Teaching Online Has Changed the Way I Read Student Assignments
After teaching the same courses for years, I've reached a point where I can usually tell when an assignment has been heavily influenced by AI. It isn't just the polished writing that stands out, it's the fact that multiple students often submit papers with nearly identical structures, the same interpretations, similar examples, and even the same mistakes. As an instructor, you get to know the patterns of your course material, so when twenty assignments begin sounding like variations of the same response, it's difficult not to notice. The biggest challenge isn't catching students, it's trying to determine what they actually understand. I genuinely want to see each student's own thinking, even if it's imperfect. An original argument with a few mistakes tells me far more about someone's learning than a flawless paper that could have been produced by anyone. The more AI becomes part of coursework, the more I find myself wishing for additional in-person discussions, handwritten assessments, or other opportunities where students can demonstrate their own understanding without technology sitting between them and the learning process.