Generative Artificial Intelligence and Teaching College Writing
A Two-Week Unit for English MA Students
Generated with AI (Microsoft Bing) ∙ December 17, 2023
In the spring 2024 semester, I will be teaching the Practicum in Teaching Writing Seminar. This is a 16-week course for English MA students in their second semester in the MA Program at the Department of English at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Half students in the course are Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) who spend their first year as tutors at the University Writing Center. They take this course before they start teaching in the Freshman English Program in the following fall. The other half of students are interested in teaching writing and may teach in the program as Credentialed Course Instructors (CCIs) if they choose to earn some teaching experience before they graduate.
Although I have always struggled to determine what gets into the course syllabus and what does not, I couldn’t teach this class without adding a unit, a small one to that matter, on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) technologies and the teaching of college writing. Regardless of my own position from using GenAI technologies in teaching writing or how I’d integrate it in my own classes, I felt it was my ethical and professional responsibility to engage graduate students in a discussion of these technologies. My purpose of adding this unit is not to convert graduate students to become loyal advocates and users of GenAI technologies in their teaching; rather, my goal is to prepare them for the reality they will encounter in their classes. As first-time writing teachers, they need to be ready to make decisions about whether or not to integrate the technologies in their teaching. More importantly, they need to be comfortable leading discussions with their students about these technologies and be confident addressing any academic integrity concerns in their classes.
In developing this unit, I aimed to lead by example and to give students a model for approaching the discussion of GenAI technologies in their own classes: reading, discussing, debating, making decisions, and reflecting on their experiences and knowledge. As always in my Practicum course, reflection is an integral element, particularly given the expected novelty of the topic for most students in my course. I wanted the reflection activities, especially the second one, to be a space for students to connect the dots between other writing theories and pedagogies on teaching writing and their new knowledge about GenAI technologies.
I’m sharing this unit design hoping that colleagues teaching the Practicum in Teaching Writing course may find some useful ideas for their courses. Selfishly though, I’m sharing it for feedback and suggestions that would help me revise and improve that unit, perhaps expanding it into a new course on Teaching Writing in the Age of GenAI Technologies.
Generative Artificial Intelligence and Teaching College Writing
A Two-Week Unit for the Practicum in Teaching Writing Seminar at UAB
Unit Objectives
By the end of this unit, I hope students will be able to:
Become familiar with large language models.
Be ready to have an informed conversation about GenAI technologies in their class.
Make an informed decision about using GenAI technologies in their teaching.
Select a syllabus statement on using GenAI technologies that matches their position.
Reflect on their learning about GenAI technologies.
Week 1: Introduction of GenAI technologies and their impact on the teaching of college writing
Readings
MLA/CCCC Task Force’s Working Paper on AI and Writing
Students’ Right to Write by Jonathan Alexander
Dobrin Ch. 3 Integrity
Teaching Writing in the Age of AI by Leon Furze
Class Activity
Working in two groups, students will debate their positions from using GenAI technologies in the first-year writing classroom.
Reflection
Reflect on your learning about GenAI technologies and their impact on the teaching of college writing this week. Consider these guiding questions:
1. How has your perspective on GenAI in teaching evolved from the beginning of the unit? What were your initial thoughts, and how have they been influenced by the readings and discussions?
2. How did engaging in a debate about the pros and cons of GenAI technologies impact your understanding of the complexities involved? Did your perspective evolve as a result of the discussion? How?
3. How will you navigate the ethical considerations associated with the use of GenAI in teaching? Are there specific principles or guidelines you would prioritize in your own teaching practice?
Week 2: GenAI technologies in the writing classroom
Readings
Dobrin Ch. 4 Writing with GenAI
Assigning AI: Seven Ways of Using AI in Class by Ethan Mollick
The AI Assessment Scale: From no AI to full AI by Leon Furze
UAB AI Committee Report (for syllabus statements)
Class Activity
Each student will prepare a 10-minute presentation on their own argument to using AI technologies in their classroom: position, syllabus statement, possible uses with assessment plans, academic integrity strategies, discussion with students. There will be a 30-minute Q&A session after all presentations have been completed.
Reflection
Reflect on your journey through this two-week exploration of GenAI technologies in teaching college writing. Consider these guiding questions:
1. How have the readings, discussions, debate, and presentations influenced your perspective from GenAI technologies and the teaching of writing? Be specific and provide examples.
2. How does your new learning in this unit fit or challenge your prior learning in this course about the theories and pedagogies of teaching college writing?
3. What challenges, opportunities, unanswered questions do you still have about GenAI technologies and teaching writing? What areas are you intrigued by and would like to explore more in the future?