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COMPASS Reflection Tool: Supporting Decision Making About GenAI

Writer: Mariel Miller
Mariel Miller
27 minutes ago
2 min read

Recently, I had the pleasure of sharing COMPASS, a reflection tool I created with colleagues Lucinda Brown and Aidan Hodson, at OTESSA this year. While we originally created it as a simple document - we have also now made our prototype available as web app: https://compass-reflection.netlify.app/


As generative AI becomes increasingly embedded in post-secondary education, one of the key challenges is moving beyond simple rules about whether AI use is “allowed” or “not allowed.” Students need guidance that helps them make thoughtful decisions about when GenAI supports learning, when it may undermine it, and what responsible use looks like in a particular course or assessment.COMPASS is designed to help instructors provide that guidance.


Specifically, drawing on theories of self-, co-, and socially shared regulation of learning, COMPASS is designed to support instructors in reflecting on the learning conditions surrounding GenAI use. It organizes reflection across seven areas informed by key aspects of GenAI literacy, including cognitive engagement, motivation and emotion, ethical use, accuracy and evidence quality, skill development and transfer, ownership and permissions, and social relationships and support.


By positioning instructors as co-regulators of students’ GenAI decision-making, the tool is intended to support learner agency, ethical judgment, meaningful engagement, and the development of skills that extend beyond a single assignment. I’m also grateful for the thoughtful feedback that has shaped further development of the tool since OTESSA. In particular, Stephen Downes raised an important point: focusing primarily on what students should not do is less helpful than providing more guidance that also supports productive and appropriate uses of GenAI. That feedback helped strengthen COMPASS as a tool not simply for identifying risks, but for supporting more nuanced reflection about how GenAI can be used in ways that contribute to learning as well.


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