As AI tools become increasingly accessible, educators are exploring ways to ensure that student writing remains authentic and reflective of their own understanding and creativity. While there's no foolproof way to prevent students from using AI, you can take intentional steps to encourage authentic writing and make students' thinking visible throughout the writing process.
Here are some actionable strategies to encourage students to demonstrate their own thinking and reduce inappropriate reliance on AI when writing.
1. Design Personal and Reflective Prompts
Ask students to connect their writing to their own experiences, perspectives, or ideas. Personalized prompts encourage students to draw on knowledge and/or experiences that are unique to them.
Examples:
"Describe a moment that shaped your perspective on [topic]."
"How would you approach solving a problem in your local community?"
Stuck on writing a prompt? Check out Writable's AI Prompt Generator and Suggestions.
2. Incorporate Class-Specific Contexts
Connect writing assignments to specific discussions, texts, activities or experiences from your classroom. Requiring students to reference specific classroom learning gives them a chance to demonstrate what they learned.
Examples:
"Discuss how our class experiment relates to [concept]."
"How does the theme of [book read in class] apply to a current event we discussed?"
3. Focus on Critical Thinking and Analysis
Design prompts that require students to do more than summarize information. Ask them to go deeper by evaluating evidence, comparing perspectives, defending a position, making connections, or proposing solutions.
Examples:
"Compare and contrast the perspectives of two authors on [topic]."
"Evaluate the effectiveness of a historical decision and suggest an alternative approach."
4. Lean into the Writing Process
Make students' thinking visible before they submit a final essay. Require drafts, peer feedback, and revisions. This will allow you to see how students developed their ideas over time.
Examples:
Include a graphic organizer section for brainstorming
Assign a peer review in Writable
Ask students to reflect on their own writing with a self-review
Require students to revise their work based on feedback
5. Require Multi-Modal Submissions
When it supports the learning goal, encourage students to incorporate other elements alongside written work to give students different opportunities to demonstrate their learning.
In Writable students can include:
Images, diagrams or charts related to their topic
Audio recordings explaining their thought process
Recorded video files
6. Use Writable's Authenticity Tools Together
Use multiple sources of information to better understand how a student created and revised a submission. Rather than relying on a single indicator, consider the context provided by Writable's authenticity tools together.
Consider the following information from these tools:
AI Detection: Review writing to see if there is suspected AI use
Authorship Alerts: Look at writing behavior to check on student writing and editing actions
Draft History: See how student's writing progressed over time
Originality Check: Check for similarities between the submission and other sources
7. Set Expectations About Academic Integrity and AI Use
Tell students when and how AI can (or cannot) be used for an assignment. Clear expectations help students distinguish between appropriate support and having AI complete work they are expected to do themselves.
Discuss:
Why authentic writing is important for their growth
Whether AI tools are allowed for the particular assignment
How they can use AI responsibly for brainstorming or inspiration
Which parts of the writing process students are expected to complete independently
8. Stay Informed About AI Tools
As AI tools continue to evolve, periodically explore the tools students may encounter and consider how they could affect your assignments.
As you learn more about different AI tools, use that information to:
Adjust prompts to emphasize student-specific thinking, classroom learning, and evidence
Create opportunities for students to explain and defend their ideas
Identify points in the writing process where you want to see evidence of student thinking
Talk with students about appropriate and inappropriate uses of AI
By combining these strategies, educators can create assignments that prioritize student originality and make it more challenging for students to rely on AI tools for their essays. Additionally, fostering an open dialogue about responsible AI use helps students understand its value as a learning aid rather than a shortcut.