases for the model, recent case studies of its utility in third level contexts, and examples of student work within it.

More on this model: https://doras.dcu.ie/30652/