Introducing students to disciplinary writing in its various forms is essential, yet it can be challenging to balance how much instruction and guidance is needed, and at what scale. At the same time, the introduction of Generative AI has necessitated new approaches to writing assignments. While instructors may feel hesitant about incorporating more writing in their courses at a time when AI-produced text feels ubiquitous, it is important to remember the values of writing as a “pedagogical strategy that promotes cognitive processing and learning” (Bowen & Watson, 2024, p. 200). The following resource looks at why writing activities are beneficial for instructors and students alike, and offers some considerations and strategies for writing activities in the age of AI.
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Writing Activities: An Overview
[W]riting is a way of processing, of understanding, of … growing. … writing is a tool of learning. … Writing is thinking (Norell, 2023).
All people write, regardless of their particular discipline or career. What changes is how or what people are writing, with every discipline having its own unique and contextualized knowledge about what “good” writing looks like. Thus, it is no surprise that incorporating writing activities into a course, regardless of the focus, can enhance student learning and better prepare students for their lives beyond the classroom. At the same time, the introduction and evolution of AI tools have necessitated a rethinking of approaches to writing activities in the classroom.
No matter how short or seemingly simple the prompt, writing activities can help students learn course material, while also “improv[ing] their thinking about ideas in their courses” (WAC Clearinghouse, n.d.). Additionally, certain kinds of writing activities can help prepare students for the variety of communicative tasks they will be asked to complete beyond college, increasing their familiarity with specific disciplinary genre conventions. For instructors, writing activities can be helpful in gauging “how well students grasp information and where they may need elaboration of key concepts” (WAC Clearinghouse, n.d.)
Regardless of students’ prior experience with writing activities, it is important to include these activities in a course in ways that are contextualized, and that allow students to become familiar with specific disciplinary genres and expectations. Assigned writing activities may vary in their purpose, as well as the level of time they require from both students and instructors. Additionally, the assessment of the activities will differ, with some being lower-stakes than others. Nonetheless, instructors can leverage different types of writing activities to help foster and develop skills.
Low-Stakes Writing Activities
Low-stakes writing activities are a great way to help students learn specific concepts and assess their understanding of course materials. These activities might include minute papers, short response papers or discussion board posts, or annotations on a reading. Because these activities are meant to be low-stakes, they often require little to no feedback, while still presenting great opportunities for students to reflect on course materials. They can also help instructors gauge students’ understanding of concepts.
High-Stakes Writing Activities
Depending on the learning objectives of a particular course, instructors may wish to include higher-stakes writing opportunities for students. These kinds of activities are designed to help students practice their critical thinking skills, as well as potentially offer students an opportunity to practice disciplinary writing and increase their familiarity with disciplinary expectations and genre conventions. These activities may include assignments that ask students to write like a professional in the discipline, academic research papers, or journal articles. When scaffolded throughout a course, these can offer students authentic learning experiences, creating opportunities for them to practice as professionals within their disciplines. High-stakes writing activities should include additional time for students to engage in a writing process, which should include brainstorming, drafting, feedback (both peer and instructor), and revision.
Writing Assignment Considerations in the Age of AI
“To preserve the benefits of both learning to write and writing to learn, we need to rethink our assignments and be clearer and more convincing about their benefits, while preparing students for a world in which they will need to use AI to work more quickly” (Bowen & Watson, 2024, p. 201).
Like all classroom decisions, the incorporation of writing activities should be determined by the goals and desired outcomes of the course itself. Instructors should also consider the amount of time they can dedicate to the writing process, as high-stakes writing activities will require more time and scaffolding. Additionally, Generative AI tools pose new considerations for writing activities and assignments. This section offers some considerations and strategies for instructors looking to foster learning through writing in the age of AI.
Identify the learning outcomes to inform what role AI can play.
What are the learning outcomes for your course? What kinds of writing activities will students need to engage in to achieve these outcomes? For example, if you’re teaching a large course, and want a quick way to gauge students’ understanding of material, then low-stakes activities are a great option. Alternatively, if you have an overarching course objective related to developing students’ ability to write within disciplinary genre conventions, you will want to consider how to engage students in larger, high-stakes writing activities.
Different writing activities will allow for different AI usage. For example, if you are using low-stakes writing to help students learn concepts and assess their understanding, collaboration with AI may not make sense. However, with larger writing tasks, students may benefit from leveraging AI as a thought partner or by getting feedback. Additionally, depending on the disciplinary context, students may need practice with AI prompting and usage to prepare them for their working lives beyond college. You might also want to consider the purpose of the writing task in relation to AI capabilities and those “distinctively human” skills; for ideas on striking this balance, see Oregon State University’s Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Be transparent about AI expectations.
When considering the role of AI in class activities, it is important to think of the different facets and roles AI might play to ensure your expectations are clear: for example, can students leverage AI tools for outlining and brainstorming? Would you accept any percentage of AI-generated text in an assignment? What is your policy around grammar and editing tools, such as Grammarly?
