The “AI” Writing Project

Submitter: Steven D Krause, Eastern Michigan U

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The experiment:

In Fall 2022 (right before ChatGPT went live), I gave an assignment in an advanced class based on Fyfe’s essay “How To Cheat on Your Final Paper.” Students wrote a short text (750 words or less) on any topic where they used GPT-3) to help write it. They also used DALL-E to create an image to accompany the text. They presented that to the class, and then each wrote a reflection of the process.

Results:

This was in a class of junior/senior English majors. Some (perhaps most?) thought the AI was more work than it was worth. Some thought the AI gave interesting and useful advice, often surprising students that the AI took the text. A lot of the students expressed reservations about the ethics of this and what it means for the future of writing. While not a course in pedagogy, a lot of these students were studying to be English teachers.

Relevant resources: I’ve been blogging a lot about this at stevendkrause.com

Contact: skrause[AT]emich[DOT]edu