Professors adapt as AI becomes inevitable in the classroom

With AI as a common academic tool, professors are faced with the challenge of regulating its use without compromising learning or academic integrity.

By: Mariam Mkrtchian, Social Media Editor

(Daisy Tapia for the Valley Star)

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a part of students’ daily workflow, forcing professors to confront a new academic reality and regulate a tool that is already seeing widespread use.

“I think we all know the tide is here, and we can’t fight it and AI is inevitable,” said Patrick Hunter, former chair of the English department and current full time instructor at Valley.

From asking for synonyms to outlining papers with platforms like ChatGPT, AI is embedded in many students’ routines. As there are no explicit guidelines required by LACCD, professors are divided on where they stand on the strictness of AI use in the classroom. 

“We’re not on the same page about this at all,” said Holly Batty, chair of the English department.

Although some professors have a zero tolerance policy, many professors are now implementing formal AI practices into their syllabi across departments, instead of instituting outright bans.

Some professors suggest that AI may be used for limited purposes such as organization, revision, grammar checks or identifying strengths and weaknesses in writing. However, it may not be used as a source of information or as a substitute for completing assignments, with a caveat of having to cite any use of AI or a chatbot. 

“I think it does help them with learning the writing process of the essay and the steps of writing an essay when broken down,” Batty said. “But, I think a lot of that is also on the instructor to break the steps down of writing the essay, of scaffolding it.”

Professors use detection tools such as Turnitin, which not only checks for plagiarism but also provides AI writing reports. However, these reports have raised concerns about inconsistency and reliability, as they are known to give a litany of false positives, profiling certain kinds of writing styles and demographics of students. English language learner students are more likely to get flagged as having used AI, Batty said.

Political science student Silvy Kara Yacoubian claims that although she has never used AI for assignments, she has been falsely accused twice in her classes. She explained that she proved the authenticity of her work and writing process through her search history and Google Doc history.

These accusations have impacted students’ approach to their writing, sometimes pressuring them to dumb down their work or avoiding complex words or punctuation such as em dashes, which often get flagged by detection websites.

“It’s exhausting having to prove that my writing is authentic time and time again,” Yacoubian said. “If making these small changes to my writing will put an end to it then so be it. As upsetting as that is to say, I’d rather do that than have my grades be in jeopardy.”

Although the growth of AI has taught students to use it as a beneficial part of their workflow, it has also led to an increased reliance on artificial aid, harming their writing abilities. 

“Use A.I., but use it sparingly. Don’t use it as a crutch. It’s not even a crutch if you have problems walking,” said Hunter. “But if you continue using a crutch when you can walk, you’re not helping yourself, you’re limiting yourself.”