Once you have determined the role AI can play in course assignments, communicate those expectations to your students, as they may not be familiar with how course-level expectations align with Columbia University’s institutional Generative AI policy. Have conversations with your students about authorship, academic integrity, and expected AI usage, and be transparent about the extent to which usage is welcome. You may even consider co-constructing course AI policies alongside your students for both greater transparency, but also a shared agency and sense of responsibility around expectations.
Rethink assignment design to ensure transparency.
Not only can you establish explicit AI expectations, but your assignment design itself can communicate your expectations around AI collaboration to students. For example, writing assignments that are unique, local, and personal to students can be more engaging for students and more challenging for AI collaboration. Additionally, you might consider leveraging class time for students to brainstorm, create outlines, and begin drafting. For assignments that include AI, you might consider AI-prompt generation assignments, or asking students to produce, analyze, and revise AI-generated writing assignments. (For more examples about designing writing assignments with and without AI, including specific prompts you might adapt for your course context, see Chapter 11: Writing and AI in Bowen and Watson (2024) Teaching with AI.)
One helpful framework to ensure transparency in your assignment design is Bean’s (2011) RAFT dimensions of an assignment (Bean, 2011, p. 98-100). RAFT dimensions refer to the role (specific purpose); audience (who students are writing for); format (genre); and task (specific parameters of what students are being asked to do). In addition to transparency around AI expectations, being explicit about the purpose of writing assignments in your course can help students see the value and benefits of the tasks, especially as they become more complex and challenging; this can further motivate students to participate in the process of learning through writing. It’s also important not to assume that your students will know exactly what you are looking for in their written work; be explicit and transparent about your expectations. Rubrics can be an excellent way to support transparency and make your expectations clear to students; they can also make for great tools in peer review activities.
Support students in the writing process.
Especially with larger, high-stakes writing activities, writing should be taught as part of a process. This means creating opportunities for students to draft, get feedback from both the instructor and their peers, and revise their drafts. For larger writing assignments, consider scaffolding the prompts, asking students to submit smaller pieces of a larger written product over the course of the semester. This might also include making explicit some of the assumed norms you might have about your discipline (e.g., genre conventions, writing styles), as well as helping students understand the jargon and vocabulary they will need in their writing. Providing students feedback throughout their writing process is a great way to help make some of these disciplinary norms more explicit. While instructor and peer feedback are essential parts of this process, students might also leverage AI as a thought partner for timely, targeted feedback.
Encourage students to provide a writer’s statement.
Writer’s statements are a great metacognitive exercise for students, as they encourage reflection and provide students an opportunity to speak directly about their own writing processes. In the age of AI, writer’s statements are also a great way for students to talk about how and why they leveraged AI tools. For example, if students used AI for brainstorming or feedback, they can reflect upon the output, what they had to revise, and how they made those choices. This practice can make them more thoughtful about their writing process, while also being more critical users of AI.
Conclusion
Writing activities, whether low- or high-stakes in nature, are a valuable learning tool for students. Despite the presence and availability of generative AI, there are a number of ways for instructors to engage their students in meaningful and impactful writing activities that are specific and contextualized to their discipline. What is most important is being transparent and explicit with expectations around not just students’ AI usage, but about the purpose and goals of the assignment itself, as well as assignment expectations. The CTL is here to help with implementing writing activities into your specific course context. Email us at CTLFaculty@columbia.edu to schedule a 1-1 consultation!
Resources and References
Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning Resources
- Considerations for AI Tools in the Classroom
- Designing Assignments for Learning
- Enhance your Course Discussion Boards for Learning: Three Strategies Using Ed Discussion
- Feedback for Learning
- Incorporating Rubrics Into Your Feedback and Grading Practices
- Leveraging Annotation Activities and Tools to Promote Collaborative Learning
- Metacognition
- Peer Review: Intentional Design for Any Course Context
- Promoting Academic Integrity
References
Bean, J. (2011). Engaging ideas: The professor’s guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom, 2nd ed. Jossey-Bass.
Bowen, J.A. & Watson, C. E. (2024). Teaching with AI. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Columbia Office of the Provost. (2023). Generative AI Policy.
Dobrin, S. (2023). AI and writing. Broadview Press.
Fry, S. W., & Villagomez, A. (2012). Writing to learn: Benefits and limitations. College Teaching, 60(4), 170–175.
Norell, L. (Nov. 2023). Writing as a tool for teamwork and fellowship. Inside Higher Ed.
Palmquist, M. (2020). A middle way for WAC: Writing to engage. The WAC Journal, 31, 7-22.
WAC Clearinghouse (n.d.). Why include writing in my courses?
Want to learn more about teaching with AI?
See the CTL’s resource “Considerations for AI Tools in the Classroom.”