Lesson 1.1: Introduction to AI and Writing — Teaching Writing in the Age of AI

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Concept Explanation

The term “21st Century Technology” is less impressive now than in the past, as we have passed the quarter-way point of the century. The role of technology in education continues to expand, with the most significant changes in recent years coming from Artificial Intelligence. AI, with its ability to process vast amounts of data and learn from patterns, has the potential to revolutionize the way we teach and learn writing. From grammar checkers and style analyzers, to creative writing assistants and personalized learning platforms, AI offers a wide range of applications that can enhance the writing process. But along with these opportunities come new challenges and questions about fairness, creativity, and the preservation of human touch in education and written language.

Examples of AI Writing Tools:

There are many AI-powered tools out there, some that you’ve probably used before, which are designed to help improve writing skills. These tools will be mentioned several times in this course, in connection with a variety of different writing skills and strategies. Many of these companies have added features to their tools to make them very robust. As a result, they offer a lot of different ways to benefit a writer. Below is a summary of the basic focus for three major AI apps:

Grammarly: An AI-powered writing assistant that uses Natural Language Processing to analyze text for grammatical errors, stylistic issues, and even plagiarism. It provides real-time feedback, helping writers to improve their skills.
QuillBot: A paraphrasing tool that uses Machine Learning to rewrite or paraphrase sentences and paragraphs. It assists students in understanding different ways to express the same ideas, helping them understand language and writing more deeply.
ProWritingAid: Built specifically for the purpose of helping craft better stories, this tool allows users to get help with readability, not overusing common words and phrases, and overall style.

In addition to the writing-specific tools mentioned above, there are several well-known, popular generative AI tools. Each one has features that can be very useful at different stages of the writing process. Teachers and students can benefit from interacting with each of these systems to see how they are similar to and different from each other.

ChatGPT: Open AI’s chatbot that is designed to produce human-like writing based on prompts.
Gemini: Google’s chatbot that works similarly to ChatGPT and is integrated with other Google apps like docs, sheets, and slides.
Copilot: Microsoft’s chatbot that runs on Open AI’s technology that also acts as a search engine.
Claude: A chatbot created by former Open AI employees seeking to create a more ethical and responsible AI technology.
Perplexity: Another chatbot that acts as a search engine, pulling together a lot of information for quick research assistance.

Application

AI offers a diverse range of tools that can significantly enhance the writing classroom. From encouraging collaboration, to personalizing learning, and even making writing more accessible, the following points illustrate how writing teachers can effectively integrate AI to support and enrich their students' learning experiences.

Collaborative Tools: AI-powered tools like Quillbot, Canva, and even Google Docs with Gemini integration can facilitate real-time collaboration, allowing students and educators to work more efficiently together. In addition to providing multiple people access to the same document, these tools can suggest content, re-word, and change the tone of writing. They can also provide immediate feedback and check grammar and spelling, thereby enhancing the writing process.
Automated Essay Scoring Systems: Some platforms use AI algorithms to grade student essays. These systems can analyze the structure, coherence, and content of essays, providing quick and consistent feedback. One such platform is Brisk, which offers automated scoring based on rubrics provided by the teacher and can be integrated with Google Classroom and other common teaching platforms.
Personalized Learning: Our company’s chatbot, Socrat.ai is designed to make personalized learning easy and can be used by teachers of any subject, including writing. For example, students could chat with Socrat about finding the main idea or crafting a great thesis statement.
Accessibility and Inclusion: AI can be a powerful tool for making writing more accessible. Text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools enable students with disabilities to participate in writing activities, ensuring a more inclusive learning environment. ChatGPT, for example, can be used in a voice interface without needing to type at all. It also transcribes the verbal messages on the screen for you.
Research and Content Generation: For more advanced writers, AI tools can assist in research, summarizing large documents, or even generating content based on specific criteria. These applications extend the role of AI beyond basic writing support.
- A useful feature of many AI chatbots is that they can read text from PDF files. They can help you analyze documents, which is very helpful when there is a lot of complex text to digest.
-  Some AI tools are integrated with search engines now, which allows them to also help with research. These AI searches can help students find high-quality source information.
-  (Note: Chatbots that provide direct links to sources are the best option, because AI has a reputation for making up sources. Also, make sure to double check the information in the linked source because AI can misattribute sources as well.)

