Redesign Strategies

These suggests are aligned with making assignments more AI-resistance and fall within two main categories, (re)focusing students on the process rather than the product, and adding friction points making using GAI more work than its worth.  

(Re)focus Assignments on Process

GAI is able to complete many tasks we are asking our students to do.  This can be quite frustrating but it doesn't mean we have to allow students to use GAI.  We can slightly change our assignments to help students focus on the process rather than the product, therefore decreasing students motivation to utilize GAI.  

• Require annotated drafts/source documentation (screenshots / reference specific slides and class sessions) 
• Add reflections/creator statement on process of assignment.  See examples reflection prompts below:
  • General reflection:  “What did you find energizing in creating this work?”; "What ideas are you curious to know more about?"; “Where did you struggle? How did you respond to the challenge?”; “How well did you achieve your vision?”
  • Describing the how:  "Tell me how you approached the problem/assignment, include how you selected your topic, conducted your research, organized your ideas, and revised your drafts. Reflect on the strategies that were most effective and the challenges you encountered.  Discuss how you organized your research, drafted your paper, and revised it. What strategies worked well, and what would you change in the future?
  • Self-eval / Feedback reflections:  Submit a self-assessment of your final paper using the provided rubric. Reflect on your strengths and areas for improvement, and describe the steps you took to address feedback from peers and the instructor.
  • Assignment wrappers:  What did you do to prepare for this exam/how did it go… what did you do well, what could you improve, what will you do differently in the future.  Which discussion board post or in-class comment by a peer did you find most thought-provoking? What did you learn from it?
  • End of semester reflection:  What is one problem/assignment you worked on this semester that you struggled to understand/solve and explain how the struggle itself was valuable?  How has your imagination/creativity/ability to be a ___ as a result of taking this class?  Give at least three examples.  Which discussion or class period was most helpful to you this semester? How did it change your thinking? Which one of the course lectures/readings changed your understanding of the course material the most?

Add Friction - Making GAI Use Not Worth It

• Require students to turn in assignment with a visible draft history (google docs/Microsoft docs)
• Use captioned videos/audio for assignment instructions
• Use class-based or “local” prompts:  One limitation of AI tools is that they do not know what happens in your class. Consider designing prompts related specifically to your course
  • Ask questions that require knowledge and integration of insights from lecture slides or in-class discussions/experiences
  • Add an element to the assignment that requires students to gather information from people/community leaders/local organizations
• Add do-now / "go live" assignments: If a student knows they are going to be forced to engage with the content in real time, they may spend more time trying to understand the content rather than using GAI to get an assignment done.  
  • Add activities to your class that require students to apply and share their learning in real time.  For example a live debate, peer discussions, oral presentations, live quizzes/exams, a gallery walk, or simply doing writing assignments using paper.  
  • Invite students to have a conversation with you about their learning
    • Schedule a 15-minute conference with me to discuss your research paper draft. Be prepared to explain your research process, your main arguments, and the feedback you have received so far.
    • Schedule a conference to discuss your progress on the midterm project. Be prepared to present your research question, preliminary findings, and any challenges you are facing.
    • Meet with me to review your annotated bibliography. We will discuss your sources, how they relate to your research question, and any gaps in your literature review.
  • Pair assignment with one that effectively reveals if they did the first assignment (go live) & develop a rubric that awards grades that are sensitive to mismatches between quality of students submissions, thereby incentivizing students to do both assignments honestly
    • Record a video presentation explaining the key points of your research paper. In your video, address potential counterarguments and provide a detailed justification for your conclusions.
    • Prepare a 10-minute presentation on your term paper, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session where you answer questions about your methodology and conclusions.
    • Set aside all or part of a class session on the day drafts are due, and have students evaluate their own drafts: what turned out well, what aspects are still in process, and how will they proceed with that knowledge? Have them turn this into a written revision plan, to guide the process to the final draft.
• Add non-traditional ways of showing learning/new assignment mediums/options:  Students get tired of doing the same old essay or have so much anxiety knowing they have to show their learning in a formal exam.  Giving students choice or options on how they show their learning can provide enough motivation that they do the work.
  • Examples include podcasts, advertisements, poem/play, web page, video, brochure, performance/presentation, work of art/music/architecture/sculpture, concept maps with explanations

Looking for more, email ctl@kent.edu to schedule a conversation specific to your needs or check out the other assignment strategies related to GAI.  

• General Strategies to Discourage GAI Use:  These strategies do not require changing of assignments necessary but are additional ways to you encourage students to not use GAI.  they range from educating about ethical GAI use, appealing to deeper meaning, and improving transparency of purpose/relevance/criteria/stakes/pressure related to the assignment.  
• Strategies to Integrate GAI into Assignments:  You may not want your students to use GAI so here you will find examples of how you integrate GAI into your assignments to help students gain more critical thinking/evaluation skills.