Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a topic that leaves many in a state of concern. AI policies have been put in place in class syllabi, and people are encouraged to learn how to work with AI. However, when it comes to AI in academics, many people approach the topic with apprehension. AI has been proven to have the ability to write papers or do math problems or other homework assignments, even if they’re not done well. One of the foremost concerns raised about AI was the way people could use it to write papers, which could halt student learning or understanding. This led to the start of AI identifiers being used while grading, even with all the flaws there.
“I have had my papers flagged as AI until I showed my professor the edit history,” one student stated. She said that her professor had put her paper into the AI identifier after she submitted it, and for reasons such as her grammar or word choice, her paper had been flagged. Other students, when asked about this, admitted similar issues. “I like grammar,” stated UVU student Zoey*, “especially the em dash. I really like using things like that or semicolons and making sure that my paper is grammatically correct. Apparently, that makes me an AI cause it keeps getting me flagged.”
What was especially interesting about the survey results was that most students aren’t using AI to write their papers. “The most I’ll do,” said student Eli*, “is use Chat[GPT] to create an outline based on a topic.” When asked for elaboration, Eli clarified that he would take a topic that he had brainstormed, admitting that sometimes he would also ask for help brainstorming from different generative AI sources, and then would plug that and his ideas into ChatGPT and ask for outline suggestions. From there, he said he would refine those outlines into something he could work with, and that all writing would be his own.
Taking all of this into account—the fact that students are working on using AI responsibly and as a benefit—raised the question of why some grading is still utilizing AI. In the experience of the students surveyed, lots of their grading still utilizes AI and other systems that have been proven to be faulty with AI detection. “I’ll admit that I don’t know what it’s like to grade assignments for a whole class,” said UVU student Claire* “but I would rather know that my professor is grading my paper for content rather than feeding it into an AI generator on the off chance that a student used AI to write their paper. Especially with the way it’s pinged classmates who I know have never used AI in their papers.”
However, even with their thoughts about grading and homework help and other systems, students indicated that their concerns regarding AI were now extending to using it responsibly and learning more about the ethical and environmental implications of using AI. Over a third of the students asked about AI said they don’t use it at all because they don’t want to contribute to it in any way.
Students are working on learning responsible AI usage for their academics and are concerned about being pinged for AI based on things like grammar and word choice. And so, the question remains, should grading still factor in AI? “I prefer my classes where the professor lets us be open about any and all AI usage and doesn’t bring our grades down if we use it in any way,” said Eli, following up with, “and it works really well because then we don’t get random grade drops cause of suspected AI usage and students are up front with how and why they use it.”
Overall, it seems that the problem with AI in academics is a lack of trust, understanding, and knowledge of how to use it. AI can be used like any other resource as long as people are using it responsibly and not overusing it or creating overreliance on it. Anyone can do their own research on it, and it’s encouraged to do so. UVU has also put out resources on AI usage. Review the syllabi statements issued by professors and visit resources such as the AI usage lab to learn more. Below are general recommendations and guidelines from the UVU Review based on the information gathered in their survey:
- Don’t use AI for everything. If you are going to use AI at all in your academics, let it be very surface things, like an outline or to make sure that your argument flows well.
- Be very open about any and all AI usage. This one seems self-explanatory, but it means disclosing all AI usage, especially if it’s something your professor is concerned about. If you used it for an outline or topic, say that.
- Focus on using AI to help you learn. Use it to do things like help you brainstorm or give you strategies to do so. Don’t use it for things like the actual act of writing or doing the assignment.
- Before using AI for an assignment, check out your professor’s AI policy and guidelines. You may also want to reach out to your professor for clearer information on their AI policy. Some professors are more okay with AI than others, so make sure you’re keeping that in mind.
- Above all else, focus on human connection. People often aren’t looking for perfect papers and perfect grammar. They’re reading hoping to get a glimpse of who the author is. They’re looking at a writing assignment and hoping to get a peek into the minds of the writer. People don’t mind the messy learning curve and would rather see that than an AI generated piece of technical perfection.
*Students requested anonymity for this article, so no real names will be used. If the student provided a nickname, that is what is used. If no nickname was provided, they have not been identified.
