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| In my March 25 TTT contribution, I promised some suggestions for how to rethink assessment. If a high-stakes writing assignment can be adequately created with gen-AI, assessing that piece of writing does not provide an accurate measure of how well a student has met a set of learning goals. Instead, we need to seek additional evidence. |
Writing in the Age of AI
Regina Martin, Chair of Denison’s Writing Committee, shares resources and ideas on teaching writing in the age of AI.
Teaching: Validity Matters More than Cheating
In a CfLT-sponsored webinar on assessment and gen-AI on March 3, Leon Furze (longtime educator, education administrator, and now Ph.D. candidate working on a dissertation on AI in writing instruction) shared an academic article, “Validity Matters More than Cheating,” which argues that academic integrity needs to focus on “assessment validity” rather than “cheating.” Cheating is a question of moral integrity, whereas validity is a process by which educators ensure that students have met learning outcomes.
Teaching: Teach Students How to Make Informed AI Decisions
My approach to AI in my writing courses is primarily to teach students how to make informed decisions about when it is appropriate and inappropriate to use AI. Part of this involves helping them understand what they do and don’t learn when they use AI. To that end, I include an AI policy statement on every assignment as well as a table that identifies what students learn if they use AI for some tasks vs.
Teaching: Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) Framework
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| The Association of College & Research Libraries published an “Artificial Intelligence Disclosure” (AID) framework by Dr. Kari Weaver that you might find useful if you are asking students to disclose AI use. Here is an example for student writing:
Artificial Intelligence Tool: Microsoft Copilot (University of Waterloo institutional instance); Conceptualization: Microsoft Copilot was used to identify key motor-performance fitness tasks in the development of the research question; Information Collection: I used Microsoft Copilot to find relevant journal articles and other sources; Visualization: I used Microsoft Copilot to create a graph comparing the different motor-performance fitness tasks included in my paper; Writing—Review & Editing: I used Microsoft Copilot to help break down my paragraph-long draft sentences into clearer, shorter ones. |
Teaching: Take a moment to dwell on the positive
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| The first batch of major writing assignments will come in soon (if it hasn’t already), so I want to take a moment to dwell on the positive. In my class last semester, it was clear that only a small minority of students were misusing AI. Participants in the November Teaching Matters session on AI in writing instruction reported similar experiences. |
Teaching: To Use AI or Not to Use AI? A Student’s Burden
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Tech: Ever tried an AI sandwich?
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| During a recent AI presentation, someone asked me, “How do you use AI the most?” Without hesitation, I answered, “For writing.” Even though this was a math-focused audience, the response felt natural. My role as director of the CfLT and my growing work in AI education have shifted my focus- I’m no longer crafting mathematical arguments but writing for a broader, more general audience. |
Teaching: Syllabi and AI
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| As you finalize your syllabi, you might take a look (or another look, for those of you who have already seen this) at the resources provided by Tricia Bertram Gallant (Director of Academic Integrity at UC San Diego) during her webinar on gen-AI and academic integrity. There are resources for designing an AI-policy statement, securing assessments, rethinking learning goals, and redesigning assignments. |
Teaching: Cultivating Trust, Honesty, and Disclosure in the Age of AI
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Missed our recent Teaching Matters discussion on “Cultivating Trust, Honesty, and Disclosure in the Age of Gen AI”? We had a great turn out of folks who came together to share their ideas and experiences. Here are just some of the highlights:
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Teaching: Experimenting with AI Disclosure
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| Thursday (11/21/24) from 11:45-1:00, I am hosting a Teaching Matters session entitled “Cultivating Trust, Honesty, and Disclosure in the Age of Gen AI.” It is an opportunity to share our experiences with student-use of AI for our writing assignments and to generate ideas around helping students make better decisions about how and when to use generative AI to complete assignments. |