<![CDATA[Doing my part against AI in the classroom.]]>Doing my part against AI in the classroom.

Written discussion prompts have worked well before, as an intermittent tool. But organizing the course around one in every meeting, making time for editing afterwards, having these artifacts be the basis of the entire course grade (!), and enforcing a ban on devices, has by day two already decidedly changed the atmosphere.

They've embraced it all. Helped much to establish trust. Sharing their beliefs about evolution openly.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/4d7da1e3-13ff-4547-9841-3ad8ebb8ca81/doing-my-part-against-ai-in-the-classroom.RSS for NodeTue, 22 Sep 2026 18:23:25 GMTThu, 27 Aug 2026 15:36:14 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Doing my part against AI in the classroom. on Fri, 28 Aug 2026 21:09:15 GMT]]>@rangek I wrote org-teach-worksheet to facilitate making the worksheets in . I also wrote a little Javascript function for 5, 10, and 15 minute timers for the screen.

I wanted to respond to the outrages in a manner that echoed Kaczynski-esque self-sufficiency and direct action, except, like, less murderous

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fediscience.org/users/jameshowell/statuses/117175180062843541https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fediscience.org/users/jameshowell/statuses/117175180062843541Fri, 28 Aug 2026 21:09:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Doing my part against AI in the classroom. on Fri, 28 Aug 2026 20:55:54 GMT]]>@rangek I got the department to hire a TA. Got a super enthusiastic student who excelled in the course last semester. She and I split the worksheets, so we can give feedback within 36 hours. Students see their results before the next worksheet.

And by feedback, I mean a score out of 40 points:

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fediscience.org/users/jameshowell/statuses/117175127548163270https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fediscience.org/users/jameshowell/statuses/117175127548163270Fri, 28 Aug 2026 20:55:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Doing my part against AI in the classroom. on Fri, 28 Aug 2026 19:05:16 GMT]]>@jameshowell Amazing.

What volume of grading is generated for you by this technique, both in number of things you have to look at and in the amount of paper you have to carry around with you?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fediscience.org/users/rangek/statuses/117174692497252647https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fediscience.org/users/rangek/statuses/117174692497252647Fri, 28 Aug 2026 19:05:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Doing my part against AI in the classroom. on Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:45:51 GMT]]>@jameshowell I appreciate the details of this framing. Thank you.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c18.masto.host/users/mirijb2/statuses/117168953827551812https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c18.masto.host/users/mirijb2/statuses/117168953827551812Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:45:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Doing my part against AI in the classroom. on Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:40:55 GMT]]>@mirijb2 A device ban, like any other successful exercise of classroom authority, requires careful rhetorical framing and managing expectations.

I sent them a detailed message, eight days before the course began, explaining the unconventional course structure. Highlighting the ban.

I sent them a 90 second video of me in the empty auditorium, five days before the course began, explaining the unconventional course structure. Highlighting the ban.

We spent the first meeting reading and discussing Zohan et al. (2026, link below), which articulates a cautionary hypothesis about cognitive losses from LLM use (inter alia). And we dissected the rather subtle, but dramatic, graph derived from Strömberg et al. (2026, image below) that made the rounds last week.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-026-00402-1

They themselves universally report using LLMs, simultaneously with a widespread and very clear concern over the cognitive and social risks (as well as the economic and ecological ones).

The end of that discussion was the moment I invited them to commit to having two 75 minute meetings a week that are "human only."

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fediscience.org/users/jameshowell/statuses/117168934421360808https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fediscience.org/users/jameshowell/statuses/117168934421360808Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:40:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Doing my part against AI in the classroom. on Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:04:06 GMT]]>@jameshowell I do this too, but without the device ban. Last time I did it, chatbots were used, alas. Would love to discuss device bans.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c18.masto.host/users/mirijb2/statuses/117168317809635615https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c18.masto.host/users/mirijb2/statuses/117168317809635615Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:04:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Doing my part against AI in the classroom. on Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:58:58 GMT]]>@jameshowell

Bravo!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodonapp.uk/users/the_roamer/statuses/117168297607244391https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodonapp.uk/users/the_roamer/statuses/117168297607244391Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:58:58 GMT