In Case You Missed It: Principles for Writing Assignments and Assessments in the Age of AI
By Nathaniel Myers, Whitney Lew James, Michelle Marvin, and Alex Ambrose
On September 13, faculty from the University Writing Program organized a workshop aimed at assisting instructors in rethinking their writing assignments in light of AI advancements. This event was a joint effort between Teaching and Learning Technologies and the Office of Academic Standards.
For those who were unable to attend, here are the key takeaways from the panel.
#1: Be transparent with students about the differences between human writing and AI-generated text.
Emphasize the value of the writing process as its own end, and underscore some of the ethical issues around bias, intellectual property, and misinformation inherent in generative AI. Help students understand why you want them to write and what’s at stake in using these tools.
#2: Design writing assignments that value both student voice and the writing process itself.
Writing assignments can’t fully mitigate against students’ potential use of generative AI, but designing assignments that value student voice and insights, and that make time for and don’t penalize students during the writing process, can encourage genuine engagement from students. Writing is challenging, and designing assignments that demonstrate interest in student perspectives and allow students to confront that challenge without risk of immediate failure can help them overcome the hurdles that incentivize more dishonest uses of generative AI.
#3: Define—and possibly rethink—your learning outcomes.
Go back to basics: define the learning outcomes for your writing assignments and be transparent with students about those outcomes. You may also consider how those outcomes might need to change now that generative AI can do some of the work. What is the cognitive work you want to ensure students undertake? What support could generative AI provide while preserving the most important learning outcomes?
Resources:
- Panel Presentation Google Slide Deck
- Panel Presentation Recording (NetID required, 1 hr., 3 min.)
Related:
- See the Launch Post on the “Teaching in the Age of AI” series for links to register for future events.
- Check out our resource on Teaching in the Age of AI.