Despite teachers’ warnings, students still use artificial intelligence in their assignments, and most aren’t as slick as they think.
“If you look at their writing styles, it’s pretty obvious, you know, that this was written by AI, when their paragraph or essay, or whatever you had them write before is significantly different,” english teacher Josh Bault said. “Number two, I always look for the expectation of a particular student group.”
Writing style is a common indicator of whether AI has been used. Even though the AI bot has access to the entire Internet, it still can’t completely disguise itself as the student using it.
“I think they forget that we’ve been teaching for a long time and I’ve read a ton of student writing, it’s so obvious,” english teacher Tammy Minks said. “It is definitely not the sentence structure of a student writer.”
Using AI for your assignments can be tricky. It can be tempting to get the bot to do it for you, especially since it’s all right there, but if you want to use it to help you, there needs to be some self-discipline involved.
“The problem that we’re having is when students use AI to do their assignments, teachers are having a hard time understanding how to process that,” head of Information Technology Jason Pfahl said. “It’s understandable because we want you to use this new technology, but on the same token, we need you to do your own work.”
There are various reasons why students use bots to complete their assignments, but most teachers say it’s because it’s easy.
“I think it’s the same as it is always, it’s an easy fix,” Bault said. “It’s an easy way to think they can pull one over on a teacher. In the end, are there students that don’t get caught? Of course. Do we try to be diligent? Yes. Do we catch some and not others? Probably.”
Students typically use AI when they’re feeling lazy, overwhelmed or crunched for time.
“The danger lies in developing bad habits over time, like procrastinating because they know AI can deliver in seconds,” english teacher Robert Justice said. “Writing, research and critical thinking require extended effort, which AI shortcuts can undermine.”
The bots may provide an easy fix, but it doesn’t mean they’re right.
“I’ve got a 13-year-old daughter who tried to use AI for her math homework, and three out of the five questions it got wrong,” Pfahl said. “So there may be this tendency to or curiosity to use AI but you have to keep an open mind and rely on your own information in your own education, as well, and use it more like a supplemental tool.”
AI can be flawed in various ways because it has access to the entire internet, some of the information it gives you can be misleading, biased or flat-out wrong.
“The concern is if the AI has not been trained and devoured the internet, it cannot give you an accurate answer,” Claire Grostefan, Corporation Technology Curriculum Integration Coordinator said. “It’s not always up to date.”
While using a bot to write an entire paper for you will earn you a zero, there are still times when it’s considered acceptable.
“While AI shouldn’t replace foundational skills like critical thinking and writing, it’s an inevitable and invaluable tool for education,” Justice said. “Companies across industries are integrating AI, and students need to learn how to use it responsibly and effectively as it becomes a standard part of academic and professional life.”
Some see the future involving more use of AI in industry and academia. Focusing on academia, we may see tools come out that can predict performance or offer learning experiences tailored to the student, but the use should be monitored.
“As AI becomes more integrated, it’s important to educators, students and parents to stay involved in how the technology is used,” Pfahl said. “This ensures that it’s serving the best interests of students and not just automating education for efficiency’s sake.”
For all the cons, there are also pros, even with responsible use. AI can adapt to students’ individualized needs and provide more interactive learning experiences through tutoring systems.
“You get feedback immediately,” Grostefan said. “Shy students in the classroom might not want their peers to see them needing help, so they can turn to that chatbot, and not be embarrassed or insecure about needing it.”
Regardless of all the perks or disadvantages, AI is a tool made to help not just students, but people in general, but it can’t take over entirely.
“If we’re gonna use AI, as humans, we need to realize its limits and harness the power of it,” Grostefan said. “We need to embrace it, not let it replace the student’s thinking, but help them.”
