11 Writing Assignments

Here are two sample writing assignments created by Stephanie Pritchard (SUNY Oswego; Visiting Assistant Professor, English and Creative Writing Department) that can be incorporated into a variety of disciplines:

Example 1: Reflective Process Book

While it will be very challenging now (read: almost impossible) to create out-of-class assignments that are “AI-proof”, some assignments might be easier for students to complete without assistance from AI. One example would be a semester-long reflective process book, which is an assignment that can be used alongside research. The sample process book assignment that’s linked here has a few notable features: it is graded mostly based on completion (this assessment strategy might lessen some of the grade anxiety faced by many undergraduate students), it is meant to be completed in stages (students will also have some time to work on this in class), and it is meant to be reflective (so students can describe what they learned but, more importantly, how they learned it). The process book asks students to think critically about their own research, discussions in class, and the steps they took to complete their research assignment. This assignment can be a strong addition to classes that require critical thinking, writing, and discussion. The process book assignment linked here is from an English composition class.

Example 2: Annotated Bibliography

There are also ways to integrate AI into research-based assignments, like an annotated bibliography. This annotated bibliography example, from an English composition class, asks students to find and evaluate six different credible sources for their research project. For every source, students must provide bibliographic information, a short summary, an evaluation of the source, and a brief discussion of how the source is relevant to their topic. There is a note at the bottom of this assignment which outlines what parts of the annotated bibliography can receive help from AI: to create appropriate citations, to help look for sources, and to help students understand the content of the sources they’re considering. Since annotated bibliographies are popular assignments, there are various ways generative AI tools can be used to simplify the process for students as they begin to learn how to conduct research, especially in introductory classes.

What we’ve learned from AI so far is that it can write reflectively – and convincingly – about experiences that it can absorb from the data on which it was trained but cannot actually have first-hand. The process book is meant to help students critically think about how they learned. It’s worth mentioning, too, that both of these assignments are part of a larger, semester-long scaffolded writing project.

Some additional out-of-class examples include rethinking reading response papers and other essay assignments.

AI Tools for Research Assignments

As generative AI tools proliferate, more special-purpose tools are being released for use. One such tool for annotated bibliography and research-related assignments is elicit.org. Asking a question such as “What is the current interpretation of the cause of mid-latitude glaciers on Mars?” returns a list of relevant papers with bibliographic information and short summaries, along with a summary of the top papers which provides a snapshot of the field of research. Clicking on the title of any of the papers opens a new window with the full text of the paper, summary information, factors reflecting the trustworthiness of the paper, critiques listed in other sources, and related citations. The research landscape is likely to change rapidly with the further development of specialized generative AI tools.