Analysis

While AI provides many opportunities to enhance the writing process, it also presents challenges and ethical considerations. Issues such as bias, data privacy, accessibility, fairness, and over-reliance on technology that must be critically addressed. Because of these challenges, we are encouraged to adopt a balanced approach that uses AI's strengths without losing sight of human-centric pedagogy.

Bias: Unfortunately, biases are inevitable in many of the AI systems that exist today because of the datasets that they were trained on. An algorithm trained on data that contains biases or is not representative of the population can reinforce stereotypes and societal inequities. Users must be aware of the possibility of bias when interacting with AI.
- Ask yourself: How have students historically been discriminated against based on their language and writing styles? How might those biases surface in AI writing tools?
Data Privacy: The same thing that makes AI so effective also makes it potentially dangerous: data. Anytime student work or personal information is shared with AI systems, there is some risk of misuse or leaks. Schools should take care to vet the tools they are using and confirm that they have strong privacy regulations.
- Ask yourself: How can I keep my students safe, while also allowing them to benefit from the opportunities brought by AI?
Accessibility: AI technology is still very new. While it presents promising opportunities to make learning more accessible, its full effect is yet to be realized. Different learning abilities, language barriers, and varying access to technology all present issues for the implementation of AI in schools.
- Ask yourself: How can I implement AI in ways that make the writing process more accessible for all of my students?
Over-reliance: When students begin to use AI, they risk coming to rely on AI for writing tasks. As teachers, it’s important for us to consider when and how to introduce AI into the writing process so that over-dependence on AI tools doesn’t hinder the development of essential writing skills.
- Ask yourself: How can I scaffold the writing process so that students learn key skills? When is the best time to integrate AI writing tools?
Fairness: Teachers should be cautious when using AI in programs such as automated essay scoring systems. The application of AI should be transparent and fair. These systems may be generally consistent, but they might not fully grasp human language, creativity, or subjective interpretations. Relying solely on AI for grading could lead to potentially unjust assessments. It’s important for teachers to review AI-generated scores and feedback, using them as data rather than the final grade.
- Ask yourself: How can I use AI to give my students helpful feedback, while making sure I recognize their unique ways of writing?

One other key issue to discuss is the need for teachers to keep up to date with rapidly-developing technology. The increasing integration of AI in writing is a specific example of a broader trend in education. AI's capabilities are continually evolving, offering new ways to engage students, personalize learning, and improve efficiencies. However, this expansion also brings new risks that were previously unimagined. Staying caught-up with these trends requires ongoing professional development and a willingness to adapt and innovate. Likewise, we must instill in students the value of life-long learning, as AI will continue to develop and affect their careers throughout their lives.

Learn More

Recommended Resources

Ellis, B. (21 Oct. 2024). How to Protect Student Privacy When Using AI. TCEA Tech Notes.
Holdsworth, J. (2023). What is AI Bias? IBM.
Miller, K. (13 March 2023). AI Overreliance Is a Problem. Are Explanations a Solution? Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.

Reflective Questions

How can AI be used in your specific educational context to enhance the writing process for students? What might be the potential benefits and drawbacks?
How would you address ethical concerns related to bias, privacy, and fairness when integrating AI tools into your writing curriculum?
What are your thoughts on the balance between technological innovation and maintaining human interaction and empathy in the teaching of writing?
Consider the future of writing education in the age of AI. How do you envision the evolving role of AI, and what steps can you take to stay informed and proactive in this rapidly changing landscape?