Microsoft Copilot: Guidance for Instructors

This guidance was developed by Teaching Support, a collaborative network of support connecting those who teach to resources across the UofM system. 

What is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is a conversational chat interface designed to enhance productivity and creativity. Using advanced AI, Copilot assists users with generating content, coding, drafting emails, summarizing information, and creating alt text for images.

On this page:

What are the technical things you need to know?

  • UMN faculty, staff, and students have access to Copilot with enterprise data protection.

    • Log into Copilot with your UMN username and password to access enterprise data protection. When you are logged into Copilot with enterprise data protection, you will see an outline of a shield. 

      outline of a shield highlighted in yellow with an arrow pointing to it
  • Using Copilot with enterprise data protection means that both your data and the University’s data are protected in the following ways:
    • Prompts and responses aren't saved
    • Microsoft has no eyes-on access
    • Chat data isn't used to train the underlying large language models
  • As of October 1, 2024, users are no longer able to upload files, including images, pdfs, documents, etc., to Copilot. This is due to the way Microsoft is being leveraged at the University. If you attempt to upload files, you'll receive the following message: "An error occurred when uploading your file. Please try again." Repeated attempts deliver the same message.
  • Copilot can be used with any web browser. The Microsoft Edge browser allows you to access Copilot from the side bar and has enhanced features, such as summarizing webpages and composing/revising email messages.

What are the guidelines and ethics in using Microsoft Copilot?

Though there are institutional safeguards in place, it is each person’s responsibility to understand the benefits and risks of using any generative AI tool (such as Copilot). Here are a few resources that can assist you in understanding the benefits and risks:

  • The UMN appropriate use of generative AI tools resource provides examples of data/information that should and should not be used in generative AI tools.
  • Be aware of the ethical concerns of generative AI, such as biased output, hallucinations (false or misleading information presented as fact) and misinformation. Review the AI Ethics & Efficacy presentation by Cody Hennesey, University Libraries to gain a deeper understanding of these issues.
  • If you use Microsoft Copilot to help design your course or create activities, consider letting students know you used it.
  • If you expect your students to use Microsoft Copilot as part of your class, include that information in your syllabus or course introductions.

How might you use Microsoft Copilot in your teaching? 

Use Copilot with enterprise data protection as a starting point to draft teaching materials. 

After you have entered content into Copilot and received output, the next steps would be to: 

  • Review the output; avoid copy-pasting what Copilot generates without scrutiny. AI-generated content may be biased, inaccurate, or misleading.
  • Always verify for accuracy. For example, check sources and citations provided in the output.
  • Modify and make changes as needed.

There are several ways Copilot can assist in course design and teaching. You can use it to:

  • Draft course outlines
    • Create course content outlines to develop a structured roadmap for course content quickly. The AI Prompting Guide for Online Course Design provides elements of a prompt and demonstrates how to set the prompt context when using a generative AI platform.
  • Chunk content
    • Break down complex topics into bite-sized, engaging modules. This caters to shorter attention spans and makes it ideal for busy learners or introducing new concepts. 
    • Example: Input your longer-form content into Copilot with enterprise data protection. The tool can identify key information and learning objectives within your existing content. The output, a series of concise and focused modules, saves time and improves knowledge retention for learners.
  • Generate assessment questions 
    • Design diverse, comprehensive, personalized assessment activities for students, including quizzes, surveys, and study guides directly from existing course documents, textbooks, or notes. Automated quiz creation provides content for instructors to review and determine how, if at all, it aligns with the course learning objectives and assessment plan. Refer to the following resources for more information:
    • Example: Enter a prompt into Copilot with enterprise data protection specifying a learning topic, concept or task to be assessed, number and types of questions (MC, T/F, Fill-in-the-blank, Short Answer, Essay), and levels of difficulty. Copilot will generate a draft of questions for your review and approval.
      • While Copilot can help as a test and quiz builder with advanced subjects, reviewing the assessment questions for accuracy is paramount.
  • Generate case studies or scenarios for students to analyze
    • Draft application activities for students to practice critical thinking skills based on specific course content, concept or situation for various subjects. 
    • Example: Enter a prompt, including the description of a specific situation to be compared and analyzed, the context, and the target audience. Copilot will instantly generate a draft of the case study for your review. Always curate and contextualize the information/data sources and check any outputs for accuracy and relevance.
  • Act as a research assistant
    • Understand and navigate content more effectively by using gen AI tools to summarize articles, gather information, and support research projects. See How to Train GenAI to Work as Your Personal Research Assistant. 
    • Example: Highlight unfamiliar terms or acronyms, and Copilot will instantly provide explanations. Ask follow-up questions to deepen your understanding.

Additional Resources

Copilot interface showing the commercial data protection green check mark icon

Intended Audiences

Instructors