The Alternate Universes of AI & Teaching

[RatGuy]

I 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]

I 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.

[spork]

[...]

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.

[spork]

[duplicate post deleted]

[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 . . .

[spork]

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 . . .

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.

[fishbrains]

Yeah, there's always some angle for cheaters.

[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.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

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.

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."

[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

[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).

[spork]

Cheating is now the norm: https://www.chronicle.com/article/cheating-has-become-normal.

"if the school doesn't take [cheating] seriously, the students won't either."

[namazu]

ChatGPT is putting Chegg out of business:
https://gizmodo.com/chegg-is-on-its-last-legs-after-chatgpt-sent-its-stock-down-99-2000522585


Re: penmanship: many schools teach only printing, not cursive.  Gotta leave time to use the STEAM makerspace!

[Sea_Ice]

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).

Love the reference!

Lack of penmanship and students not being in the habit of writing are major stumbling blocks to limiting use of AI.  In-class written assignments are great for all sorts of things, but it's painful to see students trying to shake the cramps out of their writing hand while looking beseechingly at you - and after a mere 5 minutes of writing!