Introduction

Dear Reader,

Welcome to our sixth edition of The WAC Reader, a digest of curated articles and resources focused on writing and reading instruction across the curriculum. Our theme this semester is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and academic writing. We cannot expect that the way we teach and learn will be the same in the age of AI as it was before. At present, most educators are concerned about the effects of AI on their classes. At Hostos, we take seriously the responsibility of facing the challenges presented by AI. Above all, WAC prioritizes writing as a vital process of learning. When students articulate their thoughts through written words, regardless of how polished or smooth their writing is, they deepen their understanding of the concepts we try to teach them. More than this, they practice thinking thoroughly and intensely about new information. AI cannot replace this process.

It's become increasingly clear that students will benefit from developing “AI-literacy.” The more students understand what AI really is, what it can and cannot do, the less they will be able to use it uncritically to replace their own work and thinking. This is not to say that learning about AI guarantees students will not abuse it, but they will better understand the consequences of doing so for themselves, their learning, and their society.

Finally, we believe that AI can, if used properly, serve and augment the learning process. AI that is used consciously, critically, and selectively is a tool like any other. Like the printing press, the typewriter, the internet, and even the technology of writing itself, it may have any number of unintended consequences. But these can also be creative, propelling our ability to manipulate and comprehend information to new heights. Perhaps we need a cautious optimism, rather than fearfulness, toward this radical new technology.

WAC at Hostos is well prepared to guide instructors through the process of adapting to AI. Writing is a process of learning in addition to being a means of demonstrating knowledge. AI may have rendered writing a less reliable proof of knowledge than it once was, but we believe the same kinds of assignments we have always valued—assignments that engage students’ thinking—will continue to be valuable in the age of AI.

Below, we offer some resources to help instructors in developing approaches to AI in the classroom that will serve their goals and the learning journeys of students.

Helping Students Understand AI

Presently, there are many more resources available for teaching students about AI and its limitations than resources for creating assignments that are resistant to AI. The number of potential assignments about AI that can be found through online resources is overwhelming. Most have the goal of helping students recognize that AI has biases and limitations, rather than implicitly trusting it as a politically and ethically neutral or factually infallible tool.

In “Can AI Read for You?” By Xiao Tan of Utah State University, students compare a summary of an article that they produce with one produced by AI. They are invited to reflect on what is missing from the AI summary, and how their own experiences, emotions, and perspectives shape their own writing.

This assignment on evaluating AI biases by Kevin Yee, Kirby Whittington, Erin Doggette, and Laurie Uttich helps students to understand that AI is not a neutral tool as well as developing their critical reading skills.

AI-proofing Assignments

It is reasonable for professors to want certain assignments to be completed without any use of AI. If you are committed to keeping AI out of the writing process, there are steps you can take.

Carleton College’s piece on “AI-Resistant Assignments” is a good place to start. The first principle suggested in the piece is “making writing an extension of the class discourse,” or requiring written work to respond to material presented and discussed in the classroom, often in relation to an additional source like a book or article. Students who have not engaged with the classroom content will have a difficult time completing the assignment, even if they use AI, because AI is not privy to the content of your specific course. This also provides valuable experience with a core characteristic of scholarly writing–that it partakes in a conversation with other speakers and writers. Another idea put forward in the piece is to have students do lots of thinking and writing about their writing, commenting on planned revisions and reflecting on their own writing process, including during class time. This will be difficult to do for work that is not their own.

Assignments Using AI

AI can be an incredibly powerful tool for research and dialectical inquiry. In some cases, instructors might want students to use AI in their work, provided they use it thoughtfully.

Students can practice the “5 S model” (Set the scene, be Specific, Simplify your language, Structure the output, Share feedback) to help them craft better AI prompts, which will yield useful results for research. Practicing this method teaches students that using AI well is a skill that requires thought and effort, rather than replacing them.

This assignment, by Yee, Whittington, et. al. asks students to refine their thesis statements in dialogue with AI. One of the best uses of AI is as a patient, well-informed tutor that can help students understand where their work has room to improve.

Another sample assignment comes from Victor M. Torres-Velez of Hostos further explores the possibilities of dialogue with AI, what Torres-Velez calls “using AI as your writing tutor.” Students are encouraged to ask AI such questions as “how does this article connect to my personal experience and anecdotes?” and “can you suggest ways to add sensory details and dialogue to make this story vivid?” These are the kinds of questions a student might ask a consultant at a writing center, and just like at a writing center, the responses help the student learn how to write, rather than writing for them.

On the subject of using AI as a tutor, a study cited by Shaofeng Li on page 135 of this article shows that AI is actually more successful than human instructors at giving students actionable feedback on the organization of their writing.

Class Policies

Every instructor is free to develop their own policies on AI, ranging from zero-tolerance to encouraging use.

Appendix D of The AWAC Statement on AI and Writing Across the Curriculum offers flexible guidelines for instructors developing an AI policy for their course. As well as offering prompting questions for instructors to think about when determining their policy priorities, it offers a model for a “disclosure statement,” in which students acknowledge, describe, and reflect on their (permitted) use of AI. Such statements can take on a similar role to citations at the undergraduate level, giving credit where credit is due and acknowledging the influence of outside resources.

One factor to consider is the role of AI in a classroom composed primarily of non-native English speakers, a circumstance common at Hostos. One common use of AI by students is to correct grammar and usage when writing in a second language, or even to translate prose written in their native language. Professors may find it useful to reflect on this particular use case for and consider their policies in light of it. As the AWAC Statement reminds us, “students’ relationships to AI are shaped by many factors, including . . . language background.” Brent Warner, an instructor at Irvine Valley Community College, a college with a high proportion of Asian and Latino students, has written and spoken frequently about the uses of AI for students for whom English is a second language. This is an excellent introduction to ways these students might use AI constructively.

We hope this guide helps you to approach the challenges of AI in the classroom with confidence and optimism.

Best wishes,

Kay Craig