Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT are quickly becoming a part of the educational landscape. Schools here in the United States are still grappling with what all this means for academic integrity. With students turning to these advanced chatbots for assistance with writing assignments, educators face the challenge of defining boundaries around acceptable use. At first glance, this situation raises some key questions. How can we maintain academic rigor and integrity while finding new creative ways to use technology to increase engagement and learning?
In Southern California, Casey Cuny, an award-winning English teacher at Valencia High School, provides a case study in this evolving educational environment. A veteran educator awarded the title of California Teacher of the Year in 2024, Cuny introduced new AI skills into his 10th-grade English classroom. He’s teaching students how to upload study guides to ChatGPT. Next, he walks them through how to use the chatbot for quiz practice. Cuny’s approach foreshadows a movement away from banning the use of AI tools toward promoting thoughtful, responsible use of AI tools.
At the same time, across the country, other educators are taking their own approaches as they seek to adapt to the rise of AI. Emily DeJeu, who teaches communication courses at Carnegie Mellon University’s business school, has replaced conventional writing homework with in-class workshops. Instead, she gives short, in-class quizzes with students on laptops. She employs a lockdown browser, which prevents students from accessing all other resources while taking the assessments. This approach helps keep their attention and encourages students to think through the challenge without the safety net of AI help.
The Role of ChatGPT in Student Learning
ChatGPT can be a very useful tool for all students. It serves up an incredible bounty of concepts, usages, and quotations to inspire their own writing efforts. For example, it provides guidance on questions such as whether social class matters in “The Great Gatsby.” This prepares students to write research essays with a deeper understanding. Lily Brown, who is majoring in psychology, said using ChatGPT has been really helpful when creating outlines for her essays. It helps her clearly and creatively structure her ideas.
Jolie Lahey, an 11th-grader at Valencia High School near Santa Clarita, California, describes her use of ChatGPT. She shares how the tool made it possible for her to understand reading assignments that were previously not understandable. She enjoys how the tool breaks down heavy topics into easy to digest principles and aids in focusing content. As for ChatGPT, Cuny recognizes that students understandably go to AI tools first for help brainstorming ideas before they work on writing assignments. He knows that when these technologies are wielded, students must learn to navigate and cultivate discipline. To help this along, he feels that strong, clear guidelines are key.
Cuny’s updated classroom policy requires more in-class writing to mitigate AI’s impact as much as possible. He thinks it’s naive to assume that students—or anyone, really, but especially 18-year-olds—will not lose their self-control when it comes to AI. In our modern, tech-infused world, distractions abound. Yet, educators are rightfully worried about technology and how to best use it in higher education. They want to accomplish all of this while maintaining academic rigor.
Institutional Responses to AI Challenges
Still, colleges and universities are trying to adapt to a world where students have greater access to AI tools. They already have created specialized AI task forces to address these challenges head on. These task forces are dedicated to drafting guidelines that will help faculty navigate the complexities of AI use in academic settings. The goal is to provide clear instructions on how to incorporate AI responsibly while fostering an environment conducive to learning.
These institutional efforts are very important. They support educators in providing the tools and frameworks to successfully, and easily, shift their teaching approaches. Similar to Emily DeJeu’s new experiment at Carnegie Mellon, many universities and colleges are hopping on the trend to completely flip assessment practices on their head. To maintain academic integrity, educators should protect academic rigor and focus assessment in class without outside help. This simple approach helps to recognize the rising centrality of AI assist.
These faculty task forces break down silos by empowering collaboration between faculty members of different fields. Sharing best practices and learning from one another can create a more cohesive approach to integrating AI in educational settings. This collegial attitude reinforces the high standards expected within academia. Beyond that, it gets students used to working with technology in a meaningful way.
Balancing Technology and Tradition
As schools and universities continue to explore how to balance technology with traditional educational practices, the conversation around AI tools is likely to evolve. Rose and fellow educators Casey Cuny and Emily DeJeu remind us that today’s needs must drive teaching methodologies. They highlight the ethical implications that arise from utilizing AI in education.
Despite the obstacles that AI tools, such as ChatGPT, present, they provide immense opportunities to deepen student engagement and comprehension. By intentionally integrating technology into curricula, educators can create a classroom culture that promotes the critical thinking and creativity alluded to in the introduction. Ultimately, the goal remains clear: to prepare students for a future where they can effectively navigate both academic and real-world challenges.