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The Alternate Universes of AI & Teaching

Started by spork, July 10, 2024, 05:57:14 AM

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RatGuy

Quote from: apl68 on July 17, 2024, 06:41:10 AM
Quote from: spork on July 17, 2024, 04:35:54 AMI suppose I could base the majority of the course grade on an end-of-semester written self-assessment, a la Reed College. But I'm already seeing students turn to AI for reflective writing assignments that are supposed to be autobiographical.

You mean that even when they essentially get a chance to talk all about themselves, they let AI do it?  This really is a strange new world.  It's like they'd rather pretend to live a life than actually do so.

Post-modernism at its finest. I like to reference this scene from The Matrix when I introduce post-modernism. Students are always a little skeptical about the whole "embracing the illusion" even as they apply the latest beauty filter on their TikTok stories.

apl68

Quote from: RatGuy on July 17, 2024, 11:03:04 AM
Quote from: apl68 on July 17, 2024, 06:41:10 AM
Quote from: spork on July 17, 2024, 04:35:54 AMI suppose I could base the majority of the course grade on an end-of-semester written self-assessment, a la Reed College. But I'm already seeing students turn to AI for reflective writing assignments that are supposed to be autobiographical.

You mean that even when they essentially get a chance to talk all about themselves, they let AI do it?  This really is a strange new world.  It's like they'd rather pretend to live a life than actually do so.

Post-modernism at its finest. I like to reference this scene from The Matrix when I introduce post-modernism. Students are always a little skeptical about the whole "embracing the illusion" even as they apply the latest beauty filter on their TikTok stories.

Given the nature of our current media environment, and that various kinds of self-chosen identity have become received dogma in today's society, it's not that surprising that they have such a sense of being able to choose their own reality.
For our light affliction, which is only for a moment, works for us a far greater and eternal weight of glory.  We look not at the things we can see, but at those we can't.  For the things we can see are temporary, but those we can't see are eternal.

spork

Quote from: fishbrains on July 13, 2024, 07:49:02 AM[...]

I now place much more emphasis on the scaffolding side of essay assignments: topic proposal, topic development sheet, annotated bibliography (even for fairly short papers), outline, first two paragraphs, draft, peer review, revised final version. Most of this is a quick review and check-off kind of grade so it's not too burdensome.

The big trick is that will not grade an essay that hasn't met the scaffolding requirements

[...]

I'm confused about how this works. AI can propose topics, create annotated bibliographies and outlines, write intro paragraphs, and revise documents. Where I work, AI does a better job at reviewing students' writing than their human classmates, or at least > 95% of them.
It's terrible writing, used to obfuscate the fact that the authors actually have nothing to say.

spork

It's terrible writing, used to obfuscate the fact that the authors actually have nothing to say.

fishbrains

So far, it's been pretty obvious to spot. They submit an outline, and I suggest changes. Then they don't make any changes and turn in the first two paragraphs; and I suggest changes. Then I get the next few paragraphs with no changes, and on and on. And the annotated bibliography often references works the students don't have access to.

I teach freshizzles and sophomores; so even though AI might be getting more sophisticated, the students aren't. At least not yet . . .
I wish I could find a way to show people how much I love them, despite all my words and actions. ~ Maria Bamford

spork

Quote from: fishbrains on July 20, 2024, 09:20:59 AMSo far, it's been pretty obvious to spot. They submit an outline, and I suggest changes. Then they don't make any changes and turn in the first two paragraphs; and I suggest changes. Then I get the next few paragraphs with no changes, and on and on. And the annotated bibliography often references works the students don't have access to.

I teach freshizzles and sophomores; so even though AI might be getting more sophisticated, the students aren't. At least not yet . . .


They will first buy essays from other people who are using AI to write them, because they are too dumb/ignorant/lazy to write the prompts themselves.
It's terrible writing, used to obfuscate the fact that the authors actually have nothing to say.

fishbrains

Yeah, there's always some angle for cheaters.
I wish I could find a way to show people how much I love them, despite all my words and actions. ~ Maria Bamford

fishbrains

Turnitin just flagged an essay as 100% AI-generated in my summer online course. I tend to agree. Going to ask them to send screenshots of their sources. Should be interesting.
I wish I could find a way to show people how much I love them, despite all my words and actions. ~ Maria Bamford

evil_physics_witchcraft

Quote from: fishbrains on August 02, 2024, 12:38:59 PMTurnitin just flagged an essay as 100% AI-generated in my summer online course. I tend to agree. Going to ask them to send screenshots of their sources. Should be interesting.

Wow. I'd love to see their response to that.

fishbrains

Well, she sent me the copies of the sources she used in the essay. I'm a bit surprised, but it's a good thing.

I kind of feel like Dominic in the Banshees of Inisherin: "Well, I best go over there and do whatever that thing over there I was going to do was."
I wish I could find a way to show people how much I love them, despite all my words and actions. ~ Maria Bamford

spork

In today's Chronicle so behind a soft paywall, but you probably have access via your university's library subscription, or just sign up for a free account:

 AI and the Case for Project-Based Teaching
It's terrible writing, used to obfuscate the fact that the authors actually have nothing to say.

spork

Is penmanship still taught in elementary schools? If so, what grades? I came of age before keyboards were ubiquitous and everything was hand-written, except in 10th grade typing class -- which turned out to be the most useful class I took in high school.

I think AI is to memorization as typing is to penmanship (old folks like me will get the coded SAT reference).
It's terrible writing, used to obfuscate the fact that the authors actually have nothing to say.