Redesigning an Introduction to Writing Assignment in the Age of AI

Abstract

This design case describes how I adapted a preexisting writing assignment to incorporate the use of generative AI (MS Copilot) into a general education writing course. Surprised by the extent to which a course composed of largely first-year students struggled to write effective prompts, I developed an approach that asks students to fill out worksheets over the course of the semester that guide them through a scaffolded approach to collaborating with—rather than over-relying on—MS Copilot to brainstorm, generate feedback, and revise their work. Here, I describe the first worksheet I designed to introduce students to collaborating with AI, a summary assignment I redesigned to incorporate AI literacy skills. By asking students to revise an AI-generated summary, they were able to more critically analyze the information they obtained from Copilot by identifying gaps in the AI-generated output. My design case highlights my attempts to prepare students to use generative AI tools ethically by incorporating AI use into an assignment, while still meeting all the previously established course learning outcomes.